Octopus: broken electricity smart meter

Sterlingtimes

I now have a clear status from Octopus regarding my broken smart meter. Octopus will not replace a meter that works for meter readings but does not work for half-hourly data. I wonder how many broken smart meters there are in the field. 

My meter worked for many years until July 2023. It even survived DCC adoption.

I would need to pay £400 to have my broken smart meter replaced. 


"The issue with your first generation smart meter is a known issue and there is currently no fix for this.

The meter has stopped sending us half hourly readings which we completely understand is very frustrating but as your meter is communicating with us and working as it should in terms of sending us daily readings then we would not be able to exchange the meter.

Your tariff is billed from reading to reading each month and so the half hourly readings are not required/necessary.

We would only be able to exchange the meter if it was faulty or not communicating with us at all as there is up to a £400 charge for exchanging meters that are not needing to be exchanged."

Keep_pedalling

If you are not using a tariff that requires 30 min readings what is the issue? 

Sterlingtimes

Keep_pedalling said:

If you are not using a tariff that requires 30 min readings what is the issue? 

The main issue is that I cannot take advantage of smart tariffs and smart schemes. The secondary issue is that my weekly, monthly and yearly tabs in the app just show a silly picture of an Octopus riding a motorbike.

MattMattMattUK

Sterlingtimes said:

Keep_pedalling said:

If you are not using a tariff that requires 30 min readings what is the issue? 

The main issue is that I cannot take advantage of smart tariffs and smart schemes. The secondary issue is that my weekly, monthly and yearly tabs in the app just show a silly picture of an Octopus riding a motorbike.

Sterlingtimes said:

Your tariff is billed from reading to reading each month and so the half hourly readings are not required/necessary.

I wonder if you applied for one of the ToU tariffs, if they would then be willing to change the meter? I am wondering if as you are currently on SVT they see no point.

Keep_pedalling

If you can benefit from one if the TOU tariffs I am pretty sure they will change your meter after you request a change of tariff. 

The loss of 30 minute reporting is probable down to a remote firmware update to your SM. 

Sterlingtimes

MattMattMattUK said:

I wonder if you applied for one of the ToU tariffs, if they would then be willing to change the meter? I am wondering if as you are currently on SVT they see no point.

That's a good thought. Thank you.

Sterlingtimes

Keep_pedalling said:

The loss of 30 minute reporting is probable down to a remote firmware update to your SM. 

Perhaps that's the issue. The meter was installed 15/06/2015. It worked seamlessly across a range of suppliers: Ovo, Octopus, Economy, EDF and Octopus again.  It worked with Agile. The DCC adopted it, and it still worked. Then, in the middle of July 2023, it died (or was killed) suddenly, aged 8.

ArbitraryRandom

If they refuse to let you switch to a TOU tariff then you could try a complaint/escalating to the ombudsman on the basis the 'faulty' meter is actually causing you a disadvantage/costing you money. 

No prediction for the outcome but wouldn't cost you anything but time given Octopus have acknowledged the problem and that it's not going to be fixed remotely. 

Sterlingtimes

ArbitraryRandom said:

... try a complaint/escalating to the ombudsman on the basis the 'faulty' meter is actually causing you a disadvantage/costing you money. 
 

I have checked that Octopus has no legal/regulatory obligation to provide half-hourly readings. Provided the meter can take a meter reading, it is required to do nothing more. Hence, smart meters need not be repaired, provided they offer the regulatory minimum functionality.

TrinnyTea

I’ve just swapped from Octopus Agile to Octopus Go and the smart meter (which had been working fine) has just broken. So I no longer have access to 7p/kWh charging for my EV. 

MarzipanCrumble

I too have a non communicating SM2 and my supplier is Octopus.  As a result I cannot take advantage of smart tarrifs which require 30 min readings.

I live about 3 miles from centre of a city.