Failed gas smart readings

arjar

Octopus installed smart meters for both gas and electricity in 2022. All worked well for 2 years until   in August 24 the readings from the gas meter stopped. I asked them to fix it, and submitted gas readings manually via their website.

In January 25 I moved my electricity account to Ecotricity.

In August 25 the Octopus website wouldn't allow me to submit manual readings.  I contacted them and asked them again to restore smart functionality, or at least enable me to continue to send readings manually.  Neither has happened.

Octopus are now claiming that they cannot fix the gas meter reading problem because they have no access to the Comms hub attached to the electricity meter.  At first they implied this was my fault for moving the electricity supply contract.  Now they have rowed back somewhat, but still claim that the split supply arrangement prevents them from accessing the Comms hub to resolve the problem.  Their website still doesn't allow me to submit manual readings.

Their latest response to my request for restoration of smart functionallity says that they are:

"unable to communicate with your gas meter remotely now since your electricity meter has switched supplier. (Our smart team) have advised that only one supplier can have the permissions to access the meters remotely so that'll be the electricity supplier and it is the electricity that is attached to the communications hub."

The Comms hub has worked continuously, sending smart Electricity readings.

I find it difficult to believe that splitting suppliers results in the inability of the gas supplier to access and restore communication.  This sounds like a Competition issue as much as an Ofgem issue.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Green_hopeful

No but i know it’s the electricity meter that transmits the information to the energy company. 

daveyjp

Unfortunately I don't find it difficult to believe at all.

However, I also never trust what a company is saying in response to an issue which may be sat in a 'unusual complaints which take too much time to sort out' pile.  Blaming a third party is a nice way of closing that query for a while.

Formal complaint to Octopus time.

Alnat1

Octopus are correct. The comms hubs sits on top of the electric meter and is the responsibility of your electricity supplier.

Ecotricity are unlikely to be interested in getting your gas meter to communicate as they aren't your supplier. If the gas meter is still recording your use then it's unlikely any supplier will be prepared to change anything.

squirrelpie

Alnat1 said:

Octopus are correct. The comms hubs sits on top of the electric meter and is the responsibility of your electricity supplier.

Ecotricity are unlikely to be interested in getting your gas meter to communicate as they aren't your supplier. If the gas meter is still recording your use then it's unlikely any supplier will be prepared to change anything.

But if you're allowed to have separate suppliers for gas and electricity then having a third party involved must be fairly common, and surely somebody has thought about this? Does anybody know for sure?

arjar

This seems such an obvious flaw the smart meter regime that I would be surprised if it hasn't arisen previously.  Having raised a complaint with Octopus over a month ago and come to this impasse I guess I'll have to escalate it to Ofgen after 8 weeks.  But it also seems anti-competitive as it penalises those who have gas suppliers different to their electricity suppliers - so I'll see whether the Competition authorities are interested too.

In the meantime Octopus seems either unable or unwilling to restore my ability to record readings manually online - which is fundamentally poor. 

tlcgrantham

I had a similar situation when I switched my Electricity supply away from Octopus and left my gas with them and the meter had to be changed. I made an official complaint and received an offer of compensation which I accepted but they insisted they couldn’t access the comms unit and connect the gas meter.