Smart gas meter will never work. Has technology changed?

Syno2001

Got a decent deal with UW a few years ago, as long as i had smart meters fitted.

I did some research and as my gas meter is in the basement and appx 20+ meters from the electric meter it wouldn't send the data.

So they fitted the meter anyway, and sure enough it doesn't work.

I'm looking for a new supplier, and a lot of them want you to have smart meters.

So technically I'm complying, although they won't get readings from it.

I read my meter and send the details monthly.

Has technology moved on, is there a way to get the gas smart meter working?

Jemma01

There are few suppliers for these meters, are you able to take a photograph of yours? Very old versions didn't allow for change of supplier, maybe yours is one of them.

I recently had my very old smart meter replaced, and the new one works

squirrelpie

If your gas meter is too far from your electricity meter (actually from the communications hub that sits on top of the meter) then it can't communicate. The answer to that problem is a device called Alt-HAN, which in theory can be supplied by any energy supplier but at present it seems your best bet may be E.ON Next. Do post pictures of your meters as suggested, so people can see their situation.

sheenas

Technology has moved on but I don't believe the range has been increased. I sure they always say a working smart meter is required for these deals.

QrizB

Technology has moved on but I don't believe the range has been increased.

As mentioned above, the alt-HAN is designed to increase the HAN range.

I sure they always say a working smart meter is required for these deals.

Only smart tariffs require working smart meters, and the only smart gas tariff is Octopus Tracker.

squirrelpie

Here's some MSE news from earlier this year (March) that may assist you:

Smart meter broken? Energy suppliers will soon have 90 days to fix it

Note that a meter not sending data to the supplier is excluded from the repair and compensation timetable.

Only smart tariffs require working smart meters, and the only smart gas tariff is Octopus Tracker.

And Octopus have told me that they do not currently supply Alt-HAN devices so that would seem to be a poor choice of tariff for the OP to choose/

Robin9

It can be done - I have a gas meter fitted 2014 in a basement. That is wired out to a transmitter with a battery and communicates independent of the electric meter.

Reed_Richards

We are getting a bit technical. For context, HAN stands for Home Area Network which is the wireless communication network established by the Comms Hub that sits on top of your electricity meter. It is used to communicate data from the electricity meter and the gas meter to the Comms Hub and to communicate data to the portable In-Home Device, if you have one. It uses short-range wireless and won't get readings if the gas meter is too far from the electricity meter or supply data to the IHD if that is positioned too far from the electricity meter.

Chrysalis

I have seen these devices mentioned on EON, but mostly talking about how EDF adopted them earlier. Surprised its taken this long for such a device to start being used. As the technology it uses has been around for eons at this point.

Syno2001

This is the meter in question

Syno2001

This is my meter