Yorkshire Energy Can't Support Economy 7 Smartmeters

plh56
plh56 Posts: 56
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I moved to Yorkshire Energy on 5th September 2019 and have had nothing but troubles ever since. My first problem (which I posted here back in November) was that they used the wrong opening reading which took several complaints and months to resolve but finally now is sorted.

My main current problem is that since moving to them I have been unable to read my Smartmeter, as (unknown to me until after the switch) they don't support Smartmeters. This shouldn't be a problem normally as I'm supposed to be able to read it manually still like a dumb meter, but because I am on an Economy 7 tariff I am unable to read the day and night rates until they send a signal to my Smartmeter to tell it to display the Economy 7 day/night readings instead of the total reading, which they cannot do as they don't support Smartmeters...

Consequently I am unable to get any meaningful readings since switching. I have spent many hours on the phone to them since October trying to get them to sort this out, but so far have got nowhere. The best I got was in November when I spoke to a guy called Phillip in the back end team. He told me that they had many customers in this situation and they are going to put me on a priority list of people to connect to their new Smartmeter system when it launches and that it would be ready by the end of 2019 at the latest. He said someone will be in touch in December with more exact times but if I didn't hear anything to call back for an update in January. Unsurprisingly (given my other experience with YE so far) no one called as promised and the only contact I had from them were automated emails asking for my readings (which they know I can't give) so I called them for an update last week. The lady I spoke to was very nice but knew nothing about it and said there was nothing about it on my account so went off to speak to the back end team and was told there is no date set yet for when Smartmeters will be supported so not sure why I was told otherwise as that was false. I put in a complaint about the problem and the way I have been treated and was promised a call back this Monday or Tuesday but so far have heard nothing back about that either (and they don't give reference numbers apparently so nothing to refer to if they deny all knowledge of it again next time I call).

I'm now not sure what to do next. After waiting over 4 months for them to fix it by enabling Smartmeters that seemed to be a dead-end. Should I demand they replace my meter with a dumb one I can read the Economy 7 readings on next? If so I will lose all my readings since September which probably are in my meter just not accessible until a signal is sent to it, so how will they know what day/night usage to use? I realize they can use the total reading which I can provide and estimate the day and night from that, perhaps from readings from 2018 and 2019 before I switched to them, but I have upgraded my washing machine and dishwasher since then to ones with a timer so using more at night than I was back then so concerned I'll be overcharged if they do that? Also is a big inconvenience to have to replace the meter with a dumb one only to switch it again to a Smartmeter when I switch again or they finally support them.

Can anyone give me some advice what to do? Given my terrible experience with YE so far I would like to leave them ASAP when my contract is up in September 2020 so I don't have to pay the early exit fee, but I'm concerned I won't be able to switch away while I'm unable to get any readings as won't they insist on an exact final reading or else they'll block my switch? Given the months it took to get them to accept the correct opening reading I have no confidence they would treat me fairly or competently when they are losing me as a customer when they were so bad even when I was joining them as a customer.
Is there someone external I can complain to to get his resolved before then so I can switch away ASAP?

On another less urgent matter - I switched bank account in November using the account switching service, which seemed to work well and now my direct debits come out of my new bank account OK. But when I call YE (or login online) it still shows my old bank details in YE's system. I have failed security because of this as I gave my current bank details when they asked what bank my direct debit comes from, which they wrongly said was incorrect. Now when I call I have to give them my old bank account number to pass security even though that's been closed for months now and is wrong. I've asked YE to update this in December and January but it still hasn't been done, is there someone external to YE I can get this fixed via, i.e. my old or new bank as part of the current account switch guarantee or is it not worth it given they are receiving the payments from my new bank ok?
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  • dreamypuma
    dreamypuma Posts: 1,338
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    I suggest you follow there complaints procedure as outlined here: https://yorkshire-energy.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004114451-I-d-like-to-make-a-complaint

    This will then allow you to escalate accordingly.

    Keep things brief (briefer than the post), factual, and in chronological order. Document all contact you make with them.
    My farts hospitalize small children :o
  • plh56
    plh56 Posts: 56
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    "Is this any help: https://www.jec.co.uk/your-home/customer-care/metering-and-pay-as-you-go/how-do-i-read-my-meter/"

    Thanks but no. I already know how to read the meter as I've done so successfully before switching to YE. It is a Liberty 100 so you press 9 to get the normal reading or 6 to get the day/night readings. But the 6 option only works if it has been sent a signal/config file to tell it it's in Economy 7 mode so when I press it it doesn't show anything useful.
  • plh56
    plh56 Posts: 56
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    dreamypuma wrote: »
    I suggest you follow there complaints procedure as outlined here: https://yorkshire-energy.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004114451-I-d-like-to-make-a-complaint

    This will then allow you to escalate accordingly.

    Keep things brief (briefer than the post), factual, and in chronological order. Document all contact you make with them.


    Thanks, I will try that again, but I've asked to raise a complaint using their complaints procedure twice now already. Firstly in December about the opening readings and when i called back to chase they said they had no record of it (although they finally did fix the issue anyway irrespective of the complaint so I didn't chase it further after that). Now last week about the inability to read it and still not heard a thing on that either. Unfortunately they won't give a reference so their complaints procedure seems to be useless. Maybe I'll give them another few weeks then try again via email next time as harder for them to "forget" about that one as should be a record.
  • dreamypuma
    dreamypuma Posts: 1,338
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    I'm a firm believer in formalising complaints in writing. I would personally post them a letter.
    My farts hospitalize small children :o
  • Gerry1
    Gerry1 Posts: 9,891
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    I imagine that it should be possible for a meter reader to update the meter on site and to download all the historical half hour usage so that the missing E7 day and night readings can be generated.

    Why not suggest that, ask for a deadlock letter if they don't agree, and then go to the ombudsman upon receipt or after eight weeks if they don't respond?
  • dreamypuma
    dreamypuma Posts: 1,338
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    Don't keep giving the more time. Complain, follow it up, if you get no where escalate, then ask for a review of your complaint.

    Keep a record of times and dates of any contact, and their response against each contact. If they agree to do something, get them to confirm timescales and if they fail, follow it up immediately.

    You needs a clear, and evidenced path to them saying there is nothing they can do, and a deadlock letter. They will want to avoid this, as I believe each complaint to the ombudsman cost the energy company.
    My farts hospitalize small children :o
  • Haarlem
    Haarlem Posts: 345
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    I moved to Yorkshire August 2018.

    My previous supplier kept e-mailing me that they could not get a closing reading from the opening one I had given Yorkshire. They had tried all the data flow ways but had come to the conclusion to get a final bill was for me to send a copy of the first bill from Yorkshire.

    I got my first bill from Yorkshire January 2019, five months after joining them. My old supplier were very patient waiting for the delay in finalising things from a copy I sent them.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    edited 18 January 2020 at 8:41PM
    plh56 wrote: »
    "Is this any help: https://www.jec.co.uk/your-home/customer-care/metering-and-pay-as-you-go/how-do-i-read-my-meter/"

    Thanks but no. I already know how to read the meter as I've done so successfully before switching to YE. It is a Liberty 100 so you press 9 to get the normal reading or 6 to get the day/night readings. But the 6 option only works if it has been sent a signal/config file to tell it it's in Economy 7 mode so when I press it it doesn't show anything useful.
    Have you tried contacting your former supplier to see if they can correct the day/night reads on button 6 ? Presumably button 6 was showing day/night OK before you switched
    Y.E. will not be able to remotely connect with the meter , only the supplier who installed the Secure Liberty 100 meter can electronically contact the meter at the moment until the DCC becomes active .
    Smart switching is not in use yet so no supplier can "support " any smart meters from any other suppliers.
    Alternatively Y.E could change the meter to either a dumb or a smart meter which they then can control or support.
  • plh56
    plh56 Posts: 56
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    Houbara wrote: »
    Have you tried contacting your former supplier to see if they can correct the day/night reads on button 6 ? Presumably button 6 was showing day/night OK before you switched
    Y.E. will not be able to remotely connect with the meter , only the supplier who installed the Secure Liberty 100 meter can electronically contact the meter at the moment until the DCC becomes active .
    Smart switching is not in use yet so no supplier can "support " any smart meters from any other suppliers.
    Alternatively Y.E could change the meter to either a dumb or a smart meter which they then can control or support.

    Hi, sorry for the delay in responding. Thanks for the suggestion. I did ask my previous supplier (Ovo) if they could do anything, but they said the moment I moved to new supplier they cannot reach the meter any longer as only the new supplier can do so at that point. When they asked to install a smart-meter, I only agreed if it was a SMETS2 meter as I didn't want to have the change it again, and they promised me it would be. I have some concerns that they lied to me and installed a SMETS1 anyway but have no way of knowing, so assuming they told the truth for now, so it should be fine, if new supplier supports Smartmeters.
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