Octopus Delays Fixing Smart Meter

Qyburn

Maybe this is just a moan but any suggestions would be appreciated as well.

Our meter stopped sending data early October 2024. I notified Octopus by email a few times, but it was only actually actioned a couple of weeks later when I called and the guy said he'd request the data be collected. After a few more days and more calls they decided either the meter needed a power cycle, or maybe the comms hub replacing. 

Since then I've been waiting, calling every now and again, the story always is that someone will be in touch. 

Last week they logged the matter as a complaint, again promised someone would be in touch, this time within a few days. Again nobody did.

On today's call I was given the number of their metering team. What they said was if anything more concerning. Firstly they just say they have no appointments in our area, nor any idea when they will have. Secondly they sy the request as only made on the 25th November. Querying this the guy looked and said they had something noted on 17th October, but if I understand correctly they only put that on their system once it becomes a complaint.

So really no progress at all, and I struggle to think of anything I could do to persuade them to pull their finger out.

FlorayG

Ha ha best of luck... I posted this today What compensation would be reasonable to expect from Octopus? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

QrizB

Qyburn said:

Maybe this is just a moan but any suggestions would be appreciated as well.

If you aren't on a smart tariff, and can provide manual readings monthly, you'll still get bills in the interim until they fox your meter.

Qyburn

QrizB said:

If you aren't on a smart tariff, and can provide manual readings monthly, you'll still get bills in the interim until they fox your meter.

I'm on Tracker and that can be worked around with manual readings but it's a pain, for example having to put in four readings for November to make sure our use on the cheap days was billed at the cheap rate.  I've tried putting manual readings for the Free Energy session but don't know yet if they'll honour them. I guess the same question applies for the Saving Sessions.

Qyburn

Still no progress, they just say no appointments are available. Last week they put me onto their meter booking people and I wasn't pleased to find that they actually though the requirement only dated from 25th Nov. On pressing him he had a rummage around and found that they'd been informed on 17th October but hadn't taken any action until it was issued to them as a complaint.

So the question now is whether anything might be achieved by raising it with the Ombudsman. I suspect I might have wait until eight weeks from the complaint date. There won't be a deadlock letter as O aren't saying it won't be fixed, they're just not saying when.

chrisw

I reported the same issue on 8th November and they are coming to look at the meters on Monday 15th December. They said they were going to try power cycling the meters but the email says replace, so I'm not quite sure what they're going to do.

Qyburn

It took 7 months for them to install the meter in the first place.

The problem is that they only book dates something like four or five weeks in advance, and don't maintain a waiting list. So if you don't get the date straight away, then it relies on someone actively doing something when they come to book the next batch. For a new install that could be the custome striking lucky by accessing the booking page at just right time. For repair you can't even do that.

QrizB

My smart meter stopped communicating with anyone in 2021. At the time I was with EDF and they failed to fix it.

When I switched to Octopus they initially said "wait and see if switching fixes it" (it didn't) then they tried a remote reset (didn't fix it) so eventually I had to record a formal complaint. Once it was a complaint, I had regular contact and even an offer to escalate to the Ombudsman but by then I had an engineer visit booked and I didn't escalate.

When the engineer turned up, it was as simple as removing the comms hub, waiting for a few seconds and reconnecting it. The reboot fixed it.

I guess I'm saying, give Octopus a chance to deal with your complaint. It might take a few weeks but they should get there.

Qyburn

QrizB said:

I guess I'm saying, give Octopus a chance to deal with your complaint. It might take a few weeks but they should get there.

They've had ten weeks since the meter stopped working.

QrizB

Qyburn said:

QrizB said:

I guess I'm saying, give Octopus a chance to deal with your complaint. It might take a few weeks but they should get there.

They've had ten weeks since the meter stopped working.

Ten weeks since your complaint?

Mine took about twelve weeks from my complaint, but more than a year from when I first told EDF about the problem.

Qyburn

Ten weeks since it was first raised. It sounds like when you said they might take a few weeks, you presuming was no chance whatsoever of them doing anything until a complaint was made.