Smart Meter nigh/day readings.

meggieb

Hi
Can anyone help please? I am with Octopus and having trouble getting an electricity bill from them. I have an old smart meter and have had trouble with night/day readings being transposed (both the same tariff) I have had so many excuses and promises but this is the latest email "The issue is that the meter is sending us the readings, and they are correctly clocking your usage. However, the meter is swapping the readings when it shouldn't. The day reading will show for the night usage, and the night reading will show for the day usage. This means that the billing statements will be generated incorrectly and you will be charged wrong. This is a firmware issue with the meter type you have, so it is something the industry team is working on with the manufacturer to get resolved. It is taking some time to resolve as there are a lot of accounts and meters that have been affected."
Is this the truth or just another excuse?

Chris_b2z

meggieb said:

This is a firmware issue with the meter type you have, so it is something the industry team is working on with the manufacturer to get resolved. It is taking some time to resolve as there are a lot of accounts and meters that have been affected."

Out of interest, what make and model of smart meter do you have?

dunstonh

However, the meter is swapping the readings when it shouldn't.

That is fobbing off.    The meter will have at least two registers but there is no standard.   The supplier then chooses which to map to the night rate and to the day rate.   If they get it wrong, they just need to adjust the mapping.  e.g. if meter says R1 is day and R2 is night but Octopus have it in reverse, then all Octopus need to do is correct at their end.

Transposing of registers is, unfortunately, quite common, and suppliers are notoriously bad at fixing it.  Mine was transposed on install last year and it took three attempts to get EDF to correct it.    

Scot_39

This is not uncommon - and historically meters - digital and smart - have done their own thing.

It's not only a simple meter model - it's also how its configured.

Several people have posted as above example - they have been caught by this - when changing suppliers.  Some would equally have been cuaght perhaps by SoLR forced moves in last couple of years.

According to this post from @Spoonie_Turtle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80855620/#Comment_80855620

Octopus has also had a batch of this day / night register reversal as they migrate some of the c1.3m of old Shell customers.

So I assume they have some way of coping with it.  If it really needs a meter or firmware change - and they are getting nowhere - then perhaps ask them to simply fit their preferrred model.

And obviously - keep a careful note of all your twin register readings and make sure you know which is peak and off-peak.  And only pay the correct amount - by challenging every bill that is wrong - until they do fix it.  You would hope the repeated hassle would get them to expedite a fix.

PS If this has been ongoing for a while - have you entered as a formal complaint - and if so have the 8 weeks expired - to allow you to escalate to Ombudsman ?

brig001

This has been going on with Octopus for four years that I know of. It’s not a firmware issue as it seems to be specific to Octopus. Mine was fine before Octopus, a nightmare for three years with them and fine when I left and joined EonNext

Brian

meggieb

Thanks for your comments. My Smart Meter is a Smet 1 model but has worked perfectly well until a few months ago. I have decided to let them get on with it, I have a spreadsheet so I know where I am and I have reduced DD to £20. The difference between old and new DD will go into a savings account until they sort it out. It won't hurt them but makes me feel better!

dunstonh

My Smart Meter is a Smet 1 model but has worked perfectly well until a few months ago. 

did that tie in with the transfer to Octopus?