Insufficient Weekday readings for Power Move, even though my meter is sending readings

Hi on my online bill it says meter readings are ‘smart’

The power move is a joke I've been told my smart meter has not sent enough electricity readings for Nov but I've been sending them manually since the 19th of Oct because I was told the same thing in October its a joke so won't be doing it again it's a load of bull

If you have an electric meter and a gas meter perhaps just one of them isn’t sending in readings?

Hey @goodmans,

It sounds like from a customer support perspective your meters are sending in readings frequently enough for us to bill you.

However, not enough for you to be eligible for power move. 

If it’s power move plus you’re referring to:

How do you calculate my personal target?

We calculate your personal target using ESO’s methodology. For more information see DFS Participation Guidance Document. 

For working days – Your personal target is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 10 working days (Mon - Fri excluding bank holidays) before an event. Days where there’s been a Power Move Plus event will not count towards the target. You must have at least 5 working days worth of data for a target to be calculated.

For non-working days (Saturday, Sunday & bank holidays) – Your personal target is calculated using the half hourly electricity usage data taken from your smart meter over the last 4 non-working days. Days where there’s been a Power Move Plus event will not count towards the target. You must have at least 4 non-working days worth of data for a target to be calculated.

This means, as your usage changes over the course of winter, so does your personal target.

Thanks for your reply smart meter supposed to do the meter readings that's why I got it but keeps asking me to send one never mind but thanks 

Hi I've had engineer's out they saw meters working fine I've checked smart meter it's all connected to network I've done the power move last 2 months and been told it hasn't and 2 weeks of reading through smart meter it's a joke can't reduce my bills anymore than I am doing I'm a pensioner and at home most days now so I'm  not freezing so that's me not listening to bull sxxxxxxx no more 

Hey @Bridgette,

I think there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding around Power Move, and no one is expected to sit in the cold, we actively discourage this.

It’s a completely optional challenge, to try and reduce pressure on the grid, so that less fossil fuels are burnt at peak times. 

The objective is to move energy usage from peak times to other times of the day. If customers manage to do this, they reduce environmental impact as well as receiving a reward. If a customer doesn’t have a smart meter sending half hourly readings then we won’t be able to see what they’ve used in peak vs non peak times. You can find out more on our FAQ page. 

3. How does OVO calculate if I’ve hit the Monthly Target?

Peak Move - This is calculated using your half-hourly readings (measured by your smart meter) each weekday during each month. To work out the percentage, we look at how much electricity you use during the peak hours (specific to that Power Move challenge) and compare this to your total consumption for that day.

For example:

Challenge Type: Peak Move - shift your non-essential electricity usage out of the peak (4-7pm each weekday). Your peak electricity usage must be 12.5% or less of your daily use to be rewarded £10 per month.

You may use 10kWh of electricity on a weekday (Monday to Friday). If, between 4pm and 7pm, you then use 2kWh of electricity, your peak electricity consumption for Monday would be 20%. 

A customer needs to average out to 12.5% or less of their monthly peak electricity usage to be successful.

Green Move - This is calculated using your half hourly readings (measured by your smart meter) each weekday, during each month. To work out the percentage, we look at how much electricity you use during the specified time slot (specific to that Power Move challenge) and compare this to your total consumption for that day. 

For example:

Challenge type: Green Move - shift your non-essential electricity into a greener time (5-7am each weekday). Your electricity usage during this time period must be 20% or more of your daily use to be rewarded £10 per month.

You may use 10kWh of electricity on a weekday (Monday to Friday). If, between 5am and 7am, you use 4kWh of electricity, your Green Move electricity consumption for Monday would be 40%.

If you successfully hit the Monthly Target, and if you have followed the Power Move Terms and Conditions, and any Individual Power Move Challenge Rules, then we’ll credit your account with the reward for that month.

6. Why is it better for the environment not to use electricity during peak times?

Generating green energy releases less carbon into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels. But did you know that even if you’re on a greener energy plan, more or less carbon is released, depending on what time you use the energy?

Here’s why: When it’s windy or sunny, renewable power is pumped into the energy grid and used in homes across the UK. But if we need more energy than the wind or sun can give us, we have to top up with dirty, fossil fuel power.

There are times when many of us are using energy at the same time, like at 7pm when we’re home from work, cooking dinner or playing video games. At those peak times, we’ll likely need to top-up the system with fossil fuel energy. It’s better for the planet to shift our non-essential energy use away from peak times, even if we’re on a green plan. This helps the country avoid having to top up with fossil fuels.

I’m sorry your meter has been having issues, if you upload a screenshot of your meter reading page we can take a look into this for you. Please don’t include any personal information.

Hope this helps. 

This can be looked into! Please contact OVO via https://ovoenergy.com/help . There’s a way for them to check what happened and potentially recalculate things.

I had a chat online with support. (It said I was first in the queue for around half an hour at least before I got a response.) They say it will be sorted within 24 hours. We shall see.

When I asked if there was a reference number for the chat or if I would get an email copy of it they disconnected without replying. ☹️

I suppose it could be worse, we might be using software supplied by the post office and all be in jail.

My main grumble is that I get conflicting notices and statements within the same month showing my account balance and suggesting I change my direct debit. I know its because of the timing and alignments of periods, but it is both annoying and confusing.

I've decided life is too short to worry about it any more.

I am sure it get sorted. life is to short as you say . anyway l never seem to meet my targets for the month.  But the hour ones are slightly easier to achieve.