Others will doubtless know more, but AFAIK what you've been told is horse**it

To access your data, you will need a Consumer Access Device (CAD). I don't believe there are any yet approved, although some are close. If and when I am approached by my supplier I will ask them to supply and install/connect one with the meter and not accept the meter until they do.

There's a long thread at https://community.openenergymonitor.org/t/a-taste-of-things-to-come-uk-smart-meter-data-access/4820 that explains a lot and links to other sources.

Thanks - glad you agree with my feeling they were talking BS / HS.

@djh: a CAD could do the job and the smart meter specs say it supports a ZigBee / RFM based protocol, which opens up the possibility of DIYing it. It still does not address the issue of where the actual data is kept, as the CAD would just read the meter independently, providing a local copy instead of pulling data off centralized records. Note that this is in fact not inconsistent with what I have been told.

Thanks for the link to the thread on openenergymonitor.org. I stumbled across it earlier. There is a lot of talk about centralized data storage with consumers being able to access their data and control who can see what. I have not seen anything like it in real life however, except some paid for services like the n3rgy link in the thread. To me it sounds all like wishful thinking TBH.

How are we supposed to be able to use all the information to control household devices if there is no way of downloading it?

If it's just a glorified meter with no storage capacity what is it doing that is "smart", beyond what I could do with an old meter and a pencil and paper?

Octopus offer IFTTT (IF This Then That) somehow, so you could automate hot water heating depending on electricity price, etc. I don't think it directly gives you the data though!

I think the electricity price makes an input "IF This", you might add "is less than 5p/kWh", then link it to another internet device covered by IFTTT which is the "Then That" bit that turns on/does a specific thing. So you don't need a PC always on, but you do need internet ready lights/heating/car charging/etc.

I've not got it, but I'm interested in it. Maybe somebody here has it ?

https://octopus.energy/ifttt/

I also get pestered but have told them it is my right not to have a smart meter. I will wait until the whole thing is sorted w.r.t reliability and its usefulness to ME the CUSTOMER. I do not like cloud services either and don't subscribe to any of them.

The first thing to understand is that there are 2 types of Meters SMETS1 and SMETS2. the SMETS1 meters are to be avoided like the plague, almost impossible to switch the smart bit between suppliers. Insist on a SMETS2 meter.

Second thing, thing to note is that the Energy suppler does not collect the data themselves, this is done (for SMETS1) by an SMSO (Smart Meter System Operator). No one seems to know what supplier uses what SMSO. The SMSO collects the data and then passes it on to the Supplier.

From a Data Protection point of view I find this extremely troubling. No one seemed to be able to tell me what data sharing agreements were in place - this is after all personal data.

It is unclear if the original supplier continues to have a commercial relationship with the SMSO if the customer leaves that supplier. If there is no commercial relationship, who the Data Controller of the personal data that is probably still collected is unclear.

The 'new' system consists of a Data and Communications Company (DCC). This seems to be a government backed consortium - there is only one DCC and it they should manage all the SMETS2 meters and (in theory) take on all the SMETS1 meters eventually.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/gas/retail-market/metering/transition-smart-meters/data-communications-company-ofgem-publications

The data is usually not made available to the user (Octopus are I think the exception).

It is still an absolute and very expensive mess. Typical government interference in the market and incompetent implementation by idiotic ministers.

that does not sound like a lot of meters - 37 million elec. meters in France, for the same population...


77 million meters including water and gas, lots of lovely FREE consumer data to sell on...

gg

Posted By: RobLA friend of mine is starting the OVO Nissan Leaf V2G trial, and he needs a smets1 meter for it. Something about the smets2 only giving power consumed, not generated, so can’t do v2g yet. Strange omission.

Sounds like an interfacing problem rather than a lack of capability. i.e. inadequate standards. Remember the government is involved. Personally I'd decline the trial if it mandated a SMETS1 meter, unless that meter is fitted in addition to a SMETS2 one :)

I discovered today (well it was news to me) that smart meters in the north differ from those in the south. Apparently one uses the mobile network and the other uses a dedicated radio system.

One report say that the radio system used in the north has more issues and this means smeets 2 is more available in the south.

CW, perhaps your info was that the SMETS1 use the mobile network and there are contracts with different communication service providers in different parts of the UK, though they will eventually be rolled into the DCC. The SMETS2s can use the dedicated DCC radio network. Otherwise they're fairly similar.

Each supplier chooses meters from a marketplace of UK wide approved types. There's a list here:

https://www.smartme.co.uk/technical.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50930094

"The mass collection of data is part of a three-year online monitoring experiment by the French government and greatly increases the state's online surveillance powers."

They forgot to mention that this also involves the obligation to have smart meters...

If you are out at work, and the meter is in the house (or garden) wall they will fit one anyhow, even though the regulations says that they also must check the main circuit breaker next to your consumer unit...

welcome to 1984

gg