Fault gas smart meter

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Smart Meters.

Wolfsbane2k

Morning all. 

I had gas and elec smart meters installed by octopus in Jan 2023, and the gas one failed in August 23 , and notified my supplier in early Sept having noticed the failure and unable to get any meter readings from it either remotely or local to the unit. 

Their response at the time was ' ah, yes, we'll get someone to look at that' and 'we'll try and get a meter reading when they fix the problem'. 

despite chasing three times for a resolution date, have heard no dates back so have just raised a formal complaint. The Supplier hadn't provided me with a gas bill since September, but recognises that they are meant to be billing me for gas. 

My guess is that new installations are taking priority over repairs, but waiting now 5 months without being able to take a meter reading is frustrating as I have no idea what my bills are (I'm not even getting an estimated bill).

 I'm nervous that I'm going to end up with a massive bill shock: while The direct debit is still going out as if I'm paying for gas ( and is about £500 in credit) we've been trying to run with less gas demand (reduced central heating thermostat temp and operating times as well as hot water demand) for this winter therefore estimates from previous winters are likely out by quite a bit. 

Also aware that without a working meter, I can't change suppliers as I have no idea what my handover reading will be, although changing suppliers is one way to try and force getting a new, working, meter installed. 

I know that there are some caveated rules that limit bills to a 1 year limit which might help bill shock if this keeps going without resolution, but they need meter readings.. 

Any help/suggestions appreciated. 

Edited to add: found the ofgem site on back billing (the right term) and that doesn't appear to need meter readings, although could be estimates. Therefore escalating to a formal complaint likely detrimental to me in the long term, should have just let it sit. Ah well. 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-energy-back-billing-rules

MultiFuelBurner

Wolfsbane2k said:

Morning all. 

I had gas and elec smart meters installed by octopus in Jan 2023, and the gas one failed in August 23 , and notified my supplier in early Sept having noticed the failure and unable to get any meter readings from it either remotely or local to the unit. 

Their response at the time was ' ah, yes, we'll get someone to look at that' and 'we'll try and get a meter reading when they fix the problem'. 

despite chasing three times for a resolution date, have heard no dates back so have just raised a formal complaint. The Supplier hadn't provided me with a gas bill since September, but recognises that they are meant to be billing me for gas. 

My guess is that new installations are taking priority over repairs, but waiting now 5 months without being able to take a meter reading is frustrating as I have no idea what my bills are (I'm not even getting an estimated bill).

 I'm nervous that I'm going to end up with a massive bill shock: while The direct debit is still going out as if I'm paying for gas ( and is about £500 in credit) we've been trying to run with less gas demand (reduced central heating thermostat temp and operating times as well as hot water demand) for this winter therefore estimates from previous winters are likely out by quite a bit. 

Also aware that without a working meter, I can't change suppliers as I have no idea what my handover reading will be, although changing suppliers is one way to try and force getting a new, working, meter installed. 

I know that there are some caveated rules that limit bills to a 1 year limit which might help bill shock if this keeps going without resolution, but they need meter readings.. 

Any help/suggestions appreciated. 

Edited to add: found the ofgem site on back billing (the right term) and that doesn't appear to need meter readings, although could be estimates. Therefore escalating to a formal complaint likely detrimental to me in the long term, should have just let it sit. Ah well. 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-energy-back-billing-rules

How long have you lived at the property?

Do you know your historic gas usage?

As long as you put that money aside (ideally in an interest bearing account (there will be no bill shock)

When you say no reading from the actual meter (not the IHD in doors) do you mean that. The gas meter is showing no readings?

EssexHebridean

It sounds as though the answer to this will be “yes, of course” - but I will ask anyway for form’s sake as we have had those arriving here before who, having always read their gas meter from the IHD were unaware that there is a button press - sometimes a sequence - needed to read directly at the meter itself - I assume that you are aware of this, however? 

Wolfsbane2k

MultiFuelBurner said:

Wolfsbane2k said:

How long have you lived at the property?

Do you know your historic gas usage?

As long as you put that money aside (ideally in an interest bearing account (there will be no bill shock)

When you say no reading from the actual meter (not the IHD in doors) do you mean that. The gas meter is showing no readings?

We've lived in the house for 10 years, so have some history, which is why we've actively tried to reduce our bills through managing demand and was one of the reasons we chose to get a smart meter installed this year. 
We are still putting money aside, but as we'd hoped to use less gas this year and were budgeting on the bill 'not being too bad because we could monitor it and react with our budget in mind' , we just don't know if we are above, below, or at budget and we have other pressing issues that could do with that funding right now. 

The meter is 'dead': it's throwing a single error code when any buttons are pressed and there is no way I can access anything behind that error code.

Gerry1

I suggest changing to Variable Monthly Direct Debit so that credit doesn't build up.  The back billing rules offer significantly less protection than many people realise: if you're in credit it will be used to pay the relevant part of a back bill whereas it will be written off if there's no money in the account.

Adverse Back-Billing Decision

MultiFuelBurner

Wolfsbane2k said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

Wolfsbane2k said:

How long have you lived at the property?

Do you know your historic gas usage?

As long as you put that money aside (ideally in an interest bearing account (there will be no bill shock)

When you say no reading from the actual meter (not the IHD in doors) do you mean that. The gas meter is showing no readings?

We've lived in the house for 10 years, so have some history, which is why we've actively tried to reduce our bills through managing demand and was one of the reasons we chose to get a smart meter installed this year. 
We are still putting money aside, but as we'd hoped to use less gas this year and were budgeting on the bill 'not being too bad because we could monitor it and react with our budget in mind' , we just don't know if we are above, below, or at budget and we have other pressing issues that could do with that funding right now. 

The meter is 'dead': it's throwing a single error code when any buttons are pressed and there is no way I can access anything behind that error code.

As a part of your communication with your energy supplier (in email would be good) highlight the fact that like many you have actively set out to use less energy this year and perhaps put a percentage onto that either 10% or 20% as examples. That is then lodged and can be used in a dispute once the smart meter is working and an estimated use bill is produced.

victor2

From where @Wolfsbane2k started this it would probably be better as a separate thread rather than tacked onto the end of a long existing one.
I have suggested this to the forum team.

Wolfsbane2k

victor2 said:

From where @Wolfsbane2k started this it would probably be better as a separate thread rather than tacked onto the end of a long existing one.
I have suggested this to the forum team.

Thanks, I wasn't sure to put that one and the 'discuss smart meter' item pointed to theis thread. 

Spoonie_Turtle

victor2 said:

From where @Wolfsbane2k started this it would probably be better as a separate thread rather than tacked onto the end of a long existing one.
I have suggested this to the forum team.

As an aside this is one such situation where ambassadors having the ability to split threads themselves would be really handy!

Wolfsbane2k

Gerry1 said:

I suggest changing to Variable Monthly Direct Debit so that credit doesn't build up.  The back billing rules offer significantly less protection than many people realise: if you're in credit it will be used to pay the relevant part of a back bill whereas it will be written off if there's no money in the account.

Adverse Back-Billing Decision

Thanks for this, interesting reading. I'm actually over £1k in credit with them right now, so with no date to resolution have dropped the DD value to a significantly lower value to start eating into that credit and opened a new savings account putting the same amount I have been paying them into that. 

Probably should have just kept stum and not escalated. blast