Smart meter sizes, and suppliers stipulating one must be fitted

[BobRRR]

Hi all,

I've not seen a massive amount of smart meters, my brother has one fitted and it's a very chunky meter, standing (estimated) 4 inches from backboard to front of meter (almost like it was a standard meter that they've chucked another box on the front of).

We had our incoming fuse and meter quite tightly boxed into a cubby (with a small cover) when the garage was converted to a bedroom (and CU rewired/replaced) some 15 years ago - the meter is one of these: https://speedermeteringltd.co.uk/product/ip65-caravan-hook-up-unit-single/. The issue is that there is not a lot of room to spare (enough to remove the incoming/outgoing cables from the terminals), especially in depth. That said, depth would probably be the easiest to deal with, just by building a deeper cupboard on top of it, however if the meter was any larger in height or width the wall is going to have to be adjusted...

We're not particularly fussed about having or not having a smart meter, however, some of these suppliers are now stipulating you must have one fitted to have any kind of fixed tariff... so what happens if you cannot fit one because of space? Does anyone have any experience? Do they make smart meters in this size?

Cheers

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'm afraid that you are a bit stuck with the small space you have created. There are regulations regarding this.

https://ukpowersolutions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/UKPS-Electric-Connections-Guide-2017_v1.1.pdf

In the good old days, the back board and (often) the meter cupboard was the property of the electricity company.

You are not obliged to take a smart meter and, (given the disaster that the whole smart meter project has been) your current supplier cannot make you take one. But, you'll not be able to save 50p a day by opting for a time-flexible tariff unless you have one, and taking a smart meter may be an unavoidable condition when changing supplier.

 

[flameport]

We had our incoming fuse and meter quite tightly boxed into a cubby (with a small door)

That needs to be unboxed, as that not only makes any meter replacement impossible, it also makes replacing the cutout (fuse) impossible as well.

 

[Taylortwocities]

That needs to be unboxed, as that not only makes any meter replacement impossible, it also makes replacing the cutout (fuse) impossible as well.

@BobRRR Can you send a photo of the construction please.

 

[ericmark]

I had a meter like you show, and to get split tariff or export payment I needed a smart meter the consumer unit you can just see to right, had been mounted where the smart meter now is, and I had to get the solar installers back to move it. However unless you want split tariffs or payment for export, the smart meter is not really required. And to be frank I have still not worked out how to read it. Pressing buttons changes screens but there are so many screens, so it may say "Rate 02 Act Imp 00326 kWh but I have not a clue what that is, no instruction book came with it, the IHD (in home display) is useless, most of the day it flits import/export with a very low figure which tells me nothing, and the only thing I can use is the smart phone app, this does show in either kWh or £ with our without the standing charge what I have used, around 2 days in arrears, I can see what I have used over the year, clearly fitted end of January, and when we went to split tariff we saw around a £20 drop in the bills, but unless you have a storage of some sort, be it a battery or storage radiators, then saving with a smart meter will involve a change in life style.

The smart meter does not give a display like this so you can't see at a glance what is going on, we have to decide when to do the washing, either during the day with a day like shown, when loads of solar, or over night when we have a poor solar day, and instead use the off peak, OK retired so we can wait to see what the day is going to be like, but as yet we can't automate when the washing machine, tumble drier, and dish washer runs. We can set a delay, but we need to manually do that, only automated item is the DHW which only heats water if loads of solar.

In the main it is the purple line we watch, if we get a flat top during the day, like this it means we are giving away power, all attempts to get paid for export to date have failed. But the smart meter is about as good as a chocolate fire guard, all it tells one is also given to one by the solar software, which does it far better, for one thing only about 5 minutes in arrears not 2 days.

Yes to have split tariff we need the smart meter, and the split tariff with a battery saves us around £20 a month, and solar around £40 per month, but without the solar and battery, the smart meter is rather useless.

So yes worth my getting my consumer unit moved to make room for the smart meter, but British Gas at least were in no hurry to fit it, Solar went in last year 7th Sept, and I finally got smart meter 30th Jan, after repeated requests, and split tariff 1st April, clearly they are not in that much of a hurry to fit smart meters, and unless you have an EV, Solar, Batteries, or Storage radiators, there is little gain by having one.

 

[Murdochcat]

You don't have to have a smart meter but not having one may prevent you getting the best rates ..........

 

[IJWS15]

Remember that you don't just need space for the meter, the current (Smets 2) units need a Comms Hub which sits on top of the electricity meter.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

We're not particularly fussed about having or not having a smart meter, however, some of these suppliers are now stipulating you must have one fitted to have any kind of fixed tariff... so what happens if you cannot fit one because of space? Does anyone have any experience? Do they make smart meters in this size?

No, they are quite a bit larger than that. Well worth the extra effort you need to put in, to modify the boxing, to get a smart with all the advantages they now offer - but they cannot force you to have one.

 

[Nilly]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a question about smart meter sizes and fitting them into an existing installation without unnecessary interference. We're currently in a lengthy debate with Octopus who seem unable to answer a simple question about whether they can assure us a smart meter will fit like-for-like in the space we have available. This is despite us sending them pictures and measurements of our current installation. There is good access in a deep cupboard with a decent amount of vertical space - but it's very tight on width. Our current meter (an ACE1000) is 130mm wide and sits in a 145mm gap between the main switch and CU. This has stumped them completely and despite referring this to their 'engineers' nobody has yet got back to us.... I've resorted to googling the sizes of popular brands/models of smart meter EDMI, L+G, Kaifa etc and they look like they'll fit, but I really want to hear it from Octopus....

 

[Taylortwocities]

@Nilly you may find that, under the consumer unit, you may find the words "boards equipment only". Which would indi atye that the consumer units should not have been located there.

Now, waiting for more input from @BobRRR

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I've resorted to googling the sizes of popular brands/models of smart meter EDMI, L+G, Kaifa etc and they look like they'll fit, but I really want to hear it from Octopus....

That looks easily doable, especially if that isolator, on the left, were moved down out of the way.

 

[BobRRR]

That needs to be unboxed, as that not only makes any meter replacement impossible, it also makes replacing the cutout (fuse) impossible as well.

335mm width, 285mm height and approx 80mm deep to board, 110~mm to wall. The board wasn't moved when the room was converted rather the cubby built round it, although the new CU was sited elsewhere from the old one that had re-wirable fuses.

If the opening has to be widened, are there specific internal meter cupboards that could to be fitted for an install like this? I have found some fire rated "plasterboard hatches" - we could in theory pop some shelves on this wall too to make it look less intrusive if the opening has to be widened - although given the screws I presume there are wooden studs/battens either side?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That space in the photo, looks adequate to me. The only doubtful thing, might be the front to rear depth.

Just leave it to the installer to decide, whether they can, or cannot fit it. If they cannot fit it, they will give you the option of leaving you as is, or of removing that cupboard, and replacing it with a larger version.

 

[BobRRR]

Thanks Harry,

That's what we were going to initially do but didn't want to get someone out knowing that we needed to alter things!

Thanks all for your help and input

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That's what we were going to initially do but didn't want to get someone out knowing that we needed to alter things!

They will not make a special trip, to your address - they will have several addresses lined up, in the area to do. It took them three visits to a friend of mine, who had a rather awkward gas meter install, before they settled on the eventual solution.