MSE News: Faulty smart meters to be tackled and automatic compensation paid for problems

mmmmikey

brianhes said:

Clearly the rules around comms signals need sorting. Must be over 3 years the meters been installed the system has never worked properly, technician visits have been made with little effect. The radio network as implemented is clearly inadequate, the EDF energy hub indicates that a batch of data gets through every few days in the early hours, recently eleven days data didn't make it. Apparently this behaviour counts as the smart meter is working fine. The IHD has never worked, but I assume it's down to the meters comms problem.
The civil servants who devised the specification should have understood there would be the need for alternatives, as even a 99% coverage system clearly does cover everyone. I am aware of other non-functioning systems in the general area.

The system has been designed to allow any number of different communications options by installing an appropriate hub and/or aerial. 99% coverage is a good place to start, once that's done it can be extended to cover the remaining 1%. Obviously not good if you're in the 1% but it does make sense to do the bulk of the easy ones first.

Qyburn

Rules are changing I think. We're in the North region but when I used that DCC "contact us" page they replied saying that at our location their coverage checker indicated we should get both LRR and 4G. There was a bit of non-committal "your supplier will choose the best solution" but it certainly reads as if 4G is now a routine option in the North. 

Brie

Well this explains why OutFox was so quick to say they would send an engineer when I pointed out that neither of my smart meters appear to be working as they are using estimated readings on my bills.  

It should be interesting to hear what anyone has to say about it all.  Particularly as our gas meter died a year back.  They were very fast (a couple of hours) to send someone out to replace it and I innocently asked if there would be any problems with the new smart meter sending the readings properly.  The engineer told me what he had just installed was not a smart meter as none were available so they'd given me a dumb meter instead.  Which makes me wonder about all the people that want dumb meters but are being told they no longer can be installed!!  

As for an IHD - I thought we didn't have one but I realised much much too late that that little doodad that was on the kitchen counter and plugged into the socket was in fact the IHD.  No idea what happened to it and so have never used one.  I don't think it will help me save much energy as I am aware that I need to turn off lights when I leave a room etc.  

born_again

Brie said:

Well this explains why OutFox was so quick to say they would send an engineer when I pointed out that neither of my smart meters appear to be working as they are using estimated readings on my bills.  

Faulty smart meters are to be tackled as part of a new industry review, the Government has announced. It's also been confirmed that you'll be able to get automatic compensation from your energy supplier for certain smart meter problems starting early next year.

This consultation will launch on Friday 8 August.