Sort out the regular issue of new customers not being able to easily give opening meter readings

HI @Jeffus and thanks for posting this. 

Whilst it may not fit perfectly within the remit of Ideas, it’s something I want to flag. But I notice the examples you’ve given seem to be describing different experiences. The last one is a very old topic. I’d love to find some consensus on the experience of submitting this opening reading. 

@pmmg @chrisridd did you see the same holding page as @New EV driver:

Do you all have smart meters? Did you all get emails prompting you to submit readings?

When I understand a bit more what we’re seeing I’ll get anything raised that needs raising. 

Yep @Tim_OVO agreed, definitely a variety of cases 

I’ve just moved to Octopus and they also asked me for opening readings even though I have a smart meter. It didn’t make sense but I did email them after being asked a couple of times. My closing OVO reading is shown as an estimate !!

My experience was this:

Switching from EDF using smart meters that were installed within last 2/3 years. I didn’t receive an email asking for readings so assumed that the “smart” meters did their job and at point of switch both OVO and EDF automatically got an end figure/starting figure.  I switched to use the Anytime add on and was aware from here that I could add it from MyOVO account. The picture above is my screenshot of what I was able to see when logging into MyOVO.

It had zero functionality and would only go back to log in screen. I called OVO 8/9 time’s several with the call being answered only for nobody to speak but I could hear lots of people talking and laughing loudly in the background. I eventually spoke to a lady who said my electric meter was not giving a reading and it might be that the serial number was wrong. She asked me to submit a reading on the website. I had already explained it didn’t work. We reached an impass where I was being asked to submit a reading before my account could progress even though OVO system wouldn’t let me!
 

So far very unimpressed with OVO call centre. This place seems the only sensible option.

PS 24 hrs later a meter reading apparently worked via “smart” and I can now progress my account.

Do you mean this forum @New EV driver ?

Although not widely publicised, smart meters do take a little time to get back in sync when switching

Tim_OVO wrote:

HI @Jeffus and thanks for posting this. 

 

Whilst it may not fit perfectly within the remit of Ideas, it’s something I want to flag. But I notice the examples you’ve given seem to be describing different experiences. The last one is a very old topic. I’d love to find some consensus on the experience of submitting this opening reading. 

 

@pmmg @chrisridd did you see the same holding page as @New EV driver:

 

 

Do you all have smart meters? Did you all get emails prompting you to submit readings?

 

When I understand a bit more what we’re seeing I’ll get anything raised that needs raising. 

No, just a message saying you were unable to submit the meter readings I provided.

No, I don't have a smart meter.

Yes I had received an email asking me to submit meter readings, a second email requesting readings was sent as I was trying, and failing, to be able to submit readings.

And, predicting a possible follow up question, yes the readings were correct and I have had no problem submitting meter readings using apps to previous suppliers

Yes, impressed with this place

Thanks for coming back to my on this.

So @pmmg, you don’t have a smart meter, you were prompted for a reading, and you did have the option to submit it on the online account. It’s there that the problem appeared when you tried to submit the reading. 

@New EV driver on the other hand has a smart meter, wasn’t emailed to submit a reading and never got an option to submit a reading. 

So perhaps we can narrow down this feature idea to be targeted at fixing the issue for non-smart meter customers who can’t submit their reading?

The last one is a very old topic

Although the last thread was old, the last case was 3 months ago on that thread

Perhaps, I think you would need to do a good trawl to pick up and check any other cases to be sure.

Some cases are probably due to not actually been able to log in which i know you said very recently is being worked on which is great