Octopus Estimating readings for Smart Meter

[Deleted User]

TheMaverick000000 said:

Gerry1 said:

Many of the readings are probably legitimately classed as Estimated.

* The Annual figures are merely a guide as to what you might expect.  All sorts of things go into the mix.  Think of them like weather forecasts and whether to take a brolly, that's all they are so don't fret about them.

* The Price Cap now changes every three months so many suppliers use an Estimated value calculated at midnight on the last day of December, March, June, September just as the rates change.

'A guide'? Estimated 'readings' have no bases in fact! It appears to me that they charge what the heck they like.

This cannot be acceptable. These 'estimations' are beyond a joke. It is like going into a Supermarket and buying £10 of food, and they decide to 'estimate' the cost rather than put it through the till. Accept that their 'estimation comes to £40!

We get it that you are annoyed but all suppliers are allowed to bill on estimates until such time as actual meter readings are obtained. When this happens, the supplier will re-bill using the actual reading. Where necessary, it will estimate readings for the days when a tariff changed.

As @Gerry1 states, Annual Estimates are a suppliers best guess of what you will use in the coming year. It uses this figure to calculate a provisional annual cost and to set monthly DD payments. Sadly, annual estimates can go awry if the consumer has not been providing actual meter readings. That said, your monthly DD bears no relation to what you are charged. You only pay for the actual energy used at the agreed tariff rate: your supermarket analogy is therefore fundamentally flawed. There is no overcharging going on.

With respect, you really need to sit down and list what you believe you are complaining about. If you continue ranting at the supplier then you are unlikely to get a resolution. The Energy Ombudsman can only make a judgement based on facts and the supplier obligations contained in the Supply Licence. If you believe that the supplier is in breach of its Supply Licence Conditions then you need to provide the Energy Ombudsman with evidence not emotion.

Gerry1

You must remember that your DD is not your bill.

Imagine you budget for your supermarket shopping by putting five £20 notes into a jam jar every week.

The cashier knows you and says the long range forecast is for a cold winter so you're likely to be buying four bags of logs per week by Christmas instead of three.  She notices there's not much change to give you, suggesting you should start putting another £20 note in the jar !

It's only her guess and it doesn't mean the supermarket will be charging 20% more.

QrizB

OPs estimated readings from their broken-now-replaced smart electricity meter are tabulated a couple of pages back in this thread. It definitely looks like two or three of the estimates were inflated.

OP needs to get Octopus to look into these, and re-estimate. They've had no luck with regular CS interactions and that's why I've suggested that they raise a complaint.

OP, have you managed to do that yet?

[Deleted User]

QrizB said:

OPs estimated readings from their broken-now-replaced smart electricity meter are tabulated a couple of pages back in this thread. It definitely looks like two or three of the estimates were inflated.

OP needs to get Octopus to look into these, and re-estimate. They've had no luck with regular CS interactions and that's why I've suggested that they raise a complaint.

OP, have you managed to do that yet?

I don’t disagree but the OP needs to be very clear what he is complaining about.

TheMaverick000000

Update: I called Octopus again this morning and spoke to a different person. She said she would take a closer look into this and get back to me later today.

I just had an e-mail back from her, and the good news is that I am now £154.60 IN CREDIT!

Many thanks to all of you that contributed to this thread, your input has been a good learning curve for me.

beanielou

Great news. 

markin

A simple heating fix is to use plug in timers on your oil heaters.

Or ask to go on a singe rate where they just combine the 2 readings you give, or they could reprogram the smart meter.


The Estimates should not affect the actual bill as long as the meter fitter correctly submitted final readings after swapping the meter.