Octopus Energy Billing Error:Worth complaining?

snarffie

To answer a few queries and provide final (I hope) clarification:

niktheguru said:

I'm a bit confused by this post. Snarffie hasn't answered the most important question.

Do you have smart meters and were they uploading readings. If you have smart meters then octopus should be able to tap into them and get your exact usage and bill you accurately, even if retrospectively.

No, I don't have a smart meter, but have now ordered one.

niktheguru said:

If you don't have smart meters were you supplying regular readings of your meter? If not then why not?

Yes you honour, I have been submitting regular meter readings online   The gas has been registered properly each time, the electricity has not, despite no error message being displayed (I even got to spin the 'prize-wheel' on each occasion). I have since sent photos of some of the readings as proof, but didn't photograph all of them so my 'evidence' is patchy (although I shouldn't really need evidence if their online system tells me that the reading has been successful).

niktheguru said:

They may well have not been billing you for sometime but surely it shouldn't take a year for alarm bells to ring when your credit balance is steadily increasing at a time when electricity charges/prices are increasing and increasing!

I think I already partially explained that in my post at 10:23.  To add to this, I assumed that a combination of being much more sensible with energy usage over the last year had made savings in combination with reduced summer usage. I'm sorry that you find it difficult to believe-clearly I must be a bit dim.


Anyway thanks to all for all the replies.  As I've already said, I don't have any real reason to expect compensation and just thought it worth checking.  I'm sure it will/has happened to others, so the thread is potentially useful, but I don't think there is any more to add.

snarfiie

niktheguru

My post was not meant to be derogatory, so apologies if it sounded that way. It's just your original post lacked the detail required to give a useful response.

If its the case that you submitted readings but octopus didn't register them and you think you'll now be financially worse off due to lack of accuracy through no fault of your own then certainly I'd think it is worth a complaint and a little bit of compo (or them registering a lot if your usage at a lower tariff if indeed your tariff has changed during this period.) You'd be able to back your argument up by saying that they have valid dates for meter readings for your gas and that you submit both together and why wouldn't you submit elec if you already log into the website to input the gas. I'm sure they'd favour on your side and help you out.

If you've obviously made the effort and have been short changed then you have every right to complain. Its just we get a lot of people who post outraged that they are being asked for x amount of money when they have made no effort to look at bills or submit meter readings for the whole year. Then it's a different story.