I live on a new development and last year (as in 2021) I had an onogin issue where the smart meters SNs had been mixed up with my upstairs neighbours. This issue had been sorted and I was happily going about my day to day until EON somehow switched my meters remotely to a pay as you go and effectively bricked them, meaning that I had to get 2 new meters installed. At the time these were installed by a very helpful engineer and happened to be the "old style non smart meters". I was told that I can call up and then be able to book another fitting for new smart meters.
This would be fine, however whenever I get in contact I am told that EON are unable to fit a smart meter due to "lack of connectivity". This does not make sense as I had smart meters before that worked - and other properties are all fitted with smart meters as standard. What can I do?
I'd be inclined to check with other householders to see if their smart meters are still communicating. It may well be that the 2G and 3G communications infrastructure in your area has been switched off earlier than the 2032 deadline, as has happened in my neck of the woods. Three whole villages including mine have completely lost smart connectivity.
Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.
Many is the time (speaking as an electronics engineer with 30 years+ experience in radio communications) I have come across situations where you can have 'dead spots' with communication systems. Just one of those things. I can't get any phone reception at the back of my house, yet it is fine at the front. Even within a single room in a building, you can find dead spots. A cable trunk, a water pipe, or some other 'feature' can just block transmission or reception. Move a foot in either direction and no problem at all. The wavelength of the signals that smart meters use is of the order of 35cm and it is entirely possible that at a particular location, a meter may well find itself in a dead spot. A foot either way, and no problem. That said, most newer meters have the option of an external antenna so if the meter itself just happens to be in a dodgy, or 'null' position, a few feet of antenna cable will allow an engineer to locate the antenna somewhere that overcomes any possible null.
So, to some extent, a newer smart meter should be less of a problem technically than an older one, but the companies are less likely to want to install one if there are potential comms or signal problems and they would need to spend an hour or two on site optimising an antenna as opposed to a half hour 'quick in and out' install.
@retrotecchie Thank you, I'll ask about later and update the thread if there are any further issues.
Forgive my ignorance, but is the 2G & 3G network used the exact same as a mobile uses? If it is then I know that the 3G network is at least still active in my area currently. Thank you! :)
Yep, your bog standard mobile networks. However, all smart metering in the southern part of the UK is handled by Telefonica (O2) who often 'code share' on Vodafone's masts in some regions. In such cases, like round here, Vodafone removed the mast in November after EE shut their services down in October so Telefonica now have no coverage round here at all. We've usually been patchy with coverage, but it's non existent now.
@retrotecchie That's frustrating! From speaking with my neighbours, some of them they do have smart meters with eon next that are connected to the network and working fine (there are a couple that seem to have suffered the same issue as me with crossed Serial numbers not being updated on the system which renders the meters smart functionality useless) While that helps a little, it still leaves me a little confused as to why I can't have a smart meter. Any ideas at all?
...It may well be that the 2G and 3G communications infrastructure in your area has been switched off earlier than the 2032 deadline, as has happened in my neck of the woods. Three whole villages including mine have completely lost smart connectivity.
That modern smart meter technology now installed in homes at huge cost to the nation and paid for by the consumer is already obsolete is a national scandal.
SMETS1 is obsolete, but some meters can be migrated onto the network. Those that can't must be replaced with SMETS2 by the end of 2022, so OFGEM demanded. That has now been extended to the end of 2025.
Those of us with conventional meters are likely to want to stick with them as they are just not dependent on the vagaries of the communications networks or the dubious workings of the DCC, who are a subsidiary of CAPITA but ultimately majority-owned by Amazon.
There have been lots of 'national scandals' which have ultimately cost the bill payers and taxpayers billions. This smart meter rollout is just one of many.
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