Smart meter home display question

[Vicario]

I monitor my usage weekly via the website app provided by my suppliers (EDF and BG). There are often gaps of a few days on both and the explanation is 'no usage data available'. But the readings are always correct on the day that they generate the bills. (I don't recall setting up the IHD on my home network so I assume that it uses the same connection as the one by which it talks to the suppliers).

 

[ericmark]

Eric, you seem confused! The pink gadget/Home Mini, works no matter where in the country you are. They tap into the smart meter readings, exactly the same as the In Home Display would, and directly connect to your wifi. Unlike your meters, which send a single, large batch of readings, which can be up to 24 hours old - they send a constant stream of up-to-date data, updating every 10 seconds.

Yes, very well put, I can read what I am using with the solar panel app, so not really interested in the pink unit.

(I don't recall setting up the IHD on my home network so I assume that it uses the same connection as the one by which it talks to the suppliers)

Links to how it works have already been posted, and no, the IHD connects direct to the smart meter. The pink unit is an Octopus special.

There were IHD before the smart meters which used the home's internet connection, I had one from Scottish Power, and it resulted in more accurate bills, which were corrected once a year. Found reasonably good, around £10 out after a year's use, but to have split tariff no option any more, have to have a smart meter fitted.

 

[Rodders53]

@davecooper I missed that you are in Cumbria and therefore may be in one of the known Arqiva Long Range Radio marginal / no reception spots.

I'd urge you to speak to Octopus about getting your Comms unit swapped to a mobile phone version (without or with additional antenna)... as shown in the first link. You may have to be quite insistent and raise a formal Complaint to get that done!

It was not that long ago that it was not an option to have anything but the Arqiva 433 MHz LRR units in the North! But Octopus were one of, if not the first to do so!

 

[ericmark]

I use the PMR 466 walkie-talkies as wife not licensed, in Shotton, house in elevated position, 8 miles from Chester, on the flat going alongside the river, got around a 4-mile range. A bit lower frequency with the railway, using a repeater on the hill between the two main stations, can just about talk between the two stations, so again 4-mile range.

70 cm using Ham band repeaters, a bit better, about 20 miles range, but using far more watts, around 25 to 30 watt, not the 0.5 watt limit used with PMR 466 walkie-talkies.

So not a surprise they are having problems.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

70 cm using Ham band repeaters, a bit better, about 20 miles range, but using far more watts, around 25 to 30 watt, not the 0.5 watt limit used with PMR 466 walkie-talkies.

So not a surprise they are having problems.

The major difference, being of course that you are using analogue, and the meters use digital, plus of course the message can be repeated a number of times, until it gets through.

 

[ericmark]

The major difference, being of course that you are using analogue, and the meters use digital, plus of course the message can be repeated a number of times, until it gets through.

I know that CW can get through where voice can't, but using packet it was not that much better than voice.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

but using packet it was not that much better than voice.

It was better, in as much as the failed data, could be patiently repeated, until it was accurately received. A packet, with a checksum, and either accepted or rejected, if rejected, repeated.