# A question for those with modern smart meters.



## Dave7 (21 Nov 2022)

There are a row of LED lights (green and red) that flash every few (maybe 5) seconds.
Question being.........
Should they do this??

BTW since it was fitted (a few weeks ago) this is the 1st time I have looked at it so I don't know.
Thanks


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## jowwy (21 Nov 2022)

Dave7 said:


> There are a row of LED lights (green and red) that flash every few (maybe 5) seconds.
> Question being.........
> Should they do this??
> 
> ...



Yes


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## Dave7 (21 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> Yes



Good to hear that....I was a tad worried.


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## Petrichorwheels (21 Nov 2022)

Dave7 said:


> Good to hear that....I was a tad worried.



no need to evacuate then.
I assume they are something to do with the data comms, like on a router?


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## fossyant (21 Nov 2022)

When they go all red, you've 20 seconds to run !


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## Dave7 (21 Nov 2022)

fossyant said:


> When they go all red, you've 20 seconds to run !



That is no help.....which direction do I run??


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## classic33 (21 Nov 2022)

Dave7 said:


> That is no help.....which direction do I run??


Out the door, where else?


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## tom73 (21 Nov 2022)

Even if they are showing as working they may not be one of ours has been going wrong for months now. 
No one is willing to sort it and no one will give any idea as to when it may be fixed.


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## Petrichorwheels (21 Nov 2022)

tom73 said:


> Even if they are showing as working they may not be one of ours has been going wrong for months now.
> No one is willing to sort it and no one will give any idea as to when it may be fixed.



yep there is an ongoing issue I think.
I know someone who had a nonfunctioning British Gas one and was a hell of a job to get it fixed involving multiple calls around the planet, long waits to call centres, hangings-up.
You'd think if there were so damn smart it could all be sorted remotely but it needed a visit and arranging that was a pig with no idea if the bloke would turn up on the day.
Personally I feel no need for a smart meter.
I could be tempted by discounts for smart energy usage but reckon such promos will be short lived anyway.
Question - if you should give in to the constant calls to get a smart meter, can you just unplug it as a customer and go back to the old system of reading your hopefully well positioned meters and sending regular readings online?


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## tom73 (21 Nov 2022)

Petrichorwheels said:


> yep there is an ongoing issue I think.
> I know someone who had a nonfunctioning British Gas one and was a hell of a job to get it fixed involving multiple calls around the planet, long waits to call centres, hangings-up.
> You'd think if there were so damn smart it could all be sorted remotely but it needed a visit and arranging that was a pig with no idea if the bloke would turn up on the day.
> Personally I feel no need for a smart meter.
> ...



In reply to the last bit no you can't. The display you have at home is nothing to do with the meter. The only way to unplug the meter is switch it off you cant go back to old type either. Lucky ours are outside so easy to read and send online. 
In my case i've questioned them not meeting service paid via standing charge. To be told can't have it replaced as it's still working. Told them well it's not is it as it not smart anymore. 
They say 1st gen meters fall off the grid. So they can't read them but yet they still get info from it as they know it working and sending readings. They just can't get them off the central data base asked who runs it was told they don't know . Its endless round and round told Smart meter team are working on it . Won't do anything till they say what happening , won't replace till they are told it can't be fixed.
One time they told me they can't access system as it was put in by a different company. When I pointed out they'd fitted it they agreed that it was them but it's now a different company. The only difference is a slight name change it's exactly the same company.


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## Dave7 (21 Nov 2022)

classic33 said:


> Out the door, where else?



Which door??
We live in a posh house which has a front AND a back door


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## ebikeerwidnes (21 Nov 2022)

Mine had a red light flashing for years and would not communicate with the energy supplier after I switched

When EDF magically upgraded the meter without visiting or informing me - must have been magic because before that it was apparently impossible - then the red lights turned green and it all worked again

Looks like it is a comms handshake and if the 'other end' is talking to it you get a green flashing light - if not it flashes red

As a retired IT geek I would like proper manual showing everything about it
but then again - I am probably the last type of person they want knowing about it!!


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## classic33 (21 Nov 2022)

Dave7 said:


> Which door??
> We live in a posh house which has a front AND a back door


The one furthest from the meter.
Unless you've to go past the meter to reach the door.


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## classic33 (21 Nov 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> Mine had a red light flashing for years and would not communicate with the energy supplier after I switched
> 
> When EDF magically upgraded the meter without visiting or informing me - must have been magic because before that it was apparently impossible - then the red lights turned green and it all worked again
> 
> ...


Non of these?
https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk/meter-manuals


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## ebikeerwidnes (21 Nov 2022)

classic33 said:


> Non of these?
> https://www.sseenergysolutions.co.uk/meter-manuals



No - Landis for the electric one

and a Trilliant comms box - which sounds more like a brand of budgy feed but whatever
It was the comms box I was thinking of because that is where the flashy lights are


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## Ming the Merciless (21 Nov 2022)

Dave7 said:


> Which door??
> We live in a posh house which has a front AND a back door



Follow the green light


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## presta (21 Nov 2022)

Another thread full of reasons not to have a smart meter. I'd quite like access to a spreadsheet full of regular meter readings, but not at the expense of the sort of aggro I keep reading about. I never see anyone complaining about the old Bakelite electro-mechanical ones llike mine.

Sat reading this thread, and up pops an email notification: Shell Energy offering me a smart meter.


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## cougie uk (21 Nov 2022)

presta said:


> Another thread full of reasons not to have a smart meter. I'd quite like access to a spreadsheet full of regular meter readings, but not at the expense of the sort of aggro I keep reading about. I never see anyone complaining about the old Bakelite electro-mechanical ones llike mine.
> 
> Sat reading this thread, and up pops an email notification: Shell Energy offering me a smart meter.



I guess not many people are going to make a fuss about their meter working as it should. Mine is fine and it's great for going round tye house and working out what's using the electric. 
I've rooted out a couple of old light bulbs that were costing a fortune.


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## jowwy (21 Nov 2022)

presta said:


> Another thread full of reasons not to have a smart meter. I'd quite like access to a spreadsheet full of regular meter readings, but not at the expense of the sort of aggro I keep reading about. I never see anyone complaining about the old Bakelite electro-mechanical ones llike mine.
> 
> Sat reading this thread, and up pops an email notification: Shell Energy offering me a smart meter.



had zero issues with my smart meters and can access a full spreadsheet of meter readings on import and export of electric and the import of gas......and i dont have to read a meter and make my own spreadsheet either


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## tom73 (21 Nov 2022)

I will say before the current issue we've had them years with no issues. We've found them handy to have nothing like instant usage to see ££ flowing out. To change usage and hunt out stuff thats costing way too much to run.


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## Petrichorwheels (21 Nov 2022)

presta said:


> Sat reading this thread, and up pops an email notification: Shell Energy offering me a smart meter.



mm - would worry simple me - wot the hell is cyclechat sharing?

next thing it'll be suggesting a shell british cycling membership.


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## Petrichorwheels (21 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> had zero issues with my smart meters and can access a full spreadsheet of meter readings on import and export of electric and the import of gas......and i dont have to read a meter and make my own spreadsheet either



am with octopus and gives me readily available historic consumption info on figures I have given them/been processed.


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## jowwy (21 Nov 2022)

Petrichorwheels said:


> am with octopus and gives me readily available historic consumption info on figures I have given them/been processed.



same here, but i didnt need to give them anything....my smart meter did it for me


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## Petrichorwheels (21 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> same here, but i didnt need to give them anything....my smart meter did it for me



they keep nagging me to get one - let them pass - can see no great advantage.


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## jowwy (21 Nov 2022)

Petrichorwheels said:


> they keep nagging me to get one - let them pass - can see no great advantage.



i have mine linked to the IHD here on my desk.....at the moment its telling my im exporting to the grid and how much too


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## MontyVeda (21 Nov 2022)

Petrichorwheels said:


> they keep nagging me to get one - let them pass - can see no great advantage.



Same here... I'm in an HMO with one meter between three households so no benefit whatsoever.


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## Mike_P (21 Nov 2022)

Faults often are fixed remotely - mine refused to display the gas usage for ages and despite complaining seemed to be getting nowhere (Shell Energy) then one day realised it was working. Suspect they have a handful of people working on faults and the sheer quantum of them means a wait for a fix.


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## ebikeerwidnes (21 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> i have mine linked to the IHD here on my desk.....at the moment its telling my im exporting to the grid and how much too



WOW - not seen one that could do that before
I did ask EDF about it and they said it wasn;t possible.
Apparently (if you believe them ) the smart meter can;t send export data to somethingsomethingsomething
which is why they can receiev the current usage data but I still have to go outside 4 times a year to get the export readings- then send the readings to them but some as yet unknown method - which hopefully requires less waiting on hold than setting it all up!!!

do you have any more detail so I can challenge them about it
although it could be just the make and model of meter youhave


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## jowwy (21 Nov 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> WOW - not seen one that could do that before
> I did ask EDF about it and they said it wasn;t possible.
> Apparently (if you believe them ) the smart meter can;t send export data to somethingsomethingsomething
> which is why they can receiev the current usage data but I still have to go outside 4 times a year to get the export readings- then send the readings to them but some as yet unknown method - which hopefully requires less waiting on hold than setting it all up!!!
> ...



All i know is its from octopus and when we export the IHD changes to a pylon and with how much we are exporting and an arrow pointing at the pylon………i like it a lot, my old one didnt do it tho.

also octopus get all my export data every half an hour and provide me with an export report the following day in half hour intervals.


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## mistyoptic (22 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> All i know is its from octopus and when we export the IHD changes to a pylon and with how much we are exporting and an arrow pointing at the pylon………i like it a lot, my old one didnt do it tho.
> 
> also octopus get all my export data every half an hour and provide me with an export report the following day in half hour intervals.


Same here, also Octopus. Nice feeling when you see the pylon


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## potsy (22 Nov 2022)

We had an appointment to have smart meters fitted, guy came out and only changed the one for the electric.
He said the gas ones 'don't work' so a year on and numerous phone calls we are still waiting...


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## jowwy (22 Nov 2022)

potsy said:


> We had an appointment to have smart meters fitted, guy came out and only changed the one for the electric.
> He said the gas ones 'don't work' so a year on and numerous phone calls we are still waiting...



Who are you with? my gas smart meter seems to work pretty well from octopus


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## potsy (22 Nov 2022)

jowwy said:


> Who are you with? my gas smart meter seems to work pretty well from octopus



Scottish Power, switched the gas to them so we had the same supplier for both, both prepayment meters.
Idea was to get them to fit smart meters and be able to top up via the app rather than the old card system.


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## Dave7 (22 Nov 2022)

I had mine fitted for health reasons. 
The gas meter is in the side garden and close to the ground.
After Covid I gradually lost all strength from my legs so now I can't get down to read it (or can't get back up).


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