[Warrenpeace]

Background...

I have smart meters for both electricity and gas. E.ON installed my gas meter back in December, but my electricity meter was installed several years ago when First Utility were my energy providers. As a result, I have ended up with a new SMETS2 gas meter that CANNOT access the communications hub in my old SMETS1 electricity meter, so the gas meter sends usage data to the DCC via a separate 'hot shoe' that E.ON fitted to my electricity meter.

This means that I have to use separate IHDs for gas and electricity!

E.ON have accepted that the only solution is to replace my old SMETS1 electricity meter with a SMETS2 unit, but are refusing to do so as "it isn't a business priority" (at first, they told me that they weren't allowed to replace a meter until it either becomes faulty or otherwise reaches the end of its useful life, but exactly who allegedly imposed this rule upon them was never explained).

I raised an appropriate complaint with the ombudsman, and I am now awaiting their verdict.

The problem...

My 'gas IHD' shows me, in up-to-the-minute real-time, how much the cost of my gas usage goes up through the day, based upon my current tariff.

My 'electricity IHD' CANNOT do the same because it has no tariff information at all!

My query...

Can anyone please tell me how (or if) my 'electricity IHD' can access up-to-date tariff information? It is a Secure Pipit 500.

Thanks in anticipation.

[theunknowntech]

Ok, I just noticed this. Sorry for the delay. I'm still slowly making a return to the community (don't worry, I'm not in trouble with the staff!), so at the moment I'm mostly responsive if people @ me.

Unfortunately, it's impossible for a SMETS1 IHD to communicate with SMETS2 Comms Hubs/Meters and the same applies the other way round - a SMETS2 IHD cannot communicate with SMETS1 Comms Hubs/Meters.

TBH you're going to have constant nightmares with your current setup. Each Site must be either fully S1, or fully S2. Trying to be a Frankenstein is a really bad idea as most suppliers will not be expecting an exotic setup like this one.

The fact you have a Secure Pipit 500 IHD tells me you probably have an S1 Secure Liberty 100 electric meter. It should be capable of providing the current tariff rates, as long as they're programmed into the meter itself. If it's not been done, CS should be capable of pinging that command over. It only takes a few clicks!

[Mailman]

Does your electricity IHD show the usage in kWh used 'so far today' on it? Or is it totally blank?

Whilst your setup is not ideal, perhaps you could work out (or we could work it out) some costings to the nearest penny (inc SC) and just write it down on a piece of card next to the IHD. At least this way, if cost incurred during a day is important then at least you have a good idea (yes not ideal but better than nothing). If you want cumulative £ over a period then put daily results on paper or a spreadsheet.

e.g.

4kWh =
5kWh =
6kWh =

etc

Have you explored the functionality of the Bright app which may help?

[Warrenpeace]

@Mailman

The IHD shows 'usage now' in kWh, and an estimated bill, although how the latter is calculated is a mystery to me, since the only financial information I can find 'on screen' is a hopelessly out-of-date standing charge.

I haven't tried the Bright app per se, but I am using Hugo. Unfortunately, that only shows usage up to yesterday (by design), and in my case, it doesn't show gas at all, just electricity. That is due to an issue Hugo Support identified in the DCC data, where my gas and electricity meters have subtly different 'address identifiers'. They should be the same for both meters, and it is apparently my suppliers' responsibility to correct the discrepancy... but E.ON have done nothing about that either.

As I write this, I can see at a glance that, by default, without my even having to touch it, my gas IHD shows exactly the information I want to see, i.e. precisely how much my gas usage has cost me so far today. If E.ON had done their job properly, I'd be able to see the electricity cost, too. As things turned out, it was never made clear to me on the day just why I should have had a hot shoe installed instead of a meter upgrade. Everything I've found out since has been the result of my own painstaking research.

...and I'm sorry, but your suggestion that I resort to spreadsheets and/or pen-and-paper is simply a non-starter. All I'm asking for is the ability to monitor my energy costs conveniently and effectively in the manner that smart meters were SUPPOSED to facilitate.

[Mailman]

Originally Posted by Warrenpeace

@Mailman

The IHD shows 'usage now' in kWh, and an estimated bill, although how the latter is calculated is a mystery to me, since the only financial information I can find 'on screen' is a hopelessly out-of-date standing charge.

I haven't tried the Bright app per se, but I am using Hugo. Unfortunately, that only shows usage up to yesterday (by design), and in my case, it doesn't show gas at all, just electricity. That is due to an issue Hugo Support identified in the DCC data, where my gas and electricity meters have subtly different 'address identifiers'. They should be the same for both meters, and it is apparently my suppliers' responsibility to correct the discrepancy... but E.ON have done nothing about that either.

As I write this, I can see at a glance that, by default, without my even having to touch it, my gas IHD shows exactly the information I want to see, i.e. precisely how much my gas usage has cost me so far today. If E.ON had done their job properly, I'd be able to see the electricity cost, too. As things turned out, it was never made clear to me on the day just why I should have had a hot shoe installed instead of a meter upgrade. Everything I've found out since has been the result of my own painstaking research.

...and I'm sorry, but your suggestion that I resort to spreadsheets and/or pen-and-paper is simply a non-starter. All I'm asking for is the ability to monitor my energy costs conveniently and effectively in the manner that smart meters were SUPPOSED to facilitate.

Apologies for wasting your time.

[Warrenpeace]

@Mailman

On the contrary, you haven't wasted my time at all, and I appreciate your efforts to assist. It is I who should be apologising to you for a brusque response born of my frustration with E.ON. Absolutely no offence was intended.

[JoeSoap]

@Warrenpeace

I'll tag @theunknowntech who may be able to pop by and offer some thoughts.

[theunknowntech]

Oh and erm... I agree with the views on this thread. Both meters should have been upgraded to S2. I see no valid reason for a hot shoe based off of the information in this thread.

[Warrenpeace]

Originally Posted by theunknowntech

Ok, I just noticed this. Sorry for the delay. I'm still slowly making a return to the community (don't worry, I'm not in trouble with the staff!), so at the moment I'm mostly responsive if people @ me.

Unfortunately, it's impossible for a SMETS1 IHD to communicate with SMETS2 Comms Hubs/Meters and the same applies the other way round - a SMETS2 IHD cannot communicate with SMETS1 Comms Hubs/Meters.

TBH you're going to have constant nightmares with your current setup. Each Site must be either fully S1, or fully S2. Trying to be a Frankenstein is a really bad idea as most suppliers will not be expecting an exotic setup like this one.

The fact you have a Secure Pipit 500 IHD tells me you probably have an S1 Secure Liberty 100 electric meter. It should be capable of providing the current tariff rates, as long as they're programmed into the meter itself. If it's not been done, CS should be capable of pinging that command over. It only takes a few clicks!

Many thanks. I'll get (back) on to CS pronto. UPDATE: Done. Now over to them.

[Warrenpeace]

Finally had a response from CS yesterday, in which they informed me that a posting of my current tariff to my electricity meter had been requested, and normally takes place overnight. I will be on a new tariff from 18 April, so I then asked if this would be reflected in both of my meters automatically. They responded today with confirmation that my meter (singular) would be updated as appropriate when the time comes, and as I suspect that they may have been referring solely to the smart gas meter (because it's the only one they actually installed), I have requested further clarification.

...and my electricity meter is still waiting for my current tariff information. 🙄

I had also asked CS (again) to correct the above-mentioned address identifier discrepancy in my DCC data, and they informed me that the appropriate request had also been raised... but would probably need a couple of weeks to take effect! E.ON have known about this issue since mid-December. 😡

So, as things stand, instead of being able to monitor (and adjust, as necessary) my total dual-fuel energy usage via the convenience of a single hand-held display of some kind...

• Connected to my SMETS1 Secure Liberty 100 smart electricity meter is a Secure Pipit 500 IHD, which shows only my electricity usage (because I have a SMETS2 smart gas meter) and does not accurately reflect the cost of my electricity usage because the meter was installed on 13 February 2017 and its tariff information probably hasn't been updated since!
• Connected to my SMETS2 Secure Liberty Gas 200 smart gas meter is a SmartView2 IHD, which shows only my gas usage (because I have a SMETS1 smart electricity meter).
• Installed on my smartphone is the Hugo app, which shows only my electricity usage because the address identifier discrepancy in the DCC data has 'broken the link' between my electricity and gas smart meter data... and even if and when that link is restored, neither Hugo nor any similar app can show up-to-the-minute values as only an IHD can do this.

Well done, E.ON... NOT!!! 🤬