What to Do If You’re Having Problems With Your Smart Meter?

In recent years, smart meters have gained widespread popularity among UK households. Gradually, these have replaced the old conventional energy meters and have become an essential part of almost every household.

Like every new technology and innovation, smart energy meters are meant to provide comfort and ease for the end users. It has made energy management tension-free for the consumers. For the homes, it not only makes energy management tension-free but also enables them to monitor their energy bills, providing an opportunity to curtail overall energy costs. They are no longer required to physically communicate the meter readings to their respective electricity and gas providers. 

On the other hand, service providers also benefited, as they no longer have to send their employees to take the readings and send energy bills in paper form. However, like other modern devices, smart meters may develop faults and suddenly stop working. There might be several reasons, such as a physical error or a disconnection from the central communication hub.

In this blog, we will explore the most common reasons smart meters fail to perform as expected, how to resolve these faults, and when to contact the supplier. 

The Smart Meters – An Overview

Before moving on to the problems one may face with a smart meter and how to troubleshoot them, it is better to understand what a smart meter is and how it works.

A smart meter, sometimes also referred to as "smart energy meter", is an electronic device that is capable of recording live, consumption of electricity and gas, as these are consumed. It displays the amount and cost of the energy used in a home. Contrary to common perception, a smart meter is not a single, stand-alone device; it refers to a complete setup comprising at least four essential components:

1. Smart Electricity Meter – It is an electricity meter that measures the amount of electricity being used in the home. However, it differs from a standard electricity meter in that it is electronically connected to the central communication hub to calculate and display the cost of electricity consumption.
2. Smart Gas Meter – It is a standard gas meter, electronically connected with the smart electricity meter. It records the amount of gas consumed in the home and sends the data to the communication hub via the smart electricity meter.
3. In-Home Display (IHD) – It is a separate device and should not be confused with the "Smart Energy Meter". In simple terms, it is a device that displays, in real time, the total energy usage and its cost, including both electricity and gas consumption. This is the main live display, where homes can monitor their current energy usage and total energy consumption at any given time.
4. Central Communication Hub – This is the most critical component of the Smart Energy Meter setup. As the name suggests, it is a communication center that connects the electricity and gas meters with the “Data Communication Company (DCC)”. The communication hub establishes a direct connection between the home and service providers, so that readings are securely sent to them for calculating energy bills.

For the entire system to function correctly, all these essential components must work properly. If any of these components develop a fault, the homes may experience one or more problems, such as a blank display, no readings, or IHD failure.

Having Problems with Your Smart Meter?

There may be several types of problems with one of the components mentioned above in a smart meter setup, depending on various factors. Some of the most common issues a smart meter setup may face are summarized here:

Blank Screen on The In-Home Display (IHD)

Sometimes homeowners notice that their IHD (In-Home Display) has gone blank; the IHD screen turns completely off. In this case, all the buttons on the IHD also go unresponsive, and despite all possible efforts, the screen does not turn on. There might be different factors involved in this problem, such as a dead battery or a faulty power cable. It may also be due to software issues. In the worst-case scenario, the IHD might have been physically damaged due to some unknown reason/accident.

What To Do?

If there is no display and the screen is completely blank on the IHD, you may try to fix this problem as follows:

• The first thing one must ensure is to check whether the In-Home Display is correctly plugged in. Some IHD models only display when connected to power. 
• If the IHD is correctly plugged in but still not responsive, try plugging it into another power socket, as the fault might be with the socket rather than the IHD. If still not working, move on to the next step; reset the IHD.
• Most of the IHDs come with a reset button, either on the back or underneath. Locate and press the reset button, and wait for a few seconds. If it is still not working, unplug the IHD, move it closer to the energy meter, and then plug it in again. Another way to reset the IHD is to press and hold the power button for at least 10 seconds. All of these depend on the make and model of the IHD. The purpose is just to reset it. In most cases, the IHD will likely start displaying. 

If the problem is not resolved after trying all the above steps, it is time to call the energy supplier so they can replace the faulty In-Home Display. 

Incorrect Data Displayed on IHD

Sometimes, the IHD may not display the correct usage data or may calculate energy costs incorrectly. In some cases, there may be electricity usage data, but the corresponding gas usage data is unavailable. Another possibility is that there is no real-time data available on IHD. It may happen if the meters are disconnected from the IHD or the gas meter is not correctly linked with the electricity meter. Non-updation of costs might be another possibility. 

What To Do?

• Relocate the IHD within a 5 to 8 meter radius from the electricity meter.
• Reset the IHD.
• Contact the supplier to update the cost package. 

Smart Meter Unable to Communicate Readings

It is one of the most common problems with smart meters. When it happens, you may receive estimated bills, and your online account sends an alert that smart readings are not being received. In this scenario, the supplier may request sending manual readings. It may happen due to a communication failure or the unavailability of the network in your area. It may also happen if you have changed the energy supplier. 

What To Do?

• As an instant solution, start sending manual readings to the energy supplier.
• Have the communication hub checked to fix the issue.
• Wait a few days for the system to automatically reset.

Connection Lost After Power Outage

In the event of a power outage, IHD may start showing a message "waiting for date". It may occur due to the need to reboot the communication hub or resynchronize the meters. 

What To Do?

• Wait at least 24 hours, as some devices may take time to reconnect.
• Restart the IHD.
• If the problem persists even after 48 hours, it is time to call the energy supplier. 

Other Possible Reasons for Problems With Smart Meter

• Unexpected network disruptions. 
• Temporary network outage due to system upgrade.
• Disturbance in the network due to bad weather.

Important

You must replace the smart meter under the following circumstances:

• If you have an old smart meter (first-generation smart meter), it should be upgraded, as old meters are often not compatible with the modern communication hubs.
• If your smart meter is older than 10 years.
• If your smart meter frequently loses communication.
• If there is a persistent problem of non-receipt of readings by the energy supplier. 

General Precautions to Avoid Smart Meter Problems

• Always keep the In-Home Display (IHD) plugged in. 
• Avoid placing metal objects near the IHD, as they may block the signals.
• Make sure to notify the energy supplier whenever you plan to start any construction or renovation work on your property. Any such work may damage the wiring and cables. 
• Keep monitoring your online account; it enables you to identify the problems, especially the missing readings timely. 

Conclusion

Smart meters are meant to provide convenience and comfort to homes. These are installed in your home to free you from the hassle of manual meter readings. It also gives you access to your real-time energy consumption and costs. The role of smart meters is just to display the current usage of gas and electricity and their costs. It cannot increase or decrease your energy bills; it just facilitates you in monitoring your energy consumption. 

For maximum convenience, the smart meter must perform as expected. Any fault or problem in its working may cause inconvenience to you. Hence, your smart meter must work perfectly. You should also be able to identify the problems and try to fix them on your own before calling the energy supplier. Meanwhile, keep sending manual readings to the energy suppliers to receive accurate energy bills rather than estimated bills.