Smart meter external aerial last ditch attempt?

[SuperJohnG]

I've a smart meter, it's actually my second and the third time they ve come out to try to get it to connect to no avail. I'm being told it's just the reception is crap or where the meter is in the house (We've terrible mob reception indoors too,So I assume SIPS houses are just like that). Our neighbours 400m up the hill works fine.

 

It means I can't access Octopuses smart tariff for heat pumps and my Givevergy stuff and I've just ordered an EV and I cant get the nice 7p/kWh to charge it I have to pay the 23p/kWh.

 

I'm in Scotland so it's on the DCC. 

 

Has anyone done this or similar?

 

https://anengineersview.tech.blog/smets2-is-there-anybody-there/

 

[nod]

Put it in the bin and forget about 

I was told exactly the same Poor Wi-Fi 

We have three large masts behind us and openreach told be we have excellent signal 100meg 

The guy who fitted the meter said the equipment is just cheap crap 

[Alan Ambrose]

Do your SIPS have a foil backing maybe? That might do it. The first solution he talks about is quite straight forward. If you’re not confident with a soldering iron on PCBs I might find someone who is - a geeky and capable teenager maybe?

 

p.s. Like the writer of the article, I can’t believe they didn’t design for a possible external antenna.

Edited October 8, 2024 by Alan Ambrose

[JohnMo]

 

  On 07/10/2024 at 21:29, SuperJohnG said:

can't access Octopuses smart tariff for heat pumps and my Givevergy stuff and I've just ordered an EV and I cant get the nice 7p/kWh to charge it I have to pay the 23p/kWh.

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I am just using E7, which should already be pre programmed into the smart meter.

[SteamyTea]

  On 08/10/2024 at 06:50, JohnMo said:

am just using E7, which should already be pre programmed into the smart meter

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I am as well, is yours a proper E7 meter with two separate circuits out of it?

 

[JohnMo]

  On 08/10/2024 at 07:13, SteamyTea said:

I am as well, is yours a proper E7 meter with two separate circuits out of it?

 

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No just a smart meter, to a single CU. No split circuits.

[RobLe]

No I’ve not done this but instead I suggest trying a ‘passive repeater’.  It’s basically two off 423MHz antennas, linked by a 50ohm coax cable.  
One of them would live outside high up, the other is next to your smart meter.  

It won’t be as good as actually connecting it to the smart meter - but it’ll look less dodgy, be simpler to do, and maybe good enough?

[markharro]

Im in Scotland too and our "smart meter" stopped connecting earlier in the year. It took Octopus about 3 months to get an engineer out and it seems to be working again. The engineer appeared to be saying that if you make a real fuss they will install an external aerial for you but it seems this is the very last resort.

[SteamyTea]

My smart meter stopped communicating within hours of being installed.

Took months to sort out, but I got 200 quid off my bill.

  On 08/10/2024 at 07:17, JohnMo said:

No split circuits

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So do you use secondary timers for DHW/space heating?

[scottishjohn]

how do you know if the smart meter is communicating with supplier

Edited October 8, 2024 by scottishjohn

[Beau]

We had no signal inside but pestered Octopus to sort it. It took sometime to get an appointment but they fitted an external arial in an adjoining shed which did the trick. We used a multifoil insulation in the house so the signal had little chance of getting out.

[JohnMo]

  On 08/10/2024 at 08:07, SteamyTea said:

My smart meter stopped communicating within hours of being installed.

Took months to sort out, but I got 200 quid off my bill.

So do you use secondary timers for DHW/space heating?

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No, as I have a battery, charge the battery in E7 period and generally run the house all day. Heat pump is on WC, but as the temperature is naturally lower over night most the heavy lifting for heating is done without any intervention from me during E7 times. ASHP will run a bit during the day, but not that much. So a high proportion of electricity is either PV or battery not that much high price electricity.

[SuperJohnG]

  On 08/10/2024 at 07:52, markharro said:

an external aerial for you but it seems this is the very last resort

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I was told by the smart guy the companies this, but that can only be done in England for their commitment system.

  On 08/10/2024 at 05:58, Alan Ambrose said:

Do your SIPS have a foil backing maybe

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The whole house has 50mm PIR internally..likely the issue. 

 

  On 08/10/2024 at 08:38, Beau said:

We had no signal inside but pestered Octopus to sort it. 

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Good to know. Are you guys in Scotland or England,?

 

  On 08/10/2024 at 08:09, scottishjohn said:

how do you know if the smart meter is communicating with supplier

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  On 08/10/2024 at 08:09, scottishjohn said:

how do you know if the smart meter is communicating with supplier

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You check on the citizens advice website. 

[Bozza]

I’m in Scotland too and in some parts of rural Scotland smart meter communicate via radio signals.  In England via mobile network signals.  In Scotland they are currently trialling extender systems to allow more smart meters to communicate as they should be.

 

I know this because my smart meter doesn’t communicate and I had an Engineer around explaining this a couple of weeks ago and I’m now on a waiting list for roll out once the trial ends.   Allegedly.

 

 

 

 

[RobLe]

  On 08/10/2024 at 08:09, scottishjohn said:

how do you know if the smart meter is communicating with supplier

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Google for your specific meter; our ‘secure 100’ smets1 meter has a led on it that blinks like morse code showing ‘WAN’ signal strength with 1-5 blinks.  Solid led =no signal, 1 blink is poor, 5 blinks is max signal strength.

[SuperJohnG]

Just an update. 

 

I had the third meter installed a few weeks back. All works now, SMS replaced it with an Octopus one (Kaifa brand) same type of comms hub but all fine now and working.

 

Now I can access smart tariffs but need to decide between flux and go as we get an EV soon. 

[JohnMo]

  On 25/11/2024 at 17:05, SuperJohnG said:

Just an update. 

 

I had the third meter installed a few weeks back. All works now, SMS replaced it with an Octopus one (Kaifa brand) same type of comms hub but all fine now and working.

 

Now I can access smart tariffs but need to decide between flux and go as we get an EV soon. 

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Interesting I am attempt 3 with octopus, waiting to see what happens, they wanted lots of photos this time.

[JohnMo]

  On 08/10/2024 at 07:42, RobLe said:

No I’ve not done this but instead I suggest trying a ‘passive repeater’.  It’s basically two off 423MHz antennas, linked by a 50ohm coax cable.  
One of them would live outside high up, the other is next to your smart meter.  

It won’t be as good as actually connecting it to the smart meter - but it’ll look less dodgy, be simpler to do, and maybe good enough?

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Just tried this 2x slim jim antenna and coax. Outside one 7m up in the air and other one next to meter. Nothing changed. Think we have zero signal of any use near us.

 

[joth]

  On 20/02/2025 at 11:20, JohnMo said:

Just tried this 2x slim jim antenna and coax. Outside one 7m up in the air and other one next to meter. Nothing changed. Think we have zero signal of any use near us.

 

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How long did you leave it? Dunno about the Northern DCC by my experience on the southern network is it takes days for anything to actually register and start using the smart meter data once it finally connects.

 

[JohnMo]

  On 20/02/2025 at 11:37, joth said:

How long did you leave it?

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Left it an hour or so. Then went into the commissioning page on the smart meter and that looks for the network to hook up to, but didn't even find a signal.

[SuperJohnG]

Changed my meter (to an octopus one) miraculously started working and has never dropped a beat since.