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Original poster

Worried I've messed up my meter reading

43 replies

TreeWell · 18/11/2023 17:48

I'm worried that I've just screwed up my meter reading! Octopus said that the amount is much lower than they expected and now I'm worrying!

I put the number on this screen in. Pressing the buttons didn't make the number change at all.

I am a grown adults but it's the first time I'm done a meter reading! (disabled, used to get it done for me but this one is in a spot I can actually manage!)

Thank you!

OP posts:
wokbun · 18/11/2023 22:02

Also, it says it's smart - so it should be able to send them readings automatically if you prefer

Sofaz34 · 18/11/2023 22:13

Hi, meter knowledge here from my job. The tariff you show says you have a SMET 2 meter which is a smart meter. This means octopus should be able to gather the reads remotely. Have they asked you to take a reading? If so maybe it's broken and they should come out to fix. If they have the actual reads your bills will show the month end read as actual if they don't it will be estimated.

Shadesofscarlett · 18/11/2023 22:16

ask for a smart meter and their tracker tariff. If they have no meter reading history for you they will be estimating on prev occupier who could be much heavier users than you.

Original poster
TreeWell · 18/11/2023 22:21

Sofaz34 · 18/11/2023 22:13

Hi, meter knowledge here from my job. The tariff you show says you have a SMET 2 meter which is a smart meter. This means octopus should be able to gather the reads remotely. Have they asked you to take a reading? If so maybe it's broken and they should come out to fix. If they have the actual reads your bills will show the month end read as actual if they don't it will be estimated.

No I did it because my bill came in today and it seemed massive compared to my last place (which was bigger than this, and I was using more electricity because I was WFH) now I'm worrying again! 😬

OP posts:
Original poster
TreeWell · 18/11/2023 22:21

Though it does say on the bill that it was an estimate!

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 19/11/2023 01:39

Why isn't your smart meter sending automatic readings?

There shouldn't be any estimating going on and you shouldn't need to do any meter readings.

You should be able to see your usage broken down into half hour segments in your online account so if not, you need to ask them why and how it can be sorted.

We've been with Octopus for about 2 years with a smart meter and have never needed to send meter readings or had estimated bills.

Shadesofscarlett · 19/11/2023 06:54

smart meter must be not communicating with thr grid

Beezknees · 19/11/2023 07:01

Your smart meter should be sending automatic readings. Ask them if there's a fault, they should fix it for you so you don't have to take readings.

Beezknees · 19/11/2023 07:02

Don't worry though, if they've been estimating it they will re calculate it based on the actual reading you've sent.

DaftyInTheMiddle · 19/11/2023 07:10

TreeWell · 18/11/2023 21:30

Yeah but that's from over a year ago! I think they've estimated that I've used far more than I have in reality - I don't really use much electricity, don't have a TV for example and it's only a small studio flat. I only wash once a week, don't use a dryer, and I'm out at work all day so there's not masses used on a daily basis.

That’ll be it then. We have the metres and our smart metre hub stopped working over covid. Once BG could come out they told us they wouldn’t replace the hub as new ones were being rolled out and we could be contacted but so far no one has (this was 1.5years ago maybe). Anyway we had estimated bills for ages as no one had shown us how to use these stupid metres. We ended up with a whopping amount on credit because they will always estimate higher.

NotFastButFurious · 19/11/2023 07:16

I got this message last time I submitted a reading to them but I’d been on holiday for a week and working away for half the week for several weeks and they usually massively over estimate what I use anyway!

MyLadyTheKingsMother · 19/11/2023 07:21

dementedpixie · 18/11/2023 17:50

Looks like a smart meter
Do you have previous readings/bills?

That's not a smart meter.

It looks OK to me op. Have you only just moved in? The 'validation' of the reading will be based on the usage they expect for the property. You are likely just a lower user than the previous owner/tenant, don't worry ❤️

MyLadyTheKingsMother · 19/11/2023 07:26

BarbaraofSeville · 19/11/2023 01:39

Why isn't your smart meter sending automatic readings?

There shouldn't be any estimating going on and you shouldn't need to do any meter readings.

You should be able to see your usage broken down into half hour segments in your online account so if not, you need to ask them why and how it can be sorted.

We've been with Octopus for about 2 years with a smart meter and have never needed to send meter readings or had estimated bills.

Because its in dumb mode. The wan and han lights are not on. Meaning there's no signal.

So the model may be smart capable, but it's not currently a smart meter.

wokbun · 19/11/2023 08:06

OP - don't worry, you've read it right and should hopefully get a nice small bill :)

BarbaraofSeville · 19/11/2023 10:09

I was assuming the OP has a smart meter going by her account screen shots, the meter type and made by lines are the same as ours.

So I'd definitely tell Octopus that I wanted my smart meter to work properly which it currently isn't.

Original poster
TreeWell · 20/11/2023 16:42

Had a bad day with my health today so wasn't able to ring them.

I did ask when I moved in for the smart meter to be used but looking back at the messages, I can't see that they followed up with it at all. It's been estimated high since I moved in this time last year looking at my account so it makes sense that they think I owe much more than I do in reality.

Hopefully I'm feeling better tomorrow and can speak to someone.

OP posts:
supermamio · 20/11/2023 16:51

My father recently got this response from british gas. Turns out he had submitted the correct meter reading this time but his previous one he missed the decimal point (didnt read the bit where it told him to not input anything after the decimal) so he had told them last reading he had used 2000 units more than he actually had 🤦🏼‍♀️

Quick email to customer service with a pic of meter attached and the same again the month after to confirm and everything was sorted.

Shadesofscarlett · 20/11/2023 17:07

you could email them - [email protected] is the email

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