Failed Smart Meter Install, Wanting to Change Providers

If thats 2 years ago (typo in your post?), you probably have the older SMETSv1 type smart meters, which aren't easily transferable? I had these in my old place, and like you say, once you switch from the installing vendor, they go dumb.

The SMETS2 in theory, are relatively simple (or so they make it sound) to transfer between supporting suppliers. Though I would guess thats all assuming they were correctly installed in the first place, so vendor(s) can talk to the meter(s) remotely -- which my gas one isn't.
Whoops! No 2 MONTHS ago.
 
Octopus is great and smart meters vastly over-rated. I would delay having one fitted until the last possible moment - so they get the technology under control. All of the people I know who have had one fitted, rave about it when it's installed, spend a few weeks fiddling about turning things on and off like slaves and save a minimal amount of money. Then they stop bothering.

It shouldn't take much to understand where your electricity costs come from and you don't need a meter to do it.

Your biggest costs are from electric appliances that heat - kettle, cooker, electric shower, iron - that kind of thing.

Now you have fridges and freezers.

Next is lighting - get rid of any bulb that isn't fluorescent or LED.

Then you have a load of appliances on standby. Loads of them. The advice will be to unplug them or switch off from the socket when not in use. This will not be practical for media boxes, internet routers, etc.

So really it's the same common sense with or without a Smart Meter.

Once a month I go online and submit my readings to Octopus. It's easy.

So my advice - forget about the Smart Meter, they won't save you any money you can't already save without one.

If you do switch provider, try finding a friend for a referall - often both of you will get a payment kickback in return for the recommendation, or check out Quidco etc.
 
My main issue for getting a meter was one was hidden in a pantry behind a fridge freezer and had to keep pulling stuff out to read the meter each month. That was the theory, anyway. As it doesn't connect, still have to keep doing it.
 
Yeah exactly, I'm not in the smart meter game for "saving money", or to even sit watching an IHD. Most of my inlets/outlets feed back to my openhab HA setup and I can monitor consumption from there already, should I really need/want.

I purely want an easier life to avoid submitting readings. Like above, my meters aren't easy to get to.
 
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Also you dont have to use the IHD, some people I know have never used them & just put them in the drawer
 
We had smart meters put in by Ovo (SMETS 1) and they happened to be compatible with Octopus's set up so they they were able to just take them over and they stayed smart when we moved to Octopus. Like others we only have them to take advantage of no meter readings required.
 
I moved from bulb as they couldn’t sort out smart meters. I moved to Octopus as they have a cheap rate to charge my car and house battery so a smart meter is essential.

they haven’t been without problems you can email the boss (yea right just another email address!) and they have resolved them
 
Octopus is great and smart meters vastly over-rated. I would delay having one fitted until the last possible moment - so they get the technology under control. All of the people I know who have had one fitted, rave about it when it's installed, spend a few weeks fiddling about turning things on and off like slaves and save a minimal amount of money. Then they stop bothering.

It shouldn't take much to understand where your electricity costs come from and you don't need a meter to do it.

Your biggest costs are from electric appliances that heat - kettle, cooker, electric shower, iron - that kind of thing.

Now you have fridges and freezers.

Next is lighting - get rid of any bulb that isn't fluorescent or LED.

Then you have a load of appliances on standby. Loads of them. The advice will be to unplug them or switch off from the socket when not in use. This will not be practical for media boxes, internet routers, etc.

So really it's the same common sense with or without a Smart Meter.

Once a month I go online and submit my readings to Octopus. It's easy.

So my advice - forget about the Smart Meter, they won't save you any money you can't already save without one.

If you do switch provider, try finding a friend for a referall - often both of you will get a payment kickback in return for the recommendation, or check out Quidco etc.

Best post I have seen in any smart meter thread.
 
Smart meters don't bother me one way or the other, it's the tariff and supplier's reliability I generally go on. On occasion that's meant a smart meter has eventually been installed, since the tariff requires it - no biggie for me. I'll most definitely switch at end of contract, smart might turn dumb - again no biggie.
 
I moved from bulb as they couldn’t sort out smart meters. I moved to Octopus as they have a cheap rate to charge my car and house battery so a smart meter is essential.

they haven’t been without problems you can email the boss (yea right just another email address!) and they have resolved them
So Octopus aren’t much cop either?
 
They seem to review pretty well on trust pilot...


I don't think there's such thing as a perfect energy company. There will always be people that have problems unfortunately, but hopefully that is a relatively small number.
 
Bulb are far and away the most useless and incompetent Energy company I've ever had to deal with.

Cheap comes at a price.
 
Hi I had several failed gas smart meter installs with EDF. Moved to Octopus and have never regretted it.
I am on the Agile Smart Meter tariff and its excellent. I wrote a review on my blog. Pm me and i will send a link. Last time I popped a link on my post admin removed it.
 
Had a Smart Meter fitted by Npower in January 2020.
The engineer left with the meter not working but said "it will take about one hour to start" which it never did.
I have to reboot every morning and works for a couple of hours but then the message appears - Waiting for Data ?

Npower have given me all the excuses like...

New software next month just put up with it !!

We can reset from our end !!

Two weeks ago the engineer came and finally got things going again blaming "Porting"" .

Two hours after.... waiting for data !!!

I give up.
 
Had a Smart Meter fitted by Npower in January 2020.
The engineer left with the meter not working but said "it will take about one hour to start" which it never did.
I have to reboot every morning and works for a couple of hours but then the message appears - Waiting for Data ?

Npower have given me all the excuses like...

New software next month just put up with it !!

We can reset from our end !!

Two weeks ago the engineer came and finally got things going again blaming "Porting"" .

Two hours after.... waiting for data !!!

I give up.
Are you talking about the little screen/gadget showing usage, that sits in your home (IHD). Or the actual meter?

Can’t picture why a meter would ‘wait for data’, or why the consumer would need to reboot ’it’ daily that’s all.
 
@tigermad, just had this... as expected.

now I start with the pressure.

- help me fix it
Or
- let me leave without penalty

basically. Keep calling until they get sick of me!

the theory is/was that EDF have more £ to swallow an engineer visit.

Suggests to me though that these Siemens boys are getting away lightly! Or the equipment is terrible!

Information regarding the recent move of your Gas supply to EDF Energy
In your initial change of supply letter we mentioned that in some rare instances we may not be able to operate your meter as Smart. We’re sorry we’ve not been able to get your Gas smart meter working fully. We’ve continued to try and configure your meter remotely but at the moment we can’t receive your reads automatically. This means you’ll need to continue to provide manual readings, and we’ll ask for these when you’re due a bill.
There are three quick and easy ways you can give us readings:
• By phoning our automated telephone service on 0333 200 5108* • Online via MyAccount at edfenergy.com/myaccount
• Via our website at edfenergy.com
Rest assured your meter is still recording reads correctly. We just can’t receive these automatically. If you have an in-home display, this will still display consumption but may not display the correct prices and costs until we fix this issue.
We’re working hard to resolve these issues and once we’ve sorted everything we’ll be in touch to update you. Rest assured, you won’t be charged for anything to do with fixing this issue.
How to get in touch
If you have any question
 
I wonder if it's worth an appeal on your local Facebook group to see if a friendly installer is willing to help, or at least give you some clarity?
 
@Vini Can you see your readings on the IHD? That snippit you posted seems to think you should.

"If you have an in-home display, this will still display consumption but may not display the correct prices and costs until we fix this issue "

My move to Octopus completes on 1st December.

My IHD keeps rebooting now. Needs a reboot of the comms unit. Bulb have told me they can’t request it for 3 months since I had a reboot just after it was installed because of the same problem. So I have to sit with it rebooting for months. Right pain. Hopefully octopus can fix that too.
 
@Vini Can you see your readings on the IHD? That snippit you posted seems to think you should.

"If you have an in-home display, this will still display consumption but may not display the correct prices and costs until we fix this issue "

My move to Octopus completes on 1st December.

My IHD keeps rebooting now. Needs a reboot of the comms unit. Bulb have told me they can’t request it for 3 months since I had a reboot just after it was installed because of the same problem. So I have to sit with it rebooting for months. Right pain. Hopefully octopus can fix that too.
No my IHD isn’t working and has never worked.

I’ve Mildly kicked off at EDF. The Next step will be to get a bit narky.

after that, I’ll be poking around and hoping to cause a problem that results in an engineer visit.

must be able to do something!


D1A219E5-1A50-4BD7-81DC-7C1EE8AAEFC3.jpeg
F92F5A72-351B-4E7F-B16A-281473DDE049.jpeg
 
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No my IHD isn’t working and has never worked.

I’ve Mildly kicked off at EDF. The Next step will be to get a bit narky.

after that, I’ll be poking around and hoping to cause a problem that results in an engineer visit.

must be able to do something!


View attachment 1410302View attachment 1410303

Did you press yes to rejoin the Han network in that message?
 
Did you press yes to rejoin the Han network in that message?

I've not yet done that, might do it later - nothing really to lose. Though that is on the "Electric meter", which is already connected and working.

Part of me thinks that the "receiving company" might need to be in "listening mode" at the time of "joining the HAN". Not sure.

I was hoping there was a tech-savvy installer of SMETS2 floating around the interwebs that I could converse with, but I've not stumbled across one yet :(
 
I've not yet done that, might do it later - nothing really to lose. Though that is on the "Electric meter", which is already connected and working.

Part of me thinks that the "receiving company" might need to be in "listening mode" at the time of "joining the HAN". Not sure.

I was hoping there was a tech-savvy installer of SMETS2 floating around the interwebs that I could converse with, but I've not stumbled across one yet :(
I tries asking an installer for help on the Bulb forum but I think they are not allowed. I’m fully over to octopus now. At least their app shows the half hour usage for electric properly unlike bulbs. They have reported my issue with the gas to the smart team so it just a waiting game now to see if they are going to try and fix it.
 
EDF don’t seem much better to be fair. Their website says I’m complete, with the exception of Gas which pretty much says ‘tough’, it’s a dumb meter, submit manual readings...

Speaking to CS, they just say wait upto 28 days for commissioning because the account is still new 🥴

Gonna have to consider writing it off I think. Maybe it’ll improve if/when Covid goes away and they become a bit more willing to send folks out...

I found holding B, on the gas meter offered to Join HAN, but selecting the option just says ‘Searching for Network’ and fails after 10s or so... I’d imagine I need to put the Electricity meter in some kind of pairing/listening mode, but can’t see anything obvious there...
 

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