SSC metering expanation , why cant a smart meter be fitted

[vitoboy]

Hi all
I have a customer who wants a smart meter .. they are with edf ..
The existing meters ...1 day rate , 1 off peak ..plus mechanical time switch are placed in the customers porch behind a panel rather than in a meter box ,.. circa 1965 I guess.
In order to upgrade the consumer unit we need the space currently used buy the 2 mechanical meters and time clock as space is limited .. at the moment the cu is a 4 way wylex.. with rewireable fuses.
Edf are refusing to fit a smart meter on the grounds that the present system is a "ssc" meter and not compatible with smart metering.
I've been googling but can't pin down what a ssc meter is or why it's not compatible with being replaced with a smart meter.
It seemed the easy solution.. she gets a smart meter she wants .. we get space for a new cu... but at the moment it's looking impossible.. any I can't seem to find out why.

Any one shed any light on this please guys.

Thanks in advance.

Vito

 

[timhoward]

Any chance it was SHC (storage heater control)

 

[snowhead]

SSC,
Standard Settlement Configuration

SSC appears to be the DNO description of the various Off Peak rates like E7 etc.
It looks like there are loads of older peculiar switching patterns, which shouldn't really trouble a "Smart Meter" except "Smart Meters" aren't Smart and this would appear to confirm it.

There's over 1000 configurations mentioned on a spreadsheet, just a few here,

 

[vitoboy]

No .. "standard settlement configuration " ssc apparently.. although it does control storage heaters.. as do many of my customers smart meters .. so can't see this as a reason to refuse to fit a smart meter.

 

[vitoboy]

SSC,
Standard Settlement Configuration

SSC appears to be the DNO description of the various Off Peak rates like E7 etc.
It looks like there are loads of older peculiar switching patterns, which shouldn't really trouble a "Smart Meter" except "Smart Meters" aren't Smart and this would appear to confirm it.

View attachment 94942

Yes .. but how is this preventing a smart meter being fitted.. ..

 

[snowhead]

No idea why.

If the meter is set to an old pattern then it would have to be changed to one that "Smart Meters" can cope with.

 

[Avo Mk8]

A bit late, but I'll leave my post here anyway:
There is a thing called "Standard Settlement Configuration" in relation to the transmission codes for the old radio teleswitch meters, which for some customers may include dynamic 'on' and 'off' times for off-peak,

It's all fantastically complicated: parameters buried in the teleswitch coding are difficult, if not impossible, for the present energy companies to get at, so difficult for them to understand what they may be taking on. Hence I suppose reluctance to supply.

Bedtime reading:

https://www.elexon.co.uk/documents/training-guidance/bsc-guidance-notes/radio-teleswitch-standard-settlement-configuration-mapping/

 

[vitoboy]

Standard cutout .. Standard mechanical meters .. Standard mechanical time clock..
What pattern needs changing .. I just don't get it .. and if I'm honest I just don't believe it's possible.... for instance.. have you ever heard of a system where you can't fit a check meter .. like a standard 100A check meter from a wholesaler and have it read exactly the same amount of units as whatever meter the supplier has installed there.

No one here with any more detailed metering knowledge.. ?

I guess I'm cynical.. but to me edf don't want to fit a smart meter for some reason .. and this is just a nonsense excuse .. no evidence to the contrary so far.

Thanks for your input guys

 

[vitoboy]

A bit late, but I'll leave my post here anyway:
There is a thing called "Standard Settlement Configuration" in relation to the transmission codes for the old radio teleswitch meters, which for some customers may include dynamic 'on' and 'off' times for off-peak,

It's all fantastically complicated: parameters buried in the teleswitch coding are difficult, if not impossible, for the present energy companies to get at, so difficult for them to understand what they may be taking on. Hence I suppose reluctance to supply.

Bedtime reading:

https://www.elexon.co.uk/documents/training-guidance/bsc-guidance-notes/radio-teleswitch-standard-settlement-configuration-mapping/

Thanks avo .. mechanical time switch .. not tele switch.
But.. maybe they think it had a teleswitch.. I can see how they may need to read the teleswitch settings and that may prove difficult..
But I can't see why they just can't fit a meter that gives the customer e7 at a standard midnight to 7am ..

 

[Avo Mk8]

Thanks avo .. mechanical time switch .. not tele switch.
But.. maybe they think it had a teleswitch.. I can see how they may need to read the teleswitch settings and that may prove difficult..
But I can't see why they just can't fit a meter that gives the customer e7 at a standard midnight to 7am ..

In that case maybe someone in EDF is using SSC as an excuse!
Perhaps it's worth challenging them - it's always possible their records are wrong

 

[snowhead]

It's all fantastically complicated: parameters buried in the teleswitch coding are difficult, if not impossible, for the present energy companies to get at, so difficult for them to understand what they may be taking on. Hence I suppose reluctance to supply.
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I can beleive that the old Area Electricity boards may have had their own system of coding etc and it may be a specialist (expensive) job to decode it, but a quick site survey to establish what there should sort it.


Very old storage heaters, 8hrs plus 3hrs boost in the day, possibly the same for water.
Modern heaters 7 hrs off peak.
Job done..

I'm still waiting for my house to plunge into darkness, as predicted by my energy supplier if I don't have my Teleswitch changed for a "Smart Meter" before the Timing signal is turned off by the BBC very soon.

 

[vitoboy]

.. got to laugh ..
Yes we are pushing them on this .. they told the customer no she can't have one .. then I tried to talk to them about it .. got cut off twice each time after waiting half an hour on menus and being transferred to another more experienced advisor... then told they would call the customer back at another time and explain... of course out of hours when I'm not there.. told her no , same reason.
Then I got clearance to talk to them on the customer behalf.. got a reasonable guy on the phone who had no idea why we couldn't get the smart meter fitted .. he tried to speak to the more experienced advisor for an explanation and got cut off him self ..
Now he has emailed me to say they will reply via email but it will take 7 to 10 days .. and they may only email the customer not me ..
With all the bs on smart meters .. the desperation to get them fitted .. trying to force them on customers that don't want them... and now not allowing them to customer who wants and need one..

 

[snowhead]

The next logical step would be for the customer to suggest to EDF that they might be looking elsewhere for their energy supplier.
The only problem at the moment would be that if they changed supplier they'd have to go onto a new far higher rate Supply agreement, unless theirs runs out soon?

Maybe in the meantime contact another supplier and mention "Smart Meter" and SSC and see if it's an issue for them.

 

[7029 dave]

How about just changing to integral heritage meter. Quite small meters the five terminal meters are a bit bigger, but no separate time clock, not any bigger than a smart meter with comms hub.

 

[vitoboy]

The next logical step would be for the customer to suggest to EDF that they might be looking elsewhere for their energy supplier.
The only problem at the moment would be that if they changed supplier they'd have to go onto a new far higher rate Supply agreement, unless theirs runs out soon?

Maybe in the meantime contact another supplier and mention "Smart Meter" and SSC and see if it's an issue for them.

Yes .. of course all the suppliers are feeling rather safe at the moment (if they're still in business!) No one is really wanting to change suppliers or tariffs unless they have to.
Interesting times to say the least.

Thanks for all your comments.

Vito