SMET2 meters - Is it going to get worse?

dogshome

We all have deals with an Energy supplier, but it's not just the two of us - Standing in the shadows is an Agency that monitors our useage and decides whether or not our meter readings are accurate when we Switch supplier.
I've had a run-in with them and won, but it took time, evidence and effort

Now with SMET2 a 4th agency joins the party - The National Communications Network - Who's job it is to gather in the readings from every SMET2 meter in the land, and then forward them on to the individual supplier to a particular SMET2 meter


It's a big job that requires constant attention to detail with no room for error.
So who has been entrusted with this task, why none other than that pillar of good management and good track record, CAPITA


Heaven help us all

brewerdave

Currently I can't even get the losing supplier to use the "verified" meter reading being used by the gaining supplier - so ,as you say, introduce a 4th party.........:eek:

Biggus_Dickus

brewerdave wrote: »

Currently I can't even get the losing supplier to use the "verified" meter reading being used by the gaining supplier - so ,as you say, introduce a 4th party.........:eek:

Interesting:think: ...what reading are they using then?...I thought the ‘losing’ and ‘gaining’ suppliers were duty bound (by legislation) to accept the 3rd party ‘verified’ meter readings.

matelodave

Have a shufti here to try to understand how something you and I think should be easy is made everso difficut and likely to get worse

https://octopus.energy/blog/secret-life-opening-meter-reading/

TBH I'm not sure why they don't take your inside leg measurement into account as well

brewerdave

Biggus_Dickus wrote: »

Interesting:think: ...what reading are they using then?...I thought the ‘losing’ and ‘gaining’ suppliers were duty bound (by legislation) to accept the 3rd party ‘verified’ meter readings.

I quoted the need for both suppliers to use the same reading to the Customer Services rep.Initially,she denied it and said they just had to be within industry tolerances (250kwh) - there was thus an overlap of ~ 35kwh which she wanted me to pay for twice!!!
After a continuing debate a dispute has been raised - but I'm not holding my breath as one of the suppliers has gone to the wall and the chances of the Administrators agreeing to change my reading is remote

dogshome

Interesting that this thread has concentrated on the agency concerned with meter readings when switching.


My own run-in with them was on a brand new Gas connection fitted by EDF with a re-furbished metric meter that showed a reading of 20,062 at installation on 11th Sept 2017

6 months down the line, EDF were posting notice on the bills that my projected annual consumption would be 17,000 Kwh, and that was the figure being used by the agency when Switched to Zog on 13th July 18

Fortunately, I'd been keeping a weekly log of readings that showed I'd used only 11,782 Kwh over an entire Winter, an entire Spring and a half Summer, with only 7 Summer weeks to go till the year anniversary.
Zogs initial assessment of my annual use for D/Debit value, based on data from the Agency, was 17,000 Kwh
However, when I sent them copies of my log along with copies of the bills issued by EDF that showed the same pattern, they after a few days, adjusted their figure to 9,800 Kwh

Energy customers already have difficulties when there is a problem, especially with Customer Service staff who are often ill-educated for job and who's response is often "The bill is correct, Pay it now"

The point I was trying to make with my original post, is that with one 'Shadow Agency' the customer cannot engage with already in the mix, the addition of another "We dont't talk to you" layer in the system is a disaster
Particularly as it's being operated by Capita who's track record of greed and mis-management is jaw dropping, and has caused real hardship to people already suffering physical disability, financial loss to Local Authorities, the Army's recruiting and..........the list just goes on and on

Biggus_Dickus

brewerdave wrote: »

I quoted the need for both suppliers to use the same reading to the Customer Services rep.Initially,she denied it and said they just had to be within industry tolerances (250kwh) - there was thus an overlap of ~ 35kwh which she wanted me to pay for twice!!!
After a continuing debate a dispute has been raised - but I'm not holding my breath as one of the suppliers has gone to the wall and the chances of the Administrators agreeing to change my reading is remote

Sounds like she was making it up as she went along! :doh:;...the whole point of the ‘meter reading verification’ process is to prevent disputes like this occurring.

To the best of my knowledge the process is mandated by OFGEM and both energy suppliers (losing and gaining) are duty bound by legislation to accept the results;...it’s pretty much a fait accompli situation.

One energy supplier can’t just unilaterally ignore the official ‘verified readings’ and start adding their own bits on to it;... that way madness lies!

brewerdave

Biggus_Dickus wrote: »

Sounds like she was making it up as she went along! :doh:;...the whole point of the ‘meter reading verification’ process is to prevent disputes like this occurring.

To the best of my knowledge the process is mandated by OFGEM and both energy suppliers (losing and gaining) are duty bound by legislation to accept the results;...it’s pretty much a fait accompli situation.

One energy supplier can’t just unilaterally ignore the official ‘verified readings’ and start adding their own bits on to it;... that way madness lies!

Unfortunately ,with all the supplier failures, you aren't dealing with Companies who are bound by OFGEM - The Administrators are only interested in gathering in money; they have no interest in reducing their final "estimated"reading to match the verified (or otherwise) SOLR initial reading. That would mean that I would have a bigger credit going forward to the new supplier and the administrators would have less cash!!!

Biggus_Dickus

brewerdave wrote: »

Unfortunately ,with all the supplier failures, you aren't dealing with Companies who are bound by OFGEM - The Administrators are only interested in gathering in money; they have no interest in reducing their final "estimated"reading to match the verified (or otherwise) SOLR initial reading. That would mean that I would have a bigger credit going forward to the new supplier and the administrators would have less cash!!!

I know,...you’re right...****s eh! :money:

binao

dogshome wrote: »

Interesting that this thread has concentrated on the agency concerned with meter readings when switching.


My own run-in with them was on a brand new Gas connection fitted by EDF with a re-furbished metric meter that showed a reading of 20,062 at installation on 11th Sept 2017

6 months down the line, EDF were posting notice on the bills that my projected annual consumption would be 17,000 Kwh, and that was the figure being used by the agency when Switched to Zog on 13th July 18

Fortunately, I'd been keeping a weekly log of readings that showed I'd used only 11,782 Kwh over an entire Winter, an entire Spring and a half Summer, with only 7 Summer weeks to go till the year anniversary.
Zogs initial assessment of my annual use for D/Debit value, based on data from the Agency, was 17,000 Kwh
However, when I sent them copies of my log along with copies of the bills issued by EDF that showed the same pattern, they after a few days, adjusted their figure to 9,800 Kwh

Energy customers already have difficulties when there is a problem, especially with Customer Service staff who are often ill-educated for job and who's response is often "The bill is correct, Pay it now"

The point I was trying to make with my original post, is that with one 'Shadow Agency' the customer cannot engage with already in the mix, the addition of another "We dont't talk to you" layer in the system is a disaster
Particularly as it's being operated by Capita who's track record of greed and mis-management is jaw dropping, and has caused real hardship to people already suffering physical disability, financial loss to Local Authorities, the Army's recruiting and..........the list just goes on and on

Ahhh crapita!!!!!!!!

If you Google search., Guardian - broke - crapita., the results fom google are most enlightening.

It can only get worse.:eek: