Smart Meter monitor working question

talexuser

I aplogise for the long story.

On the BG MSE fix, and finallly got round to installing a smart meter. From phone call to installation 1 day. BG got their box ticked and target met.

Installed on Feb 11, told by the guy the home monitor would work in 2 hrs to 2 days.

After a week phoned and told it would work in 28 days. Phoned a few weeks later and was told different story - 32 days. After a month looked through the website where it says it should work in 14 days!

All the time told them there was no signal strength shown on the monitor.

Phoned with official complaint 17th March. Phoned again on 19th March any progress? to be told no complaint logged on account, so another official complaint logged.

2nd Apr got email, instructions to go through engineer menu to connect - no signal to connect. Sent another home monitor in the post to try. In all of this BG were getting the right readings and bill was correct, just the home monitor was useless. New monitor tried - no difference to original one.

I reply emailed to the original conversation sending the new monitor and engineering instructions on 10th Apr, 11th Apr, the 13th Apr and the 15th Apr to say new monitor did not work because no signal - no replies to my mails so gave up emailing.

May goes by.

Got phone call 1st Jun - was everything ok and can they close the complaint? Explained for the 76th time no signal in the house, monitor signal connects if I walk outside next to the wall boxes.

Asked multiple times to close complaint if display works outside the house. Told if it works somewhere they had fulfilled their obligation. I refused to close complaint since a display that works outside the house is no different to going out in the rain and reading the meter.

Was told they would escalate to the planning department for signal booster and would call back next day. No call back for a week.

8th June got phone call book an engineer, can we close the complaint now? Said I'll close complant when it works.

9th June man in blue van comes, has no idea about any booster or what the problem is. Fiddles around outside and gets monitor working in the bedroom, says no signal in lounge or kitchen or anywhere useful, suggests going into the garage to look at monitor which would require a walk outside the house, and doesn't seem too bothered one way or another, end of story.

Next I expect a phone call to close the complaint since it works. The monitor works but not conveniently in a bedroom and took from the 11th Feb to the 9th June.

What is your advice please since this farago has been paid for by us in our bills and the reality turns up so far from the advertising?

QrizB

What is your advice please since this farago has been paid for by us in our bills and the reality turns up so far from the advertising?

You can accept what you've got, or you can take your complaint to the Ombudsman and see if that encourages BG to fit the signal booster they promised.

SystemsChange

Do you really need an IHD? If you're OK to view your energy stats through your BG account you could just log in there occasionally and check your usage. I don't think it's a legal requirement for BG to make the IHD work in all the rooms of your house so not sure the booster will ever turn up or that the ombudsman will be able to help much…

Bigphil1474

I've had smart meters installed twice now. The IHD is pretty useless, got stuck in a drawer after a week or two. There's nothing on it I can't see on the App. The BG app is pretty decent.

Swipe

I know many people dismiss IHDs but I'm so reliant on mine now that I don't think I could live without it. It has saved my bacon so many times, such as being forgetful and leaving the hob on low which is not visible to the eye, flagging that my fish pond filter needs cleaning and double checking my monthly bills, spreadsheet and what it shows on screen for monthly cost and units used. Not to mention showing that my Economy 7 had been changed to single rate when I switched provider and also flagging when my ALCS went out of sync with my tariff schedule.

talexuser

Good comment about the app, I don't need my mobile on all the time but advice recognised.

I'm just agrieved because the distance between what adverts promise or show and the actuality is now so huge it borders on disinformation, and we have paid for this switchover in our bills, 12 billion extra and climbing in bills the last time I read an article. The average is about £400 in energy bills extra per household. Add in the pure technical incompetance of the smets1 meters having to be replaced.

Today they phoned back and I closed the complaint for a £50 compensation for the time taken and wasted phone calls and emails unanswered. I have no faith that the ombudsman will do anything worthwhile for customers, having experience in other areas.

Swipe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82030158#Comment_82030158

Sods law! A few days after I post this my IHD stops working. 🤬 On checking my UW app, no meter readings have been sent via my smart meter over night, so yet another instance where the IHD has helped in flagging a problem that needs addressing by my supplier.

QrizB

@Swipe I'd guess your comms hub needs a reboot.

Swipe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82036945#Comment_82036945

Yes, It stopped working sometime yesterday afternoon and the data the IHD is actually pulling from the meter appears to be cached up to the point the SM Comms hub lost connection. I have a ticket open with UW. Failing that, I'll have to submit manual readings and await the next local power cut. EDIT: Just as I type this, it's now back online.

QrizB

Just as I type this, it's now back online.

That's handy!

EssexHebridean

For every one person on here who dismisses IHDs as pointless, there are probably 50 in the big wide world who absolutely love - and to some degree at least - rely on theirs. I use mine regularly - both as Swipe says as a prompt when things aren't quite right, to investigate why, and as an easy way of reading the gas meter rather than having to go outside and wake it up (I do that every few months just to be sure the screen is still working OK). Sure, I've got a home mini which is incredibly useful, but it's no good to MrEH who doesn't have the app, and doesn't have a smartphone in routine use.

Can we accept that the majority of people DO want a working IHD, and that dismissing a complaint about that not being the case on the basis that YOU don't think the IHD is worth bothering with isn't the best way of this forum providing the help it is here for!