Smart Meter connot connect to poor mobile signal

[PaddyInWales]

I'm with EE, and get a fine connection on phones via broadband wifi. But our smart meter is dumb because we live in a poor network area. 

Octopus say "Unfortunately, smart meters typically connect through the DCC (Data Communications Company) network, which relies on mobile signals. If you're in an area with no mobile signal, it can indeed be challenging for the smart meter to communicate effectively. However, I appreciate your suggestion about using your EE network over Wi-Fi. Currently, smart meters are not designed to connect via Wi-Fi, but I can see how that would be a great solution."

I used to have a 3g booster/signal box but gather these have been discontinued since 4g. Can anyone suggest a hardware or software solution that can offer a decent signal to our dumb meter to make it smart?

Cheers -- Paddy in rural Wales

[bristolian]

Rural coverage is often hindered by local objections via the planning process, for new site builds!

The only other alternative is a professionally-installed signal booster, which can be investigated via Ofcom's site or Google - these are likely to cost several £hundred all-in.

You're correct to believe the legacy 3G picocells, marketed by EE as "signal box", were decommisioned as part of 3G switchoff.

[Chris_B]

@PaddyInWales  You need to take this up with your energy supplier and they should be taking this up with DDC as it’s their network that’s being used for smart meters. The DDC should be sorting this out. 

[uvarvu]

Years ago when I moved to Ovo they gave me two choices when I requested smart meters, an IHD or a box that acted as a bridge between the meters and my internet connection that would enable a live dashboard on Ovo’s website.  I chose the latter and it was excellent, well until Ovo discontinued that option.    Sounds like it would have been perfect in your case if it was still going…

[PaddyInWales]

Thanks, yes that is what I hoped might be available to all of us who cannot connect to DCC! Can you recollect what the bridging box was called?

[PaddyInWales]

This from Octopus: surely this would meet my need? If my readings go via Wifi and Zigbee to Kraken, then Octopus can surely use them?

How does the Octopus Home Mini work?The Octopus Home Mini connects to your home Wi-Fi and the Home Area Network (HAN) of your electricity smart meter. The connection to your meter is made via a communication protocol called Zigbee.The Home Mini streams gas and electricity readings via Wi-Fi to our cloud-based platform Kraken, and you can then view them in your Octopus app.

[uvarvu]

That’s it!   I’m not sure why Ovo discontinued theirs. I’m with octopus and I’ve ordered one.   I’m not sure whether octopus will use this for billing in the absence of a mobile signal, it might be worth checking with them first.

[PaddyInWales]

This reply from my query to Octopus: but I need to find out from them whether this gives them access to all my data, to allow eg different pricing at night. We shall see!

You’re absolutely right! The Octopus Home Mini does indeed connect to your home Wi-Fi and communicates with your smart meter using Zigbee. This allows it to send your energy readings to our Kraken platform, which you can then access through the Octopus app.

If your smart meter is compatible and you have a good Wi-Fi connection, the Home Mini could be a great solution for you to monitor your energy usage more effectively. It’s designed to help customers like you get the most out of their smart meters, even in areas with limited mobile signal.

[MarkJC74]

Similar problem, thinking of moving to Octopus Agile tariff- did the ‘Home Mini’ solve the problem ??

[Peterpiano]

I notice Paddy in Wales' message above has zero likes…..hardly surprising. The situation with two tariff electricity (on peak & off peak) is nonsensical, to say the least - particularly for 1,000s of rural dwellers like Paddy and us who are told that at present, "there is no solution".   
Recently ( a couple of years ago) we got an EE mast, less than half a mile from us which enabled us to use a mobile phone from home for the first time ever. Despite the mast being so close, the reception is patchy, but better than nothing, I suppose.   
So, two questions:      
1).What is the reason why smart meters can't connect via wi-fi?   
2). Electricity companies have less than THREE MONTHS before the existing and perfectly fine radio signal that transmits our on/off peak signal  will be turned off.   What will happen to people like us when that happens on  June 30th 2025?
As far as us and other rural dwellers affected by this, the whole thing seems to have been extremely badly thought out and put into practice well before being tried and tested rigorously.   
We live in the Lake District, in a 17thC farmhouse, which (surprise, surprise) is built of local stone, with most walls being up to almost 1 metre thick. We've been told that our walls are probably too thick to accommodate the new signal. Too thick - I will resist making the obvious comparison.