Incorrect meter readings for 2+ years.

hatty1004

After a little advice re our electric bill, with Octopus. 

For context, we moved in November 2023, the previous owner of the house was with Octopus, and we chose to stay with them. (There is a sticker on our meter saying they fitted our meter Jan 2021.). 

When we moved in my partner rang to sort out the gas and electric, telling Octopus the meter readings. We had a guy come (unannounced) I think in Jan 2024 to take meter readings. Nothing since. Naturally we have assumed everything was okay, we have been paying approx £120 a month for gas and electric, (this has always left us with credit on our account). All was fine untill the start of this year, when our estimated annual cost for electricity jumped around £1000. For whatever reason, Octopus seem to charge us £300+ every 3 months. They are still charging us monthly for gas. (I think, its very hard to understand whats actually happening). 

This is leaving us CONSTANTLY in the minus as we (i think) are still paying the 120 a month. 

I have asked using their website for a smart meter many times (so i can see on a daily basis how much £ we use), but always been told we are not eligible. 

When I look on the apps usuage section, they've basically been guessing our usage. Our gas usage has been fine, I can see this day by day. The electric says 'readings are on the way'. 

After ringing to speak to them, and when they asked for what the meter was on, turns out it has been stuck since Nov 2023. Apparently our meter is a smart meter in itself and should automatically send them the reading. They have requested 7 days worth of pictures of the reading, which has been done, so they can see that the reading has not changed, and after sending these to them, they have made a request for an electric meter exchange, but this can take upto 4 weeks. 

1. Surely this issue should have been flagged up on their end, if they're saying our meter talks to them automatically, if its stopped, why has it not been flagged up?

2. If we've been charged over the odds, how can we get our money back? We should be well into the + with our balance, instead we are in the . Will we be able to get a refund? 

3. 4 weeks seems a long time for them to resolve this, especially as in those 4 weeks they'll continue to charge us wrong. Should I tell them they need to sort it quicker? 

Definitely feel like we've been swindled out of God knows how much money, please advise on what I can go back to them with. 

Many thanks. 

MattMattMattUK

hatty1004 said:

After a little advice re our electric bill, with Octopus. 

For context, we moved in November 2023, the previous owner of the house was with Octopus, and we chose to stay with them. (There is a sticker on our meter saying they fitted our meter Jan 2021.). 

When we moved in my partner rang to sort out the gas and electric, telling Octopus the meter readings. We had a guy come (unannounced) I think in Jan 2024 to take meter readings. Nothing since. Naturally we have assumed everything was okay, we have been paying approx £120 a month for gas and electric, (this has always left us with credit on our account). All was fine untill the start of this year, when our estimated annual cost for electricity jumped around £1000. For whatever reason, Octopus seem to charge us £300+ every 3 months. They are still charging us monthly for gas. (I think, its very hard to understand whats actually happening). 

This is leaving us CONSTANTLY in the minus as we (i think) are still paying the 120 a month. 

I have asked using their website for a smart meter many times (so i can see on a daily basis how much £ we use), but always been told we are not eligible. 

When I look on the apps usuage section, they've basically been guessing our usage. Our gas usage has been fine, I can see this day by day. The electric says 'readings are on the way'. 

After ringing to speak to them, and when they asked for what the meter was on, turns out it has been stuck since Nov 2023. Apparently our meter is a smart meter in itself and should automatically send them the reading. They have requested 7 days worth of pictures of the reading, which has been done, so they can see that the reading has not changed, and after sending these to them, they have made a request for an electric meter exchange, but this can take upto 4 weeks. 

1. Surely this issue should have been flagged up on their end, if they're saying our meter talks to them automatically, if its stopped, why has it not been flagged up?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no, largely irrelevant anyway.

hatty1004 said:

2. If we've been charged over the odds, how can we get our money back? We should be well into the + with our balance, instead we are in the . Will we be able to get a refund? 

IF you are in credit then you would be able to get a refund, but that is a big IF, the chances are £120 per month is too low for your energy usage, you have probably underpaid. 

hatty1004 said:

3. 4 weeks seems a long time for them to resolve this, especially as in those 4 weeks they'll continue to charge us wrong. Should I tell them they need to sort it quicker? 

You can tell them anything you want, but it will not change anything.

hatty1004 said:

Definitely feel like we've been swindled out of God knows how much money, please advise on what I can go back to them with. 

You almost certainly have not been "swindled". Wait for the meter to be changed, then see what the propose as the solution. They will likely estimate usage over the period the meter was stuck using the regulator's guidelines, then recalculate and that will either leave you with in credit or in debt. Ongoing you will pay for your actual usage, which will likely be higher than £120 a month, if you have any credit you can request it back, if you are in debt then you will need to pay that off.

FrugaiMacDugal

Did you ever bother to check meter readings yourself, could've spotted this sooner?

Scot_39

1) Smart meters just like old meters can and do fail.

In fact in terms of WAN - the comms hub signal to / from suppliers - and it succesfully sending in meter readings - arguably more so.

Suppliers expect failures - on Smart TOU tariffs they protect themselves against such comms or actual meter failures e.g. by setting out the way people will be billed in the event of a failure - say loss of the 48 1/2 hrly data points they use for the smart billing.  

2) Assumed

There is nothing "natural" about just assuming things are OK when it comes to any bill.  Too many make that mistake - and it costs them.

Not doing so - checking carefully operating as expected - especially in the first months of any new contract for anything - is an act of faith - all too often misplaced faith.

Its as much up to you to review your bills as it is upto suppliers to do any monitoring at their end - which given some of the horror stories re £1000s of debt accumulation then demands for collection - it appears few do.

Hindsight is a great thing, but if for instance you had checked for your readings on the first bill - on monthly statements Dec/Jan - or quarterly say Feb/Mar 24 at latest - this problem would have been known and you could have had it dealt with then.

2)  It depends on what they do with actual estimates - for the period without bills.

I don't know but their may be an argument about back billing here as well - so its possible they wont be able to increase bills over and above the fraction of your DD attributable to electric - for anything before 12m ago - so say last July - only since.

But faulty meters are a bit of an anomaly - so normal rules might not apply.

Arguably their meter visit in Jan 24 was an attempt to get an actual meter reading and possibly (just speculation on my part) to do an inspection - as perhaps they did in fact flag your meter / address as suspect - possibly even before you moved in - if the meter wasn't incrementing.  

Unless they somehow bricked it by updating it OTA if was smart up until you took over (users have speculated caused issues with some reporting needing an meter fitter visit to perform a hard reboot after a change on occassions) .  

If the gas readings are working - seems the HAN from gas to comms hub - and WAN - hub to supplier billing - are fine.

3) 4 weeks for a meter fitting appointment right now in parts of the country is pretty good.

In past some have failed to get appointments at all for months (as some firms only allow bookings so far in advance - so kept getting a no slot free response - which IIRC included Octopus).

The last person posting here re a late RTS replacement was given a mid Sept appointment in late June / early July - iirc - so about 8-10 weeks.