Impact of 2G/3G phase-out on SMETS1 smart meters.

jbuchanangb

E.ON have sent me a message as follows:

"the 2G and 3G phase-out is coming. Your meter is going to lose its smart connectivity. To avoid inaccurate bills, book a replacement meter:"

I have an Elster AS300P smart meter with associated AM110R communications hub. 

The gas meter is an Elster BK-G4E

I even have the in-home device connected to them, in working order.

I believe these were installed in 2017. They were already here when I moved in in 2018.

All branded "Property of Scottish Power"

I think I would prefer to keep these meters, and revert to submitting meter readings manually when the mobile network connection dies.

Has anyone else got views on this topic?

MWT

jbuchanangb said:

I think I would prefer to keep these meters, and revert to submitting meter readings manually when the mobile network connection dies.

Has anyone else got views on this topic?

That isn't an option, the supplier is obliged to keep the meters connected, so if you don't book a replacement they will eventually insist, but who knows how long it will take.

Personally I need a working smart meter to continue getting all the cheap electricity I currently get from being on a smart tariff, so I'll be making sure I don't let anything get in the way of the meters continuing to work...

debitcardmayhem

Bare in mind the gas meter battery will dies fairly soon so it and the meter will have to be replaced then.

MattMattMattUK

jbuchanangb said:

E.ON have sent me a message as follows:

"the 2G and 3G phase-out is coming. Your meter is going to lose its smart connectivity. To avoid inaccurate bills, book a replacement meter:"

I have an Elster AS300P smart meter with associated AM110R communications hub. 

The gas meter is an Elster BK-G4E

I even have the in-home device connected to them, in working order.

I believe these were installed in 2017. They were already here when I moved in in 2018.

All branded "Property of Scottish Power"

I think I would prefer to keep these meters, and revert to submitting meter readings manually when the mobile network connection dies.

Has anyone else got views on this topic?

Why? What conspiracy theories have you been reading? 

QrizB

jbuchanangb said:

Has anyone else got views on this topic?

Notwithstanding everything else, smart meters are generally only certified for ten years from date of manufacture.

If the current ones were fitted in 2017, they'll have 2 years or less of remaining life.

jbuchanangb

I suppose my preference for keeping the SMETS1 meters if they can't communicate is that as long as they still function to measure the energy, it's best to let them be undisturbed. but I note the point about them only being certified for 10 years - something to do with expected life of the battery in the gas meter isn't it? Any other thoughts out there? Anyone else receiving messages about phase out of 2G/3G signal and its effect on smart meters?

Netexporter

What I find difficult to fathom is why people cut themselves off from potentially much cheaper tariffs for the sake of avoiding a non-existent danger.

Ildhund

jbuchanangb said:

... as long as they still function to measure the energy, it's best to let them be undisturbed. but I note the point about them only being certified for 10 years ...

A meter may go on measuring energy for decades, but not necessarily equally well all the time. Certification means that the manufacturer warrants that the meter will measure with at least the prescribed precision for the duration of the certificate. The supplier is required by its licence to ensure that metering is carried out accurately; if the certification period has ended, the meter will have to be either tested and if it's still accurate, recertified or otherwise replaced. Its nothing to do with battery life. 

Any change in precision with time could go either way, so the customer could be being over- or undercharged with no way of knowing which.

sheenas

jbuchanangb said:

E.ON have sent me a message as follows:

"the 2G and 3G phase-out is coming. Your meter is going to lose its smart connectivity. To avoid inaccurate bills, book a replacement meter:"

I have an Elster AS300P smart meter with associated AM110R communications hub. 

The gas meter is an Elster BK-G4E

I even have the in-home device connected to them, in working order.

I believe these were installed in 2017. They were already here when I moved in in 2018.

All branded "Property of Scottish Power"

I think I would prefer to keep these meters, and revert to submitting meter readings manually when the mobile network connection dies.

Has anyone else got views on this topic?

Get a meter that can be migrated between energy supplier when necessary rather than the meter be locked into Scottish Power. 

Scot_39

As well as anything approaching End of Certification - there are others that will need just the comms hub upgraded due to cellular license swpping - c2033.

Octopus already have a page - and are keen to get going on it by the "start now".

The reality is - even fairly recent smets2 meters will need as a minimum a comms hub upgrade.

https://octopus.energy/comms-hub-replacements/

Its a DCC controlled thing not a supplier thing.

And they cannot afford to wait to the last minute - as could end up in another RTS farce - but this time for 37m not just the c1m in end phase panics impacted by RTS and shutdown extensions.

It might also resolve some currant WAN connectivity issues - in both Cellular (but risk others) and Arqiva LRR areas

jbuchanangb

The Octopus explanation was very helpful. Although Scottish Power installed my smart meters, they have been migrated across onto the DCC and several different energy suppliers have been able to gather data from them, including my current supplier E.ON Next. I can't find anything on their web site about the need to change SMETS1 smart meters.

However, The link they gave me in their text message took me to a web page for booking an appointment, so I've decided to run with it and see what happens.