Smart Meter Installation Trouble

wwfwilla

My mum is not computer literate which means that I currently have to read her smart meters and submit the readings online.
I will be moving away in roughly 6 months and want to get her sorted with a smart meter, as she has trouble reading the display so couldn't relay the information to me.

As part of a previous contract with EDF an engineer came to install smart meters for gas and electricity in 2020. The engineer switched the old electricity meter from the one with clock dials/hands to an electronic one. They couldn't do the gas one as the boiler was in the loft and there weren't any boards down to walk on. We were told they need to be connected at the same time so the electric reading would still have to be provided manually until the gas one was done (once loft boards had been installed).

Fast forward to last year and loft boards had been installed.
We requested an engineer to install smart meters - this time from British Gas (current supplier).
The engineer came and found that the electric had "no earth". We were told this was dangerous and that they couldn't proceed and that National Grid had been informed and were on a 2-hour callout (we suspect the EDF engineer did a poor installation when they changed meters and left it with no earth for 5 years!).
National Grid didn't really do anything and said it was for an electrician. We got an electrician out and they 'made it safe' but said a permanent fix was needed by National Grid as it was their responsibility to sort anything like this and as an electrician they shouldn't be touching that type of thing anyway as it was to do with the feed coming into the property or something.
Just before Christmas I spent 45 minutes on a livechat with a British Gas advisor and they stated they would send out an appointment within 7 days for a new smart meter installation. That came and went without response.
And now when I try to book one online on the website it states I can't due to an error. I wonder if they've put some sort of block on it.

I'm at a point now where I don't know what to do, or who to complain to.
The electrician stated the property is currently safe with the temporary fix but wouldn't be signed off if we ever wanted to sell it, so we need National Grid to fix it. And British Gas are doing their best to ignore us.

Thank you for reading.

doodling

Hi,

In general DNOs (the people who maintain the local electricity supply network) are not obliged to provide an earth.  It would be helpful if you could provide a picture of your electricity supply (DNO fuse and consumer unit, together with the connections between them) if you want further comments on the earthing.

With respect to the smart meter installation, I think you'd need to talk to BG to understand why it won't let you book online.

MattMattMattUK

wwfwilla said:

My mum is not computer literate which means that I currently have to read her smart meters and submit the readings online.
I will be moving away in roughly 6 months and want to get her sorted with a smart meter, as she has trouble reading the display so couldn't relay the information to me.

Why are you submitting smart meter readings online, is the meter not communicating? 

wwfwilla said:

As part of a previous contract with EDF an engineer came to install smart meters for gas and electricity in 2020. The engineer switched the old electricity meter from the one with clock dials/hands to an electronic one. They couldn't do the gas one as the boiler was in the loft and there weren't any boards down to walk on. We were told they need to be connected at the same time so the electric reading would still have to be provided manually until the gas one was done (once loft boards had been installed).

So the meter was installed, but the comms unit was not activated?

wwfwilla said:

Fast forward to last year and loft boards had been installed.
We requested an engineer to install smart meters - this time from British Gas (current supplier).
The engineer came and found that the electric had "no earth". We were told this was dangerous and that they couldn't proceed and that National Grid had been informed and were on a 2-hour callout (we suspect the EDF engineer did a poor installation when they changed meters and left it with no earth for 5 years!).
National Grid didn't really do anything and said it was for an electrician. We got an electrician out and they 'made it safe' but said a permanent fix was needed by National Grid as it was their responsibility to sort anything like this and as an electrician they shouldn't be touching that type of thing anyway as it was to do with the feed coming into the property or something.
Just before Christmas I spent 45 minutes on a livechat with a British Gas advisor and they stated they would send out an appointment within 7 days for a new smart meter installation. That came and went without response.
And now when I try to book one online on the website it states I can't due to an error. I wonder if they've put some sort of block on it.

They will not have put a block on it, but the issue may be that they have the address recorded as not having a functioning earth. The responsibility for installing the earth could be yours or it could be National Grid's, however for residential properties it is almost always the DNOs. You need to book that separately to trying to have a smart meter installed, you should get that done first, then book the smart meter install after. National Grid may charge for this. That link will point you in the direction of your DNO if if is not NG.

https://connections.nationalgrid.co.uk/make-a-change/replace-equipment/earthing-pme-service/

wwfwilla said:

I'm at a point now where I don't know what to do, or who to complain to.
The electrician stated the property is currently safe with the temporary fix but wouldn't be signed off if we ever wanted to sell it, so we need National Grid to fix it. And British Gas are doing their best to ignore us.

Thank you for reading.

National Grid is not British Gas, contact National Grid and get the earth installed properly, then you can get British Gas to install a smart meter.

Qyburn

My understanding is the DNO isn't obliged to provide an earth, but if they have done in the past they are obliged to maintain it.

jaybeetoo

I don’t understand what having a boiler in the loft has to do with installing a gas smart meter.  Where is the gas meter?  How far away is it from the electricity meter?

EssexHebridean

jaybeetoo said:

I don’t understand what having a boiler in the loft has to do with installing a gas smart meter.  Where is the gas meter?  How far away is it from the electricity meter?

It will be because the installer needs to be able to check that gas appliances are all working satisfactorily after the meter change I suspect. 

wwfwilla

doodling said:

Hi,

In general DNOs (the people who maintain the local electricity supply network) are not obliged to provide an earth.  It would be helpful if you could provide a picture of your electricity supply (DNO fuse and consumer unit, together with the connections between them) if you want further comments on the earthing.

With respect to the smart meter installation, I think you'd need to talk to BG to understand why it won't let you book online.

Here’s a picture.

squirrelpie

That's a picture, but of the meter whilst doodling asked for one of the DNO fuse (one of the bits wired to the meter inputs) so a picture of the whole meter box would be better. He also asked for one of the consumer unit (inside the house, often behind the meter sometimes called the fuse board))

wwfwilla

Qyburn said:

My understanding is the DNO isn't obliged to provide an earth, but if they have done in the past they are obliged to maintain it.

The electrician said not having an earth was highly dangerous therefore if they weren't putting one in after installation shouldn't they have said something?

At the moment the electrician is stating that it's National Grids responsibility and National Grid are saying that its the residents responsibility.
We were totally oblivious of the issue until they tried for a second time to put smart meters in. The consumer unit they replaced would have been the original one installed in 1940's/1950's.

WiserMiser

If your mother cannot read the gas meter, put her on the Priority Services Register and the supplier will send a meter reader out.

• Please send more photos showing where the green and yellow wire goes.

Spoonie_Turtle

I'm wondering if part of the reason you can't get an appointment to install a smart meter is that the existing electricity meter already is smart, from 2020 so it'd be SMETS2 and doesn't need replacing.