Smart meter comms problem

lidgaca

Hi

I'm yet another poor suffering customer struggling with a useless smart meter

Long story ... Solar panels installed, Octopus insisted that I had a smart meter installed to obtain better export tariff. Meter installed ~ 18 months ago.

My meter is a KAIFA MA120 with a WNC SKU1 Comms hub

The meter works in fits and starts ... often reporting data for 2 - 3 months at a stretch with reasonable reliability, then the meter just goes silent. Once it goes silent Octopus then do not get ANY data.

After a time, either I notice, or if it gets left long enough Octopus send me an estimated bill.

I send incendiary email to Octopus.

They do *something* ... Things work again for a bit. ... Rinse and repeat.

(I assume that when the DCC get enough 'bad' or 'missing' readings they mark the meter as 'not present' or 'not working' in their database, and after that ignore the meter until told otherwise.)

Last time we went through this I decided to register an official complaint with Octopus. Emails flowed (slowly, but they did flow), and I was told it was proposed that the meter company would fit an SKU2 and a T2 aerial.

Time passed then I was told that no, that would not be happening.

I wrote back asking for a clarification - Why were they not going to try and fit the SKU2 / T2 and received this curious reply. (This from Octopus, so it has been strained through a myriad of rather untechnical middle persons ...)

"I have had a response from the meter operator to explain further why they have rejected the SKU2 & T2 Aerial installation.

They have explained that they are unable to install any cellular hubs north of Nottingham. This is because all meters in the north run on radio frequency because military bases in the north use cellular frequency for national security, so any cellular hub we install will quickly be shut off by the government.

I am afraid that their response confirms that there is nothing further we can attempt to resolve the commiunication issues. We cannot change your communication hub type and current technology has not been developed to boost radio frequency signals. Due to this, the complaint is unable to be resolved."

(I'm just south of Rotherham BTW ...)

Can anyone explain this ?

Are there really NO SKU2 comms hubs North of Nottingham ? I find that very hard to believe.

Is this *really and truly* the last word on this, or do I have any recourse to complain to Offgem / or anyone else ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated ...

-- Chris

 

BarelySentientAI

lidgaca said:

Are there really NO SKU2 comms hubs North of Nottingham ? I find that very hard to believe.

Arqiva uses exclusively radio.

Telefonica uses exclusively cellular.

There is no overlap or mixing.  There are really no SKU2 comms hubs in the Scotland / North of England region.

If your current comms hub is a WNC SKU1, however, that suggests you are in the Central & South region (because that's a cellular hub) - so you should be on the Telefonica network and an SKU2 or SKU3 would be fine.

Seems strange to say "you can't have a cellular hub" when that's what you already have.

lidgaca

BarelySentientAI said:

If your current comms hub is a WNC SKU1, however, that suggests you are in the Central & South region (because that's a cellular hub) - so you should be on the Telefonica network and an SKU2 or SKU3 would be fine.

Seems strange to say "you can't have a cellular hub" when that's what you already have.

I do understand about the Northern / Other Regions split ... but as you say given that the meter operator has already installed an SKU1 that must mean that for comms purposes I am in 'Central and Southern Region'. Yet another email sent to try to understand why they do not want to try the SKU2.

If I wanted to make a 'Freedom of information' request for the postcodes of all SKU1 / SKU2 / SKU3 installations who would I send the request to ?

The Meter Operator ?

BarelySentientAI

lidgaca said:

BarelySentientAI said:

If your current comms hub is a WNC SKU1, however, that suggests you are in the Central & South region (because that's a cellular hub) - so you should be on the Telefonica network and an SKU2 or SKU3 would be fine.

Seems strange to say "you can't have a cellular hub" when that's what you already have.

I do understand about the Northern / Other Regions split ... but as you say given that the meter operator has already installed an SKU1 that must mean that for comms purposes I am in 'Central and Southern Region'. Yet another email sent to try to understand why they do not want to try the SKU2.

If I wanted to make a 'Freedom of information' request for the postcodes of all SKU1 / SKU2 / SKU3 installations who would I send the request to ?

The Meter Operator ?

I don't think FOI applies to any of the parties involved.