Comms Hub Fault?

jiggy2

I seem to have a similar issue as well (i am on Octopus Agile).

Octopus app shows data up to 21 June (nothing missing between 26 May 2024 when we moved to Agile tariff to 21 June 2024). Then data missing for 22 Jun to 30 June. Again shows data for 1 July and then nothing since then.

Loop shows data for 1, 2 and 3 July (nothing for June but that could be because i only downloaded the app in the last few days after someone mentioned it here). So more data than Octopus app.
Bright shows data for 30 June and 1 July (so again more data than Octopus app) - but nothing since then.

Initially sent a query to Octopus by email - but havent really heard back other than please bear with us whilst we investigate.

How long does it take for the missing data to be retrieved? We have a SMETS1 meter and therefore it potentially doesn't store 13 months worth of data.

EssexHebridean

Update:

The gaps in my electricity use have now been populated. I am still missing a weeks worth of data for gas on the Octopus app, though. 

Bright are also still showing some gaps on the gas.

NedS

I have a similar issue, on Octopus Agile for electricity. Like @EssexHebridean my WAN light is flashing constantly every second, and our usage data has not updated since 1st July which was the last full day.

We've been on Agile since March and not had any missing data periods previously (SMETS2 meter)

Should we email or phone Octopus, or sit tight for now? My bill was due yesterday, but they've not billed us as presumably they don't have our usage data.

Reed_Richards

I think you should contact Octopus.  I don't see that that can possibly do any harm and it's in your interest to ensure that no data is lost, if that can be achieved.  

EssexHebridean

Phone them. I still have a suspicion that once my issue got passed to the smart metering team they did in fact instigate something remotely which solved the problem, although I haven't had any formal notification of this from Octopus themselves as yet. 

In your case I would also suggest to them that you would like to sit tight on not providing readings for a while, as presumably it is going to be in your interests for them to bill using the actual use data, not whatever method they use for missing readings? Just make sure that either you are setting aside the money for your expected bills or that your DD is being taken as normal.

NedS

Thanks both. After phoning them, my meter is now sending data again (and WAN light blinking every 5-6secs again), but there's still a gap in the data for last week when it wasn't working. Another phone call to chase the missing week's data, or wait to see if the missing data fills in?

EssexHebridean

Sit tight and see if it fills in would be my suggestion. My electric data is now complete, albeit it took a few days to gradually get all the blanks filled in. 

Alex_ST

Reed_Richards said:

I use n3rgy https://data.n3rgy.com/consumer-login to download my half-hourly meter readings, also Loop.  After my smart meter had a dissimilar fault in March I looked into the way these services work and was assured that when you request data it is downloaded from your meter at that time, no data is held on a database.  So if your comms hub is not communicating you shouldn't get any data.  If Loop and Bright respond with data then that should mean your comms hub is working, or working well enough to be functional. 

I forget the meter flash codes but you can look them up.  Once every 5 seconds is normal for the WAN light.

I don't see that there is any harm in reporting the problem.  Whether Octopus will or can do anything about it is another matter,

    

Hi Richard

realise this is an old thread. Resurrecting bc I have an ongoing issue with smart meter comms and I tried this link but the site doesn’t work in any of the browsers I’ve tried. Is it dead? Did you get to the bottom of your problem? 

My problem:
smart meter installed by UW Feb 2025. UW messed up the central database & never removed old multi-mpan details. I then switched to Tomato. Tomato never updated the meter info to reflect supplier info or TOU tariff info but mywatts pulled the data fine for months & bills calculated correctly. 

Then there was some kind of global comms failure early Sept. Most people came back online. I didn’t for months. Tomato just “made up” the missing data—never bothered to troubleshoot the comms issue. Then Bright app stopped working. They couldn’t tell me anything. I tried Loop. It consistently didn’t work for 12 hrs out of 24 & didn’t catch up. Useless. I’ve now tried Ivie. Not working but they at least captured an error code. But no one knows what it means! The DCC are useless and impossible to contact. I was SOLR’d to British Gas. Hopeless. 

I’ve now switched to good energy. Also completely useless. No one in this industry seems to understand the technology consumers have been FORCED to adopt. It’s a complete shambles. Which I hadn’t let them install it!

QrizB

Alex_ST said:

smart meter installed by UW Feb 2025. UW messed up the central database & never removed old multi-mpan details.

UW don't have a great track record with fixing meter problems.

Alex_ST said:

I then switched to Tomato. Tomato never updated the meter info to reflect supplier info or TOU tariff info but mywatts pulled the data fine for months & bills calculated correctly. 

Out of the UW frying pan, into the Tomato bottomless-pit-of-boiling-lava.

Alex_ST said:

I was SOLR’d to British Gas. Hopeless. 

BG customer service is famously terrible, but if you manage to get past the front-line agents they do have some people who understand smart meters. BG could probably have sorted this out eventually if you'd stayed wth them.

Alex_ST said:

I’ve now switched to good energy. Also completely useless.

Good Energy are a smaller, boutique energy supplier with strong green credentials, popular amongst the sandal-wearing, lentil-munching crowd. They might have someone who understands smart meters but it's going to be pot luck finding them. And, based on the timeline, you've been with them for what, a fortnight so far? Three weeks? Still early days!

Alex_ST said:

No one in this industry seems to understand the technology ...

On the contrary, there are decent smart meter teams at most of the larger suppliers. You have however chosen a series of smaller or micro suppliers with poor technial teams. The one time you were with a larger supplier you left before giving them time to sort your meters out.

What exactly is the problem with your smart meters? If your meters aren't smart, presumably you're with Good Energy on a single-rate tariff now and are providing manual readings?

If you're planning to stick with Good Energy for a while, it might be worth trying to get some traction with their support team and see if they've got anyone in the back-rooms that can sort out your metering problems.

Alex_ST

QrizB said:

What exactly is the problem with your smart meters? If your meters aren't smart, presumably you're with Good Energy on a single-rate tariff now and are providing manual readings?

Million dollar question. 

Definitely a smart (SMETS2) meter. Definitely was working. No obvious comms issue. Both lights intermittently flashing green per usual. 

Good Energy actually have people who answer the phone and try to be helpful which is rare. But they don’t have an automated complaints process and haven’t even figured out how to email me (or what to do in the event that they can’t) so let’s just say I am not hopeful of a speedy fix. 

In any event there is a clear conflict of interests in operation by making supplier responsible for smart meter issues (it should be a central authority ). Obviously, they are not incentivised to fix issues that make it easier to switch away from them. Tomato definitely exploited this which is how I got stuck with them for so long.