Smart Meters - Ask me anything!

beeringo · 4 October 2016 at 9:41PM

Hi all,

Just thought i would help here with any burning questions you guys might have about the UK Smart Meter rollout. I've seen a lot of spurious information and speculation out there on the interweb along with (thankfully!) a lot of informed savvy people!

I've worked at the cutting edge of the industry for 5 years, for a Smart Meter manufacturer as well as a well known Electric/Gas transmission network operator, and have lived and breathed smart meters throughout, from a very technical backgound. For the past few months i spend a lot of my time in London with the DCC (the government's central organisation for the Smart rollout) sitting on various forums. It's a passion of mine both professional and personal!

Feel free to ask anything - i might just be able to help

Sterlingtimes · 5 October 2016 at 8:26AM

Ovo provided me with a Smart Meter which initially did not work and I had to wait a long time for an external aerial to be installed. Furthermore, Ovo provided the Smart Gateway facility that did not work for about year. Ovo since closed this service to new customers.

Anyway, Ovo eventually got Smart Gateway working and it is tremendous. It is a real value-added service that would bind me to Ovo.

Do you know why Ovo has stopped providing the service to new Smart Meter customers? Do you know whether a Smart Gateway service may be provided across the industry?

Tropically · 5 October 2016 at 8:50AM

I am so excited about getting a smart meter! I have been asking my supplier when they will be rolled out and apparently they will be replacing my meter first! What are the logistics of implementing them? Do they need to implement many nearby in order to be effective? I am currently only a prepay (yuck!) and they said they would replace it with a regular meter if I wanted, but I said I would wait for the roll out.

BrianJohns · 5 October 2016 at 9:15AM

Assuming the gas meter is replaced by a new Smart Meter is this smaller than the existing meter I ask this because it's a tight fit in a small cupboard? Also is a electrical supply required for this as there is none handy?

NigeWick · 5 October 2016 at 9:42AM

beeringo wrote: »

Feel free to ask anything - i might just be able to help

I had the offer of a free smart meter. Fitter arrived and told me he could not fit it because my old box had five connection points and his new meter only had four.

Are there any smart meters with five connections?

beeringo · 5 October 2016 at 10:12AM

Sterlingtimes wrote: »

Ovo provided me with a Smart Meter which initially did not work and I had to wait a long time for an external aerial to be installed. Furthermore, Ovo provided the Smart Gateway facility that did not work for about year. Ovo since closed this service to new customers.

Anyway, Ovo eventually got Smart Gateway working and it is tremendous. It is a real value-added service that would bind me to Ovo.

Do you know why Ovo has stopped providing the service to new Smart Meter customers? Do you know whether a Smart Gateway service may be provided across the industry?

Great question. Without knowing the ins and outs of Ovo's business it sounds like (and this is informed speculation!) the 'Smart Gateway' is based on what's known as SMETS1 metering - it's the first of two types of meter - aka the 'foundation phase'. It is far less centrally controlled and as such meter manufacturers and software/service providers have been collaborating to offer a product to consumers which is bespoke to 1 or a small number of energy suppliers.
These products have had issues across the board from minor to showstopping as players in the market rush to be able to offer smart metering before the competition.
The other problem with SMETS1 meters is as things stand once you switch to another supplier it's 'Smart' functionality is lost unless the new supplier has a contract with the communications provider.

I suspect (again, informed speculation) the reason why they have stopped offering this is to pave the way for the new and 'enduring' smart meter solution - known as SMETS2. These will start being installed early next year and will supersede SMETS1, hence money spent on SMETS1 doesn't make a great deal of sense when the industry must STOP all SMETS1 installs by December next year (as things stand). Perhaps they don't want to be left with those useless assets!

The new meters will use the centralised government regulated data centre and will therefore replace any products that came before it (the Smart Gateway possibly - but OVO may take data from the central platform and present through this - i'm not familiar with it so not sure).

Hope that helped - and glad your system is working fine now!

beeringo · 5 October 2016 at 10:21AM

Tropically wrote: »

I am so excited about getting a smart meter! I have been asking my supplier when they will be rolled out and apparently they will be replacing my meter first! What are the logistics of implementing them? Do they need to implement many nearby in order to be effective? I am currently only a prepay (yuck!) and they said they would replace it with a regular meter if I wanted, but I said I would wait for the roll out.

Haha, i've never met anyone who actually used the word 'excited' about getting a smart meter :rotfl:

So - logistics. It's fairly straightforward. Your supplier will have their own strategy in terms of where and when, but it's not like broadband where you need lots of people to register interest before they fit. Most likely they will choose areas where there is a good signal coverage and the meters are easy to get to, and that there is likely to be someone home in the daytime.
They *must* contact you with plenty of notice and arrange a day to fit - possibly a specific timeslot depending on their arrangement with engineers used.

If you are keen make sure you let your supplier know - im sure you already have though! If you want to also sound the business, tell them you want to be one of the first SMETS2 meter installs (this means you'll be able to switch suppliers without losing all the smart capabilities!).

Hope that helped

D_M_E · 5 October 2016 at 10:29AM

Smart meters are all well and good, but what idiot thought it wise to commission and install smart meters which then become dumb when the customer switches suppliers?

How much money has been wasted on such installations, and how much has it added to consumers' bills?

Why was the rollout of smart metering not delayed until the smart meters were compatible with all suppliers' systems?

How much will it cost to replace the old smart meters with ones that do not become dumb when suppliers are switched, and who will end up paying for this?

SailorSam · 5 October 2016 at 10:34AM

If you're smartie, and i can ask you anything.......
What's the name of my milkman's horse ?

beeringo · 5 October 2016 at 10:35AM

BrianJohns wrote: »

Assuming the gas meter is replaced by a new Smart Meter is this smaller than the existing meter I ask this because it's a tight fit in a small cupboard? Also is a electrical supply required for this as there is none handy?

Hi - good question and commonly asked.

There are many meter manufacturers products you could end up with, but i'd say it's 50/50 whether you get a 'can' type (the well established bulky diaphragm meter) or an ultrasonic type (much smaller). Chances are there is a record of the location of your gas meter and the size of the cupboard.
If your supplier is switched on they will ask you about the location and size of your meter cupboard when contacting you to install. If you're keen to a smart meter, make sure to let them know of this issue yourself.
As a rule your new meter will either be almost exactly the same size or much smaller (i might be able to tell you which type of meter if i know your supplier).

Your new gas meter will definitely NOT need a mains power source - too much of a safety risk. All smart gas meters are battery powered and should last 15 years. How you ask? Basically it's almost off 99% of the time - just reading gas flow, then every half hour it wakes up and sends those readings, then back to sleep!

Hope that helped!

beeringo · 5 October 2016 at 10:45AM

NigeWick wrote: »

I had the offer of a free smart meter. Fitter arrived and told me he could not fit it because my old box had five connection points and his new meter only had four.

Are there any smart meters with five connections?

Hi, the answer is yes and no... (read on

)

You have (or have had) another circuit in your property which is either measured separately and/or controlled separately to your main household circuit. Typically this other circuit is for storage heaters.

There are types of smart meter out there that are suitable, but as part of the regulated roll out, the government laid down a bunch of technical requirements (known as SMETS) in order to be allowed to be fitted. These meters mentioned above do not comply. Pretty much all manufacturers had to redesign meters to accommodate the requirements particularly around security. As such manufacturers focused on the most common type first (4 terminal) and will be installing these first. Next will be your type (5 terminal) - i would estimate late 2017 to mid 2018. After that will be 3 phase meters.

Unfortunately as yet no suppliers have 5 terminal meters available until the manufacturers go ahead and build them.

Hope that helps - sorry to bring bad news

Smart Meters - Ask me anything!

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