New Octopus smart meter woes

CappacinoGirl

Installed on 13 July 2026 after being with Octopus since January 2026. Readings prior to smart meter +/- 2 kWh/day since mid April. Since installation usage +/- 20 kWh/day with lows of 15 kWh/day and highs of 28 kWh/day. I have solar panels since 2011 and a 6kW battery since January 2026. Last Wednesday Octopus engineer came after my electrician found a free-dangling clamp; this was fitted and problem presumed resolved. However high daily usage still being recorded of the same magnitude. Today Octopus asked me to turn off all power, take photo of smart meter reading before and after. When I did this I realised I had two readings on the meter, 489 and 545. These stayed the same whilst electric was off but both started increasing once power was restored. I don't know why I have two readings. I'm not dual fuel and I'm on a fixed tariff. I'm investigating whether to go on the octopus solar tariff or the heat pump one. I've had a ground source heat pump since 2011. In winter I would expect highs of 25 kWh but not in summer when the heat pump is only providing hot water and I have been absent for over 18 days since the smart meter was installed. Any thoughts would be appreciated. If further clarification needed please let me know. Thanks.

TroubledTarts

Was your previous meter an analogue one and did it go backwards when producing solar energy I wonder 🤔

Just to check do you have electric showers and how often do you heat your water in summer and to what temperature.

Any extras like pond pumps, aquariums, we had one person recently forget to mention they had a swimming pool with it's own seperate heat pump. That sort of information is handy when deciding if daily figures are in the right ball park.

debitcardmayhem

I am guessing but the 545 meter reading is probably your export , and the other is import, or vice versa. Share us your photosperhaps

Merlin139

My Smart Meter was installed by Octopus in March 2024, and I also have 2 figures as I have Solar panels.

My first figure is my Solar Export and the second figure is my usage.

My Meter is KAIFA MA120

I get 4 screens and they show.

Time, Load Limit Status. -H Value. + H Value.

Reed_Richards

I think I am right in saying that any smart meter fitted recently will measure both your imported electricity and also the electricity that you export from your solar panels. If your solar panels were installed under the FiT scheme you will be paid for the amount of solar power that you generate together with the amount of solar you export but the latter would have been deemed to be half of what you generate. Now your meter can measure what your export really is. You can now opt to be paid for actual rather than deemed export and that payment can be either at the FiT rate or the rate paid under the SEG scheme.

When my smart meter was installed, the installer moved the current clamp for my solar panels to the wrong place and left hurriedly even though I told him that my solar readings were now wrong. Fortunately I was able to move it to the right wire. My inverter has a self-calibration feature that I can use to check.

If you had a rotating dial electricity meter that went backwards when you exported electricity then in effect you were being paid twice for what you exported, effectively at a premium rate and that wasn't legal. You could be prosecuted for this, although I thank that is unlikely. And potentially Octopus could re-bill you for the last few years based on estimates of the actual amount of electricity you imported, but they probably won't.

Nevertheless around 500 kWh in under 30 days is heavy electricity use for summer. Are you sure that your heat pump is heating your hot water rather than your immersion heater? A ground source heat pump would have the potential to use either. The immersion heater would probably be used to take the water temperature up to 60 C as a protection against Legionella and if your heat pump wasn't doing its job at lower water temperatures then the system might default to using just the immersion heater.

CappacinoGirl

Thank you for all your comments.

Shower is getting hot water through the heat pump. It has integrated water storage. Once a week on Sunday it heats the water above normal to prevent Legionnaires disease. Hot water demand is set to "low" and temperature is currently 42.7°C.

The old meter was analogue and only moved forwards never back. I was paranoid in checking it several times over 24 hours after the battery was installed.

I have one 200ltr aquarium. The pump works 24/7. I disconnected the heater because the tank was getting close to overheating thanks to the ambient temperature of the room. That was probably end May.

Ive been getting feed in tariff from British Gas since 2011 and am on the highest rate 76.90p/kWh of which iiswhy I hesitate to take Octopus tariff as when I enquired they told me I'd lose that rate.

How do I attach a photo?

Anne

CappacinoGirl

Photos top to bottom

Analysis graph of battery app last night

First reading from smart meter

Second reading from smart meter

CappacinoGirl

Top. Before smart meter

Bottom. After smart meter installed and both clamps attached

Reed_Richards

Something very odd is happening with the battery. It discharges rapidly, gets recharged rapidly, discharged again rapidly then stays completely discharged for the middle of the day, implying no spare solar power then. This is my battery yesterday (sunny). Starting at midnight it is charged from the mains to about 50%, starts to discharge at 6 AM (but not much demand), solar charging kicks-in so it's fully charged by about 10:30 and stays about fully charged until 17:30,back down to about 55% by midnight.

Reed_Richards

I have the same smart meter and it reads in sequence "Local Time", "Local Date", "+H value" "-H value" shown at the top left of the screen (if you press one of the buttons the screen will backlight for a while). "+H value" is import, "-H value" is export.

Reed_Richards

The old meter was analogue 

The one in the picture is digital but not smart. I had a similar one and it used to read rEd when there was net export (meaning "reverse Energy detected").