Good meters are designed to make life higher, however like every sensible tech, they’ll and can go improper, usually with out the power firm even telling you. The necessity for fixed vigilance appears like one more factor that I’ve to be in control of. Shouldn’t issues be higher?
I hadn’t upgraded to a wise meter till lately, as there didn’t appear a lot level till I used to be going to have photo voltaic put in, and wanted one to each see how a lot energy I used to be utilizing (and if I used to be in deficit), and to observe how a lot energy I used to be exporting, so I might receives a commission for it.
I contacted Octopus and organized a fast appointment to have a wise meter fitted. It needs to be simple, I assumed, however no. The engineer turned up, regarded on the small cabinet the place the present dumb meter was, lined up the brand new sensible meter with its massive communications hub, and instantly mentioned that it wouldn’t match.
That, I assumed, was it, till he got here again half an hour later and mentioned that there’s an adaptor that lets the communications hub be positioned elsewhere (however nonetheless close to to the meter), and that it ought to simply match. Fortunately, my broadband had simply been upgraded to fibre-to-the-home, so the previous BT field within the cabinet could possibly be eliminated.
The out of doors fuel meter was simple to substitute with a brand new one as a result of there was rather more area. The fuel meter talks to the communications hub inside, utilizing a safe Zigbee connection, and this hub then transmits knowledge again to the power firm through the mobile-powered WAN operated by the Information Communications Firm (DCC).
All fashionable SMETS2 sensible meters use the identical community, so you may swap between power suppliers and maintain the identical meter. The sensible meter was put in on 10 November, and began working instantly for fuel and electrical energy.
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Alongside the sensible meter, I had the brand new Octopus Residence Mini, a small hub that replaces a standard In-Residence Show (IHD). The benefit of the Residence Mini is that it lets me observe reside power utilization from the Octopus app, which is useful to see when there’s extra solar energy and, subsequently, value utilizing energy-heavy home equipment, such because the washer or tumble dryer.
This app doesn’t ship notifications once I’m exporting loads of electrical energy, which might be helpful. Once I wrote about Time Of Use (TOU) tariffs, one among my complaints was that sensible meters don’t do sufficient that can assist you use energy extra effectively mechanically.
Drawback 1 – My fuel utilization virtually tripled in a single day
One of many advantages of a wise meter is that you may see how a lot power you’re utilizing. When you begin to see how a lot every little thing prices, you begin to consider your power utilization; with the previous system, being billed month-to-month means you haven’t any concept while you used loads of energy.
So, sensible meters are typically good, however I had a panic assault once I noticed how a lot fuel I used to be utilizing. It was a chilly winter, that’s for positive, however there have been days when the Octopus app would present utilization of £20+. That’s with the Tado X system put in and fairly tight schedules that imply we solely warmth the rooms we’re in.
We tightened additional, however even on days after we barely used any heating, the associated fee was enormous.
Then, I regarded into it. Our previous guide fuel meter learn utilization in cubic ft (imperial), the brand new one in cubic metres (metric). There’s then a conversion course of to transform the utilization into kWh, which is the way you’re lastly charged.
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Picture Credit score (Trusted Evaluations)
In case your utility firm is aware of what unit your meter is measuring, it may possibly apply the right components. In my case, the previous meter was nonetheless registered, so Octopus thought that every little thing was in cubic ft. The brief model is that the calculation elevated the kWh determine by virtually 3 times.
That’s a giant distinction, and it feels just like the sort of factor that needs to be flagged mechanically – there’s no method we might presumably use that a lot fuel, until one thing was improper. As a substitute, I needed to contact Octopus, which rectified the error and obtained the suitable readings.
Drawback 2 – Exports weren’t utilized
After signing as much as export extra photo voltaic power, I used to be accepted for Outgoing Octopus on 18 December (initially this paid 15p per kWh, however the charge has been slashed to 12p per kWh).
A brand new dashboard appeared within the app, updating after a few days to point out how a lot energy my photo voltaic system had exported and the way a lot I might earn. Export earnings are purported to be paid month-to-month, however by 27 February 2026, I had the grand sum of nothing.
Getting in contact with Octopus, it seems that the credit weren’t being utilized, in any case. The change, I used to be informed, would occur, and future credit could be utilized every month.
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Once more, Octopus has the info, it is aware of I’ve photo voltaic, it is aware of I’ve an export tariff, and it has the readings, so why is none of this dealt with mechanically?
Drawback 3 – Good meters are finicky about their connection
My sensible meter, which had been working since 10 November 2026, stopped speaking with Octopus on 9 March 2026. Was it as a result of I obtained an alert from Octopus that all of a sudden it couldn’t learn my meter? No, it was as a result of the app stopped updating: no outgoing, no electrical energy and no fuel readings.
I obtained in contact with Octopus to see if somebody might take a look, because the sensible meter had all of its indicator lights exhibiting that it was working. As a substitute, I needed to take photographs, examine the cellular reception on the meter, and reply loads of questions.
The answer I used to be initially supplied, was to maneuver the multi-way energy strip within the cabinet (this powers the router, the Octopus Residence Mini and a radiator fan). Apparently, in accordance with the e-mail, “The communications hub itself works utilizing long-range radio waves, so any metallic or electrical cabling close by can impede the sign.”
It’s the “electrical cabling” half that drew my consideration. Good meters are put in close to the patron unit, so naturally have loads of “electrical cabling” round them. If this is a matter, then shouldn’t sensible meters have an choice to maneuver the communications hub additional away?
My fuel meter communicates with the communications hub utilizing Zigbee (and to the IHD utilizing the identical protocol); the sensible electrical energy meter makes use of Zigbee to speak to an IHD; so, why can’t each meters simply use Zigbee to a communications hub that could possibly be higher positioned for a robust sign? This isn’t Octopus’ fault, however the best way that each one sensible meters are designed.
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In any case, my meters stopped speaking, and nothing had modified. The sensible meter and communications hub had been put in with the facility strip the place it was, and it labored for 3 months and not using a drawback. If any of what was within the cabinet was going to trigger a problem, then the sensible meter mustn’t have been fitted the place it was.
And the communications hub’s lights had been flashing within the right order to point it nonetheless thought it was linked.
Stubbornly, I refused to maneuver something, and the sensible meter began working once more on 22 March with no intervention.
Regardless of sensible meters being designed to retailer knowledge within the occasion of a communication failure (they maintain 13 months of knowledge), the day-by-day readings are nonetheless lacking from my account.
Drawback 4 – I didn’t receives a commission once more
On 28 March, I went into the Octopus app and took a take a look at the meter studying historical past. On this a part of the app, I’ve three meters listed: export electrical energy (what I ship to the grid), import electrical energy (what I devour from the grid) and fuel. With the 2 import meters (fuel and electrical energy), I’ve the choice to change between Utilization (day by day readings) or Readings (the quantity learn on a set date by Octopus – the month-to-month studying).
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The export part solely provides me the month-to-month studying choice, but when I swap to both of the import meters and alter the setting to ‘Utilization’, I can then swap again to the export and consider the day by day choice as a substitute. Looks as if a little bit of the interface is damaged.
Picture Credit score (Trusted Evaluations)
I digress. On 28 March, I observed that there was a studying for my Export. Because the invoice hadn’t been generated, I wished an concept of how a lot earnings I might count on. I deliberate to do that by figuring out the variety of kWh of electrical energy I had exported by taking the present studying (28 March) and subtracting the earlier studying (1 March). I opened up my telephone’s calculator, then switched again to the Octopus app solely to search out that the 28 March studying had disappeared from the export meter. The import readings had been there.
My invoice was generated, nevertheless it solely included what I’d imported, not what I’d exported. On 9 April, I needed to contact Octopus once more, asking why the export meter studying wasn’t exhibiting. Not lengthy after, a brand new e mail got here by means of saying that -£13.01 had been utilized to the account.
The next day, Octopus replied to say, “I can see that your export assertion was issued yesterday. I do apologise for the delay on this.
Trying into it, your import assertion was generated and issued earlier than the export credit had been utilized, which brought on the export assertion to be delayed.”
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So, by my studying of this, the export meter had been learn, however there was only a delay in making use of what Octopus owed me, which brought on a billing error and the export studying to vanish from the app. Checking the app, the 28 March export studying was there once more.
All ought to have been good, however Octopus had scheduled a Direct Debit fee for the invoice with out together with the export quantity (I pay the complete invoice month-to-month, as I don’t like spreading funds over the 12 months based mostly on what any power firm thinks I would spend).
On the level the direct debit fee is about up, it may possibly’t be modified.
Speaking to Octopus on 13 April, the follow-up means that the export info hadn’t been learn on the 28 March.
As per the e-mail, “We all the time attempt to get the import and export knowledge/ meter readings on twenty eighth of every month. If the meter studying will not be obtainable on the time, the automated billing system will attempt once more on twenty eighth of subsequent month. While we’re your power provider, there’ll by no means be an occasion the place you export power with out getting credited for it. You’ll all the time be credited, however it is going to require guide intervention to convey this thus far if the connection will not be there on twenty eighth.”
That is complicated. Why did one particular person say that it was as a result of “import assertion was generated and issued earlier than the export credit had been utilized, which brought on the export assertion to be delayed” and one other say it was as a result of the export meter studying wasn’t obtainable on the time?
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Given that each one readings come from the identical communications hub, it’s humorous how the readings work for the bit the place I owe cash, however didn’t for the bit the place I’m owed cash.
If the export meter couldn’t be learn on the 28 March, then shouldn’t the system mechanically e mail to say that that is the case? Once more, Octopus is aware of that I’ve photo voltaic, and it is aware of I’ve an export tariff, so any failure ought to certainly be communicated.
Be extra proactive
Reward be, as of the top of April, all meter readings had been taken on the right day, and the right invoice was generated, together with the credit for export photo voltaic. That no less than saves me from having to depart a particular voicemail that Octopus might use in one among its radio adverts, though my message would solely have the ability to be broadcast after the watershed and with a couple of liberal beeps.
Good meters ought to make life simpler. They mechanically transmit up-to-date readings, eradicating estimated payments. That’s nice once they work, however my expertise exhibits that you actually need to maintain on high of every little thing, as when issues cease working, there’s no communication to warn you of potential issues. Absolutely it may possibly’t be that tough for power corporations to know what to anticipate after which talk within the occasion of a problem, proactively fixing issues?
