30 January 2024 , 15:16
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Octopus Energy has issued a warning to everyone who has a smart meter as it could be affecting their energy bills.
The energy firm's CEO Greg Jackson shared the warning in response to a complaint on X - formerly Twitter - from an Octopus Energy customer who was concerned their smart meter wasn't working correctly.
Smart meters are devices that record real-time information about your gas and electricity use. This data is then sent back to your provider through wireless technology. Having a smart meter should eliminate the need to send meter readings to your supplier, alongside this your energy bill is supposed to be more accurate - if your meter is working correctly, that is.
According to recent figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) around 2.7million out of 33million smart meters are in "dumb mode" - this means it won't have any "smart" functionality and will work as a traditional energy meter does.
The firm's boss acknowledged the complaint and noted that Octopus had had "a million such sessions looking at those darned things" noting that they were "so bad" currently. He explained: "Smart meters can be really cheeky - they send about 200 different messages and all need to be in order to get the data."
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Mr Jackson said it was "honestly so frustrating" explaining that the spec for smart meters was "a decade out of date" but the firm had no choice but to continue using them. He added: "TBF it's got better over time - but it especially hits Octopus customers because of all our insanely popular smart tariffs and services..."
Despite the feelings of the firm's boss, Octopus Energy does actively promote smart meters with a spokesperson for the company saying it was a "massive fan of smart meters". The spokesperson added: "They’re super important for the energy transition and unlock the power of smart tariffs.”
The firm's website highlights the advantages of customers having them. The website states: "Smart meters can automatically send us regular meter readings, so you can rest easy knowing you'll only pay for the energy you use and help you track your energy usage in pounds and pence, meaning you can keep an eye on how much you're spending every day, week or month."
Households aren’t required to have a smart meter - it is completely down to you. However, energy companies are under pressure to take “all reasonable steps” to install smart meters by 2025.
There are several reasons why smart meters stop working - for example, if they lose connection. If you have a smart meter, one way you can tell if it has become "dumb" is through your energy bill statement - this will be marked with an "e" if it has been been estimated.