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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think Shell should have told us

30 replies

Milkand2sugarsplease · 18/09/2022 08:05

We had an appointment to have a smart meter fitted over a week ago. The engineer came and fitted it/them and left the little gadget thing plugged in. He said the electricity would show within a couple of hours and the gas within a few days. So far, nothing.

We can't get hold of shell because every time we try we are told we're silly number in the queue - lowest we've been is 117 and it then eventually cuts us off so we never get to the top.

Internet search said something about smart meters being down and they're working hard to repair but have no timeframe.

The main problem is that pre smart meters we used to upload our readings on the app but now (the online search above) tells us we can't do that and we have to ring them through until the issue is fixed and the smart meters send their own reading. We can't ring them in because we can't get through.

Presumably this means shell are going to take a random stab in the dark at our usage because we've not submitted readings??

YABU - it'll right itself and all be fine.
YANBU - shell should have said before fitting them or be allowing people with them to still upload readings by app

OP posts:
nachoavocado · 18/09/2022 08:07

Take date stamped photos of the meters until it is resolved

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 18/09/2022 08:11

How often do you submit readings? Unless one is due now I'd assume they'll fix the issue before yours is due

Like a PP said just take photos, annoying but not a big issue is it?

NoseyNellie · 18/09/2022 08:14

Have you tried using the chat function on their website to contact them? I find these are usually quicker than phoning.

qpoakl · 18/09/2022 08:14

Can you message them via Facebook? Random I know but I tried to get hold of British Gas so much and this is the only method I've found that works well and quite quickly. You can also send photos via that messenger.

Sleepyteach · 18/09/2022 08:19

The plug in thing isn’t your smart meter, that just tells you your usage. It’s the actual meter itself that sends the readings. Do you have the shell app? If that is showing how much you’ve used then the readings are being sent.

BuffaloCauliflower · 18/09/2022 08:20

I had similar problems when I had my smart meter put in with Shell last winter. It wouldn’t show gas at all, they kept saying to reconnect to the internet but there was no way to do that. They repeatedly had people call me to say to do this, I had to keep explaining it wasn’t possible. The installer said we’d get an account but apparently that wasn’t true for pay as you go. It was a ridiculous Kafkaesque situation that just needed a person to come out and fix it, but it took nearly 6 weeks to get someone to come out and in that time we had no way of knowing how much money we had on gas, was very stressful through winter. Keep pestering them to fix it

TrufflesForBreakfast · 18/09/2022 08:23

I've called Shell several times recently over an issue with my smart meter. While they are being complete numpties over my complaint, they have at least answered the phone reasonably quickly. As in, within about ten minutes I suggest you try again OP!

cakeorwine · 18/09/2022 08:31

The smart meter is the actual meter for the gas / electricity - it takes time to send the readings to your display which sounds like the thing that's not working.

Hopefully, your meter is sending readings to Shell

JamMakingWannaBe · 18/09/2022 08:32

I'm with Shell and have been thinking about getting a smart meter. Not sure I'd bother now.

cakeorwine · 18/09/2022 08:33

BuffaloCauliflower · 18/09/2022 08:20

I had similar problems when I had my smart meter put in with Shell last winter. It wouldn’t show gas at all, they kept saying to reconnect to the internet but there was no way to do that. They repeatedly had people call me to say to do this, I had to keep explaining it wasn’t possible. The installer said we’d get an account but apparently that wasn’t true for pay as you go. It was a ridiculous Kafkaesque situation that just needed a person to come out and fix it, but it took nearly 6 weeks to get someone to come out and in that time we had no way of knowing how much money we had on gas, was very stressful through winter. Keep pestering them to fix it

Your home internet has nothing to do with the Smart Meter. It sends readings by its own SIM card.

PiffleWiffleWoozle · 18/09/2022 08:35

Our Shell smart meter is working ok at the moment - I can see the usage on the app.

cakeorwine · 18/09/2022 08:36

What do you think Shell should have told you?

mycatisannoying · 18/09/2022 08:55

I had a smart meter fitted months ago. The electricity showed straightaway and the gas never has (this is common apparently).
I got an email from EDF the other day, asking me to submit meter readings. So the whole thing has been completely pointless!

Milkand2sugarsplease · 18/09/2022 10:13

Nothing showing on the meters at all. All I've been told now is that "I have to ring to give meter readings til it's resolved and it's an ongoing issue they're working to solve".

If I'd known it was going to be an issue I wouldn't have had it installed and would just have carried on submitting meter reading on the app when they requested them each month.

OP posts:
Milkand2sugarsplease · 18/09/2022 10:20

Just to add, I know it will get sorted in time. It's just with all the issues with gas and electricity prices at the minute, I really don't want to be charged an estimate but if I can't get through to give them a reading, that's what's going to happen.

We use less gas now as we light the fire instead of having the heating on so I know their estimate will be wrong

Tried again this morning to call and got nowhere

OP posts:
cakeorwine · 18/09/2022 10:22

Milkand2sugarsplease · 18/09/2022 10:13

Nothing showing on the meters at all. All I've been told now is that "I have to ring to give meter readings til it's resolved and it's an ongoing issue they're working to solve".

If I'd known it was going to be an issue I wouldn't have had it installed and would just have carried on submitting meter reading on the app when they requested them each month.

Silly question - but have you pressed the buttons on the actual meter

I have to press a button for it to show up on my gas meter

to think Shell should have told us
Ooooblong77 · 18/09/2022 10:27

Shell fitted our smart meters in Feb. The electricity one never worked. We’ve had 5 engineers out to fix it. The only thing that has done is get the gas to stop working too. Every time they tell me it’s fixed 🙄. Contacting them through resolver seemed the best way. We’ve given up and submit meter readings manually now.

cakeorwine · 18/09/2022 10:30

Had mine fitted by Shell a year ago.
Works great.
Display works great as well

LadyFromage · 18/09/2022 10:35

I have similar. You can just email the readings in.

TiffyTaffy · 18/09/2022 11:03

They can take a few days to work.

I filled in the contact form with a question about mine and they emailed back within a day. Try that rather than live chat

Dougieowner · 18/09/2022 11:07

Have you tried loading directly to the website rather than through the app?

RoachTheHorse · 18/09/2022 11:13

Shell here and we gave a smart meter that won't connect. I have had no issue speaking to them, have someone coming to look next week, and can still submit readings by app?

Milkand2sugarsplease · 18/09/2022 11:22

@cakeorwine haha - I made that mistake first and didn't press the button 😂 but no, even pressing the button doesn't help.

It'll get sorted eventually - I'll try email/website for now and hopefully that'll sort it for now.

OP posts:
Getoff · 18/09/2022 11:45

Dougieowner · 18/09/2022 11:07

Have you tried loading directly to the website rather than through the app?

This is a good point. I'm with Shell, but at some point my in-house-display stopped connecting to the meters at all, but it doesn't really bother me, as I can just login to my account on the web site and see my data summarised to the nearest half-hour.

(A working display would be hand if I wanted to check the immediate effect of turning on something, but half-hourly summaries are good enough for monitoring consumption.)

(Not sure about smart meters being down, my data is up-to-date on the web site.)

Justeatmorecake · 18/09/2022 11:59

My gas smart meter has never worked, I just submit those readings monthly on the app