Smart meter installed weak/no signal

Marvel1

Smart meter for gas and electric installed, enginner said there is a very weak/no signal so will have to read the readings myself.  Mobile data is the same, same room.

Anyway, so now I have smart meter, would be access these cheaper time of use tariffs often spoken about?

Brie

Yes - all you need to do is say "yes I have a smart meter".  Sometimes they say that if you don't have one you are willing to have one installed.  But you have one so even though it doesn't work well you can say yes and should be able to access the better tariffs.

QrizB

Marvel1 said:

...  would be access these cheaper time of use tariffs often spoken about?

Despite Brie's reply above, it will depend.

Most of the smart ToU tariffs need your smart meter to send 30-minute use data to the supplier. If you've got a poor connection, or no connection at all, this will fail and you won't be allowed to join (or to remain on) those tariffs.

Similarly, even a dumb ToU tariffs like Economy 7 requires setup data to be sent to the meter so it knows what time to switch between rates. That might well also fail.

Lorian

Is it fitted with an external aerial?

Marvel1

Lorian said:

Is it fitted with an external aerial?

No idea, don;t think so.

Scot_39

As you mention mobile data in the same room as your smart meter - are you in midlands or the south - so using a cellular comms hub - or in the North on the Arqiva radio system.

If in the south some suppliers might fit a mesh comms hub - if it's really localised weakness - and others "nearby" do get a good signal - a sort or realy system - via others smart meters - or in other cases external to the little comms hub aerial to boost signal (iirc the post I saw here - and elsewhere - Octopus have fitted T1 and T2 in the past - others ?)

See the T1 / T2 etc referred to here

https://www.smartme.co.uk/smets-2.html

Not sure I have seen much on the external to home T3's being fitted here.

If you live in the north - short of some DIY dipole relay lash ups that some people have used - iirc the official advice is wait for G4 cellular - the new standard - that is now iirc been put into homes to test on a limitted trial basis

Marvel1

I live in the South

Movbile data works great in the kitchen and the room directly above living room.

QrizB

Marvel1 said:

Movbile data works great in the kitchen and the room directly above living room.

What make and model is your Comms hub? Some have a socket for an external antenna.

Share a photo of your meter and Comms hub if you would like us to help identify them.

400ixl

When you say the meter in the same room as your kitchen, do you mean the plug in display they have given you? If so, that is not your meter, that is the in home display that connects to the meter.

The meter which uses the mobile signal is the unit that sits between where the power comes into the house and connects to the consumer board. Is that also in the kitchen, or outside of the house where there is less of a signal?

Also when you refer to mobile signal, which provider are you talking about. In the South it is O2 the meters use I believe.

kipsterno1

I was in the same position. About 18 months ago we had the old SMETS2 electric meter swapped to one with a boasted signal unit. The installer said despite this upgrade it still wasn't capable of connecting to the gas meter.

This week we had this swapped out for a new meter with the Alt Han boaster and a new gas meter. Both are now sending readings as they should. I would get back in touch with them and ask why they didn't consider an Alt Han set up and if that is a possibility for your property.

Marvel1

IHD is 40cm away from electric meter.

Gas meter and electric meter are next to each other.

They are in living room.

Kitchen reference means, when in living room where meter is, when on my phone, the mobile data is not that good.  When out the kitchen mobile data works great.