A NOT SO short update on our British Gas Hive EV charger installation.

[johnb80]

Once things have settled down I may look to change.

Sometimes you see people complain about Octopus's lack of response to email and it is justified BUT if you phone them or contact them via twitter things get sorted straight away.
I have no hesitation in recommending them

 

[DBedford]

Update 20/6/23:

Electrician has turned up to install the EV charger. But he can not terminate it as there is no isolation point installed !!! After all the surveys British Gas have done and two sites visits by the network provider and meter installer (not that it would be their job to recognise the need for an isolation switch).

Just had it with British Gas . Company time again!!!!

The lady at British Gas to whom I made the complaint was extremely pleasant, but clearly BG don’t have effective quality procedures in place to manage domestic EV charger

2nd update 20/06/23: Electrician installing the charging point called for a second electrician (this one from British Gas, driven from Kent to High Wycombe!! ) to cut the supply and fit the required isolator.

All least the job is getting done

 

[Gadget Geek]

This is starting to sound like the "How many people does it take to change a lightbulb?" joke.

 

[DBedford]

2nd update 20/06/23: Electrician installing the charging point called for a second electrician (this one from British Gas, driven from Kent to High Wycombe!! ) to cut the supply and fit the required isolator.

All least the job is getting done

Job completed,

2nd update 20/06/23: Electrician installing the charging point called for a second electrician (this one from British Gas, driven from Kent to High Wycombe!! ) to cut the supply and fit the required isolator.

All least the job is getting done

2nd update 20/06/23: Electrician installing the charging point called for a second electrician (this one from British Gas, driven from Kent to High Wycombe!! ) to cut the supply and fit the required isolator.

All least the job is getting done

Accessing my newly installed charge point;
Engineer didn’t leave the access PIN. Told it takes approx. 24hrs. to arrive.
Literature says engineer should leave you with the PIN.
Called my now ‘best friend at British Gas , finally found out it takes 24hrs to commission which wasn’t what I was told.

The drawing to purchasing ICE car is getting stronger by the day!!

 

[Shrink Proof]

Yes, British Gas are expensive and bureucratic. Their wasteful overmanning and organisational inefficiency leads to appalling delays and dreadful customer service. The only way to improve efficicency, cut costs and drive up customer experience in a dinosaur-like organisation as behind the times as this is privatisation.

Oh, wait...

 

[Lovemyev]

Please correct me if I am wrong here, but I was of the opinion ( as the regs stands today ) that the service head and removal of the main cut out fuse comes under the DNO’s remit officially ?.
If the the property requires a new service head / main fuse upgrade or a double poll cut out switch or and meter tail size upgrades, then surely this requires the main fuse being pulled.
This ensures the safe isolation process has followed and safe to work on.
The DNO should know this, so why did they not pick up on it at the time of inspection ?.
Of course we know pulling of the main fuse by trained professionals does happen, because waiting for an appointment for the DNO to turn up, is like pulling teeth.
Then having to wait again for them to call back and refit the fuse and then seal it with a tag.
My guess would be, that the first person who arrived, had only been training to exchange the meter IF the property was fitted with a double pole isolator.
As there was not, a more experienced installer was needed to complete the job.
Of course, this could have been avoided if somebody had requested pictures and taken the time to look at the original install, then dispatched a person with the correct skill sets to complete the job !.
But this is BG who just like to waste money and customers time.
No wonder their tariff charges are so high, they need all that money to pay for the thousands of vans they have !..

 

[Ian Key]

No wonder their tariff charges are so high, they need all that money to pay for the thousands of vans they have !..

And ironically 3000 of them are electric.
I wonder who installed their EV chargers?

 

[DBedford]

Yes, British Gas are expensive and bureucratic. Their wasteful overmanning and organisational inefficiency leads to appalling delays and dreadful customer service. The only way to improve efficicency, cut costs and drive up customer experience in a dinosaur-like organisation as behind the times as this is privatisation.

Oh, wait...

Not Totally true for me!
With my current usage and 80-20% split to peak/off-peak EV tariff 'for me' British Gas would be £10/year cheaperOctopus Go. Now who would have thought that !!!

British Gas charger Installation update:
Just got my PIN via e-email from BG so I can set up the HIVE app. Maintaining our standard variable tariff you select when you would like to charge your car each day and BG SmartCharge Saver (BETA) then intelligently schedules you charging at the cheapest time of the day, then giving you savings at the end of the month. We will see how that works in practice.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Not Totally true for me!
With my current usage and 80-20% split to peak/off-peak EV tariff 'for me' British Gas would be £10/year cheaperOctopus Go. Now who would have thought that !!!

British Gas charger Installation update:
Just got my PIN via e-email from BG so I can set up the HIVE app. Maintaining our standard variable tariff you select when you would like to charge your car each day and BG SmartCharge Saver (BETA) then intelligently schedules you charging at the cheapest time of the day, then giving you savings at the end of the month. We will see how that works in practice.

I wonder if BG send someone to start and stop the charger at the times you've set?

 

[Lovemyev]

And ironically 3000 of them are electric.
I wonder who installed their EV chargers?

Not them that's for sure, it would take to long !.
Probably never even turned up to their own appointment .

 

[DBedford]

Please correct me if I am wrong here, but I was of the opinion ( as the regs stands today ) that the service head and removal of the main cut out fuse comes under the DNO’s remit officially ?.

Clearly not a Distribution Network Operator (DNO) as he worked for British Gas. But he must have had the network providers authorisation (I did not check) as he drove from Kent to High Wycombe to do the job where the electrician who was installing the charging point said he was not be authorised to pull the main fuse.

If the the property requires a new service head / main fuse upgrade or a double poll cut out switch or and meter tail size upgrades, then surely this requires the main fuse being pulled.

The three fuse (100a) and tails (25mm) were previously checked as ok by the network owners Scottish and Sourhern Electric.

I did not stand and watch the second call-on electrician (authorised by BG to do such work, but the seal on the man fuse is in broken. Or as I am included to believe he removed it and reseated.

This ensures the safe isolation process has followed and safe to work on.

Agree

The DNO should know this, so why did they not pick up on it at the time of inspection ?.

I can not answer as I do not work for BG, but I would say, because their management system are clearly not fully engineered to meet their commitments ISO 9001. After all at the time the contract started I took photos as part of a pdf audit followed up by a teams audit.

Of course we know pulling of the main fuse by trained professionals does happen, because waiting for an appointment for the DNO to turn up, is like pulling teeth.

See above

Then having to wait again for them to call back and refit the fuse and then seal it with a tag.

He stayed while the isolation point was installed

My guess would be, that the first person who arrived, had only been training to exchange the meter IF the property was fitted with a double pole isolator.
As there was not, a more experienced installer was needed to complete the job.
Of course, this could have been avoided if somebody had requested pictures and taken the time to look at the original install, then dispatched a person with the correct skill sets to complete the job !.

See above, pictures taken and video audit compiled by BG

But this is BG who just like to waste money and customers time.
No wonder their tariff charges are so high, they need all that money to pay for the thousands of vans they have !..

BG tariffs are not ‘so high’ and infact are slightly cheaper for me than Octopus Go.

 

[Lguk]

Possibly not cheaper than Intelligent Octopus that works in a similar way, like BG it only works for certain charge points or certain vehicles.

Still a complete farce they removed a smets 2 meter for no reason.

 

[DBedford]

Possibly not cheaper than Intelligent Octopus that works in a similar way, like BG it only works for certain charge points or certain vehicles.

BG intelligent metering works with their HIVE charge point

Still a complete farce they removed a smets 2 meter for no reason.

Can’t disagree.
BG newly supplied smart monitor now not connecting to its their installed Gas and Electric smart meters. It was working before the charger was installed.

 

[Ian Key]

BG intelligent metering works with their HIVE charge point

Can’t disagree.
BG newly supplied smart monitor now not connecting to its their installed Gas and Electric smart meters. It was working before the charger was installed.

Please don't use Bold it makes it seem as if you are shouting.

 

[johnb80]

Please correct me if I am wrong here, but I was of the opinion ( as the regs stands today ) that the service head and removal of the main cut out fuse comes under the DNO’s remit officially ?.

When our Smart Meter was fitted, the guy from Octopus pulled the fuse, upgraded the tails and upgraded the fuse for us, sealing it afterwards.

If the the property requires a new service head / main fuse upgrade or a double poll cut out switch or and meter tail size upgrades, then surely this requires the main fuse being pulled.

That would be true.

This ensures the safe isolation process has followed and safe to work on.
The DNO should know this, so why did they not pick up on it at the time of inspection ?.

Pay peanuts get monkeys

Of course we know pulling of the main fuse by trained professionals does happen, because waiting for an appointment for the DNO to turn up, is like pulling teeth.

To be fair a few years back a builder had an accident with our service head, the DNO had an engineer with us within 20 minutes and he affected a full repair, no charge. Well impressed with Northern Powergrid.

My guess would be, that the first person who arrived, had only been training to exchange the meter IF the property was fitted with a double pole isolator.

The isolators are fitted after the meter so thats not the reason

Of course, this could have been avoided if somebody had requested pictures and taken the time to look at the original install, then dispatched a person with the correct skill sets to complete the job !.

Hey come on, that's common sense, a commodity in short supply in this world.

But this is BG who just like to waste money and customers time.
No wonder their tariff charges are so high, they need all that money to pay for the thousands of vans they have !..

I personally dont understand why people go to British Gas, they have an awful reputation and their tariffs are expensive. Octopus get good reviews, very competitive tariffs, no cancellation fee and offer you £50 to join them. What more could they do? it makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Please don't use Bold it makes it seem as if you are shouting.

I thought that was upper case letters.

 

[johnb80]

I thought that was upper case letters.

Yes it is so I suppose bold might be talking in a loud voice

 

[djenson]

So you are saving £10 a year (84p a month) with british gas. You say the smart meter that was installed was an octopus meter; did the £10 annual saving really make you change? If we took the time that you'd spent on the phone needlessly to CS and multiply that by minimum wage, surely that would far exceed the £10 annual saving. Was the the hour extra that BG offer that made you go for them.

Furthermore, if with octopus, you could of picked up one of there Ohme chargers and gone on intelligent octopus for 7.5p/KWh rates

Sorry if this comes of the wrong way, just curious of the thought process.

 

[Lovemyev]

When our Smart Meter was fitted, the guy from Octopus pulled the fuse, upgraded the tails and upgraded the fuse for us, sealing it afterwards.

Same here !.
The debate roll's on with regards to the who has legal permission to pull the main fuse as it belongs to the DNO.
But having them attend every time it needs disconnecting is just not workable.
So, it appears that some of the suitably training installers that work for the energy companies, are removing refitting & resealing them after the work is completed.
As a general sparky this so called process most be a nightmare.
Imagine, you are working on a row of terraced houses that all need a full rewire, and they all have different energy suppliers.
You are stuck on the phone trying in vain to contact each different supplier in order for them to come out and remove the main cut out fuse, is absolutely crazy.
On the other hand your energy company will install your a double pole switch at a cost, or maybe free, if you agree to a smart meter being installed .
We have a Smets 2 meter installed and when I approached Octopus with regards to a possible switch, they appear to have a better system.
They said they generally hold back from sending somebody out to replace the meter.
Opting for a more sensible route, of them trying to communicate with your current meters remotely first.
Now surely that is a better plan altogether ???.
I just wonder how many perfectly good meters have been removed and disposed of totally unnecessarily.
We had our complete service head upgraded by our local DNO who is SSC last year, the hardest job was getting an appointment, the actual job was done in less than one hour.
The THREE guys, allowed me to watch from a safe distance, as the it was on the internal wall of our garage.
House was built in 1982 and was kitted with a 60 Amp main cut out fuse.
I wanted to load switch some of our high usage items into the off peak time frame.
With the car on charge and other items in use, it was bordering close to the 60 Amp rating on the fuse.
I requested a 100 Amp upgrade, which means the service head has to be replaced also.
The 60 & 80 rated fuses are the same in actual size, but the 100 Amp fuse is physically larger.

 

[DBedford]

Please don't use Bold it makes it seem as if you are shouting.

Sorry