diff --git a/meter/sma.go b/meter/sma.go
index 98b59c18f..48dea3a25 100644
--- a/meter/sma.go
+++ b/meter/sma.go
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 
 // SMA supporting SMA Home Manager 2.0, SMA Energy Meter 30 and SMA inverter
 type SMA struct {
-	log    *util.Logger
 	uri    string
 	scale  float64
 	device *sma.Device
@@ -48,7 +47,6 @@ func NewSMAFromConfig(other map[string]interface{}) (api.Meter, error) {
 // NewSMA creates a SMA Meter
 func NewSMA(uri, password, iface string, serial uint32, scale float64) (api.Meter, error) {
 	sm := &SMA{
-		log:   util.NewLogger("sma").Redact(password),
 		uri:   uri,
 		scale: scale,
 	}
@@ -74,6 +72,12 @@ func NewSMA(uri, password, iface string, serial uint32, scale float64) (api.Mete
 	default:
 		return nil, errors.New("missing uri or serial")
 	}
+
+	// call UpdateValues first to check if we get an error
+	if err := sm.device.UpdateValues(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	// start update loop manually to get values as fast as possible
 	sm.device.StartUpdateLoop()
 
diff --git a/provider/sma/device.go b/provider/sma/device.go
index 9ccee0b04..d1a658f90 100644
--- a/provider/sma/device.go
+++ b/provider/sma/device.go
@@ -24,15 +24,16 @@ type Device struct {
 func (d *Device) StartUpdateLoop() {
 	d.once.Do(func() {
 		go func() {
-			d.updateValues()
 			for range time.NewTicker(time.Second * 5).C {
-				d.updateValues()
+				if err := d.UpdateValues(); err != nil {
+					d.log.ERROR.Println(err)
+				}
 			}
 		}()
 	})
 }
 
-func (d *Device) updateValues() {
+func (d *Device) UpdateValues() error {
 	d.mux.Lock()
 	defer d.mux.Unlock()
 
@@ -42,9 +43,7 @@ func (d *Device) updateValues() {
 		d.mux.Update()
 	}
 
-	if err != nil {
-		d.log.ERROR.Println(err)
-	}
+	return err
 }
 
 func (d *Device) Values() (map[sunny.ValueID]interface{}, error) {