Octopus Tracker

[Deleted User]

Your smart meters are SMETS1 which are/were supplier dependent. You can check whether your smart meter is connected to the DCC network here:

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

If there is no DCC connection, then Octopus will either update the meters with over the air firmware updates or replace the whole system with SMETS2 meters.

The IHD is a locally connected device. The display suggests that there may be an issue with the HAN - or it could just be the distance between the IHD and the comms hub is too great. Move the IHD closer to your electricity meter and see what happens!

The IHD plays no part in your billing or tariff selection.

vic_sf49

bristolleedsfan said:

Griffindog said:

You could ask to go on the tracker waiting list if you have smart meters. It’s probably best to wait and see what happens before moving to a different supplier because prices are expected to fall and once suppliers can set their own prices again there may be some better deals on offer.

Someone should not ask to go on Octopus Tracker waiting list without reading how the tariff works and being aware of possible downsides to the tariff particularly in view of expectation that potential EPG reduction is unlikely to apply from 1 July.

https://octopus.energy/smart/tracker/

Am I missing the obvious here, and yes, I could be as I'm only one coffee into my morning.

I'm on the latest tracker, having switched to it in January, so it has very high caps (G=30p, E=£1), which I understood and acknowledged when I switched.

Currently, the EPG would soften any massive increases in unit price, although they'd still be high.

But they could increase/revert to the stated higher caps come July, if the daily price rose enough.

Is that the "potential downsides" that I keep seeing being mentioned here?

There's no weird price spike expected* to unit rates "just because" the EPG will be removed at that point.

* Crystal ball required here obvs.

If I'm seriously off track, please explain it like you're talking to a 3 year old, assuming my questions/waffle even make sense.

Peco141

[Deleted User] said:

Your smart meters are SMETS1 which are/were supplier dependent. You can check whether your smart meter is connected to the DCC network here:

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

If there is no DCC connection, then Octopus will either update the meters with over the air firmware updates or replace the whole system with SMETS2 meters.

The IHD is a locally connected device. The display suggests that there may be an issue with the HAN - or it could just be the distance between the IHD and the comms hub is too great. Move the IHD closer to your electricity meter and see what happens!

The IHD plays no part in your billing or tariff selection.

"We can't find your meter".

Would you be able to share your thoughts on this.

"I know there's probably not a right or wrong answer here, as nobody really knows, but is the best move for me to sit on the Octopus  flexible until July to see what the EPG Reduction looks like then make a decision then?"

bristolleedsfan

vic_sf49 said:

bristolleedsfan said:

Griffindog said:

You could ask to go on the tracker waiting list if you have smart meters. It’s probably best to wait and see what happens before moving to a different supplier because prices are expected to fall and once suppliers can set their own prices again there may be some better deals on offer.

Someone should not ask to go on Octopus Tracker waiting list without reading how the tariff works and being aware of possible downsides to the tariff particularly in view of expectation that potential EPG reduction is unlikely to apply from 1 July.

https://octopus.energy/smart/tracker/

Am I missing the obvious here, and yes, I could be as I'm only one coffee into my morning.

I'm on the latest tracker, having switched to it in January, so it has very high caps (G=30p, E=£1), which I understood and acknowledged when I switched.

Currently, the EPG would soften any massive increases in unit price, although they'd still be high.

But they could increase/revert to the stated higher caps come July, if the daily price rose enough.

Is that the "potential downsides" that I keep seeing being mentioned here?

There's no weird price spike expected* to unit rates "just because" the EPG will be removed at that point.

* Crystal ball required here obvs.

If I'm seriously off track, please explain it like you're talking to a 3 year old, assuming my questions/waffle even make sense.

Potential EPG reduction has been a potential cushion to potential spikes in kWh rates.

Tracker prices spiked high last summer before EPG reduction came into force, nobody knows what the future will hold.

What we do know is there is no need for anybody to contact Octopus asking to go on stated to be 6 month waiting list, can sign up to it via Octopus tracker product link I posted.

[Deleted User]

Peco141 said:

"I know there's probably not a right or wrong answer here, as nobody really knows, but is the best move for me to sit on the Octopus  flexible until July to see what the EPG Reduction looks like then make a decision then?"

Tracker and Agile tariffs are a bit like buying and selling stocks and shares. When people ask ‘when is the best time to sign up from or move back to a conventional tariff’, the answer that I usually give is ‘yesterday’. The herd is often well behind those who monitor the direction of the market.

Qyburn

Peco141 said:

"I know there's probably not a right or wrong answer here, as nobody really knows, but is the best move for me to sit on the Octopus  flexible until July to see what the EPG Reduction looks like then make a decision then?"

Why not get on the Tracker waiting list meantime? Swapping away from Tracker is said to be very quick, it's getting on it that's slow and/or difficult.  That's assuming you can get on the list before your meters are sorted put.

Doc_N

Just a small related comment about Octopus customer service. I rather understood that it was supposed to be good, but that’s certainly not my experience, in that they rarely seem to respond to anything, whether social media or email, and such responses as you get are copy and paste without actually answering questions. British Gas are pretty bad, but I don’t see that Octopus are any better.

[Deleted User]

Doc_N said:

Just a small related comment about Octopus customer service. I rather understood that it was supposed to be good, but that’s certainly not my experience, in that they rarely seem to respond to anything, whether social media or email, and such responses as you get are copy and paste without actually answering questions. British Gas are pretty bad, but I don’t see that Octopus are any better.

I would have to agree that CS response times are not as good as they once were. Octopus has grown exponentially in recent months with the takeovers of Avro; Bulb etc and this has no doubt added to the CS workload.

WBCPB

Dolor said:

Doc_N said:

Just a small related comment about Octopus customer service. I rather understood that it was supposed to be good, but that’s certainly not my experience, in that they rarely seem to respond to anything, whether social media or email, and such responses as you get are copy and paste without actually answering questions. British Gas are pretty bad, but I don’t see that Octopus are any better.

I would have to agree that CS response times are not as good as they once were. Octopus has grown exponentially in recent months with the takeovers of Avro; Bulb etc and this has no doubt added to the CS workload.

In my experience Octopus C.S are now on a par with the other "Big 5" monsters.

Doc_N

WBCPB said:

Dolor said:

Doc_N said:

Just a small related comment about Octopus customer service. I rather understood that it was supposed to be good, but that’s certainly not my experience, in that they rarely seem to respond to anything, whether social media or email, and such responses as you get are copy and paste without actually answering questions. British Gas are pretty bad, but I don’t see that Octopus are any better.

I would have to agree that CS response times are not as good as they once were. Octopus has grown exponentially in recent months with the takeovers of Avro; Bulb etc and this has no doubt added to the CS workload.

In my experience Octopus C.S are now on a par with the other "Big 5" monsters.

That’s what I’m finding - actually worse than British Gas. The concern I have is that making a quick getaway from the Tracker tariff, should that be necessary, might in reality prove impossible.