Circet are going to upgrade my six year old smart meter

coylemj · 06-03-2026 04:28PM #1

I got a smart meter at the start of the Covid lockdown, in March 2020. Circet (working on behalf of ESB Networks) are coming to upgrade the meter next week. It sounds like the upgrade will allow me to access more data from the meter in realtime, apparently later in 2026.

I can't remember where I read it but I think I saw somewhere that the upgraded setup would use 4G via the Three network. I believe they currently upload the usage data via SMS which would be 2G.

Does anyone know if I will get a new meter or will they just load up new s/w in the existing meter?

coylemj · 12-03-2026 11:29AM

New meter. Replacing one that was just under six years old!

MickH503 · 15-03-2026 02:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124306336#Comment_124306336

Same make/model?

Antenna · 16-03-2026 03:22PM

How old would be the oldest ESB meters still in use?? (of premises where , so far, a smart meter changeover never happened for one reason or another)

bluezulu49 · 16-03-2026 03:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058435355/circet-are-going-to-upgrade-my-six-year-old-smart-meter

They will change out the meter and install a meter with a 4g sim card. I have just had my meter changed after I was badgered by Circet to change it. Meter was exactly 6 years old when I was first contacted and I was fobbed off with nonsensical answers when I asked why. Three weeks after the first call I received a second call and refused the offer of an appointment. Ten minutes later a man appears at my door and tells me that the meter will be changed to use the 4g network rather than 2g.
My new meter was installed four days later. I suspect that the operators want to shut down the 2g network and that ESB networks is one of their biggest customers.

ted1 · 16-03-2026 03:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124317155#Comment_124317155

could also be that you had a poor 2G signal.

bluezulu49 · 16-03-2026 04:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124317213#Comment_124317213

Signal was good enough to give detailed morning, afternoon, peak and evening consumption readings up to the 9th March.

ted1 · 16-03-2026 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124317249#Comment_124317249

seems to a P1 port upgrade.. aswell as 4G. 2g may be to slow for more data)

Cyclical meter replacement | ESB Networks

The Cush · 16-03-2026 04:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124317155#Comment_124317155

2G networks will be winding down in the coming years but no end date notified yet.

The UK has set 2033 as the end of their 2G networks

PixelCrafter · 16-03-2026 05:12PM

It could just be a comms module swap out or something quite quick.

3G is being wound down quite rapidly as it's pointless but 2G will wind down too.

4G/5G are the current standard i.e. "LTE" and are fully IP-based behind the scenes. 2G is built on the same era of technologies as the old landline switching systems that ran voice and ISDN.

The mobile networks are quite keen to get 3G and 2G off the air, so they can reuse the same frequencies for modern technologies that are far more efficient. Also the old 2G frequencies 900MHz is great for coverage, so they will want it for 4G/5G stuff.

horseman34 · 18-03-2026 01:05PM

so sorry if this is an off the wall question but I thought the reserved 08 mobile network codes were going to be used for smart meters, do they actually use the 083 for comcommunication?

PixelCrafter · 18-03-2026 02:09PM

They don't use either. Non voice 088 XXXXX XXXXX numbers are used for that kind of M2M (machine to machine) telemetry.

They're not diallable numbers.

Circet are going to upgrade my six year old smart meter

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