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Octopus - Smart meter install

10K views 52 replies 24 participants last post by  mad_rich 
#1 ·
Has anyone recently got any sense out of Octopus about exactly when they are restarting meter installs?

Big banner on their website saying they have restarted, so I started my switch and registered for interest.

Time passes without even an acknowledgement of my registering for interest, so I e-mail them just to check they received my register of interest and to ask for a rough idea about the meter install. I get a copy-pasted answer back saying they are only doing emergency work due to COVID-19.

I reply challenging that and point out that is not what it says on the website, and get another reply back still not answering either of the original questions but this time saying they are slowly starting work but that these are not normal times, safety of employees number one priortiy etc.

So we can go to the pub and gym, get a hair cut and even a massage, but it's not safe for someone to fit a meter -outside- your house?!

It's the inconsistent and/or patronising messaging that I'm frustrated about more than anything.

Thought Octopus were supposed to be the kings of customer service!
 
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#32 ·
I registered my interest last year when Octopus bought my account from Engie. I've pestered them about it many times. It took a shirty email at the weekend to get any response other than "soon" from them. I'm booked in for 27th August so hopefully I'll have my PodPoint around then as well.
 
#36 ·
I'm on Octopus Go and have a pair of "Secure" SMETS1 meters. The comms function packed up during lockdown - the meters still seem to be collecting data as shown on the IHD. After some discussion with Octopus, they suggested migrating to SMETS2, which they offered to do once lockdown meant their meter fitters were out an about again. Anyway, they are now booked for this Thursday. Whether the new ones work as advertised remains to be seen, as we are in a weak signal strength area here. Considering the grief some people have had I can't really complain.
 
#37 ·
they suggested migrating to SMETS2, which they offered to do once lockdown meant their meter fitters were out an about again.
Glad to see that you are nearing a resolution. Are they planning new meters or just a new communications unit?
 
#39 ·
My meters are in the basement of a Victorian semi. We are in the North West. By the sounds of it the smart metering is done via radio signal here. I beT the reception will be bad here in a basement and given the overall location. Add in the fact it's 3 phase sounds like mission impossible getting smart metering here
 
#41 ·
So finally after 6 years of trying we have smart meters fitted that work.

3 phase Smet 2 on the radio system and its connecting fine installer said.

Only switched to octopus a few months ago so pretty impressive considering how new / difficult to obtain 3 phase SMET 2 meters are.

We have been through 3 energy suppliers to get to this point over the years (Scottish Power, Npower, EDF prior to Octopus)

Can switch to the go tarrif now hopefully.
 
#47 ·
So finally after 6 years of trying we have smart meters fitted that work.

3 phase Smet 2 on the radio system and its connecting fine installer said.
How easy did you find it once you were with Octopus and did you have to contact any special department?

I have a friend who is looking for a 3-phase smart meter in Cumbria, and he keeps hitting a brick wall. Even with Octopus, they've sworn blind that they can do it, and then the meter installer turns up and says it can't be done.
 
#43 ·
Just got my first proper statement with smart meter. 84 page PDF with breakdown day by day of every half hour usage with overlay of the tariff so you can clearly see the off/peak hours

going to chew through a little and maybe try to move to faster based on way more house usage than car usage
 
#44 ·
Mine was commissioned straight away and I was able to switch to go on the website.

It says getting half hourly readings bit then it says We've not received your reading....

Reading for electricity are shown up.until.yesterday. no readings for gas.

I only switched to go today so maybe takes a bit to sort out on the webpage ?
 
#45 ·
If it's any help, it took about 3 days after recording the electricity data for the gas data to start appearing when we got our SMETS2 meters fitted. If the gas meter was properly linked to your electricity meter before the meter fitter left site, then it will appear in due course.
 
#46 ·
Glad I stuck with the SMET1 that SSE fitted after a complete house rewire 3 years ago.
Worked perfectly and was reading both Gas and Electric consumption every 30 minutes within one day and we were changed from a holding tariff to Octopus Go after 2 days readings.
Happy days. 🤗
 
#48 ·
It's probably down to the meter signal reception ? If it's remote or bad signal due to the building ?

I signed up for smart meter and they said can't be done 3 phase initially. First attempt installer rang a few days before install date and said no 3 phase available.

So after reading on here and various other smart meter forums someone recommended emailing to request to join Octopus Agile forum.

This is a closed forum you can only join by request. Really it only seems to be for installers and proper electricity / EV / charging nerds.

However on the email requesting to join I detailed our situation, high consumption, EV owner etc and provided contact details.

Then someone from agile or meters department rang me and talked me through. Said they were becoming available but in short supply but he would put me on a waiting list. He said it might be end of the year before they installed it. He did say it might be SMET1 if no SMET2 available. In the event it was SMET2.

Now the installer was actually Eon badged who fitted it. He seemed to really know his stuff he and his wife are both installers .

He said they have been told not to fit and anymore SMET1 meters ; his wife has a box of them and he was saying they need to get shot of them as they are not meant to fit anymore.

He said the SMET 2 3 phase meters have only been available for general domestic installation since February . He had two box's of 3 phase meters a list of installs to do in my area. But his boss asked for them back and was only left with two one for mine and another job. They are still in short supply but he has done loads of installs he said.

I only moved to Octopus a few months ago so really it was installed very quickly especially given the shortage of meters and 3 phase fitters .

The electricity is working fine updating on my account online all half hourly readings are there. Still nothing on the account online for gas.

I contacted octopus meter department they said it can take up to 6 weeks for gas readings to come through.

I am not so sure. I am not bothered though as it works fine on my display in house it's only the electricity you need anyway for go tarrif.

He said it went through commissioning fine the electricity worked straight away.

You need an SMET2 meter now with SMET1 you have issues not being able to move supplier and potentially not working with future smart Tarrifs etc so glad I got it sorted. Moving to go has probably reduced my electricity bill 30% or so at least.
 
#50 ·
SMET1 you have issues not being able to move supplier and potentially not working with future smart Tarrifs etc so glad I got it sorted.
SMETS1 meters should eventually be connected to the DCC, so will provide the same options to switch suppliers and half hour time of use tariffs as SMETS2.

Fitting SMETS1 no longer helps suppliers meet their smart meter tariffs so they generally won't do it, a couple of years ago I had a perfectly good BG SMETS1 replaced with an Octopus SMETS1 so that I could switch to Go - crazy!
Not sure if suppliers will even swap a SMETS1 to SMETS2 now.

One advantage in the North is you may have a working SMETS1 using the mobile phone network in the same location that current SMETS2 comms won't work because it uses long range radio instead ( or is too close to Flyingdales ).
 
#49 ·
This is what i received today
I hope you are well, I tried to call today with regards to an appointment you have booked on 22/07/21 to have a Smart Meter fitted in your property however, due to stock issues I’m afraid the appointment won't be able to go ahead.

We are not able to install smart meters yet as you live in an area known as RAF Flyingdales. As a bit of background, it is a key part of a missile defence system which helps the UK listen for inbound ballistic missile attacks - so quite important!

The Communication Hubs (the box above your electric meter) we install in the north operate at a certain radio frequency (420 Hz), but for installs in and around this area we are required to install Communication Hubs that operate at a different frequency - 450 Hz. This is to prevent interference with the listening frequencies.

Currently, 450 communication hubs haven't yet been certified for use by DCC & CSP - so unfortunately we are unable to install them yet.

Please bear with me, I understand that this will take longer than expected but please be assured we will be in contact once we are able to book you in.
 
#51 ·
Octopus originally said they might end up fitting an SMET 1 meter for us due to lack of availability of the SMET 2 3 Phase Smart meters. They said if this was the case they would fit an SMET 2 meter when available. Which seems crazy but shows that SMET1 does not meet their requirements moving forwards

In the event the installer told me they are no longer fitting SMET 1 meters at all now they have been told not to fit them even when they have no other stock at hand.

I am not an expert but dependent on the type of SMET 1 meter you have, you can't switch supplier without losing smart functionality (or in my case all functionality ie no meterage on electricity with a previous SMET 1 meter we had When we switched)

Not all the SMET 1 meters are compatible with the new tarrif requirements. It actually says this on the Octopus go FAQs on smart meters but is well documented on this forum and others as well.

There was obviously a reason they moved to SMET2. If all SMET1 meters could do the same job and be migrated they wouldnt have bothered switching to SMET 2 and stopped installing all SMET1 meters .

The issue now is you have this electricity meter Apartheid situation developing. If you have no smart meter or no SMET2 smart meter you can't get the cheapest tarrifs.

The cheapest non smart tarrif on octopus currently is 18p kWh day rate 11.9p a day economy 7. Vs 13.96 kWh day rate and 5p kWh 4 hour night rate on go. This equates to over 30% saving on our electricity cost. As we have high consumption this equates to a decent saving for us annually.

It certainly annoyed me knowing I was paying over the odds and couldn't get the cheapest rates without an SMET2 meter....
 
#53 ·
Thanks @Aleras very helpful reply.

Yes, he's in quite a remote & hilly location, but I think it was the three-phase that foxed them, not the signal. I suspect it's down to availability of SMETS2 and/ or the relative rarity so maybe a lot of problems are new ones every time.
 
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