Looking for advice — long-running Octopus Energy billing/metering issue (Ombudsman involved twice)

Littlemurf

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81864281#Comment_81864281

It was the electrician that needed an isolation switch installed and it was responsibility of Octopus to instal it, This was before we considered having a smart meter and Octopus didnt give us an option of the 2 being done at the same time!

tim_p

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865079#Comment_81865079

so can you enter these readings into a spreadsheet (or do manual calcs) and produce what you think to be your correct usage?

Littlemurf

Your comments are really helpful, even though they confuse me more!! We used to have 2 MPAN numbers; now we only have one but we have 2 electricity supplies into the house. So we have some electrical items on the E7 system and some on a normal electrical system.

On our bills all we can see is 1 MPAN number and a day and night reading. Perhaps this is where I am getting confused, as I know we have 2 circuits on 2 different systems?

Do you think a really good electrician could work this out for us? We cant get Octopus to reply to us at the moment and our 3rd complaint has gone over their 8-week deadline, but I am reluctant to get the Ombudsman involved again. I would just like it be sorted, be billed correctly every month and for them to stop changing our reads around and creating fictitious debts which they are expecting us to pay off!

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865082#Comment_81865082

So when you said earlier:

"The first time we went to the ombudsman was to get an Isolator switch installed, necessary to have smart meter."

…that wasn't actually the case… we are trying to help but it is hard to do it when the ground keeps shifting.

Should we assume that the electrical work was done to prepare for a move to E7, or was it for something else?

Littlemurf

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865085#Comment_81865085

Yep, done that and give it to Octopus. They lost the spreadsheet and when I sent it again they sent a revised bill which seemed correct at the time but then stopped billing us.

Scot_39

Lots of problems, but little technical to go on.

So you now have a 2 rate smart meter where both registers work and increment at some time daily ?

i dont understand why Octopus would need to register flip a new meter of their choosing in first place - and then undo repeat etc.

can you explain why you think the meter is wrong and give your current tariff and meter make and model number

so like during daytine does say register 1 only increment

at night does register 2 only increment

on an old twin independent meter rts both meters might have registered use overnight - so you might see that as a change - but its not a fault per se - its a change.

Would we be correct in assuming if replaced a twin meter setup - that used to bill your old restricted circuits independently -given the twin mpan?

If so you need a specific sort of smart meter to replicate that directly - a twin element meter - which Ive only seen SP - working well oneposter believed and EDF - not working well again just one poster - users post about on here - not Octopus.

Would we be correct in assuming Octopus instead fitted a standard single element smart meter that only measures the total power - so bills whole house on day rate / night rate just by time - and hopefully the restricted circuit only switches active during the cheaper if e7 night rate ?

that again assuming your electrical work didnt remove the need for restricted circuits.

a photo of meter (serial number redacted) and of the wider meter cabinet including the meter tails) might help shed light on any wiring issues. Meter fitters are not infallible when faced with non standard installations.

And maybd CUs so can see number of isolators and mcb labelling too.

if house been rewired - did you also change hot water and space heaters - again what are they - generic types - nsh, panel, ashp etc immersion heater het tank etc ?

Scot_39

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865090#Comment_81865090

Potentially even more complex then.

what do you think you mean by 2 different systems ?

In a modrrn install for say e7 - one street cable feeds one smart meter - in simplest case that meter outputs a live feed and a restricted feed (e.g. for nsh and hw immersion tank) - two seperate wires to in many cases 2 consumer units (my small house is all in one but split into 3 sets of isolated circuits internally as that was how my old rts worked.)

Are you referring to 2 seperate dno supplies from street cables via incoming fuses to meter(s) - or 2 supplies from meter cabinet to house consumer units.

again a photo of wider meter cabinet (serial nos redacted) might help others to help you ?

QrizB

again a photo of wider meter cabinet (serial nos redacted) would help others to help you ?

Agreed, a photo would definitely help us understand what's going on here.

Littlemurf

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865133#Comment_81865133

Sorry I misquoted the information and I didn't make myself clear. We have 1 electricity supply into the smart meter and then I have 3 circuit boards inside the house. Circuit 1 & 2 feeds all the normal electricity such as tv, sockets, cooker etc. The other circuit board supplys the economy 7 units which is storage heaters and immersion heater.

Littlemurf

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81865094#Comment_81865094

I think part of the difficulty here is that I don’t have a technical background, so I’m trying to describe a very complicated metering and electrical situation in layman’s terms. If my explanations seem inconsistent, it’s not because I’m changing the story, it’s because I’m trying to understand it myself.

I really do appreciate everyone taking the time to comment. This whole situation has been going on for over 3 years and I’m out of my depth with the technical side of it. I’m doing my best to give accurate information, but I may not always use the right terminology or explain things in the most logical order.

If it helps we have not had the house rewired. We had some old storage heaters removed and replaced the broken immersion heater.