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Bri4life
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July 24, 2023
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When is the best time to give my meter readings to avoid estimated bills?

  • July 24, 2023
  • 74 replies
  • 3896 views

Is it normal after submitting a meter reading on the 22/7/23 to be asked for another meter reading via the app and for it to be done ASAP?

New to Ovo after moving over from SSE

Best answer by Firedog

Updated on 23/07/26 by Ben_OVO

 

We’ve discovered (well @Firedog has) that if you send early on the day following it is used and not estimated

 

This ‘discovery’ was the result of one test on one day, so it’s hardly a recipe for guaranteed success. However, the thinking behind it was that a manual reading is recorded on the day it’s received, but when applied to bills, it’s treated as if it were entered at midnight. On the first day of the billing period, then, a reading submitted that day will be used both as the closing reading for the previous period and the opening reading for the current one.  If you try this for the next billing period, please come back and tell us whether it worked or not. 

[My experiment took place on a day when smart meter readings don’t make it - the first day of a quarter when tariffs change. There is just so much traffic on the smart meter network that day with every smart meter in the country having to be updated that there’s just not the bandwidth available for readings to get through to suppliers.] 

We’ll always bill you to a reading the day before the billing date. For example, if your billing date is the 25th of each month, we will bill from an opening read on the 25th of the month to a closing read on the 24th. In this case, the best time to give a read would be the 24th. if we don’t receive a reading that day, then an estimate will be generated based upon your previous actual readings.

 

We'd recommend having smart meters installed, as then you won’t need to submit reads, and won’t be billed to estimates.

 

 

74 replies

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Blastoise186
Super User
Blastoise186Super User
Super User
November 17, 2024

Just to add to the above, one of the best ways to solve this once and for all is to upgrade to Smart Meters anyway. You don’t have to do it right now and it’s ultimately your choice up until the existing Meter(s) reach End of Service Life (at which point they MUST be replaced anyway) but it’s worth thinking about.

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Shads_OVO
Retired Moderator
Shads_OVO
Retired Moderator
November 18, 2024

Hi ​@Frustrated100,

 

I’m sorry to hear this. Hopefully this already been answered for you in the helpful comments above.

 

If you have any further questions let us know. These threads may also be helpful:

 

 

L
Rank 2
louise515
Rank 2
November 26, 2024

I gave my readings on the actual due date this month (Sunday am, 24/11)

OVO seems to have picked that up ok but not had the actual bill yet. Fingers crossed! It probably doesn’t matter much if OVO estimate readings because it will right itself after receiving actual readings (providing you give them regularly) and over a year, nothing in it

Emmanuelle_OVO
Retired Moderator
Emmanuelle_OVO
Retired Moderator
November 27, 2024

Yes absolutely right. We have a live billing system so when you submit a meter reading your account balance will update accordingly 😊

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