4g smart metre upgrade

grbren

Hi all,

on June 30th an Octopus engineer visited my home to upgrade the comms unit for my smart metres. This was just added to the electricity metre as he said the gas metre required a different method and manual syncing.

On the day, my in-home display did not reconnect and after several calls to Octopus I’ve discovered that the metre itself is not communicating at all. It is also not showing any usage amount, just zeros (although it seems to show my total usage up to the time of the new installation).

Despite so many calls and emails, Octopus have been dreadful. They have billed me for gas on my last bill but absolutely no mention of electricity also.

I have made so many attempts to get the issue resolved but they have been slow to reply, not responsive and made no effort to outline a plan of action. In my last email I CC’d the CEO and mentioned my next step was to file with the ombudsman. Despite that, no reply. I called to check on any progress and was told it was on a manager’s to do list.

Has anyone had a similar issue, and has anyone had experience with the energy ombudsman?

Any advice would be really helpful.

onthemend

Yes, I had a similar issue.

When we moved into our property, we had british gas smart meters which worked for a while. We then changed provider to Octopus. The meters still didn't work. Octopus came out and changed the comms unit on the elec smart meter, and it still didn't work. After 2 more visits, they realised that the British gas meters were not compatible with the octopus comms unit. A final visit from the Octopus engineer and I persuaded him to completely change both meters to Octopus units and to upgrade the comms unit.

Hey presto, he was able to confirm the meters were now transmitting readings. We could see on the octopus app that gas and electric readings were showing after a couple of days. We don't have a in house display.

This whole fiasco took a couple of years to fix.

EssexHebridean

Octopus are quite good in one way in that they don't tend to charge random estimated bills where there is an issue - preferring to wait and catch up properly. Of course this is fine where an issue is resolved quickly, but less good where it takes longer!

Have you raised a formal complaint yet? If not, that needs to be your first step.

I take it with the meter itself you have checked that it isn't simply that it has re-set to show a different home-screen, and some pressing of buttons won't show actual use?

grbren

Yes, i have raised a formal complaint and at this stage it’s ten weeks since I reported the issue.

The IHD is showing specific error messages and the electricity metre is showing zeros on my usage.

This is all since the new comms unit and they seem to be in no rush to do anything at all.

My biggest concern is what happens if they realise there have been no readings for electricity collected or saved by the metre if/when they get it working again?

squirrelpie

A metre is a measure of distance (in England and France at least). A meter is an indicating device, in this case for electricity and gas (and in America it's also a measure of distance).

Did Octopus install the smart meter, and if not who did? What type (brand & model) of meter is it?

Has it been eight weeks since you made a formal complaint, or just made an initial report?

EssexHebridean

In your shoes I would now contact Octopus again and tell them "just out of courtesy" that more than 8 weeks has passed since the complaint was made (assuming this is the case - your post above isn't totally clear) and as it is not resolved you will now be contacting the Energy Ombudsman. That may well put some fire into them to resolve things, and as it will take you a short while to get all your ducks in a row to make the EO complaint, it also gives them a bit of time to get things sorted without you ever actually having to take that route.

With an ombudsman complaint you keep everything very factual and straightforward - keep emotion out of it. Gather together the facts into a timeline. People here will be able to help you with putting things together and what you should and shouldn't mention. Generally though going to the Ombudsman is fairly straightforward.

Whether the meter (note that spelling, you will want to get that correct for the ombudsman!) is actually recording use is another question entirely. Octopus already know they are not getting readings though - they may estimate for the period that isn't being recorded if so, but as you've had a smart meter for a while already that shouldn't be an issue as your use is going to be well documented.

If I had to take a wild guess, I'd say they will end up installing new meters and a new comms unit and will simply start thigs afresh on the electricity side from the date of that install - we'll have to wait and see though!

QrizB

In addition to the above I'd be reminding them (Octopus) that you're due £40 automatic compensation for not having provided a "resolution plan" within the prescribed time.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2026/01/smart-meter-compensation-update/

Include that in your Ombudsman complaint too.

Ildhund

A bit of speculation here …

A year or two ago, suppliers were being harassed to exchange RTS metering systems for smart meters, with not 100% satisfactory results. In situations where the RTS signal had been making it through to the property but it turned out that the LRR network providing communications for smart meters in North Britain didn't, DCC were eventually persuaded to allow the installation of cellular comms hubs like those in use further south. This constituted an unexpected extra expense, so all of the systems using cellular hubs up North had to have new 4G comms hubs which were covered by the current MNO contract. That exercise should have been completed by June this year. There may also have been some on the N/S borderline who had cellular hubs fitted instead of the proper LRR one if LRR didn't work. These will also have to be swapped out.

It came to light subsequently that while those who had new smart meters fitted in the last two or three years had no further problems, some of those with older smart meters found that a 4G hub just didn't work. It turned out that these meters also needed a firmware update to render them able to communicate with a 4G hub. Of course, if there's no communication, this update can't be carried out remotely. I'm not sure that this situation arose with all types of meter or just some; I've only heard about KAIFA MA120 and particularly ones installed by BG.

This speculation would make more sense if @grbren told us (a) his location (the first part of the postcode is usually enough, but more precision might be called for on the N/S borderline), (b) the make and model of the meter he's having trouble with, and (c) the first two characters of the Meter Serial Number and, if he knows it, (d) the supplier who installed the smart meter.

grbren

Thanks all, this is so helpful.

So, in a nutshell re: the ombudsman I’m ready to go with that stage and have given Octopus ample notice and been extremely patient with them. But I think this is way beyond acceptable and they are just being so non-responsive.

As for area and meter: Sm1 and SMETS2. Does that tie in with the issues described above?

I’m really hoping this doesn’t drag out. Octopus have generally been excellent, but this has been awful as it coincides with another issue I’m having with them.

And for the typo pedants…metre, liter, petre, scootre, luter. Hope that rocks your world :)

grbren

Oh, and yes, it was Octopus who installed them if I remember rightly.

QrizB

As for area and meter: Sm1 and SMETS2. Does that tie in with the issues described above?

Southern England, then, so not an Arqiva LRR area.

There are maybe a dozen different models of SMETS2 meters. Which particular one is yours?