OVO sends me a text on the 7th February telling me it's time to submit our meter readings, and that this is best done on the 13th for accuracy and to avoid estimated readings.
So I hang around until the 13th then, on precisely that date I submit our readings.
Just checked our account today and am dumbfounded to see OVO has added one extra day's estimated reading to those I submitted on the 13th, now telling me that the best day to......etc, is the 14th.
What's THAT all about?? It's a blimmin' joke isn't it. Tells me to do one thing, does something else. All I want is an accurate bill NOT an estimated one. Seems OVO are not technically equipped to carry out this simplest of tasks. Maybe just one of the reasons why they are no longer 'top of the class' in Customer's experiences (see "Which" Review). Or maybe simply building the case for earliest 100% installation of the dreaded SMART METER. I'm hanging out until the last second before I press go on that. I've heard some crazy things about them.
ANY COMMENT FROM OVO PLEASE?
Solved
What is the best day to give readings to avoid estimates being used on bills?
Best answer by Tim_OVO
Updated on 28/11/24 by Emmanuelle_OVO:
Meter readings, usage and estimates
Sorry to hear about the confusion caused by the differing dates you were advised to give your meter readings. If you haven’t had smart meters installed, we’ll send you a meter reading reminder a few days before your monthly summary is created. The easiest way to submit these readings is on the ‘Meter readings’ page of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS),
When’s the best date to submit a reading for my monthly summary?
The best date to submit your reading is on or just before the date shown on your bill - the email or text reminder you receive may suggest you enter this the day before to make sure it’s received on time. If you do enter the reading slightly early we’ll only estimate your usage between the date you entered the reading and the date the statement was generated, so it should be fairly accurate.
When I enter my reading how long does it take to update my balance?
Every time you enter a meter reading on your online account, your account balance is recalculated to include your usage costs up-to-date. The balance will usually update instantly although it can take up to 24 hours. It’s worth checking the balance before submitting your readings, so you can easily check that the balance has updated. If the balance show on your monthly summary is estimated, you can always check the accurate balance by submitting another meter reading.
How are my estimated readings calculated?
If we ever use an estimated reading on your monthly summary, this is calculated based on the last actual reading you gave and your Estimated Annual Consumption (EAC) to give us an idea of what the reading is likely to be. You can always correct any over or under estimated readings by submitting an accurate reading.
What’s the best way to avoid estimated statements?
As a smart meter can be programmed to send us a reading half-hourly or daily, we can always be sure we’ve got a reading on the date your monthly summary is issued. This will mean no more worrying about reading the meter manually and more accurate billing and usage information on your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS.
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In the end it was such a simple fix. The problem is, it’s totally counter-intuitive! You’d think a manual closing read would have to be supplied before the end date of the bill, but not so - the bill takes a few days to generate, and the “day after” reading is accepted by the system.
Just to illustrate, this is the sort of headache-inducing mess I had to to put up with for submitting a reading on the last day of my billing period (i.e. on the 16th, as officially recommended). Despite my regular actual readings, the opening and closing reads in every bill were routinely estimated:
And here’s an example of the cleaner, streamlined bills I regularly get now, simply by submitting the reading one day later than recommended (i.e. on the first day of the new billing period):
Thanks for flagging this,
Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
You’re right,
Thanks for helping us improve this!
Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
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