Octopus Tracker

[Deleted User]

la531983 said:

Well I have had another reply. I despair.

Thank you for reaching out to us. I apologize for any confusion caused. While we do receive half-hourly data from your smart meter, we still require regular meter readings from you. This is because our billing system relies on both the half-hourly data and the manual meter readings to ensure accurate billing.

The regular meter readings you provide act as a backup and help us verify the accuracy of the data received from your smart meter. In case there are any discrepancies or issues with the smart meter data, the manual readings serve as a reference point.

If you have any further concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to let us know. We're here to assist you.

I dont want to give them constant readings for crying out loud, how does providing a manual reading validate the daily files they get full of the half hour data? Furthermore whenever I have provided them a manual reading in the past its generated a bill straight off it, I want to keep the bill generation schedule as it iis. Do you think they are still failing to understand the issue?

Someone in CS is making this up and has no idea of the information pulled from a smart meter each day which in addition to the XML file with 30 minute data includes the midnight index readings.

I have been on just every Octopus smart tariff over the last 5 years and I have NEVER provided Octopus with manual readings. 

la531983

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

[Deleted User]

la531983 said:

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

Try emailing smart.help@octopus.energy

Your account sits with a particular CS cohort which have some team members trained in smart metering. Discussing Tracker and smart meters with someone not trained may do little for your blood pressure.

la531983

[Deleted User] said:

la531983 said:

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

Try emailing smart.help@octopus.energy

Your account sits with a particular CS cohort which have some team members trained in smart metering. Discussing Tracker and smart meters with someone not trained may do little for your blood pressure.

Luckily, I got through to someone who is on the exact same tariff!

She was as baffled as me. Said it shouldnt be doing this and she reconfirmed there was no missing data for the month. She is going to pass it on for someone to have a look at, and did a lovely thing by shoving a £10 credit on my account too (not appeared yet but presume will soon).

QrizB

la531983 said:

[Deleted User] said:

la531983 said:

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

Try emailing smart.help@octopus.energy

Your account sits with a particular CS cohort which have some team members trained in smart metering. Discussing Tracker and smart meters with someone not trained may do little for your blood pressure.

Luckily, I got through to someone who is on the exact same tariff!

Third time lucky

la531983

QrizB said:

la531983 said:

[Deleted User] said:

la531983 said:

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

Try emailing smart.help@octopus.energy

Your account sits with a particular CS cohort which have some team members trained in smart metering. Discussing Tracker and smart meters with someone not trained may do little for your blood pressure.

Luckily, I got through to someone who is on the exact same tariff!

Third time lucky

Well yes. Maybe next time a phone call might be easier. 
The tenner credit has also appeared. 

[Deleted User]

la531983 said:

[Deleted User] said:

la531983 said:

Ringing them shortly to have a moan.

Try emailing smart.help@octopus.energy

Your account sits with a particular CS cohort which have some team members trained in smart metering. Discussing Tracker and smart meters with someone not trained may do little for your blood pressure.

Luckily, I got through to someone who is on the exact same tariff!

She was as baffled as me. Said it shouldnt be doing this and she reconfirmed there was no missing data for the month. She is going to pass it on for someone to have a look at, and did a lovely thing by shoving a £10 credit on my account too (not appeared yet but presume will soon).

It must be fate. I have just had a call from Lowri Beck (purporting to be from Octopus) asking me for meter readings. As my smart meters are communicating with Octopus and My Account shows smart readings for the 27th August (my last billing date) I asked ‘why now’? When I suggested that I was being asked to do the work that Lowri Beck is being paid for, the line went very quiet. It went even quieter when I asked how I should access the TO1 and TO2 readings on my Kaifa meter? I have asked Octopus to explain what is going on and whether they condone Lowri Beck calling customers for meter readings when there is 24 hour unrestricted access to the meter boxes? I have as a courtesy provided Octopus with my meter readings. I await their reply with interest.

la531983

I read on another thread they are sending people out to read smart meters. All very odd. 

matt_drummer

la531983 said:

I read on another thread they are sending people out to read smart meters. All very odd. 

What is odd?

It would be naive  to think that everything works flawlessly all of the time.

It makes perfect sense to make random checks from time to time.

I used to be an auditor and auditing is based on assessing risks of errors and designing checks to ensure that any errors in the process would be identified in appropriately sized samples.

Just assuming that everything is OK and we don't need to check anymore because we designed it properly would be foolish to say the least.

[Deleted User]

I used to be an auditor and auditing is based on assessing risks of errors and designing checks to ensure that any errors in the process would be identified in appropriately sized samples.

I agree with you up to a point. Octopus has the responsibility for its customers’ meters and as far as I am concerned they can do what they want when they want. A data collector (pretending to be the supplier) calling the customer for meter readings is something altogether different. There is no meter check as such  - so no added value. I am happy to access smart meter sub-menus but it isn’t my job to give the supplier readings which it already has on its system. FWiW, my wife wouldn’t have a clue what to do. Meter readings from data collectors are treated for billing purposes as industry-validated. If, for example, I was stupid enough to give them the reading from my IHD, I would end up being billed for 500 units that I have already paid for. I have given Octopus the T01 and T02 readings even though the T02 register is presently not in use. 

If Lowri Beck is being paid to obtain meter readings on behalf of Octopus, then they can send out a meter reader and do the job properly.

As an aside, I am on a three rate single register tariff and index readings play no part in the billing process. I do not even see meter readings on my monthly statement. All billing is done on 30 minute usage. I should that the other part of the bill is for SEG export payments so Octopus knows that I have PV solar.