No gas usage recorded on DCC since April. - Octopus billed for unreasonable amount of usage.

Chrysalis

Since no timeframe (no contact from metering team, and no time frame given for them to contact me) has been offered and with the estimated billing system ofgem designed doesnt motivate suppliers to fix it, I have informed Octopus I wont be paying for more than 64 kWh of gas use per month for the summer months up to October, unless a working meter registers a different usage.  Luckily I had some data at end of March to see what my water heating only usage is.

Chrysalis

After the recent push, they now quoting a time period of 4-6 weeks.  So it will be a month or so before I post another update.

Chrysalis

Octopus trying to profit from the situation.

Billed me estimated 303.7 kWh for a very hot 4 week period, what are they smoking?
On the phone they argued it was reasonable to assume I use same as I did in all of march due to "industry agreed practice".  The Ofgem idiocy may well be on their side, so I then took a shortcut, and made it clear I will go Ombudsman again and it will cost them more than the disputed amount, so its gone back to the team, who I expect will be stubborn again, trying to say I will be using central heating in a record hot spring.
If they billed at the 3 weeks usage of data they had from mid march to first week of April (which is still a little inflated as was one central heating day) and used that for estimation it would have been at a level I would have just eaten up, but I feel the 300 is taking the mickey and abusive of me as the customer.

masonic

Maybe we need a £40 standard of performance payment for meters not fixed within 28 days of being reported as dead.

superkoopauk

Chrysalis said:

QrizB said:

Chrysalis said:

Ok seems I have answer, meter seems completely dead, nothing displayed on its screen.

Its 2021 installed.

I'd guess a flat battery.

Time to drop Octopus a line!

This will be annoying, I can guess Octopus will want to bill me based on preceding months usage, when this is my first period on a boiler with no pilot light in warm weather, and the dec, jan,feb had a lot of usage.  Thanks, I will report back how this gets handled.

Will have to ring tomorrow looks like they closed for bank holiday.

Nice prediction - do you have an idea of the lottery numbers for this week by any chance?

But their argument is of course rubbish.  Surely they need to use a reduced amount?

Chrysalis

Day after complaint an appointment magically appeared.

Bendo

masonic said:

Maybe we need a £40 standard of performance payment for meters not fixed within 28 days of being reported as dead.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/ofgem-sets-out-new-rules-boost-smart-meter-standards-and-compensation?utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&utm_campaign=daily-alert_28-03-2025&utm_content=ofgem+sets+out+new+rules+to+boost

Chrysalis

Bendo said:

masonic said:

Maybe we need a £40 standard of performance payment for meters not fixed within 28 days of being reported as dead.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/ofgem-sets-out-new-rules-boost-smart-meter-standards-and-compensation?utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&utm_campaign=daily-alert_28-03-2025&utm_content=ofgem+sets+out+new+rules+to+boost

It is progress, but 90 days is extremely generous, and what compensation is there for dead meters?

inspectorperez

Chrysalis said:

Bendo said:

masonic said:

Maybe we need a £40 standard of performance payment for meters not fixed within 28 days of being reported as dead.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/press-release/ofgem-sets-out-new-rules-boost-smart-meter-standards-and-compensation?utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&utm_campaign=daily-alert_28-03-2025&utm_content=ofgem+sets+out+new+rules+to+boost

It is progress, but 90 days is extremely generous, and what compensation is there for dead meters?

At what point I wonder will the supplier be able to argue the "out of our control" criteria.

I have been told there is no possibility of my new meter operating in smart mode because of it's location in Cumbria and little or no connectivity. Is it fair that the supplier is penalised or is this an incentive for suppliers to take the initiative and improve connectivity in any specific area?

MWT

inspectorperez said:

Is it fair that the supplier is penalised or is this an incentive for suppliers to take the initiative and improve connectivity in any specific area?

Connectivity is the responsibility of the DCC, not the supplier, they can only use the available approved equipment, quality of the comms network is outside their ability to change.