ENERGY MATTERS

[Stanley]

Jessica the BG engineer has been and had a look at the meters. It appears that all the guff about new meters was just that. moonshine. Jess told me that BG know exactly what's wrong with smart meters. It's a problem peculiar to Barnoldswick. their Wifi network that the meters use isn't a strong enough signal. All she has done today is verify that fact, take meter readings for me and leave me as happy as possible. I can now get on with the rest of the day!

[Big Kev]

Strange, must only be certain parts of Barlick. It was all good on Park Street

[PanBiker]

Dodgy on the Croft as well with the gas meter. Gas meter is in the back yard in a surface mount wall box. The electric meter is fine though and still smart and it's inside in an alcove cupboard, again in the back room of the house. Don't know how the network works but would assume the hose drying and practice tower at the Fire Station may have a bearing with it's hedgehog of antennas. Transceivers must be rubbish in the gas meters.

[Big Kev]

The gas meter communicates with the Comms hub, this is physically attached to the electric meter. Rule of thumb, if the elec sends regular readings it's 'internal' Comms between the gas meter and Comms hub.

[PanBiker]

Right, had a read and it now makes even less sense. My electric meter has the smart meter network hub as part of its installation and it works. The hub should communicate with other smart devices in the house including the gas meter. So the hub is obviously communication with the network but not receiving a signal from the gas meter which is no more than 4 meters away. it used to work but has gone duff. Having said that it's a SMETS1 so probably originally worked via telecoms and not the bespoke DCC network.

Here we go after a quick Google:

Are SMETS1 meters being replaced?
Is the SMETS1 upgrade optional? No, all SMETS1 meters need to be upgraded and connected to the DCC by September 2022. It's a government initiative, so all SMETS1 meters will get upgraded.

This may explain a lot, more information:

Get out of jail free card has been played by the government and now you have to apply to your supplier for upgrade. The original remit was for the National Smart Meter Network to be kept "in house" and not involve the energy supply companies.

P... up in a brewery comes to mind.

[Big Kev]

A quick tip that may restore the connection, email your supplier and ask them to reboot your Comms hub.

[PanBiker]

Thank Kev, will try that.

[Stanley]

Both meters do not report. I have the latest transmitter on the leccy and a Mark 2 gas meter.
I shall just carry on sending my own reading in on the last day of the month....

[PanBiker]

I received a reply from Octopus they checked my meters and said both were reporting normally. I would like to know where the receiving antennas are for the smart meter network. Cant be on the fire station tower surely as Stanley can throw stones at it. Maybe on the mast opposite Nutter Cote which does FM radio for Barlick.

[Stanley]

Jessica told me that HQ says they are aware and 'taking steps to put it right'.
My version is don't hold your breath lads!

[Wendyf]

After many attempts, much expense and brain power, Colin has finally picked up a signal for the smart meter.

20240309_083519.jpg

[Big Kev]

[PanBiker]

Interesting Wendy, where's he getting the signal from? Can't judge the direction from your photo. I see the six element vertically polarised yagi so I assume it's off one of the local relay masts?

[Wendyf]

Pendle Forest Ian. I'm told it has Arquiva A and B transponders for Smart meter data using LoRa radio. The tricky bit is coupling it with the meter I believe.

[Stanley]

I am impressed beyond words! That man Colin is a sorcerer!

[PanBiker]

Pendle Forest Ian. I'm told it has Arquiva A and B transponders for Smart meter data using LoRa radio. The tricky bit is coupling it with the meter I believe.

Aye, I have never notice an antenna connector on my meters. Where there's a will there's a way. Well done Col. That probably means that our feed into the network is probably via the Skipton relay, (at the pump house bends at East Marton) or maybe on the Nutter Cote FM Radio relay for Barlick. Those are the only two masts that serve Barlick.

[Stanley]

I went for a furtle and found this......

Who pays for smart meters? Energy suppliers install smart meters at no extra cost. Smart meters are paid for in the same way as traditional meters. As with traditional meters, the cost of smart meter installation and maintenance is covered by standing charges. Standing charges are fixed daily amounts included in your energy bills.
So basically they are not free no matter how much weasel language is used. The customer is paying for them in their standing charges.
I object to having to pay for something that doesn't work. End of!

[Tizer]

We don't have a smart meter so we shouldn't be charged for other people's smart meter maintenance - but I'll bet we are !

[Big Kev]

We don't have a smart meter so we shouldn't be charged for other people's smart meter maintenance - but I'll bet we are !

Of course you are the government wants everyone to have one and they won't be paying for it.

[Stanley]

That's my point, we have no choice. I can't think of any other charge that is made even though the service is not provided.....

[PanBiker]

Another cunning plan regarding the energy companies. Since deregulation if your meters are in and outside enclosure that enclosure is now the responsibility of the customer and not the supplier who fitted it when the meters were installed. A nice little pass the buck for future repairs. I know this because I have just replaced the door on the Bosom Friends gas meter box. It cost over £30 for the privilege.

[Stanley]

We are cash cows Ian.
I said that I had refused the offer to fix my gas price from British Gas didn't I. This morning I am notified that Ofgem have reduced the price cap and I should save about £200 a year. Of course that doesn't apply if I took the fix.
Question is, did I do right to ignore the offer?

[PanBiker]

I haven't fixed my prices either Stanley.

[Stanley]

Thanks for responding Ian. I have fixed in the past and it's worked out OK but when BG made the offer of a low fix a couple of months ago I smelt a rat. Why was British Gas suddenly being nice to me?
As I said, I don't know what they were offering but I doubt if it would have showed a saving of about £200 per annum. It's always a gamble isn't it...... Not a very good way of managing anything connected with our finances!

[Tizer]

The BBC News writers seem to have run out of commas. This is from a news article this morning and leaves the reader to make his/her own interpretation of what it means....
Heat pumps use electricity rather than gas like boilers... LINK