Octopus Energy and Smart Meters (or lack of)

CFELH

Been trying for over 5 months to get a Smart Meter from Octopus without any success. Can I find out if other energy suppliers can offer one before I migrate over to them?

Keep_pedalling

What reason have you been given for not getting one? If it is a technical issue then you are going to face the same issue with other suppliers.

CFELH

No appointment slots despite receiving weekly emails saying slots are available in your area - and my existing meter is past its useful life.  Been like this for months. I've contacted Octopus a few times and they just fob you off. Someone suggested emailing Greg Jackson at Octopus, I did and it was ignored.  

QrizB

The other suppliers aren't generally any better than Octopus at this.

You could try Octopus's complaints process:

https://octopus.energy/unhappy/

happyretiree

They came very quickly to fit one when I migrated to them. I get results when I make a comment on their Facebook page. 

EssexHebridean

Have you already raised this as a formal complaint on the basis that your existing meter is end of life? If so, after 8 weeks you can escalate to the Ombudsman. 

Qyburn

CFELH said:

No appointment slots despite receiving weekly emails saying slots are available in your area - and my existing meter is past its useful life.  Been like this for months. I've contacted Octopus a few times and they just fob you off. Someone suggested emailing Greg Jackson at Octopus, I did and it was ignored.  

My take with Octopus is that they don't maintain any sort of waiting list. They book appointments for up to four weeks ahead (or five weeks, depending on who you're speaking to). If they try to book you in and there's nothing available in those four (or five) weeks then they just say "no appointment available". Each week on Wednesday (or Monday, depending on who you're speaking to) they extend the booking out another week.  So it's just really the luck of the draw, reliant on you contacting them at the right time.

Why am I sure they don't operate a waiting list? Because from July to January I was repeatedly told nothing was available, but that they'd contact me when there was. But one day I checked online and got booking for a few days time.

CFELH

Qyburn said:

CFELH said:

No appointment slots despite receiving weekly emails saying slots are available in your area - and my existing meter is past its useful life.  Been like this for months. I've contacted Octopus a few times and they just fob you off. Someone suggested emailing Greg Jackson at Octopus, I did and it was ignored.  

My take with Octopus is that they don't maintain any sort of waiting list. 

I came to the same conclusion. I'll go down the complaint route.

t0rt0ise

I did the same as Qyburn and checked myself online and one day there were two dates to choose from. Grabbed one quickly and a couple of weeks later it was all done.

CFELH

I have now been given a date, fingers crossed Octopus stick to it.