No wan signal on smart meter

  • Roobear's Avatar
    Level 1
    Does anyone know how to get the meter to reconnect to the wan signal, long story short we used to suffer from a transient power fault in my area, which has now been found and fixed, my meters used to supply readings but at the last blackout now nearly two years ago, my meters stopped supplying readings, I’ve been doing them manually ever month since then, and contacted eon next at least a dozen times in the last two years, but all they ever suggest is reset the Han signal even though, I’ve told them I’ve done it multiple times and even sent videos to them showing wan signal light flashing fast and myself resetting the Han on the gas meter,

    so fed up of chasing them, they seem to flat out refuse to send an engineer, even though an engineer whom was installing smart meters on my neighbours property suggested the communications part had gone faulty due to the power faults we had. So want to get it all sorted so I can possibly transfer on the the tariff that allows me to charge car overnight at cheaper rates.

    any ideas what to do as they are ignoring my emails and just get the same old speal on the phone, I even had an email from them once stating it not their fault it’s the government’s as they refusing to release an update.
    Last edited by Roobear; 29-07-23 at 20:21. Reason: Mistyped
  • 7 Replies

  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @Roobear

    The 'refusing to release an update' leads me to suspect you might have an EDMI electricity meter. If this is the case, there is nothing to be done except wait for an upgrade to SMETS2 meters. You could badger E.On next for an upgrade, but this might be rather like banging your head against a brick wall. All pain and no gain.

    It's not the government or E.On refusing, but the meter manufacturer themselves. Check your make and model, or better still post pictures, and we might be able to advise further.

    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.
  • Roobear's Avatar
    Level 1
    @retrotecchie thanks for replying, the meter is an edmi meter, but I was told it’s a smet2 as well, I’ve uploaded a picture of my meter, so if my meter does need upgrading, how can I get them out earlier to upgrade, so I can take up their offer on the eon next car tariff, as it seems pointless switching over to new tariff and paying slightly more for daytime rate if they are unable to get the readings correctly
    Attached Images Attached Images  
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @Roobear

    Ok, I see where your problem is.

    Your Comms Hub WAN was configured to use the 410-414 MHz band, paired with 420-424 MHz, hence the model number of the hub being Standard 420. Which was fine when these frequencies were allocated for Low Power Radio Telemetry and 2G SMS. 2G cellular communications used these frequencies for sending data messages which is essentially the same methodology that many smart meters use for data communications.

    These frequencies were auctioned off by OFCOM as a result of the original 2G networks being shut down several years ago. The band is now allocated for Emergency Services use only and forms part of the UK Police TETRA radio network, maintained by Arqiva and Airwave.

    So, even if the meter is an SMETS2 which it certainly looks like, you have no WAN communications for the simple reason that that band is no longer in use for 2G cellular.

    You would need an upgrade to a newer comms hub that uses 4G frequency bands. Not something you can do yourself, it will require an engineer visit to swap out the hub and then recommission your meters.
    Last edited by retrotecchie; 30-07-23 at 11:28.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @Roobear

    The extract from the EDMI hub manual states that they were using the licencing standard from 2011, now long obsolete:

    SM WAN specification Standard : ETSI EN300 113-1 V1.7(2011-11) Frequency Range: Transmit: 412-414 and 422-424 MHz Receive: 422-424 MHz TRP: 1W Maximum. Modulation: Transmit: 2SFSK, 4SFSK, 4SFSK-HB Receive: mPass2, m4Pass2
  • Roobear's Avatar
    Level 1
    @retrotecchie thanks for getting back to me again, armed with this information I can see if I can push them to come out and change the coms device and reconfigure, but for whatever reason the seem very reluctant to come out. Will just have to keep pestering them to change, maybe the power fault two years ago and them switching off the 2g connections was just coincidental. Thanks for the help and advice
  • Roobear's Avatar
    Level 1
    @retrotecchie just visited my mother in laws and now left even more confused, she has the same meter with the standard 420 , produced 4 months before mine, she like myself on eon next, and live only 100 meters from me, but unlike me eon gets her meter readings every month without fail, so looks like I may still be fighting a losing battle
    Attached Images Attached Images  
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @Roobear

    In which case, there is still a bit of 2G functionality in your area. Likely then that the hub is fried! You'll need it replacing in any case.