Submitted by Scrappy Steve (not verified) on Fri, 02/01/2015 - 14:51. I can understand the user experience of people pairing zigby devices to the meter might be a support pain as well as a security one, so I could see the companies not wanting to go down this path. Following my mission to get smart meters installed I started to look into the possibility of using Zigbee to gather my energy usage statistics from my new state of the art meters. I would be more than happy to do whatever homework is required for a trial and also willing to write a review article on my websitehttp://www.smartofthehome.com/ about any of your products. Basically only permitting the Electricity Meter, Gas Meter and In Home Display. To get smart meters from us, we need to supply your energy. 1) The In-Home Display can't connect to the network in your home. Having said that the current setup is by no means unbreakable so we will have to see how long it lasts. Check if your energy supplier is having connectivity issues which could explain why your smart meters readings arent getting through. We are a mandatory FIT & SEG licensee, Statement of Investment Principles of OVO Energy Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme (SSE Hydro Section), Statement of Investment Principles of OVO Energy Group of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme (SSE Section). Submitted by jeremfg (not verified) on Sun, 06/04/2014 - 21:39. With smart meters, it's possible for energy suppliers to switch your meter into prepayment mode remotely. It is usually red and located near the bottom. I would love to hear more about this gateway. Depending on which company you've switched to, and when you switch, first generation meters may lose their smart functionality. 2k monitor: what is it and do you need one? Sensor The sensor clips around the mains electricity cable that comes into your meter to measure the energy you are using. Soon after, I moved to EDF and because suppliers don't operate a universal standard with these meters EDF cannot remotely communicate with my meters. Paul Willis To disable the Wi-Fi connection for your black IHD3. This should have happened automatically and, once connected, your meters smart functions should be restored. Has anyone else had a bad (or good) experiences with British Gases Smart Meters? I have been having all sorts of problems with my trio forgetting my settings, particularly my WiFi details. I wasnt watching too closely but the engineer scans the barcode on the meter and the ihd, then sends the off, about 5 minutes later they pair, Thanks, Ill keep you posted but Ive got to wait 3 weeks for an engineer now. If youre concerned, check your latest statement, or in your energy companys app if you have it, to see whether your readings are marked as smart. Still work in progress but couldnt have got this fair without your work. Connect member panel when we asked them in December 2022. Theyre connected to the central wireless network that all energy suppliers should be able to use. That's why we follow the Smart Meter Installation Schedule (SMIS) which has been approved by OFGEM. One of them tweeted that their new meter which replaced a faulty one showed that the household was using 101,197.32 . . the Netherlands a smart meter has a type of serial port which can be linked to via a cable for local read only access. 1. Software developers at British Gas and Trillaint (the manufacturer of the Zigbee hub) decided to limit the number of devices (MAC addresses) permitted to associate with the hub to 3. Don't forget to continue to submit manual readings in the meantime so that your bills are charged accurately. Having smart meters wont cost you any more than your current meters. Do cheap thermals keep you as warm as pricier ones? I did not realise .gov had published a new document. I don't know if the government should put more pressure on British Gas to allow consumers access to their own data. I think British Gas can also push updates and settings, messages and firmware updates downstream towards the meters and IHD via the Trilliant hub as well as initiating remote shut off of energy supply to the homes (where people do not pay their bills!). The monitor started showing Network Error 7 as soon as the installer left. Posted by Steve Rowe, on Mon 22 Jun 2020 11:54am. This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service. Part 3 the story continues It is a shame but I am actually starting to find my smart meters more restrictive than their older dumb analog cousins. To me this would make it even easier for me to get hold of as I wouldn't need any other devices in the home to connect to the meter. Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first. Earliest they can come back is towards the end of January, will keep you updated. Will my smart meter stop working if I switch energy supplier? If you've had your in-home display for less than 12 months and it has broken, your supplier should replace it free of charge. Weve heard from members with solar panels who have been refused a smart meter, and from others who have had a smart meter installed that doesn't work with their solar panels. Hi Nick, Ive been able to adapt this to integrate this now into my Openhab setup via a simple python script. Final point. Some legal action may be needed if DECC does not intervene. And quite easy so. Apparently with no moving parts this new meter is certainly quieter than our old meter. 2023 Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. I've just emailedcontact@smartdcc.co.uk, the Data Communications Company to ask how soon I will also be able to get at my data: The role of the DCC is to provide communication services between smart meters and the business systems of energy suppliers, network operators and other authorised service users. Equally as a Pay Monthly member you won't need to enter a Vend code as this is designed for Pay-as-you-go customers to add top-ups to their meter balance . This is only a risk if you have a first-generation smart meter - the issue has been cleared up for the roll-out of second generation, or SMETS2, meters. Here weve listed the problems and questions we hear about most often and what you can do about them. I dont mind discussing some of it with you (privately through emails maybe), but as im sure you understand, I cant tell you much more about our product that isnt publicly available or standardized Need help to reset smart monitor help please. They are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling regulations (WEEE), which mean that energy suppliers should collect, recondition and reuse in-home displays as much as they can. Amazon, Amazon Logo, & The Amazon supply Logo Are Trademarks Of Amazon.com, Inc. Or Its Affiliates. If your meter is plugged into the mains, unplug it and take it to the location of your electricity meter. Once youve got smart meters, youll still be free to switch to a new energy supplier, but not all suppliers support smart meters just yet. The hub would then receive the required info (via its backhaul connection on cellular networks) to allow that particular device in, exchange security keys and establish a secure connection to the HAN (Home Area Network). If it can't resolve the issue remotely, it should send someone round to take a look. British Gas have an APP called BG Live ( but is seems to have become defunct since the pilot) . A smart meter sends your meter readings to your energy supplier automatically, so in principle your bills should be more accurate than when they rely on you submitting manual readings and you should never recieve an estimated bill. If it is I just need to POST my username and password to /usersservice/v2/login right? 24-Inch Monitor Size: How Big Is a 24-Inch Monitor? It would be interesting to write (old school pen and paper style) to British Gas enclosing and quoting this section of the document to see what their response may be I may just do it. jeremfg Thanks, indeed it looks like it is simply a case of having to wait patiently for the right commercial pressures to happen. For help with changing to or from prepayment, read our guide toprepayment meters. If your meter was faulty, an energy company can charge you retrospectively for the previous year if you have paid too little. What I really do not understand is the likes ofhttp://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/claiming that utility companies (and the Government) are going to start using smart meters to spy on us and, even more extreme, that smart meters are frying our brains with radio waves. everyone has a right to their own opinion! The monitor was saying there wasnt a gas meter connected. Were working to get all our customers upgraded to smart meters as soon as possible. I had smart meters fitted yesterday and it actually went quite smoothly apart from the installer had a bit of a problem registering the gas meter. In this post I show how any customer of Octopus Energy with a smart meter can see their energy data and do a bunch of stuff like. . But you don't need to send it on or before the 30th September. Seven things to avoid when buying and using an electric heater, How to claim your EBSS energy discount vouchers if you have a prepayment meter, One simple way to adjust your boiler to lower your heating bill. Even if your tenancy agreement says you dont need to ask for permission, its still a good idea to let the property owner or agent know before you request them. Following the above post, I subsequently wrote a second post about my experience after Smart Meter installation and my mission to get energy usage stats out of my smart meters: http://www.smartofthehome.com/2013/09/british-gas-smart-meters-part-2/. Submitting a meter read before the Energy Price Guarantee starts on . If your meter is positioned very high up, make sure you let your energy company know so the installers are prepared when they come to your home. I wonder if you could get into the system by spoofing a MAC address, e.g. Thanks, It's easy to use. If you switch again in future, your meter should also keep its smart functions. In most instances, we're able to resolve the issue by repeating a service request that had previously gotten stuck. Very interested in the possibility of uploading readings data perhaps to iMeasure which I already use. 1. I have just posted a third instalmentblog post about my further troubles here:http://www.smartofthehome.com/2015/03/british-gas-smart-meters-part-3/, Open-source tools for energy monitoring and analysis. Linking devices to the HAN will be accomplished by 'pairing' them to the relevant communications hub. Thank you for these useful links. They help by making you more aware of the energy youre using around your home. It is possible in the UK to get a CAD - Consumer Access Device which links via the same special Zigbee profile to the smart meter but then converts it and in theory makes the data accessible to the home owner. By Tony Hazell for the Daily Mail. You didnt and thats fine, but since most people do its still worth doing. 13months down the line does seem a bit crazy!! So even if someone did managed to connect a device to their HAN it would only work up-until the point where the keys are changed. More information can be found here:http://trilliantinc.com/library-files/datasheets/ds_Communications_Hub.pdf. There is a US maker of a CAD which does allow local access but they have not made any effort to get UK approval. Press Menu/OK I have been testing a pre-production Zigbee SEP 1.1 gateway that purports to solve this problem, ie to give you access to your data. If your not using smartthings or just want to disable this check its the IF at the top of the app.post function that checks it. I am a BG electric and gas customer with the same smart meters listed in this article. You might need to submit readings manually to ensure youre billed accurately while problems are resolved. To be fair to British Gas I think their initial reluctance to install Smart Meters was partly caused by a temporary stall [1] to the UK Smart Meter roll-out programme imposed partly by the Government changing their mind on the specifications for Smart Meters (or possibly British Gas, in an effort to be ahead of the game, had started rolling out Smart Meters too early [2] before the specifications had been fully finalised by UK Government?). Attach the sensor Identify the live mains cable going into Insert and twist clockwise to clip the pins your electricity meter (it will be brown, red to the . Whilst the wireless frequency used is currently the same as standard Zigbee it uses a different profile to normal Zigbee use. Editor, Marcus Herbert. To top it all off the engineer couldnt get the boiler working when he reconnected the gas, therefore I have no heating or hot water and have to take another day off work tomorrow so BG can come and fix that. By the end of the roll-out, 99.25% of Great Britain will be covered by the network these meters use. Meanwhile I guess Ill just watch das binkenlights. https://rainforestautomation.com/rfa-z114-eagle-200-utility/, Therefore currently in the UK if you do manage to get a CAD the flow of data is -. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the. Once its there they could provide access to consumers via an online account (or API using the same details). I too am disappointed that I can not access the raw data for my own purposes. I have not hear of iMeasure (I will have a quick Google in a minute), I use an iPhone app called Meter Readings by Graham Haley it is a very good app, nice and clean, easy to use, no adverts, import/export facility and supports multiple types of meter. 22 December 2021 at 10:07AM. had chat session to BG, this time they hadnt clue what I was talking about But eventually agreed to send an Engineer to fit a new TRIO smart meter Which is where I started 2 weeks ago !!! The supplier can do some things remotely but if that doesn't work then an engineer visit will be required. The 'Phase 3' smart meter setup comprises of 4 components: According to the Landis+Gyr website the E470 is aligned to the UK Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS). OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? I think we need to put more pressure on British gas (and co) to open these so called smart meters up! More information about the E470 can be found here:http://www.landisgyr.co.uk/product/landisgyr-e470-zigbee-smart-electricity-meter/. 100119879. I have the standard BG Smart Meter setup as well as my PV meter. Once the monitor has reset, you can press the power button to turn it back on. I am sure, in time, it will come (hope). We reveal some of the most common smart meter problems and concerns we've heard Submitted by Hertog on Fri, 14/03/2014 - 20:17. Get Smart and you could startsaving. Connect members with smart meters in December 2022 said that they had a problem with their bills being inaccurate in the past 12 months. A hub is installed with your smart meter (often built into the meter) to do this. CADs are expected to be available for purchase through retail stores or as part of a service: for example installing a central heating system, re-fitting a kitchen or as part of an energy supply contract. Despite the smart meter and the desktop display showing the feed in circuit option in the menu, it appears this will never be supported by BG. In the Netherlands those smartmeters (electricity & gas)are going to be deployed nationwide (over a period of some 7 or 8 years I believe) starting next year. Submitted by Gordont67 (not verified) on Thu, 06/11/2014 - 17:08. A round circle about an inch in diameter with a UV LED and light sensor in the center, I am not an expert but I believe these interfaces are serial ports which use light to exchange information and with the right monitoring equipment can be used to access the smart meters and their data. Very similar installation experience, right down the many weeks of delay getting gas meter changed due to engineer being unable to register the gas meter at the same time as the electric on first attempt. Start by making a formal complaint to the provider itself, and if the issue isnt resolved after eight weeks, you can take your complaint to the energy ombudsman. Submitted by rogerhoward (not verified) on Thu, 20/11/2014 - 18:12. They already do this for the bill, so why not the data that makes the bill up. Perhaos the way forward is to use the IEC 62056-21 (formerly IEC 1107) optical communications port in the same way as described here, http://openenergymonitor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/reading-watt-hour-data-from-elster.html, http://openenergymonitor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/reading-watt-hour-data-from-elster.html, and here If your energy supplier goes bust, you will be automatically moved to another energy firm. If you have a British Gas Smart Meter Monitor, you can easily reset it by following these simple steps: First, find the reset button on the back of the monitor. They claim this is because the Feed In Tariff (FIT) processing is a separate business unit from the domestic BG division. Looks a bit like the GEO App. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Its 2017 and I have been doing a lot of reading into Smart Meters, but am still not clear on who can enable pairing. Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications, http://www.rotwang.co.uk/projects/meter.html, http://www.smartofthehome.com/2015/03/british-gas-smart-meters-part-3/, https://www.britishgas.co.uk/media/releases/ReleaseDetailPage.aspx?releaseId=1363, http://www.in-home-displays.co.uk/smarthub.html. But check your tenancy agreement first. It is deliberately designed so as not to be accessible by standard Zigbee systems like Smartthings. Why did I bother getting a Smart Meter..? Linking devices to the HAN will be accomplished by pairing them to the relevant communications hub. A new hub is being developed that should account for these issues and is expected to be available for installations in 2023. Energy firm, British Gas, documents the installation of a . I have started off the blog with this initial post on my experience getting zigbee smart meters installed from British Gas. If your energy firm is bought by another company, you often become the customer of the acquiring firm too. Smart metering code of practice. Ah ok, that was there to make sure nobody else could use my glitch instance - its the token that is generated when smartthings auths. I found your blog very interesting. More information about the P450 can be found on the Landis Website :http://www.landisgyr.co.uk/product/landisgyr-p450-ecometer/, A user guide from British Gas can also be found here:http://www.britishgas.co.uk/content/dam/british-gas/documents/ph3-QuickUserGuide_printversion.pdf. However I am not so enamored with the responsiveness of the screen and its menus. You shouldnt need to enter a PIN code as this would only be needed for removingthe device from the network. They wont stop your solar panels working and generating electricity and youll be able to tell your energy supplier exactly how many kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity youre sending to the grid. This is most likely to happen if you have a first-generation smart meter that is not yet connected to the central wireless network and the new supplier cannot read it. If your smart meter cant be upgraded, it will need to be replaced with a second-generation meter. The IHD is a token gesture but I dont think it is making our household use any less gas or electricity and I done find it that easy to understand/use (even for me a techno geek!). smart meters, broken down as follows: In 2022 we installed 905,852 smart meters, however 176,635 were replacement meters so do not count towards our target. Hopefully Ill get a friendly engineer and Ill find out what he has to do If it runs Bluetooth to the meters it might just be a matter of pairing theres also a PIN code setting either way Ill get something working BG has a APP on Playstore for BG Live but I think you had to be in pilot programme but that was 2 years ago !!! If your smart meter cannot be connected to the wireless network, your new provider may be willing to replace your existing smart meter with a more up-to-date one. Jim. This article describes how you can use the meters pulse to calculate energy usage. Would I be able to access it via USB? Maybe then I could tell British Gas how to fix their own equipment! Well be in touch as soon as were able to install smart meters at your home. If youre planning to switch, check with your new supplier if this will happen to your meters. First, find the reset button on the back of the monitor. Smart meters need to be able to connect to the Data Communications Company (DCC) through a wireless network. Monitoring energy usage Press MENU and select DAY to view energy usage for the day. To date it does not yet show the tariff, or show up on my on line account. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. I guess there is a remote pairing option and its part of the GB Companion Spec, but I would love to know if anyone has actually got a 3rd party device to pair. Also since the smartofthehome website with the original post on this thread seems to be offline, here's the link to the second blog post on archive.org: https://web.archive.org/web/20131005030852/http://www.smartofthehome.com Hi - I'm interested in the trial you mentioned. Sadly there are a number of problems here. This process does not happen as frequently as it is possible to do so via a CAD however it does mean that your energy provider does have some data that you can access. In the Netherlands those smartmeters(electricity & gas)are going to be deployed nationwide (over a period of some 7 or 8 years I believe) starting next year. This was the most common problem experienced in the last 12 months by those with smart meters on our Which? Assemble the power supply 1. Welcome to the Digital Spy forums. Required fields are marked *. What did they do different ? by Steven Johnson. Ive had BG Smart Meters for around 3 months now and I share the disappointment of those who expected more from them. Most connectivity problems should be resolved when all smart meters use the DCC wireless network, covering 99.25% of Great Britain. The meters themselves upload data via the DCC network to the energy providers, this enables accurate billing without the need for onsite meter reading. Two in five said their supplier hadnt received their smart meter readings. It looks like I will have to resort to a separate monitor attached to the meter to count pulses, or a less accurate current clamp. 06890795 registered in England and Wales, VAT No. The G370 and E470 do both have an optical probe (IEC1107)interfaces. If your meter is in a small cupboard or another confined space, a technician might struggle to install your smart meter. If your meters are outside or far away from the display, ask your energy supplier for advice. And, because they send automated meter readings, you get more accurate bills. Check the instructions your smart meter installer gave you if youre not sure. Check whether your smart meter and in-home display will work fully with them. 2. The Pipit home screen will show an Estimated Bill cost for each supply. The gas meter (if applicable) links to the smart electricity meter which links to the DCC network. Feel free to use me as a case in point! If there's any doubt that your home might not have coverage, make sure you get a pre-installation visit from your energy company to confirm whether a smart meter will work at your property. More about your appointment. If you have a Chameleon IHD see yourS1 IHD guideorS2 IHD guide. I will let you know the outcome to my fiasco when the nightmare ends. British gas smart meter pairing pin pussy cum licking. If youd like to join in, please sign in or register. Paul; Yes I would also be very interested in your trial, for the same reasons. BTW what are you using as your REST API client? I do understand this is relatively new technology and there are security/privacy issues to protect but it does seem that, for the time being, there is no interest from the energy companies or government to give the consumers access to their own data. Nevertheless, I would be very interested to see your perl script. I dont think it would be too hard for British Gas to allow read access via Zigbee, all they would have to do is allow you to add a list of approved MAC addresses via your account in the online site this would solve the problem of people adding their neighbors devices. This, as it seems, would not be as easy as I at first thought. Can I also ask how you figured out all these API endpoints? It is fully documented , and I plan to rewrite my own hacked together perl-script to read it to something EmonCMScan handle. You could expect a webpage where you would be asked to input what is called an Install Code. Not only is the lack of access to my data is very annoying but also, the IHD, just like current clamp energy monitors (such as the Owl) displays an instantaneous consumption value which does not compensate for the direction of current flow in my electricity supply cable from the grid. You may need to pay if you damaged it. If your issue doesn't resolve itself, sign in to your Bulb account and let us know. This would be much more easy to secure and given that is software based on a central server much easier to update should they find holes with it. I was fortunate to be able to speak to one of the engineers in British Gass smart meter team and he explained some of the security restrictions to me: In absence of being able to collect stats via Zigbee, British Gas are apparently trialling a Virtual IHD, a smartphone app which will display energy usage echoing those on the ecoMeter. I recently switched back to british gas using the MSE Energy Club referral as they are now the cheapest option for me with my usage. British Gas Smart Energy Experts undergo 12 months of rigorous training, so well fit your smart meters to highstandards. There are plans to add other additional Zigbee wireless frequencies better suited to longer range or coping with thick walls. Some of you may be interested to know I have written a new blog post on the further fun and games (pain) I am still having with my British Gas smart meters. You can do it on our online form until 14th October. Of course it will be better to have a wireless interface with the smart meters but I think a lot of people are underestimating the challenges of opening this interface in a truly secure way that can stand the test of time. A CAD (Consumer Access Device) would need to be allowed in, allowed to join the zigbee network in a secure way. If you're renting a property and pay the bills directly for the gas or electricity to your energy supplier or you are named on the bill, you can choose to have smart meters installed. I was also demanding British Gas install the latest 'Phase 3' smart meters which, as I understand it, are still really in teething stage, so, although annoying at the time, I do have to forgive them the delays. I am not seeing a massive benefit yet to having smart meters yet, other than no-longer having to manually send meter readings to British Gas and a funky In Home Display in my dining room giving me real time usage. Againaligned to the UK Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications (SMETS) the G370Ultrasonic Gas Meter also supports Zigbee (SEP 1.1). I had British Gas smart meters installed a few years ago. Thanks for the comment. When it does happen it may open up a whole new area of industry as new range of consumer devices become available and start linking with other in home devices, thermostat, heating lighting etc. Seems pretty stable although only using the electricity readings at the moment. Please watch: "How to inflate air sofa" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzOJ_kgRup0-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-Quick overview of the British Gas Smart energy reader.TubeB. Issues with smart-meter installations and how they work have come to light throughout the smart meter roll-out. Smart City is an important economically strategic blueprint for a country's economic transformation and upgrade. Page 5 4 easy steps to install 3. The data for this app however would not be gathered via the home Zigbee network but rather from the British Gas head end systems via the internet. How to re-pair a British Gas (Geo) In House Monitor (IHM). Smart energy monitor. On the back on the unit is a badge saying "Zigbee Certified Product" again giving me hope that Zigbee is becoming more mainstream. I don't know what my self monitoring options are for the gas meter -- I probably had more options with the old dumb meter. The displays work best when close to the smart meter. I spoke to British Gas, they would not supply a new TRIO to replace my old GEO.