Smart Meter - commissioning problem

Exxy1988

Currently trying to get a smart meter commissioned in North East Scotland without success. Started with Shell Energy in Nov 2022 and now with Octopus.

Engineer says there's no radio signal where I am but they keep trying a remote commission. Sometimes get the WAN light flashing every 5 seconds, sometimes every second.

Does anybody know who / where I need to elevate this to if its a problem with the DCC network?

They've said they can fit an economy 7 meter (as I have an EV) but as far as I can work out, there's no cost benefit as the day rate goes up 9p and the standing charge also goes up 2p.

BarelySentientAI

Exxy1988 said:

Does anybody know who / where I need to elevate this to if its a problem with the DCC network?

Nowhere really.

[Deleted User]

Hi, unfortunately if there is a problem with the network there isn't really anything to be gained by escalating it. Although the network coverage is good it isn't perfect. All you can really do is wait for the investment to be made in either expanding the network or an alternative solution to be developed. In the meantime you'll just have to make the best of a bad job. Whether E7 will save you depends on the proportion of your energy use overnight and it just comes down to crunching the numbers.

Not what you want to hear but that's the way it is.

Scot_39

Exxy1988 said:

Currently trying to get a smart meter commissioned in North East Scotland without success. Started with Shell Energy in Nov 2022 and now with Octopus.

Engineer says there's no radio signal where I am but they keep trying a remote commission. Sometimes get the WAN light flashing every 5 seconds, sometimes every second.

Does anybody know who / where I need to elevate this to if its a problem with the DCC network?

They've said they can fit an economy 7 meter (as I have an EV) but as far as I can work out, there's no cost benefit as the day rate goes up 9p and the standing charge also goes up 2p.

Is it no signal or just to weak for standard comms hub (internal) antenna?

In some installs remote antenna might help
internal (t2?)  - seen a few posts re these in uk
or even external (t3?)  - seen these used moreso overseas in remote locations - like the cabin holidayed in a couple of years ago.

Not sure which regions they help in uk though.

Might be worth asking Octopus if can supply if suitable for your regions signal type - if that could help solve your problem.

cannugec5

I’m in the West of Scotland. Our Smart meter was installed almost 18 months ago, but they never got it to communicate - that was EON. I have since switched to Octopus and they have confirmed that we need a new meter - but there are no appointments in our area- and have not been for a almost year! 

Since our meter was installed other people in our village have had successfully commissioned Smart meters installed so I do think ours now *could* work if only we had a communications hub attached! 

I would jump to a Smart tariff given the opportunity. 

pete-20-11

Someone on the GivEnergy forums had a similar challenge. Went to ombudsman in the end after complaining to their supplier 

"my smart meter finally got correctly working after 4 years by going to Ombudsman and Octo installing a combined GSM/RF comms hub with antenna (I am in RF area in Pennines but Arqiva signal is poor)"


"The engineer came and fitted a combined RF/GSM comms hub with antenna and connection straight away.

4 years and solved in 5 minutes with the correct piece of kit"

"So after 4 years my smart meters are still dumb. I complained to the Ombudsman about Octo as I cannot complain about the DCC as I have no contract with them.

I dont blame Octo and I dont want any sort of compensation out of them. I am hoping my complaint will allow Octo to complain and the Ombudsman force Arqiva to do something.

I think the Arqiva answer will be "we have hit out target nothing to be done".

In the North of UK the meter communication is via RF (long Range Radio), in the south is is GSM like mobiles.

RF not to good in the hilly north. FM and DAB in the car is rubbish!

Still i bet Arqiva got a good contract and didn't worry too much about the correct solution.

Anyway Octo say they are going to try me on a combined RF/GSM comms hub on the meter and see if that fixes things."


Hope the above helps re the process and what to ask for. Who to complain to etc. if your complaint does get to the ombudsman be upfront about what you want - both the type of Comms hub and an external aerial!

[Deleted User]

I'm thinking that maybe I should clarify my earlier post. 

If the problem actually is that there is no signal then there's really no avenue for a complaint. However, as others have pointed out if the issue is that the signal is marginal and the DCC is being used as an excuse then it may be possible to rectify things with an external antenna or some such solution. Depending on how far the OP has gone with trying the various options and/or the location and/or where the nearest property with a smart meter is, it may or may not be worth pursuing with a formal complaint.

Note that as far as Arquiva is concerned, if they have been paid to provide a certain level of coverage and they have provided that level of coverage then it really isn't fair to blame them. Similarly, putting my tax / standing charge payer hat on, if I was given the choice between procuring 99% coverage for £10billion or 100% coverage for £20billion I'd probably opt for the former and spend the rest on hospitals or use it to reduce standing charges. (I'm just making these cost figures up to illustrate the point so they may be wildly out, but speaking from experience in various forms of wide area networking I wouldn't be at all surprised if it cost twice as much for 100% coverage as 99% coverage - you very quickly get into rapidly diminishing returns).

Reed_Richards

You will have a smart meter and joined to the top of it will be a Communications (Comms) Hub.  It should be straightforward to detach one from the other and replace the comms hub if necessary.  If it has never worked then it might have been faulty from the outset.  But it's more likely that your signal is too weak.  It might be possible that a better aerial could be fitted that will fix the problem.

It's up to Octopus to fix the problem, if this is possible.  My impression is that they only book appointments for the following month or so.  If so, you need to keep looking and trying to get one.