To all Forum members who have advised me and have been following this thread I apologise again that I have not responded for a while but health issues has resulted in this delay in responding.
SM=Secure Liberty 100 SMETS1 -- Energy Supplier=E.org -- SM installer=Providor
I am going to give a summary of information I have gathered from this thread, other sources and going through the copious documents that I have been able to get from E.org. Plus E.org’s view about this issue.
First, please see this Video of App top-up causing RCD to trip:
View: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1at9CUZUcngw0wo7Gh_V55IlV49f1oykj
0 minute=Credit App. 1.00 min=1st trip. 2.00 min=Reset switch. 2.10 min=App credit confirmation. 2.25 min=2nd trip
E.org View:
SM “will NOT cause issues with trip switches” AND the SM “is NOT faulty.”
Providor made three visits - initial SM installation, then SM replacement and finally SM ‘re-testing’/viewing.
Fact that RCD started tripping immediately after SM installed, the view of E.org is that
it is an “unfortunate
unintended consequence” and “they are
not at fault”.
E.org Solution:
As CU is over 15 years old the RCD is most likely faulty - “If the conductor material has weakened over the years, this can cause random tripping”
So according to E.org, the customer, at my OWN expense, should do one of following:
1. Replace RCD or CU
2. Move CU out of meter cabinet
3. Replace E.org SM with E.org non-Smart meter
My View:
I agree with E.org, the SM is NOT faulty.
BUT the SM’s ability to function and how it operates CAUSES the RCD trip.
It is the unintended consequence of the SM that causes the previously non-problematic RCD in the CU to trip, due to:-
1.
SM Location - this Liberty 100 SM’s communication hub (transmitter and SIM) is at the top of the unit. The SM has been fixed immediately underneath the CU where the RCD is located. There is no separation. The CU already pre-existed in the Meter cabinet with no problem with the pre-existing dumb Meter.
2.
SM Operation - the way this SM needs to functionally operate, by sending out and receiving mobile signals, is causing Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and/or Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) to cause the sensitive RCD to trip. For example, RCDs only need to be OK up to 3V/m, whereas it is not uncommon for GSM to have peaks of 30/50 V/m, so causing interference and so causing RCD to trip.
Providor’s records after each of their three visits show no testing has been done regarding any SM interference checking.
3.
RCD Not Random Tripping - the RCD trips EVERY time a SM data event occurs:
- tenant does top-up via App - see video
- In-home Display/App credits electric
- In-home Display/App credits gas
- E.org themselves do an ‘On Demand’ test from their end
- other times when RCD trips - I am guessing, but happens when data is either sent or received by SM for E.org’s own purposes
4.
SM Signal Strength - I am assuming that the SM uses the GSM/2G mobile network (all figures in dBm)
-105 to -100 = Bad/drop call
-99 to -90 = Getting bad/signal may break up
-89 to -80 = OK/shouldn't have problems, but maybe
Providor Mobile SMETS Signal Strength test in their initial installation report
Vodafone -98. O2 -85. T Mobile(am assuming it is EE) -99
Providor ask the question themselves - Are all strengths less than -93 dBm? No.
Seems to be their cut-off point.
So only ONE operator signal is below -93 dBm, at -85 dBm, in the ‘OK/maybe’ range. The other two operators are in the ‘getting bad/break up’ range.
5.
SM Signal Boost - the mobile phone transmitter within the SM has to send and receive data events - if the mobile signal reception is not good, then the transmitter within the SM has to be boosted each time a SM data event occurs. This incrementally increases the mobile signal frequency and so increases the risk of interference that causes the RCD to trip.
Providor’s records after initial installation, the last two visits, show no testing has been done regarding any mobile signal strength checking.
6.
CU/RCD age - it is old, but only started tripping IMMEDIATELY after SMs installed.
7.
SM Replaced - When the SM was replaced by Providor, but not the In-house Display, the RCD kept tripping non-stop. The RCD just would not stay up for the next few hours. This concerned the SM engineer immensely. (Poor dear!) Later the RCD did begin to stay up. The In-home Display during this time showed red, then yellow and by day 3, green. I believe that the continuously tripping RCD was due to the replacement 2nd SM updating it’s records, so there was continuous data transmissions occurring. Whereas the initial 1st SM was a totally 'blank' installation so there were no previous records to update.
8.
CU RCD Type - RCD in this property CU board will be an MEM with a functional earth wire, so it may act like an antennae - picking up emitted signals from the SM so causing the RCD to trip.
9.
Four different electricians have tested the CU and all electrics on the consumer side of the house and have stated that all is good, including the CU, which E.org are blaming.
My Solution (maybe):
To eliminate that the SM is causing the RCD to trip, rather than a fault with the CU.
1. The Liberty 100 has facility to be switched off from being a SM to being a dumb PAYG physical key top-up terminal.
E.org states not have facility to remotely switch off SM to make it dumb.
2. The Liberty 100 has facility on the modem to have an external antenna. I suggested, as a test, that they disconnect internal antenna and connect external antenna and site it a distance from CU. E.org would not do.
3. Requested replace SM with dumb Meter terminal. E.org would not do.
Energy Ombudsman
I have contacted the Energy Ombudsman, but they have informed me that as my tenant has recently left, I have to initiate a totally NEW complaint with E.org about the SAME problem, give them 8 weeks to deal with the matter, wait then for a Deadlock Letter, then contact the Energy Ombudsman, who then take another 8 weeks to deal with the matter. So at least 16 weeks, sometime in February, before some sort of resolution, if any! RCD continuously tripping over Xmas and New Year.
I then asked, if I move to another energy supplier, in the hope by doing so the SMETS 1 SM goes ‘dumb’ and so it stops transmitting signals, what then. The Energy Ombudsman informed me that the SM then becomes the new Energy supplier's property and they have to deal with this issue. I’m not sure if another Energy supplier would want to take me on as a customer with this ongoing problem.
Any ideas anyone please. I'm going doolalee.
