Energy websites crash as customers rush to submit their meter readings - DON'T panic, you have time

jobdone1

Well now they are about to get a serious cash boost they can invest in there website and app

Archie_Duke

jobdone1 said:

Well now they are about to get a serious cash boost they can invest in there website and app

Care to flesh that statement out at all?!

I’m sure that in a lot of cases energy suppliers are still supplying at only marginal levels above wholesale for the gas and electricity they’ve bought. A lot of the standing charge increase is being funnelled straight back to the treasury in levies associated with green/warm home/SoLR issues.

Where’s the “serious cash boost” you speak of coming in?

chris1973

Wonder how many idiots with smart meters are crashing the site, submitting readings they don't need too.

Shouldn't be surprised really. Common sense is as rare as a superpower in this Country.

Mstty

Just submitted mine on EON Next

maxmycardagain

MSE_Emily said:

Customers of British Gas, EDF, E.on, Shell and Octopus have been unable to submit meter readings as people rush to do so before the 1 April price hike. But if you can't do so DON'T panic - just make sure you take a picture of your reading and submit it as soon as you can...

Read the full story here:

British Gas, EDF, E.on, Octopus and Shell websites crash as customers rush to submit their meter readings - but DON'T panic you still have time to do so

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

me got Photoshop lol

The_Green_Hornet

k_man said:

The_Green_Hornet said:

Don't panic says the website that helped cause the panic in the first place.

It has highlighted a couple of things though.

1) The suppliers' websites are woefully under specified for traffic volumes
2) Customers don't regularly submit end of month meter readings

Designing a system with enough capacity for the spike of traffic today would be overkill for the rest of the year.

Especially when the traffic increased again, as a result of the MSM coverage of this, as previously unaware users rush to submit before the perceived deadline.

The next price cap rise may include a line item for increasing system capacity to cope with the next rise date!

With hindsight the message from MSE should have been to make a note of the meter reading, just in case, rather than make sure you submit today (which is actually a day early anyway).
And the power companies should have sent out a message in anticipation.

A simple queue management system would suffice during peak demand. No need for overkill.

The_Green_Hornet

Carrot007 said:

The_Green_Hornet said:

Don't panic says the website that helped cause the panic in the first place.

It has highlighted a couple of things though.

1) The suppliers' websites are woefully under specified for traffic volumes
2) Customers don't regularly submit end of month meter readings

1. Not at all. You do not provision for once in a lifetime panic nonsence. UNness of course you want a further increase ;-)

2. Surely most bills would be aligned to the day you sign up, not month end. All mine have always been. And seldom monthly. Never been on monthly billing either.

1. I disagree. A well designed IT system would provision for exceptional events, especially if failure to do so would have an impact on your brand. A simple queue management system would suffice during peak demand plus I doubt this will turn out to be once in a lifetime. Expect further mayhem on 30 September.

2. ZOG produced a monthly statement based on a month end meter read. Other providers generate a bill at anytime you give them a reading. There is no standard methodology. Personally, I have been taking monthly meter readings for well over a decade so that I can update my energy usage spreadsheet.

Jrae24

I’m with British Gas and even though I have a smart meter should I give a reading. I’m on a fixed term contract until September 

Archie_Duke

Jrae24 said:

I’m with British Gas and even though I have a smart meter should I give a reading. I’m on a fixed term contract until September 

You say “fixed term” do you mean a fixed rate tariff? i.e. Your energy unit rate, or rates - G & E, is fixed until September? What’s the name of the tariff, it’s on the top of your bill.
If it’s a fixed rate tariff you don’t need to do anything. Doubly so because you have a smart meter, as long as smart reads are showing up on your bills - Check this.

inkydolphin

As it's going to be much colder between 1st April and 7th April than it has been for most of March (I usually submit my readings on the 7th as my bill is issued on the 8th), surely it must be better not to submit a meter reading today and let them work out the higher charge based on 8/30ths of my monthly usage? Or am I going mad?