Octopus Intelligent meter readings

Marksfish

I am now on my 2nd bill from Octopus since moving to Intelligent Go. No meter reading is shown on the bill for me to check my units consumption. I like to know what I am using unt wise so I can keep an eye on what is being under/ over/ correctly billed. Octopus say:

"Thank you for reaching out to us (I hate this phrase). I understand your concerns regarding the meter readings on your latest bill.

Since you're on the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, your billing is based on half-hourly readings rather than traditional meter reading to meter reading. This means that we use the data collected every half hour to calculate your usage, which is why you may not see the RT1 reading in the same way as you do for your gas."

My RT1 counter is still increasing as this is the number I would need to give to any new provider I may move to, so why is it so difficult for Octopus to add this? As well as the 1/2 hourly readings, they must also record the actual meter reading at some time. How else can you check the billing is correct without poring over 30 pages of print as I realise I have to "suck it up" as far as the cephalapod is concerned?

Thanks

Mark

MattMattMattUK

Marksfish said:

I am now on my 2nd bill from Octopus since moving to Intelligent Go. No meter reading is shown on the bill for me to check my units consumption. I like to know what I am using unt wise so I can keep an eye on what is being under/ over/ correctly billed. Octopus say:

"Thank you for reaching out to us (I hate this phrase). I understand your concerns regarding the meter readings on your latest bill.

Since you're on the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, your billing is based on half-hourly readings rather than traditional meter reading to meter reading. This means that we use the data collected every half hour to calculate your usage, which is why you may not see the RT1 reading in the same way as you do for your gas."

When it comes to the smart tariffs, billing is based on the energy used in the thirty minute blocks. For Intelligent Go the peak and off-peak blocks. the off peak blocks are the overnight period and any charge periods they also add, which would then also cover all energy used in the property in that window. 

The reason that they do not add the reading from the register to the bill is that it is not relevant for billing purposes, they do not use two registers with one being peak and the other off-peak, they use the half hourly billing data. 

Marksfish said:

My RT1 counter is still increasing as this is the number I would need to give to any new provider I may move to, so why is it so difficult for Octopus to add this? As well as the 1/2 hourly readings, they must also record the actual meter reading at some time. How else can you check the billing is correct without poring over 30 pages of print as I realise I have to "suck it up" as far as the cephalapod is concerned?

Thanks

Mark

The reading is the one you would give if moving, because that would create a point of reference, but it would not be relevant to them after the point of switch if you were also moving to a smart tariff as they would also use the thirty minute blocks. Have a look at your online account, you have pretty much every bit of data you could want there, if you want to analyse your bills in search of a discrepancy. 

Marksfish

MattMattMattUK said:

The reason that they do not add the reading from the register to the bill is that it is not relevant for billing purposes, they do not use two registers with one being peak and the other off-peak, they use the half hourly billing data. 

The reading is the one you would give if moving, because that would create a point of reference, but it would not be relevant to them after the point of switch if you were also moving to a smart tariff as they would also use the thirty minute blocks. Have a look at your online account, you have pretty much every bit of data you could want there, if you want to analyse your bills in search of a discrepancy. 

I understand the half hourly billing bit and that they only use the 1 register, but there has to be a point of refence surely? Checking the bill used to be as simple as making sure the meter readings match and that you have have been charged for the right units. Who has the time to trawl through 30 pages of readings? "If" I were to leave and the pink squid said I had used 1100 units and the meter says 1000 units who is right? I have been a stickler for checking bills and providing readings, I know things change and I know if I don't like it I can leave, it just seems a backward step not to include something so simple as a meter read. The bill even says it is based on meter reads!

BarelySentientAI

Marksfish said:

MattMattMattUK said:

The reason that they do not add the reading from the register to the bill is that it is not relevant for billing purposes, they do not use two registers with one being peak and the other off-peak, they use the half hourly billing data. 

The reading is the one you would give if moving, because that would create a point of reference, but it would not be relevant to them after the point of switch if you were also moving to a smart tariff as they would also use the thirty minute blocks. Have a look at your online account, you have pretty much every bit of data you could want there, if you want to analyse your bills in search of a discrepancy. 

I understand the half hourly billing bit and that they only use the 1 register, but there has to be a point of refence surely? Checking the bill used to be as simple as making sure the meter readings match and that you have have been charged for the right units. Who has the time to trawl through 30 pages of readings? "If" I were to leave and the pink squid said I had used 1100 units and the meter says 1000 units who is right? I have been a stickler for checking bills and providing readings, I know things change and I know if I don't like it I can leave, it just seems a backward step not to include something so simple as a meter read. The bill even says it is based on meter reads!

It is based on meter readings.  Half hourly consumption readings that come from the meter.

If you left, the number on the register wouldn't matter to Octopus because they're not billing you based on that.  It would matter to the new supplier, and if it's direct from your meter it would be right anyway.

Checking the register figure in your case wouldn't tell you whether or not your bill is right, because knowing the number of units used is only half of the equation, so you're complaining that you can't do something that is pointless.

Reed_Richards

No point in switching to Eon Next and their NextDrive tariff as that is just the same  The bills just show total consumption at the two rates and not a hint of a meter reading.

MattMattMattUK

Marksfish said:

MattMattMattUK said:

The reason that they do not add the reading from the register to the bill is that it is not relevant for billing purposes, they do not use two registers with one being peak and the other off-peak, they use the half hourly billing data. 

The reading is the one you would give if moving, because that would create a point of reference, but it would not be relevant to them after the point of switch if you were also moving to a smart tariff as they would also use the thirty minute blocks. Have a look at your online account, you have pretty much every bit of data you could want there, if you want to analyse your bills in search of a discrepancy. 

I understand the half hourly billing bit and that they only use the 1 register, but there has to be a point of refence surely? Checking the bill used to be as simple as making sure the meter readings match and that you have have been charged for the right units.

That would not be checking the bill though, if you wanted to check the bill you would need to analyse the peak and off-peak usage and the rates charged for each.

Marksfish said:
Who has the time to trawl through 30 pages of readings? 

Some people probably do, but I agree most do not, however I also do not see how that is relevant to "checking" a bill when the single meter read figure will tell you almost nothing.

Marksfish said:
"If" I were to leave and the pink squid said I had used 1100 units and the meter says 1000 units who is right? 

How would you say a different figure to them? They take a final smart meter read, or you submit one, the DNO then agrees the meter reading for switching purposes and issues that to the new supplier and grants them access to the thirty minute figures and they bill from that point forward.

Marksfish said:
I have been a stickler for checking bills and providing readings, I know things change and I know if I don't like it I can leave, it just seems a backward step not to include something so simple as a meter read.

If you want to be able to analyse your usage in the way you seem to want then you either need to start using formulas in spreadsheets or you need to revert back to flat rate billing.

Marksfish said:
The bill even says it is based on meter reads!

It is, it is based on the thirty minute readings, not the single register readings.

debitcardmayhem

what does it show on the second and subsequent pages.?

Keep_pedalling

debitcardmayhem said:

what does it show on the second and subsequent pages.?

The 2nd page shows a breakdown of rates for the month and there will follow a page for each day with 48 entries showing the unit rate, consumption (kWh) and cost of energy used for each 30min slot.

Marksfish

And each subsequent page has a helpful pink line around the times charged as off peak, even the extras they give you. I have gone through all the pages looking at that, but to go through the rest is too time consuming.



I'll have to trust the pink, it's "progress" I suppose, but will be submitting readings monthly for my records.

After all the previous advice given over the years about submitting meter readings and keeping up to date, i'm surprised at the rather blase attitude to this style of charging.

debitcardmayhem

Keep_pedalling said:

debitcardmayhem said:

what does it show on the second and subsequent pages.?

The 2nd page shows a breakdown of rates for the month and there will follow a page for each day with 48 entries showing the unit rate, consumption (kWh) and cost of energy used for each 30min slot.

I only asked, not being on Intelligent, because the op posted the first page, often people don’t go further.
At least I know more, but does it show any meter readings anywhere, just interested really.
Edit
Perhaps the my account web page shows meter readings .

Keep_pedalling

debitcardmayhem said:

Keep_pedalling said:

debitcardmayhem said:

what does it show on the second and subsequent pages.?

The 2nd page shows a breakdown of rates for the month and there will follow a page for each day with 48 entries showing the unit rate, consumption (kWh) and cost of energy used for each 30min slot.

I only asked, not being on Intelligent, because the op posted the first page, often people don’t go further.
At least I know more, but does it show any meter readings anywhere, just interested really.
Edit
Perhaps the my account web page shows meter readings .

No, it does not show any readings.