Octopus Tracker - billing from manual meter readings

Qyburn

Hi,

We're on Tracker with a Smart Meter, but very occasionally there's a gap in the data, meaning the month gets averaged and any savings from load shifting get wiped out. Does anyone know if the same thing happens if you put in a manual reading?

I was thinking a precaution would be to pop in a manual reading after any gap, and also after any very cheap days. But I realise that manual readings won't exactly match consumpion in any case, it won't taken at midnight and also because they only accept whole numbers. So maybe worst case any billing period that either starts or finishes with a manual reading is going to be averaged anyway.

Anyone tried this?

Qyburn

First test I submitted a manual reading the other day and the bill is definitely "averaged" in that the daily consumption figures on the bill don't match the smart meter data. That bill had manual start and end readings so doesn't fully test the scenario. Assuming Octopus still takes a smart reading at the end of the month then I'll be able to see if that's averaged as well.

Then I'll need a final test, a bill starting with a smart reading and ending with manual, that being g the scenario that would be needed to lock in load shifting savings and stop a later smart meter glitch from reversing them.

masonic

I've used a manual reading to force a bill where it has been late before. This has not resulted in averaging unless there was a gap within that billing period. To avoid gaps in your data, you'd need to submit a meter reading for the start of the first day containing a gap. The bill should then be based on the complete data up to the end of the previous day. Where I have not noticed the gap and submitted a meter reading after it, my bill was averaged due to the missing data, as would be expected. This is for electricity, I don't know if gas works the same way.