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Using gas whilst away, how is this possible?

  • 4 November 2017
  • 94 replies
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D
Rank

Thanks, I’ve checked that page and get this…I’m billed on the 13th each month so it looks like they just take a monthly smart reading. Even if I click to include estimates it doesn’t show me that the daily readings I have are estimated. 
I’ve managed to get through on the phone this morning and apparently the gas smart meter isn’t communicating as it should. I’ve completed the questionnaire they’ve sent with all meter details and photos however I’ve now had an automated reply to say that email address is no longer in use!! Does anything work there??

im not feeling overly confident that this will be sorted because I’ve had issues since this smart meter was fitted last March and was assured it was working since September. Now I have no idea if I’ve been billed correctly or not!

 

Jeffus
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@DebG unfortunately your meter has been setup to only send a meter reading once a month by the look of things as the smart meter reading is the same day every month.

Ask OVO to set the meter reading frequency to every 30min.

In the vast majority of cases this will sort out what you are seeing.

It does look like the meter is working, it is just the reading frequency has been set to 1 month by default which is very unhelpful. 

D
Rank

Thank you, yes I think you’re right. I’ll see if this review gets me anywhere (it won’t if the return email is not operational!). I’ve asked previously for it to send updates every 30 minutes as the electricity meter does. 
I’m pleased it’s at least billing the correct useage monthly!

Jeffus
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Thank you, yes I think you’re right. I’ll see if this review gets me anywhere (it won’t if the return email is not operational!). I’ve asked previously for it to send updates every 30 minutes as the electricity meter does. 
I’m pleased it’s at least billing the correct useage monthly!

In the meantime you could put in manual readings during the month if you wanted to keep track of things.

OVO stopped using email for a lot of things some time ago so you may have got caught out with a process that hasn't been updated…

I would ask them again to confirm you are setup for 30min readings on both gas and electricity. Do you have the same issue with Electricity? 

D
Rank

@Tim_OVO do you know if the hello@ovoenergy.com is working? I replied to an email from that address with all the details requested for them to investigate the problem. I got this automated reply. 
As per the replies above I probably just need to change the reading frequency, which I’d requested in my reply as well. 
 

D
Rank

@Jeffus no I don’t have the same issue with electricity, that updates every half an hour and works fine. 
It seems strange ovo would send me a long email to review all the meter information and not have the reply address operational 🙄 

I think now the whole review is probably a waste of time and it just needs updating to send more regular readings. Unless there’s a reason it can’t do so…in which case I’ll hopefully be able to find the correct reply address!

Jeffus
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If you are struggling to contact OVO via phone or online chat at any time, you can send a private message via the OVO Facebook or Twitter feed.

Both are official support channel staffed by OVO staff who can see and update your account.

In the private message you need to include your name, address, account number and date of birth for security reasons, together with your request in this case to update your meter reading frequency to ever 30 min.

Also perhaps vote for this as this issue has been a right pain for a long time

 

 

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Userlevel 7

Hey @Melchett,

 

Sorry for the issues you’re having,

 

Energy prices have increased significantly, which would be why a number of customers have seen an increase in their bills. 

 

However, f you are seeing unexplained, high usage, this could be a faulty meter or an appliance using more than it should. 

 

These articles might be helpful to you:

 

 

I can see other Forum Members have given some great advice here, if you do smell gas we have a page dedicated to this on our website. 

 

Hope this  helps. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
D
Rank

@Jeffus have voted, I’ve always wondered why it required a phone call to action this. 
 

Thanks for your help, I’ll drop them a message on Facebook 

Jeffus
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@Jeffus have voted, I’ve always wondered why it required a phone call to action this. 
 

Thanks for your help, I’ll drop them a message on Facebook 

You can always include a link to this thread if you think it will help

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-136/no-boiler-gas-or-hot-water-yet-smart-meter-shows-useage-13499

 

Let us know how you get on as it is always useful knowing to help other customers. 

M
Rank
Userlevel 2

Hi @Emmanuelle_OVO 

Thanks for getting back to me.  I’m happy with the fact that energy prices have gone up, that isn’t the issue here.  What I’m trying to get to the bottom of is why I am registering any gas usage at all when my house is unoccupied - I work away from home - during the week.  For much of the time there is literally nobody in the house Mon - Fri, sometimes for a couple of weeks at a time and that’s the issue that I think is pushing my bills up.

Almost 1/3 of my use over Nov & Dec - almost 1500 kWh was apparently when there was nobody in the house, and my annual gas usage in recent years has only been around 10000 kWh/pa, so a considerable amount for 2 months!

As I’m away from home at the moment - could any burglars please check my boiler if you’re in! - I’ll check back in a couple of days when I’ve had chance to check the meter at home (serial number vs bill etc) rather than clog up the forum, but I would say the boiler is fine - or so BG said in Oct when it was serviced.

Tim_OVO
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Ahhh sorry to hear the agent emailed you the questions, @DebG - as Jeffus has eluded to, the hello@ inbox isn’t set up to take emails. However the online form (which the agent should have linked you to) sends the results to the correct team directly: https://smart-meter-help.ovoenergy.com/

 

If you have any more patience (and I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t), please fill in that online form instead. I’m surprised that we can’t simply change the gas meter’s reading frequency. Your answers to the form questions will identify an issue if there is one. If your answers indicate no issue, please contact us via web chat to request the change to your gas meter’s reading frequency. I’m sorry for your experience so far. 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Tim_OVO
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Hi @Melchett

 

The advice by the first two posters referenced checking your account to see if your gas readings are being estimated. Could you let us know? https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings/history/gas

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Jeffus
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Here is an example of what you should see. A gas meter reading every day with the word smart next to it for the period you are concerned about. 

 

M
Rank
Userlevel 2

Hello all,

Thanks for your replies - apologies for being slow in replying but I’m still working away from home … so in theory there shouldn’t be any gas use!

Looking on my account there does seem to be an issue though:

According to my account the meter readings are actual not estimates, but there doesn’t appear to have been a reading since 15 Jan and I’m being asked for manual inputs.

 

Despite this, the usage section of my account is showing significant gas use this week, even though the house is empty and the thermostats are all turned down:

So despite it being an empty house since PM 15 Jan  the chart above is showing 168.77 kWh worth of gas over 3 days but with no meter readings being submitted according to the meter readings bit of my account.  So now I have to admit I’m lost for an explanation other than to say I think I was right in the first place in saying there’s something not right with my account & meters.

M.isterW
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I wonder if your meter has stopped sending readings. If it has, OVO will estimate your use until they receive another reading.

 

What date is the latest reading you can see? Can you send OVO a manual reading and see if that resets the numbers?

1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
M
Rank
Userlevel 2

The meter has definitely stopped sending readings - 15 Jan is the last recorded reading and the website is telling me to manually send a reading.  Which I can’t do because I’m working away from home - and why I know for sure there’s no gas use because the house is empty.  

Yet Ovo are seemingly unwilling to acknowledge the blindingly obvious questions of how have I used hundreds of pounds worth of gas when the house is empty.  And if the meter is not sending readings why - and how - is the daily usage chart showing £22 worth of use over the same period if there are no meter readings being submitted???


Getting into formal complaint territory now with the lack of responses beyond  ‘energy prices have gone up’.

M.isterW
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Don't stress about the daily usage figures. You won't be billed against those figures, as long as you send in a new meter reading as soon as you're able to.

1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
M
Rank
Userlevel 2

Don't stress about the daily usage figures. You won't be billed against those figures, as long as you send in a new meter reading as soon as you're able to.

So much for smart meters! But when the website is showing hundreds of pounds of gas being used then I think my concerns are justified, especially given the lack of response from Ovo.


Worst decision I ever made moving across to them and thinking it would make my life easier! I’m now clearly going to have to revert to manual readings because the system isn’t trustworthy.  Unfortunately easier said than done when I’m working away from home.

I wouldn’t mind, but I used to keep my own records and submit my own readings every month - I never had a single issue or dispute when I was submitting my own readings. Been nothing but problems of one sort or another with this smart meter.

J
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When I go away I turn off both heating and hot water using my Tado app so I expect gas usage to be zero for those days when I am away the full 24 hours.

In the past (up to February 2023) when I check my usage online it does indeed show zero gas usage as expected.  However when I went away for a few days in early April the daily usage shows 0.22kWh per day in month view but generally 0.18kWh in day view, with the relevant number of half hours showing 0.01kWh and the rest showing zero.

For the february zero days when I switch to day view I get the “Looks like we couldn’t find some of your usage data” message that will be familiar to many customers.  Not absolutely sure but I think this used to work before April.

My theory is that OVO have updated their site to fix some bugs, (including the one that prevented them from billing me correctly for another account - luckily now seems to be fixed).  Unfortunately they seem to have introduced a different bug related to zero readings now.  It seems that handling zero readings is quite tricky - how do you distinguish a zero reading from no reading or an invalid reading?  The other account problem began when the property had zero usage (someone turned off the fridge , which is normally left on when there is nobody home).  So I suspect that there is a design fault with their systems relating to zero readings.  Or maybe this what, when I was a software enginer, we used to refer to as a ”feature” rather than a bug.  (something that is a lot of hassle to diagnose and fix so you pretend it’s working ok)

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced these phenomena or has other theories about what is going on? 

Just noticed there is a bug in the Meter Readings page too.  despite the fact I can view all my April usage to date monthly, daily and half hourly online this page recons the meters haven’t sent them any readings “recently” but there was a manual reading on 25th March.  I have smart meters so I don’t send manual readings…..

BPLightlog
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Hi @JCPW it sounds like there may have been some estimated readings which might explain the difference to expected. 
Yes smart meters send data but can lose connection from time to time so it’s important to check what’s recorded against your account from time to time. If you look at the meter readings you should see if they’re Smart - Estimated - or Manual

https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings/history/electricity
and

https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings/history/gas

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
A

Over the last week or so our gas usage online, and on the app, has been registering small amounts overnight when we are asleep in bed with no gas appliance being used. We do have a combi boiler, but we've had this for around 5 years and overnight readings have consistently been 0.00 from when the heating goes off at night until it comes on again in the morning. 

 

I've contacted OVO about this. Initially they asked me to send screenshots to show what was happening (do they not have access to the records they provide us with?). Then they suggested it could just be the meter catching up due to poor internet connection - really? It's never happened before (I keep an eye on the account so would have spotted it) and if it's catching up why would it not do it in one go rather than up to 7 or 8 times during the night?

 

And then they asked me to keep a record of what the meter was showing when the heating goes off at night and before it comes on in the morning to see if the reading changes. This involves me, a 72 year old, crawling on my hands & knees into an understairs cupboard with a torch, & having to get myself turned round inside the cupboard to get out again, then shuffling on my backside into the living room so I can use the sofa to help me get up again - an absolute nightmare!! And takes no account of the fact that the meter shows, for example, 8768, when the actual reading could be 8768.1, so if eg 0.6 is "used" overnight it will still show 8768 in the morning.

 

Has anyone else had anything like this happen? We are convinced it's a smart meter problem (is it also mis-recording all day?) but Ovo are having none of it.

Jeffus
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Hi @MrsSB 

I once had a very small gas leak in my case nothing to do with my meter. Of course it may be something different. 

If you haven't already i would urgently sign up for the priority services register as you are eligible 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/priority-services-register

https://www.ovoenergy.com/register-for-priority-services

Under that you can ask OVO to do a free gas safety check at least to put your mind at rest

If you are at all concerned there is further details of what to do with potential gas leaks here. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/emergency

 

 

A

Hi @MrsSB 

I once had a very small gas leak in my case nothing to do with my meter. Of course it may be something different. 

If you haven't already i would urgently sign up for the priority services register as you are eligible 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/priority-services-register

https://www.ovoenergy.com/register-for-priority-services

Under that you can ask OVO to do a free gas safety check at least to put your mind at rest

If you are at all concerned there is further details of what to do with potential gas leaks here. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/emergency

 

 

Thanks for your reply. I've now signed up for the priority services register, but it said we're not eligible for the free gas safety check, presumably as our only criteria is being over 65 ( why am I not surprised by this????).

Jeffus
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Thanks for your reply. I've now signed up for the priority services register, but it said we're not eligible for the free gas safety check, presumably as our only criteria is being over 65 ( why am I not surprised by this????).

 

  • Free Gas Safety Checks – some PSR members can get free Gas Safety Checks. Check if you're eligible for a free check:

    • Live with a child under five years old,
    • Live alone or with others and have reached state pension age, or
    • Live alone or with others and are disabled or chronically ill,
    • Live with others who have reached state pension age or are disabled, chronically ill or under 18 years old

  • I’m eligible. How do I apply? Just call 0330 303 5063 and we’ll get you booked in

See the requirements above. Sorry to hear you were refused. I have flagged this to the moderators that you have been refused. Also tagged them here @Tim_OVO @Emmanuelle_OVO 

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