SOLAR METER RE-CONFIG DELAYED

[raysun]

This is complaint about meter re-config delay with a rediculous reason

I already have smart meter installed in my place last year as i told AGL i will need install solar PV later on. 

Phoned AGL on 15 March as i have installed solar PV but did not see any feed-in credit in my account. Why? Answer is i will need someone remotely re-config my meter to support solar PV.... A smart meter does not support bidirectional reading? Fine.... Wait....

3 days later, i received a msg from AGL, saying within 10 BUSINESS days it will be done. Why I pay 24/7 services but only get business days response?

After Easter holiday it is over 10B days, no change of my meter, rang AGL again. They don't know the reason and they cannot find the reason why it has NOT done?

The day after, i received an email, i quote below 

"AGL received an update from the Meter Coordinator:

" I can see that the service request was rejected for - Please provide solar PV install date”.
A new service order will need to be raised with the Solar PV Install Date"."

Today is 7-4-2021 I feel heart attach when saying this reason... Based on my engineering background, re-config smart meter remotely is very simple job, just change a register setting. Why it takes 10 BUSINESS days to finish such simple job? AGL is not a governement body which has relative lower pace. This is digital world, look the response of TPG, only two letters different. Their support team access my router immediately and fix the issue right there. There is no difference from technology point of view from remote to a router and remote to a digital meter. 

In short, my complaint to AGL as below:

1, Customer response time is way to slow for smart meter related job

2, It is not reasonable to have BUSINESS days to count service time as customer has been charged daily

3, Lack of procedure details control ,should ask customer to provide all information needed at very beginning

4, why smart meter re-config is needed? My plan includes solar rate and it is smart meter. Once the solar work is done, it should go automatically. 

5, There is no notification to customer when something is wrong, until customers call back to AGL to check it. This is not loop management system. 

Sorry for the critical comments hopefully it will not hurt someone. 

Cheers, 

Ray

[raysun]

It is dispointing that no one replies my post. 

Luckily i got another complaint about meter reading after my meter finally ENABLED. 

What a proudly 1837 Austrlia-made local company. I am proud of being with you.

This is a complaint email regarding the historical daily data has been changed dramatically and also Solar Feed in data is not reading properly.

I have recently installed solar and enabled bidirectional reading of the meter. 

Now, I can see daily usage ,charge and balance of usage and solar feed-in to the grid. This is good. 

Today, I noticed the past data in this billing period has been changed, the daily usage number increased a lot. Because I do remember that two weeks ago my daily usage was roughly equal to solar feed in number, so it is almost balanced. 

However, when I checked today, the daily usage in the past changed a lot. I have attached a snapshot of today's data and used a red line to mark the average level of usage when I checked it two weeks ago. I should have taken a snapshot two weeks ago but I did not. 

My complaint is the historical data should not be changed without notifying customers. If it keeps changing, what can clients trust?  

Also, during my installation of Solar, Solar company has estimated my billing and said it should be roughly balanced. I will only expect small bills quarterly. So Can you please check if there is anything wrong with the metering system or your database? 

I also attached my solar production data in April, average 40kw a day. If you compare it to AGL daily Sold To Grid data, It was only average 7kw.... This is a huge gap. I only have around 7kw usage during daytime for fridge running. The rest should all go back to Grid. Can I have the explanation for this? 

In all, the data that AGL app shows was confusing me and I got no notification of historical data changed. 

Cheers, 

Ray Sun

[Dave1970]

I can confirm this issue is ongoing 

our system installed 18th April 23, smart meter already installed so a remote configuration also.

A relative told us recently they waited four months, that was a few yrs ago now.

The frustrations are poor communications

*the advised timeline is incorrect 

*customer service are unfamiliar and or can’t help

*dispute resolution are by necessity too guarded in their responses

*the estimated past usage is changing by the day and has still only capture one fifth of actual exported.

Why give a timeline historically inaccurate ?
as long as people hear the magic words “you will be backdated” 

If marketing will not allow a realistic timeline to be advertised then at least update customer service abilities to give an accurate update of process. 

With smart meters and smart inverters more and more people can see exactly how their systems are performing in real time (15min intervals) 

anyway I’m told to wait for a full billing period. Which, by the way, are also changing every other day, my account going from one month then a longer period then back again. 
I’m currently in a new period then I’m not 🫣

I am left hoping the AEMO limitations for back pay are longer than it’s taking for my Solar metering to be set up … I don’t dare research it for fear of an unhappy answer.

This vent is greatly appreciated, being all I have available as a perception of control 👍

kind Regards 

Dave of Brisbane 

[John-T]

Hi @raysun @Dave1970 

This is my experience in this regard,

1: My house had a smart meter already when I bought it

2: I booked an AGL Solar install bundle. ( had to wait a few months as installers were extremely busy at the back end of covid )

3: PV System was installed and initiated.

4: Remote reconfig in my case took about a few weeks which they told me it would take.

For myself personally Installation & Smart meter reconfig happened as I was told so I was satisfied and happy with that.

I do believe for them to reconfig a smart meter for Solar a PV system needs to be installed

IE: Most meters need to be reconfigured for solar as they are only capable of recording power going in one direction (into your house)

So regardless of whether you have received export permission or not, under energy regulatory rules, you must have a bi-directional energy meter capable of measuring and recording how much grid energy you consume and how much generated energy you export back into the grid from your solar system

Forgive me if I am mistaken am going on the proviso that a PV system is not installed.

Though Dave from Brisbane mate I feel for you and have no idea what it is that is causing your holdup.

Kind Regards

John

Plan:   Solar Savers

Dist:    Endeavour Energy

State:  NSW   

[Dave1970]

Hi John 

     Thanks for adding your experience, it’s good to hear.
To help us understand my hold up… it seems just a good old fashion case of too many agencies with too many in trays and out trays for your forms to safely navigate.

The AGL metering investigation confirmed reconfiguration had been completed however the relevant CR's were not processed by the market to update MSATS.

To be fair, all things considered my experience is good..  

kind regards

Dave

SEQ

[JennyDriessen]

Well, it has now been over 40 business days since we received a message from AGL that our smart meter needs to be reconfigured for our solar panel installation.  I have contacted AGL 4 to 5 times via email and phone calls, and no one has any idea when the reconfiguration will occur.  They keep passing the buck on to Powercor.  So, now we are lodging a formal complaint with the Energy and Water Ombudsman, as we have exhausted all options with AGL.  

As soon as this issue is sorted out, we are changing to another retailer

[Xander-AGL]

Hi  @JennyDriessen, thank you for reaching out.

I'm going to message you privately to ask for some more details.

Kind regards,
Xander