Energy Suppliers

Had an email from Octopus this week asking me to book in for my SMETS-2 meter installation, after i requested one a while back. Woop. Anyone had theirs done w/ Octopus? Im wary of the horror stories ala Bulb ^^
 
I thought octopus smet2 software had a good reputation, since, for their hourly variable tarif , they have provided apps(&apk's) that alert users on upcoming tarif so they can schedule a washing machine say ... I was impressed anyway.
Nonetheless afaik you cannot get a display/storable-record on your mobile phone of your current minute by minute use.

Maybe @BigBoy will tell me, but if you have an smet2 from one supplier and then change, can it be flashed with software from another vendor to work with their in-house display (... or, will only the remote logging of readings continue to work, which would be a waste of time )
 
jpaul said:
I thought octopus smet2 software had a good reputation, since, for their hourly variable tarif , they have provided apps(&apk's) that alert users on upcoming tarif so they can schedule a washing machine say ... I was impressed anyway.
Nonetheless afaik you cannot get a display/storable-record on your mobile phone of your current minute by minute use.

Maybe @BigBoy will tell me, but if you have an smet2 from one supplier and then change, can it be flashed with software from another vendor to work with their in-house display (... or, will only the remote logging of readings continue to work, which would be a waste of time )
Click to expand...


it "Should" all continue to work as is, so the In Home Display will update to the new tariff data from your new supplier and so on. I say Should as I have not experienced it yet....
 
Had a not so smart SMET2 installed from OVO yesterday..
The electricity is reporting ok but the gas meter isn't talking to the comms hub. Looking at their forums there are loads of issues with these new SMET2 systems.

Will now have to keep on at them to get this sorted.
 
https://octopus.energy/blog/unblocking-second-generation-smart-meters/
Report says that when suppliers receive a pallet of smets2 smart meters
"The manufacturers test the top layer of meters before they leave the factory. Typical good practice to make sure a batch works.
But under the SMETS2 security protocol, it seems that a meter which has been tested will no longer work – possibly never again."
You couldn't make it up :D
 
Is there any way to get the v1 smart meters ripped out and replace with standard 'dumb' meters for free?

My v1 smart meter doesn't really offer me a great deal, other than a few graphs. To put the cherry on the cake, it will probably need to modified to a v2 and a Frankenstein meter doesn't really appeal to me.
 
Just turn them off the in home display off if you don't like it/use it. The energy provider can still take auto readings.

Or change energy supplier so it becomes a dumb meter, then go back to manual readings
 
So I switched my electric to EDF in Jan 2018 and got a smart meter installed in Feb 2018 It was set to give monthly readings and iirc they needed a few readings before billing started which I had set to monthly DD.

Fast forward to now and I've switched to Tonik which had triggered EDF to send me a bill for £347 for the 506 days electric I've used without making a payment :p Oops.

I had realised but kept forgetting to do anything about it.
 
Report says that when suppliers receive a pallet of smets2 smart meters
"The manufacturers test the top layer of meters before they leave the factory. Typical good practice to make sure a batch works.
But under the SMETS2 security protocol, it seems that a meter which has been tested will no longer work – possibly never again."
Click to expand...
interesting - looks as though octopus subcontract some/all of their meter installs
https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/glasgow-s-sms-reels-in-octopus-smart-meter-contract-1-4857783

wonder if other companies use them ... so they employed the wrong company ... sounds like an excuse "possibly" from ill-informed management.
 
nutsnut said:
Just turn them off the in home display off if you don't like it/use it. The energy provider can still take auto readings.

Or change energy supplier so it becomes a dumb meter, then go back to manual readings
Click to expand...
Sadly I have been taking and supplying my own meter readings for at least the past two years, which is when I changed provider rendering my "smart" meter, from OVO, dumb.
 
so bulb has sent an e-mail saying you need to up your payments to £137 per month from £99

estimate ~ £1650 per year

i only got a threadripper setup the other month, does it cost that much ro run nowadays :p

what are the other recommended suppliers as of late?
 
Just go on uSwitch and see what's cheapest, Avro doing a 12 month fix with no exit fee right now
 
maddness said:
so bulb has sent an e-mail saying you need to up your payments to £137 per month from £99

estimate ~ £1650 per year

i only got a threadripper setup the other month, does it cost that much ro run nowadays :p

what are the other recommended suppliers as of late?
Click to expand...
That seems like a lot of electricity to be using. Our monthly bill is £40 for electricity during summer months.
 
I've got EDF chasing me hard for a Smart Meter install currently. They do say over the phone that they are SMETS2 and as such can be used by other suppliers if i leave EDF in the future.

Looking at previous posts, anyone getting any issues when EDF do an install? I can see that the Bulb process has been a bit of a nightmare for some.

Any real reason I shouldn't switch now?
 
I would say just the hassle and your time it takes to monitor the install, versus, the genuine time it takes to submit readings.

not smart - I submitted my first first bulb reading for 7 months and was about £30 in credit .. so if the debits set up right, you can just let it roll


I won't get one until the have a decent app based home energy monitor

This could have been a great product https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1178650747/glow-the-smart-energy-tracker-for-your-home
 
Due a switch now. Went fro BG to Eon via Uswitch this time last year and the experience on Eons end was absolutely terrible . Once up and running it's been ok but wouldn't use them again.

Any way my time at Eon runs out on the 16th. If I use Uswitch now, will I need to pay the £60 exit fee as its coming to an end? Or do I need to wait until they dump me on there basic variable tariff before I leave to avoid the charge?

What names are good to go with at the moment?
 
You can move 49 days before end of contract without penalty.

Just go on uSwitch and put your kWh numbers in and go with one of the box 6 if you don't want hassle.
 
PiKe said:
You can move 49 days before end of contract without penalty.

Just go on uSwitch and put your kWh numbers in and go with one of the box 6 if you don't want hassle.
Click to expand...

Thanks I'll take a look, it let me scan my QR Code from my last bill in May. It then just made a point of noting the cancellation fee so threw me off a bit. I'll have a look at the options today.

I think scanning the code then gave them all my kWh usage etc. Can't find it anywhere to know how much to input manually. Again, mostly down to Eons terrible interface
 
Looking to switch suppliers from Scottish Power to Pure Planet as they appear to be coming out the cheapest between; Bulb, Octopus and Pure Planet. Any reason to consider Bulb or Octopus over Pure Planet? Bulb and Octopus are £50 more per year than Pure Planet.

Looking through the thread Pure Planet seem to get a decent reputation but happy to take advice :)
 
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