Octopus Energy Smart Tariff - Be Aware

Hi All,

Just to make you aware of a little Octopus issue I've just had.

Whilst testing the new BMS 3068, typically on Saturday, I tested a full empty of both batteries and a full charge.

I'm on Intelligent Octopus, so obviously charged the batteries back up during the cheap period at 7.5p.

Typically, Octopus have somehow failed to read just one half hour reading at 15:00 on that Saturday.
They have all the other half hour reading except this one.

Because of this, my bill for Saturday instead of being £1.50, was £7.40 because of this little clause in the smart tariff.

1.5 If you switch to one of our smart import tariffs, you agree that we can take half hourly meter readings from your Smart Meter. If we are unable to obtain half hourly meter readings from your Smart Meter, we will charge you for your energy as we would charge a customer on our Flexible Octopus Variable Rate Tariff, based on typical consumption patterns (referred to by Ofgem as “Profile 1”).

What annoys me, is they could clearly see my use of the grid at 14:30 was 0, and my use at 15:30 was 0, and the readings are identical, but they will still pull this one on you and charge you for the whole day at flexible rates.

Just for you all to be aware. So glad I didn't fully charge my 70kW EV that night.

ProximusAl Oh, So they charge you for the full day at standard rate, rather than just the period you were missing. That seems a little unreasonable. >.>

Yes, I've had this a few times when there's been a power cut, meaning the meter hasn't captured a result, It's particularly annoying since, by definition, I used no power. But they did charge me E7 rates, so at least I did get some discount on the night usage.
(I guess my meter was set up with different day and night registers, probably so that the IHD could show the two different rates.)

I did try arguing that, because there were no gaps in the overnight cheap period, it really wasn't hard for them to correctly attribute all the units used to the correct time period, but didn't fly. (They just pointed me to the T&C.) But since it was only about £1, I decided it wasn't really a battle worth fighting.

You can ask them to retry a pull on the data I believe to fill in the gap.

This missing half hour reads is becoming a problem @ Octopus. Something must have changed there end recently. They have not been able to process any flux export for me this month apparently due to missing 30 minute data slots. They billed me for import however!

ProximusAl have you checked the Bright app? If this has the missing slot and Octopus don't then you can raise it with Octopus being their issue and they should credit you for that slot

Cdent it’s on Bright.

I had a lot of issues with gaps in my readings over the past year or so. Gradually Octopus got them filled in with updates from DCC. Was a particular issue last year with huge variations in import/export prices.

Less of an issue for me right now as I'm on daily Tracker for import and Fixed export 15p.

However i continued to push to get resolved and finally Octopus got a meter "maintenance" visit by AES metering. They confirmed Smart Meter was working ok and setup had the extra aerial etc to help get readings back to DCC... BUT...

when the meter was installed they had not done the final step to link meter & DCC with best frequency or whatever. So it was linked on a "one bar" read. Once he reset and ran the tests it has a 3 bar link. My understanding is the link is their own network (technically not mobile or wifi).

So I'm optimistic its a big improvement.

Could be worth reporting a "fault" to get a meter check?

ProximusAl I'd send them this and ask them to recalculate your bill. Bright reads from the DCC as should Octopus, if the DCC have and Octo don't it's a them thing.

Cdent I've emailed the evidence to one of the high up guys in Octopus, to see if he can help.

I dealt with him last year when my meters decided to have a break for 2 months, and then eventually started on there own.

I agree 100% that Bright have the same connection to the DCC as Octopus do.

My export was also missing at the exact same time, but gas was fine.

Octopus automatically pull missing readings every week I think.

But yes, I'd certainly be contacting them and getting it sorted!

Twitter direct message seems to be the best place to get good responses so far I've seen.

We had no smart data available for EON or EDF (can't recall which exactly). They changed the meter and eventually just gave up so we complained to OFGEM.
Ofgem gave them until 2025 to resolve the issue...........!
We signed up for Loop (similar to Bright) and the smart data was there.

We switched to Octopus not long after and voila smart data available without issue.

This is what I was told by Loop:

With regards to the data you see in the Loop app, this is half-hourly data directly from the smart meter itself so it is 100% accurate. We check for data every two hours so it's updated through the day but, yes, our 24 hours runs from 00:00 to 23.59. However each of the 30 min segments is selectable and shows energy used and cost, so (if you felt so inclined) you could compare your 12pm - 12pm readings with the same period in Loop (though that's obviously 48 individual amounts to sum).

We have heard of many instances where Loop can access data where utilities can't and I can't offer a simple explanation. There are actually two data transfer protocols and the utility has an obligation to maintain both. It would seem sometimes the one they use becomes non-operational whilst the one open to third parties persists. The IHD is another matter again and uses a different network again. You can read more here.
https://kb.loop.homes/differences-for-smart-meter-and-hardware-users

ProximusAl it not just that, in my case when they claim when they had half hour meter reading issues they attempted to charge me at the wholesale kwh rate i.e. 48p +VAT rather than the electric price guarantee of 33p, and then take nealry 2 months to rectify. Moral is check in detail (from a viewpoint of “don’t trust”) Octopus billing and if an discrepancy noted, challenge it forcefully via their formal complaints process (not just a service desk individual)

does Bright do the same as Chameleon? I have chameleon installed and get readings into Smartthings.

So I finally got a resolution to this with Octopus. To be fair to them, they were really good.

Below is a list of the half hour readings over time that my meter decided it didn't want to provide.

It turned out, that although Bright had the readings, it wasn't DCC sourced, it's because I use the Bright CAD that is on my HAN, so it could get the readings direct from the meter.

Confirmed with N3rgy, that these readings are in fact missing, so there is obviously some issue between the meter and the DCC.

Octopus are quite correct, that their terms state if they cant get all the half hour readings they will charge the whole day at flexible rate, so that is what they have done for me.

However, as a gesture of good will due to the issues I'm having, they credited my account £30 🙂

That will pay for the next 5 missing readings as well as the existing ones!!

So happy with Octopus, and actually a pleasure to deal with.

ProximusAl
would an octopus mini solve your problem? it reports via wifi your smart meter data but I know not if they incorporate that into their systems.

positor1 I believe it would, as it apparently updates the meter readings from the HAN direct into Kraken.....but........

I've been on the waiting list forever, and they said to me recently "It's in testing stages and haven't integrated your smart meter model yet...."

Not really a valid statement...maybe they haven't integrated SMETS1 meters perhaps, due to the encryption differences between SMETS 1 and 2. I could understand that, but all SMETS1 meters comms are the same.

Be interested to know if anyone has the mini with a SMETS1 meter.....

I think the minis tend to arrive 3-6 months after requesting. Seen a few comments about them on other forums such as MSE.

I've got a mini, but it's a smets2 meter.

ProximusAl
received mine a few weeks back but smets 2 again , what is kraken, is that the octopus computer?

positor1 Yes.

https://octopusenergy.group/kraken-technologies

ProximusAl Be interested to know if anyone has the mini with a SMETS1 meter.....

We have a mini with a SMETS1 meter, (a Secure Liberty Meter) and it works fine. It is capable of providing "live" data.

Woodlands guess it depends what manufacturer and/or model of smart meter.

They all have different quirks. Like some of them couldn't report their meter readings until the firmware had been fixed (I think they went through 3 firmware versions before it was fixed).

I have an Elster AS300P. SMETS 1.

Good to know that a mini will work with SMETS 1, I’m now starting to think I may just be being fobbed off, as I signed up for one like 12 months ago when they were announced.

I have the Hildebrand Glow CAD on my meters and that works perfectly fine.

ProximusAl So I finally got a resolution to this with Octopus. To be fair to them, they were really good.

In my experience Octopus are usually very fair and good at sorting issues out. I've had a few problems over the years and they always get there, though it sometimes can take a wee while.
They cocked up a smart meter installation at my old house and missed appointments three times. Each time I got £30 goodwill off them after I moaned at them for a bit. Paid for a couple months electricity at the time 😁

Glad to see that you got it sorted.

Woodlands same here. Seems to work fine but not showing much now as we don’t use any! Unless we plug the car in then 7600!

Data from the mini can be useful to see how much the import is swinging up and down.

Plus can setup automations e.g. if the usage is high, the rate is peak, the battery discharge is low/zero, and this happens for more than a couple of minutes, alert me. 😀