Submit a meter reading today

[Hutch]

Variable tariff, gives the supplier, the opportunity to raise or lower the tariff of the gas or electricity sold to you. A fixed tariff locks both parties into a said price per Kilowatt for a fixed term. is 18 month or maybe 24 months
My E 7 electric tariff will give me next month 35 pence per Kw but at night time for 7 hours at 19 pence per hour. Gas is the same all 24hrs

 

[Bluetonic]

I'd be interested to know how long after you applied for your meter the installation was and also the power company if you don't mind.

Thanks

Our supplier is E.On and it took 2 weeks from ordering to fitting

 

[otherclive]

Variable tariff, gives the supplier, the opportunity to raise or lower the tariff of the gas or electricity sold to you. A fixed tariff locks both parties into a said price per Kilowatt for a fixed term. is 18 month or maybe 24 months
My E 7 electric tariff will give me next month 35 pence per Kw but at night time for 7 hours at 19 pence per hour. Gas is the same all 24hrs

On a national scale there is talk of the Government entering into a long term price contract with the energy companies. But that has advantages and disadvantages just like your post shows for domestic fixed price contracts. If energy prices fall customer be it domestic or Government end up paying over the odds. So it’s a value judgment whichever way it goes.

 

[Buckman]

I think I read somewhere that the idea of the variable tariff was not to be the same times as E7 but to move some loading to the daytime when many people are not at home.

When many people get up or get home at roughly the same time this can cause a peak in the loading.

Also in the mornings the majority of businesses start up for the day so probably a huge drain on the network at that time.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Catch 22......

In an attempt to get a smart meter from my energy company I have contacted my local MSP and they have taken up the case. I've had good results from them in the past with issues with the like of BT and Scottish Water.

I also raised a case with the Ombudsman Service and have received two messages so far which show they aren't really listening. My initial complaint to them was the inability to contact the energy company - I just cannot find anyway. Both messages asked me to provide information to them about telephone calls, emails etc that I've had with them over the problem. Twice I've pointed out that I can't do this since I can't contact them.

Supposedly if I don't provide this non existent informaton in the next 10 days they'll close the case.

 

[figbat]

I'd be interested to know how long after you applied for your meter the installation was and also the power company if you don't mind.

Thanks

About 3 weeks lead time, EDF.

 

[Buckman]

Catch 22......

In an attempt to get a smart meter from my energy company I have contacted my local MSP and they have taken up the case. I've had good results from them in the past with issues with the like of BT and Scottish Water.

I also raised a case with the Ombudsman Service and have received two messages so far which show they aren't really listening. My initial complaint to them was the inability to contact the energy company - I just cannot find anyway. Both messages asked me to provide information to them about telephone calls, emails etc that I've had with them over the problem. Twice I've pointed out that I can't do this since I can't contact them.

Supposedly if I don't provide this non existent information in the next 10 days they'll close the case.

All they need is proof that you tried to contact i.e. email, telephone records etc. This should also show that you escalated the issue to the suppliers complaints department and that 8 weeks have passed since your last correspondence with the supplier.
When the supplier is investigated by the Ombudsman the cost of the investigation is passed to the supplier is about £800 minimum. Just to add that normally the Ombudsman errs towards the supplier unless it is very obvious that the supplier is in the wrong i.e. a bill for gas although you are paying another supplier. Got that T shirt.

 

[otherclive]

At present ( 1235 gmt) 81% of our power is being generated by carbon neutral sources, and 67% by renewables, and even exporting a small amount by the interconnectors. So gradually the country is moving towards a more self sufficient future for power generation. What we need then are prices to come down.

 

[Beachball]

Just had a email from Octopus Energy when our next bill due this month your payment will be £133 but we don"t paying a bit more because we are going into the winter period and i like to stay warm

 

[Beachball]

Variable tariff, gives the supplier, the opportunity to raise or lower the tariff of the gas or electricity sold to you. A fixed tariff locks both parties into a said price per Kilowatt for a fixed term. is 18 month or maybe 24 months
My E 7 electric tariff will give me next month 35 pence per Kw but at night time for 7 hours at 19 pence per hour. Gas is the same all 24hrs

We were on a fixed rate until January 2022 and then the option was variable tariff and we know it can go up or down .
But we would love another fixed tariff but at present what gas and electric like what someone says the prices need to come down

 

[Sam Vimes]

All they need is proof that you tried to contact i.e. email, telephone records etc. This should also show that you escalated the issue to the suppliers complaints department and that 8 weeks have passed since your last correspondence with the supplier.
When the supplier is investigated by the Ombudsman the cost of the investigation is passed to the supplier is about £800 minimum. Just to add that normally the Ombudsman errs towards the supplier unless it is very obvious that the supplier is in the wrong i.e. a bill for gas although you are paying another supplier. Got that T shirt.

Thanks for the advice which is basically what the ombudsman service is stating. However, maybe I wasn't too clear in my previous post. There is no way to actually contact the company. They are hiding behind their website. The only number to call is on their complaints page and plays a pre-recorded message along the familiar lines of ' we are extremely busy and calls may take upto 40 minutes to answer' It then hangs up - so you can't even wait. The second method is to use the chat function at the bottom of the page - it doesn't exist.

So basically I cannot contact them to complain and therefore cannot get any evidence that I've done so.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Thanks for the advice which is basically what the ombudsman service is stating. However, maybe I wasn't too clear in my previous post. There is no way to actually contact the company. They are hiding behind their website. The only number to call is on their complaints page and plays a pre-recorded message along the familiar lines of ' we are extremely busy and calls may take upto 40 minutes to answer' It then hangs up - so you can't even wait. The second method is to use the chat function at the bottom of the page - it doesn't exist.

So basically I cannot contact them to complain and therefore cannot get any evidence that I've done so.

Try signed for post. I'd also suggest you hint that you will be taking your business elsewhere Assuming there are alternative suppliers in your area, which usually pushes the right buttons to get their attention.

 

[Sam Vimes]

I had thought about that but again there are no details on the website. Companies House would provide a registered address but I doubt my letter would get noticed.

I've just looked on Trustpilot and the reviews are scathing and support my own experiences.

For now I'll let our MSP run with it as they're more likely to get results.

When we had problems with BT and Scottish Water which had gone on for many, many months, the MSPs office got results within a few days of taking up the case.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I had thought about that but again there are no details on the website. Companies House would provide a registered address but I doubt my letter would get noticed.

I've just looked on Trustpilot and the reviews are scathing and support my own experiences.

For now I'll let our MSP run with it as they're more likely to get results.

When we had problems with BT and Scottish Water which had gone on for many, many months, the MSPs office got results within a few days of taking up the case.

If you have the evidence the letter arrived at their premises, that's all you need to support your side of the events. If they can't be bothered to respond correctly then that another nail in their corporate coffin, and they don't deserve your business.

Follow through with changing to another supplier but make it contingent on the new supplier to fit the smart meter.

 

[RogerL]

We're being encouraged to submit our meter readings today before prices go up tomorrow. It's occurred to me that maybe we should enter a much higher reading and get cheaper energy for the following month as well.

Technically, that's fraud - just sayin'.

 

[otherclive]

Technically, that's fraud - just sayin'.

I think Sams post at #7 should allay your concerns

 

[PTA]

Can't. I'm in Portugal and tempted to stay BUT...90 days etc.

 

[Buckman]

If you have the evidence the letter arrived at their premises, that's all you need to support your side of the events. If they can't be bothered to respond correctly then that another nail in their corporate coffin, and they don't deserve your business.

Follow through with changing to another supplier but make it contingent on the new supplier to fit the smart meter.

You do not need evidence that the letter arrived at their premises as all you need is proof of posting which is free.

The other option for Sam of proof is perhaps screenshots of the contact page on the website in question and also of Trustpilot reviews.

The biggest issue at present is that it is nearly impossible to change suppliers even if your current supplier has broken their contract in more than one way by not complying with their T&Cs. However with a flat rate of £0.34 it may now be possible to change to a supplier with better reviews.

 

[otherclive]

On the topic of smart meters how are these wired in to the 240v supply. Our gas and electric meters sit adjacent to one another on an external wall. The consumer unit is in the nearby dining room which was a garage. I have not long redecorated the dining room even having the new consumer unit sprayed a matching colour so keen not to have to have newly plastered walls disturbed to accommodate new cabling. Can the smart meter take its supply directly from the supplies into/out of the existing electric meter box.

 

[Hutch]

On the topic of smart meters how are these wired in to the 240v supply. Our gas and electric meters sit adjacent to one another on an external wall. The consumer unit is in the nearby dining room which was a garage. I have not long redecorated the dining room even having the new consumer unit sprayed a matching colour so keen not to have to have newly plastered walls disturbed to accommodate new cabling. Can the smart meter take its supply directly from the supplies into/out of the existing electric meter box.

Our smart meter, with Bulb, is wired through the mains supply into the house. The gas smart meter must have an internal battery as no wires to it at all.

 

[Beachball]

With our bungalow the gas meter was near the sink and exchanged for the smart meter and electric supply is in the inner hall and it was wired up with no problem
When it was done we had a brand new kitchen fitted around it and it very easy to access

 

[otherclive]

Our smart meter, with Bulb, is wired through the mains supply into the house. The gas smart meter must have an internal battery as no wires to it at all.

Yes 240v in the gas meter box might not be too good an idea. Does the smart meter transmit on its own frequency via the mobile network of via your WiFi? Oops perhaps too many questions. I will be referred to Google soon 😂

 

[Hutch]

Yes 240v in the gas meter box might not be too good an idea. Does the smart meter transmit on its own frequency via the mobile network of via your WiFi?

It must transmit on its own frequency, and also to the remote reader, which I have nicknamed ,"The Paranoid meter" , gas I think updates every 15 minutes electricity is real time with consumption immediate?

 

[Sam Vimes]

Yes 240v in the gas meter box might not be too good an idea. Does the smart meter transmit on its own frequency via the mobile network of via your WiFi? Oops perhaps too many questions. I will be referred to Google soon 😂

If I recall correctly the early Smart Meters - SMETS-1 - worked over the mobile phone network on 3G. This is going to cause a problem in the future as the 3G network slowly gets turned off.

The newer meters - SMETS-2 - work on a supposedly secure government controlled dedicated network.

 

[Sam Vimes]

If I ever get a smart meter installed I'm going to be interested to see how well it communicates as our house is very much a Faraday Cage.