Which supplier web sites will break on 30th September?

The_Green_Hornet

The last time there was a SVT rate change nearly all of the major supplier's web sites crashed due to them being unable to handle the increased traffic.

Some like EDF quickly implemented queuing software others just offered a screen saying try again later.

Six months on how many of them do you think will have learnt from that experience?

[Deleted User]

Corporate IT learning from something?

Nope.

Ultrasonic

I'm not convinced I'd want energy companies investing large amounts of money specifically to cope with far too many people trying to access their sites at once. Education that firstly people with smart meters don't need to submit readings would help but also that submitting a reading a few days before or after will only make a tiny difference anyway (and not necessarily for the worse).

Ultrasonic

Oh, but in answer to the thread title: probably all of them like last time.

silverwhistle

[Deleted User] said:

Corporate IT learning from something?

Nope.

Nah. IT will have learned but they won't be able to convince the Board to fund it.

Chrysalis

From the boards perspective its throwing money at something that will last a few days at a time only.  Supermarket websites during covid implemented queue systems.  But of course they had to deal with demand every single day for months.

Section62

Ultrasonic said:

...but also that submitting a reading a few days before or after will only make a tiny difference anyway (and not necessarily for the worse).

It would help if the suppliers allowed you to say what date the readings were taken rather than assuming it was the same as the date of submission.

The difference may only be tiny, but it is annoying (for some people) to be charged more than you should be just because the company's IT systems are poorly thought out.  And that's probably one of the drivers for people wanting to submit readings even if it isn't strictly necessary.

My current one (big 5) doesn't have the ability to input the date of reading, yet many of the smaller ones I've used in the past did.  IIRC after a few days my supplier had to create a separate online form for people to enter their 1st April readings - which is another way of doing it, but hopefully this time round it will be set up in advance rather than as a reaction to overload.

MattMattMattUK

Deleted_User said:

Corporate IT learning from something?

Nope.

What they learned back in March is that it would be hugely costly to provision for surge usage of 90% or more of customers attempting to access their website at one, multiple times. Those customers pretty much conducted a DDoS attack against their energy supplier. 

badger09

I’m having smart meters fitted by Octopus on 28th Sept🤞🏻. I understand they can take up to 14 days to connect fully, so intend to send readings on or as close to 1st Oct as possible. 

millie

Had mine fitted by Octopus last week. Electricity was working within hours. Gas took 2 days

Mstty

All of them it probably works in their favour financially if they do nothing.

What you can learn from the last time this happened is alternative contact methods work such as emailing with a picture of your meter or smart meter, Facebook messenger, private message on twitter and these can be a record on the day of the figures you want inputted.