EV charger with first generation smart meter

Collie_mum

I have a first generation smart meter and after 6 months of fighting with EDF to be put onto the correct tariff and mediation from the ombudsman I'm still no further forward. The ombudsman concluded that as I was never informed that my smart meter was incompatible that the company EDF should upgrade my smart meter. EDF have hit back saying that OFGEM do not allow them to change smart meters that are not faulty. So I've been doing a little research online and cannot find an energy company that will give me an EV Tariff with a first generation smart meter. 
I feel like I'm being penalised for agreeing to have a smart meter installed when asked to do so many years ago and taking care of it enough that it has not yet failed to work. I'm trying to do my bit for the environment by purchasing a fully electric car. I have a home installed EV charger to prevent clogging up any street chargers and I can charge overnight to prevent overuse of the electric grid. Yet EDF are refusing to update my smart meter. I'm still in consultation with the energy ombudsman so I will see where this goes. EDF have fully admitted they failed me as a customer and did not give me the information I requested several times over the last 6 months. My previous supplier British Gas never had an issue with my smart meter. I only left them due to a billing dispute, which is why I joined EDF in the first place. Does anyone have any insight as to what I can do now? 
I am a dual fuel customer with both gas and electric. I have the first generation smart meter. I have the OHME EV charger installed at my home and drive a Mokka E 24 plate car. 
What do I do now if the ombudsman cannot help me any further? 
Many thanks

Exodi

Some paragraphs would help but reading between the lines I'm guessing your problem is because you can not be signed up to an EV tariff (that offers substantially cheaper overnight rates) as your energy supplier require you to have a SMETS2 meter? You have then made a complaint to OFGEM that they will not upgrade your meter to take advantage of this tariff?

I believe this has been a long-standing issue. I believe they're right when they say OFGEM do not allow the upgrading of meters that are not faulty. I don't think you'll change how an energy supplier works, so if I was you I'd be tempted to contact someone like EON and ask them if they can accept SMETS1 meters on their EV tariff - I believe they can? Their EV tariff is also extremely good.

QrizB

Collie_mum said:

I've been doing a little research online and cannot find an energy company that will give me an EV Tariff with a first generation smart meter.

Octopus will definitely accept some SMETS1 (first-generation) smart meters onto their EV tariff Octopus Go:
https://octopus.energy/smart/go/

They might also let you switch to Intelligent Go, if your Ohme charger is one of the ones they can connect to:
https://octopus.energy/smart/intelligent-octopus-go/

born_again

We have a SMETS1 meter & have Octopus Intelligent.

paradigital

Octopus tried to onboard me onto Intelligent Octopus with our SMETS1 meter that had been previously installed by (and had been working fine with) British Gas.  They couldn’t get it to work so happily swapped out a known good SMETS1 meter with a SMETS2 one.

I didn’t even have to push for it.

Collie_mum

Thanks for your insight. To give more context, I was with British Gas, had a bill dispute and switched to EDF. But stupidly clicked on Ensure Tracker tariff by mistake, they told me it would be totally fine and once I was up and running they would switch me to Go Electric Tariff. I called and called, their EV team never got back to me, so I went to the ombudsman who got them to admit they failed in customer service. The ombudsman requests they switch my smart meter to allow me to continue being a customer, but EDF have hit back saying they disagree and are not obliged to do so. I'm still waiting to hear what the ombudsman have to say back about it. The problem I have is that I'm locked in a contract now. Although it may be better in the long run if I just pay the exit fee and switch to Octopus like you guys suggested. I just hope they take on a gen 1 smart meter and price me correctly for both gas and electric. That's all I want, to be able to use the service and pay my fair share, it's just EDF don't seem to want to keep me as a customer, even though they admitted they were wrong and failed me by not replying to any of my numerous calls or emails. Had they told me 6 months ago that the smart meter was the problem, I'm sure I could have switched within the general curtsey period without being locked into a contract. I will keep you updated if I get any further forward. Thanks

QrizB

I hope you get some satisfaction from EDF, even if it means leaving them (and given the circumstances I'd hope they'd waive the exit fees).

The way switching to Octopus works is that you'll join them on Flexible, then once they know they can connect to your smart meter you'll be able to switch to Go or Intelligent Go. As paradigital says, they're usually pretty good at exchanging meters if they're not communicating properly. They replaced my gas meter when it didn't want to talk to the Comms hub, and later sent someone out to reset my Comms hub when it glitched.

Find someone in your friends or family who's already with Octopus and you can each get a £50 referral bonus too.