Octopus Tracker

Qyburn

Telegraph_Sam said:

That's my point. I started keeping my own records rather belatedly after thinking that such basic historical info would be readly lookupable on the website.

By keeping your on records, even if not necessarily every month, you have a continuous record irrespective of supplier.

At this address we've been with eight suppliers over the years. If I rely solely on Octopus' app and web page I have no record prior to July 2022. They don't even show data from when I was briefly with them in 2021.

Telegraph_Sam

Agreed.  Wise after the event.. Searching through old invoices is a pain and gaps are not unknown.

TroubledTarts

A cup of your favourite beverage and biscuits and the invoices and it's not all that bad to catch it all up and put it on a spreadsheet and then it's done.

Chordeiles

Well I decided to go for "Tracker" last July.  It looked like a probable marginal cost-saving to me, a sort of small reward for taking some of the risk from Octopus.  Always accepted that I wouldn't be a guaranteed winner, but still reckoned I could afford to take the gamble.

In the end I'm think I'm winning, especially as we don't put the washing machine on when the price is high (I hope the smell isn't too bad ;-)).  But overall the experience with Octopus has been weird and disappointing.

Switching the way they recommended on the website didn't work (option not offered), so I did it with some help from them, via a link they sent.

Then I forgot about it.  Until yesterday, when I realised they had put me on tracker for electricity only.  Actually the bills are such a mess that I couldn't have been expected to spot this immediately even if I'd downloaded my bills promptly.  Almost as if they forgot about gas completely for a while instead of switching me.  Complaint now lodged.

Now they share online with me a record of my gas meter readings (every 30 minutes since July), so potentially they could backdate the switch.  Except there are odd gaps in the record, which makes me wonder if they tried to switch me, realised my smart meter gas readings were unreliable, so gave up without telling me.  But the gaps tend to be whole days (why's that ?), so they generally have a reading within 30 minutes of midnight every day, so I still think a retrospective switch should be feasible.

Congratulations, Octopus, on now having overtaken British Gas as the UK's number one energy supplier.  But surely it doesn't mean you have to replicate the British Gas level of billing incompetence !

t0rt0ise

Chordeiles said:

Well I decided to go for "Tracker" last July.  It looked like a probable marginal cost-saving to me, a sort of small reward for taking some of the risk from Octopus.  Always accepted that I wouldn't be a guaranteed winner, but still reckoned I could afford to take the gamble.

In the end I'm think I'm winning, especially as we don't put the washing machine on when the price is high (I hope the smell isn't too bad ;-)).  But overall the experience with Octopus has been weird and disappointing.

Switching the way they recommended on the website didn't work (option not offered), so I did it with some help from them, via a link they sent.

Then I forgot about it.  Until yesterday, when I realised they had put me on tracker for electricity only.  Actually the bills are such a mess that I couldn't have been expected to spot this immediately even if I'd downloaded my bills promptly.  Almost as if they forgot about gas completely for a while instead of switching me.  Complaint now lodged.

Now they share online with me a record of my gas meter readings (every 30 minutes since July), so potentially they could backdate the switch.  Except there are odd gaps in the record, which makes me wonder if they tried to switch me, realised my smart meter gas readings were unreliable, so gave up without telling me.  But the gaps tend to be whole days (why's that ?), so they generally have a reading within 30 minutes of midnight every day, so I still think a retrospective switch should be feasible.

Congratulations, Octopus, on now having overtaken British Gas as the UK's number one energy supplier.  But surely it doesn't mean you have to replicate the British Gas level of billing incompetence !

If there's any readings missing they spread your usage out over the month by using an industry standard. 

Telegraph_Sam

Parts of what you describe would seem (to me) to have more in common with Agile than with Tracker. Except that Agile Gas is not on the menu.

bristolleedsfan

Chordeiles said:

.

In the end I'm think I'm winning, especially as we don't put the washing machine on when the price is high (I hope the smell isn't too bad ;-)).  But overall the experience with Octopus has been weird and disappointing.

Winning compared with ??????????

July 2024 Tracker  - Most expensive version, versions before and after cheaper.

According to Gas Tracker Uk

North West as example

Last 7 days  Average 28.62p  Min  27.03p Max   30p

Last 30 days Average  28.64 Min24.96p  Max    47.04p

Last 90 days  Average  26.61p Min  15.68p  Max    47.04p

Last 180 days  Average    25.08p Min    14.7p Max    47..04p


When dual fuel taken, Outfox The Market current 12 month fix   Electricity unit rate: 20.911p per kWh. 

bristolleedsfan

Chordeiles said:

Then I forgot about it.  Until yesterday, when I realised they had put me on tracker for electricity only.  Actually the bills are such a mess that I couldn't have been expected to spot this immediately even if I'd downloaded my bills promptly.  Almost as if they forgot about gas completely for a while instead of switching me.  Complaint now lodged.

Now they share online with me a record of my gas meter readings (every 30 minutes since July), so potentially they could backdate the switch.  Except there are odd gaps in the record, which makes me wonder if they tried to switch me, realised my smart meter gas readings were unreliable, so gave up without telling me.  But the gaps tend to be whole days (why's that ?), so they generally have a reading within 30 minutes of midnight every day, so I still think a retrospective switch should be feasible.

Irony is if Octopus were to backdate your gas billing to Tracker July 2024 Version possible would be more expensive compared with all gas tariffs everywhere.  

Telegraph_Sam

TroubledTarts said:

A cup of your favourite beverage and biscuits and the invoices and it's not all that bad to catch it all up and put it on a spreadsheet and then it's done.

That is where theory and reality diverge. Reality being when you are caught in the "re-billing" trap. I would not wish this on anyone else.

Qyburn

Telegraph_Sam said:

That is where theory and reality diverge. Reality being when you are caught in the "re-billing" trap. I would not wish this on anyone else.

But you were asking about usage, not costs. All you need is a meter reading from a year ago, and one just now.

Gaps don't matter, but the readings both need to be actual and not estimates.