Estimated gas use always wrong on Octopus bill

Ally2

I have several times........and the last time I was advised its a third party that manages the database for all energy companies that provides these estimated gas readings and they will advise them but there's a backlog in getting it changed.  I have never heard this before.
Is it true?

Ally2

Perhaps someone who works for an energy provider can tell me if they are reading this. 

t0rt0ise

It is true that the annual figure comes from elsewhere. There's a website somewhere, although I no longer have the details, where you can look up what figure it has for your address. 

Ally2

Interesting. Thanks

QrizB

Ally2 said:

I cant reduce it anymore........I wish I could🙂.......... On their estimation they would want another £80 per month.Like you I always pay over so I'm in credit but I'm not prepared to give them another £1000 per year in addition for inaccurate data,    I just dont understand why they cant change it to the correct useage,  The electric is accurate.  But not the gas.

I set my Octopus DD high so I overpay my bill (partly because I'm on gas Tracker which could spike to 30p/kWh, although it never has). I email Octopus once a quarter and ask for the cumulative overpayment to be refunded. They refund by bank transfer withn a fortnight.

Ally2

Its not about overpaying. Thats OK if you can afford to. The issue is why cant they correct their data on their billing and use accurate data instead of over estimating the Gas from figures which are 4 years out of date.  The electric is correct.  Just very odd.

QrizB

Ally2 said:

Its not about overpaying.

That's OK then.

Ally2 said:

The issue is why cant they correct their data on their billing ...

Because (as you've been told by Octopus) it isn't their data, and I strongly suspect that Ofgem tells them where to get the numbers from so they can't just go quoting something else.

Ally2

QrizB said:

Ally2 said:

I cant reduce it anymore........I wish I could🙂.......... On their estimation they would want another £80 per month.Like you I always pay over so I'm in credit but I'm not prepared to give them another £1000 per year in addition for inaccurate data,    I just dont understand why they cant change it to the correct useage,  The electric is accurate.  But not the gas.

I set my Octopus DD high so I overpay my bill (partly because I'm on gas Tracker which could spike to 30p/kWh, although it never has). I email Octopus once a quarter and ask for the cumulative overpayment to be refunded. They refund by bank transfer withn a fortnight.

I've heard alot about these new types of tariffs Tracker  and  Agile -  have you found them much cheaper than current Ofgem tariff.  I know there's a risk they can go up high, but generally is there a good  saving.   I know you need a smart meter for them.

QrizB

Ally2 said:

QrizB said:

Ally2 said:

I cant reduce it anymore........I wish I could🙂.......... On their estimation they would want another £80 per month.Like you I always pay over so I'm in credit but I'm not prepared to give them another £1000 per year in addition for inaccurate data,    I just dont understand why they cant change it to the correct useage,  The electric is accurate.  But not the gas.

I set my Octopus DD high so I overpay my bill (partly because I'm on gas Tracker which could spike to 30p/kWh, although it never has). I email Octopus once a quarter and ask for the cumulative overpayment to be refunded. They refund by bank transfer withn a fortnight.

I've heard alot about these new types of tariffs Tracker  and  Agile -  have you found them much cheaper than current Ofgem tariff.  I know there's a risk they can go up high, but generally is there a good  saving.   I know you need a smart meter for them.

You can see Tracker prices here:

https://energy-stats.uk/octopus-tracker-southern-england/ (there's a separate page for each region).

So far this year, in my region, Tracker electricity has averaged under 20p/kWh, and Tracker gas has averaged just over 5p/kWh. That compares well to the SVT at about 27p/kWh and 7p/kWh.

Agile and Tracker have their own threads where they are regularly discussed.

ProDave

WHY are you relying on an estimated reading?

Give them an actual reading once a month and you will be billed on actual usage.  Octopus are one of the best I have come across and it is easy to just give them an actual reading on their website.