Once our engineer has installed your brand-new smart meter(s), things should all be up and running from the get-go!

That being said, we wanted to put together this quick guide so that you know exactly what to expect from here on out.

Quick links:

No more manual readings

The stuff dreams are made of. No more rooting around under the stairs, dodging spiders and trying to grab a reading, we’ve got you covered.

Your new smart meter(s) will send us readings so that you don’t have to. However, if you did ever want to take a reading yourself, you can check out our helpful page on how to do so here.

Making the most of your in-home display (IHD)

Once your IHD is up and running, you may notice a change in your behaviour. A few times a day you might catch yourself sneaking a peek at the display, checking how much energy you’ve consumed and how much it’s all costing.

This is just one of the many amazing bonuses of having a smart meter. It puts you in control of what you’re spending and allows you to make conscious decisions about your energy usage habits. These are just some of the key benefits:

  • Check exactly how much you’re spending in real-time. 
  • Set a budget and challenge yourself to spend less.
  • Quickly view your tariff information without lifting a thumb.

For a full list of IHD FAQs and troubleshooting manuals, you can also check out our page here. 

Technical support

While the vast majority of our smart installations go ahead without any hiccups, like all technology, there may be a few blips from time to time. If for any reason your smart meter or your IHD isn’t working as it should be, we’ve got together the below steps that will hopefully be able to help. 

Also, you can rest assured that there are no charges involved when it comes to us fixing your smart meter. 

IHD errors:

It’s important to note that if your IHD isn’t displaying any data, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your smart meter isn’t working. 

  1. If you can see a ‘Waiting for data’ message on your IHD - first of all - try resetting it. The classic ‘have you turned it off and on again?’ actually sometimes works! If you have a GEO Trio II (there will be a GEO logo on the front), you will need to totally unplug the power cable and let the device power down before plugging it back in. If you have a Chameleon IHD3, there’s a small on/off button to the left-hand side that can be pressed to complete this step
  2. If the off/on trick didn’t work, try moving it closer to your electricity meter. Even if the IHD has not been moved since your installation, it is still worth doing this
  3. We all have off days, IHDs are no different. If you spot your IHD has dropped offline, try following the above steps and then leaving it for a few days (if you still have no joy)
  4. If after a few days you are still having trouble, please make a note of any error messages on-screen and send us a photo of the display (if possible) via help@so.energy. Our teams can then remotely take a look at things for you in an effort to get you connected!

Meter communication errors:

Less common but still possible are meter communication errors. These can either arise during the initial installation or after. If our engineer encounters any issues during the installation, they will inform both yourself and us so that we can get you booked back in for another site visit, should this be beneficial. 

On that note, there may be times where the Wide Area Network (WAN) signal in your area is currently preventing your smart meter(s) from being able to communicate with us. If this is the case, we will notify you and will request manual meter readings until such time the signal improves, or the equipment available to us increases in power.

For more information on how your smart meter works, why not check out our comprehensive guide here.

In-home appliance faults:

If for any reason you notice a problem with your boiler after your appointment, you will need to get a Gas Safety Engineer (GSE) in to take a look. So Energy will not be liable at this stage unless the Gas Safety Engineer's report concludes that the fault occurred as a direct result of the installation, so please bear this in mind!

The same goes if you experience any electrical equipment faults post-installation. In the first instance, if you are concerned for your safety then should contact your local DNO on 101 to report an emergency. Otherwise, if it's a particular appliance that is not switching back on then we would recommend getting a private electrician round to take a look. If the fault is found to be a direct result of the installation, we will follow up and support you accordingly.

When to expect your next statement and how this will look

It can take up to 6-8 weeks before you get your first statement based on readings from your smart meter but worry not, you can log into your online account at any time to get an overview of where you stand. 

In terms of understanding your statement once it’s ready, you will notice an initial ‘Smart Meter Opening’ read that will represent the date your smart meter was installed. You will then see that all further readings drawn automatically from your smart meter will appear as a ‘Smart Meter Read’. 

Your online account

Your online account is your space to manage your energy bills. From here, when you click on ‘Submit a reading’ you will notice that your account has automatically been updated with the last reading pulled directly from your smart meter, along with the date it did so. 

This means that you can sit back and relax and let us do the work. We’ll notify you once your statement is ready, and you’ll be able to view this via your online account as you normally would. 

Why am I receiving read reminder emails?

If you had a traditional meter prior to upgrading to smart, chances are you may still receive a meter read reminder emails in the short months following your appointment. We will automatically turn these off for you, but we thought it worth a heads up in case of any confusion. 

The same goes if you have joined our supply with a first-generation (SMETS1) smart meter. Initially, this meter would not have been sending us readings automatically, hence the reminder emails being switched on. If we are now communicating with the meter, however, we will automatically switch off the reminders.

Unhappy with us?

Here at So, we strive to deliver the highest possible level of service. However, if you feel that the service you have received is anything less than that, we want to hear about. If this is the case, please check out our complaints procedure and do get in touch via help@so.energy. We're here to help!

Looking for more?

You should have already received a personal copy of our Smart Meter User Guide, but just in case you haven't we've linked it at the bottom of this page. This booklet contains all of the information you need to get the most out of your new smart meter(s).