Reading seems to have gone backwards.

  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @geoffers

    As I posted earlier, the readings for billing are obtained by a special request set to the meter by the supplier, to which the meter hopefully responds to the supplier. As far as I know the supplier does not have access to the other readings.
    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 33
    @geoffers

    As I posted earlier, the readings for billing are obtained by a special request set to the meter by the supplier, to which the meter hopefully responds to the supplier. As far as I know the supplier does not have access to the other readings.

    However the meter must be storing the half hourly data by default - it is definitely available to download via glowmarkt, since when I do a usage download with data-granularity=½ hour I get ½ hourly readings going back to 29 Jun 2022.

    I only joined EOn in July 2023 and agreed to them using my ½ hourly usage from 27 July 2023, so there's over a year's worth of readings before I agreed for EOn to access my half hourly readings.

    I'm sure the request/approval for them to access this is just some kind of "GDPR/freedom of information" confirmation, but the readings do already exist.
    Last edited by geoffers; 20-04-24 at 07:49.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @geoffers

    I'm not certain about the half hourly readings and their use by the supplier. I'm fairly certain they are not used in any way for billing. I've seen from others posts that if you want to take part in the energy shifting trials that you need to have half hourly readings enabled. But then there seem to be other agencies than your supplier that you register with to take part. And the various apps get access to the half hourly readings too.

    Probably the readings are available direct from the meter, as you say they are stored there, in terms of memory the storage of years worth of data would be comparatively trivial and easily accommodated.
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 33
    @geoffers
    ....in terms of memory the storage of years worth of data would be comparatively trivial and easily accommodated.
    I was quite surprised that I'm getting nearly 2 years worth of data (hadn't bothered to look at the earliest start date before).

    I was under the impression from the SMETS spec that the meter should be capable of storing 13 months worth of data
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @geoffers

    There's nothing to stop someone bettering the baseline specification. EEPROM or FLASH memory costs pennies.
    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.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @geoffers

    I'm not certain about the half hourly readings and their use by the supplier. I'm fairly certain they are not used in any way for billing.

    Au contraire. They are vital for tariffs such as Next Drive where ToU is applied to billing even with a single rate meter. It simply wouldn't work if the suppliers don't get the half-hourly readings. That said, they only actually NEED two readings a day. One at the start time of cheap rate and one at the start time of normal rate. The net outcome will be identical. Only, the meters are actually read once a day unless polled otherwise. They just send a packet of 48 readings.

  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 33
    Au contraire. They are vital for tariffs such as Next Drive where ToU is applied to billing even with a single rate meter. It simply wouldn't work if the suppliers don't get the half-hourly readings. That said, they only actually NEED two readings a day. One at the start time of cheap rate and one at the start time of normal rate. The net outcome will be identical. Only, the meters are actually read once a day unless polled otherwise. They just send a packet of 48 readings.
    Also, it looks like the plan is for suppliers to take half hourly readings as the default by the end of 2025 (with the option to opt out)

    https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/blog/ch...ta-collection/

    I'm sure I've read somewhere that variable ToU tariffs could be applied based on energy costs varying throughout the day, but in reality I guess it'll still just be the off-peak periods overnight
    Last edited by geoffers; 21-04-24 at 07:50.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @retrotecchie
    my understanding is that for billing purposes, suppliers make a specific request to the meter for the information they require. They do not pull data that they don’t require. Whether they will pull more data in the future is anyone’s guess.
    personally I don’t buy the argument that half hourly data will help suppliers manage the supply network better. The mechanism for charging suppliers must be rather approximate because the energy being consumed by each suppliers customers cannot be known accurately - even now many customers don’t have smart meters and many that do operate in dumb mode. And this will not change for many years.
    the grid is managed centrally, it is not devolved to energy supply companies.