My property has 5 meters and this makes billing confusing. How can I get help?

Hey ​@3Phasesupplies,

That sounds like quite an unusual setup! If you could share some photos of your current arrangement, I'd love to offer you more tailored advice. Our billing summaries were updated recently, and while I don’t anticipate any major changes since the team put a lot of effort into getting it right, I understand it might not be the best fit for your needs. Since your setup is quite unique, we may need to explore a different strategy. Once I have the photos and a bit more information, I’ll be happy to take them to our team and see what we can do to make things easier for you.

Let me know! 

Chris. With respect i can’t see what benefit it would be to see photographs of meters but if that will help i will. The issue is not with the system installed. It is with the application of estimates and the receipt of accurate  readings issued by me. In brief, if i supply either early or late  “estimated  readings” are utilised. If these estimated values are over estimated, say for consecutive period of 3 months, there is a cumulative value. An over estimation may occur. Let’s say that i then issue on the day before the billing at 4.00pm accurate reading which might be 50% of the value of the cumulative readings, what happens in the billing and charges levied. If a “credit” is allocated to the account, all well and good. Are the actual accurate readings then used at the start of the following month. I can’t seem to get an explanation as to how this is manifest in the monthly bills issued. That’s my predicament.

Interesting photos - thank you!

These meters are antique and some of them at least belong in a museum. No. 5 has a serial number (MSN) including 76 at the beginning, which is pretty convincing evidence that it was manufactured in 1976. According to the OPSS register, Ferranti meters of type 2Q-100 were certified for 30 years, so this one’s certification expired 20 years ago. That said, I can’t decipher the sticky labels added later, so its possible the meters were re-certified at some stage. A meter with expired certification can’t be relied on to meter accurately and it can’t legally be used for billing.   

An electricity bill usually shows the MSN of the meter it refers to, as well as the supply (‘S’) panel giving the MPAN. Can you not see either on the bills you have? This is what I see on an old bill of mine:
  

  
For a monthly bill to be raised on the basis of an actual meter reading, the reading should be submitted in the morning of the first day of the billing period. If your billing period is the calendar month, then that would be on the first of each month. If it’s some other, like 15th - 14th, submit in the morning of the 15th. 

Ben. Thanks for the guidance and i am aware of the information in each page of the bill and the tutorials related to bills and meter readings.

I think i may not be clear in my question. If estimates are used to establish and amount of electricity used , at what point are ACTUAL submitted readings taken into account .

Again for hopefully clarity.

If OVO estimate for the months staring on the 15th of x month and this goes on for three months, with estimates for each month, we know that this will establish an estimated use for each of the three months. If on month 4 an actual readings (for 5 meters) being  delivered to OVO through email  on the appropriate day and time when will these actual readings be taken into account, and when will they been used as initial readings for subsequent monthly calculation. Even if month 5 is an estimate. The question may be a little complicated but the answer should not be, but so far after many many months of frustration we still are not sure when actual submitted readings are used to start a monthly billing process.

I think the key points are:

• Estimates come from the Future Annual Consumption (FAC) for each metered supply. I’m not certain how FACs are calculated for multi‑meter setups, but you’d normally expect one per meter, and each should be close to the actual total usage over the previous twelve months.

• FAC values should appear on the Plan page of your online account. Are they visible for you?

• Emailing readings isn’t usually very effective. There are better ways to submit manual readings:

  • The online account and the app both have pages for entering readings. These don’t always behave well with multi‑meter arrangements — could you confirm whether they work for you?

  • Webchat (via the Contact us page) can accept readings automatically, though again it may not handle complex setups reliably. If you persist, you should reach an agent, and you can give the readings directly in the chat. Make sure to request a transcript afterwards.

  • You can also give readings over the phone. This works, but it does rely on both sides being very careful with the numbers.

• Email support is poorly handled by OVO. Messages often get mis‑sorted or simply disappear. If you prefer email, it can help to call Support first, tell the agent you’re about to send readings, and have them watch for your message. The phone number and email address you use must match the ones on your account (shown on the Profile page).

• Readings submitted on the morning of the first billing day are time‑stamped at the preceding midnight and used as both the closing reading for the previous month and the opening reading for the new one.

• Any readings successfully submitted — by any method — should appear on the Meter Readings page within a few minutes, marked as Manual or similar.

​@3Phasesupplies we update account balances to actual readings whenever customers submit them. Estimates may be used in between actual reads, but they’re rectified in line with actual reads whenever is necessary.

Estimates may be used if actual reads aren't given on your billing date. For example, if we bill you to the 15th of each month, and you've given a reading on the 13th, then we will estimate two days' usage, based upon the previously submitted readings on the account.

Please let me know whether this answers your question, or if you need any further info. I hope I’m not missing the mark here.