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Peter new username
Rank 2
Rank 2
March 15, 2023
Solved

Meter reading anomaly on my account- How do I resolve this?

  • March 15, 2023
  • 14 replies
  • 607 views

OK, So first off I’m a newbie to OVO and first impressions are not good….not good at all. All I wanted to know was what to do about a strange reading I submitted today….my peak reading. Last time it was  21221 and today, when I was asked to submit a current reading it read, 20875. Weird. I’ve never had this problem with SSE or any other company that supplies my electricity in over 40 years. Then along comes OVO and I get a weird meter reading….a minus reading! I don’t have solar panels to mess up the meter, so does anyone know what’s going on? More to the point, does anyone know solution to this problem! Nothing wrong with the off-peak reading, just the peak reading. 
The woman I spoke to via chat was worse than useless.

Best answer by Firedog

Updated on 30/06/25 by Abby_OVO

 

The readings screenshot helps a lot, thanks. So, no register switch involved here. However, it’s the December 2022 reading that’s anomalous. I’ve taken a guess that the reading was in fact 20221 instead of 21221, so your consumption looks like this:
  

The blob is the anomalous reading of 21221, while the orange point below it is what it probably should have been - 20221. This would give a reasonable fit to the trend over the whole period. 

Support should be able to correct that one digit for you, which would bring everything back into line.

 

And … a smart meter wouldn’t have made this sort of mistake. It might make others, but they’re usually corrected automatically and quickly.

Out of line meter reading or entered the wrong reading by mistake? The following topics may be helpful, but you will still likely need to get in touch with out Support Team so they can correct the reading:

 

 

14 replies

BPLightlog
Super User
Super User
March 15, 2023

Well, that’s not usual at all. 
Can I ask where you’re taking readings from? Hopefully the meter .. what kind of meter is it?

Do you have a photo please?

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
M.isterW
Rank 6
Rank 6
March 15, 2023

One of those readings is wrong. Are they both readings you have taken?

1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
Peter new username
Rank 2
Rank 2
March 15, 2023

Hi BPLightLog, Thanks for your speedy reply! I took both peak and off peak readings from a digital meter, not a mechanical analogue one. I suppose there is a slim chance I misread the previous reading: 21221 which may account for the 20875 reading I took today. OK, supposing it was human error, surely this can be rectified, can’t it? I can’t be the only person with this problem. Isn’t there a procedure for sorting this out?

Sorry, can’t really photograph now, it’s pitch dark and the meter is housed in an external cupboard and there are no street lights where we live. I could send one tomorrow. Would that help?

Firedog
Super User
Super User
March 15, 2023

Is there any chance that the registers (peak/off-peak) have been reversed? 

Can you spot any anomaly on the meter readings page? Mine shows day and night readings with little sun and moon icons to distinguish between them; during a recent update, they swapped places:
  

Night and day change places between 27 and 28 Feb

 

Luckily, for me the day/night readings are different enough for the swap to be obvious. If they’re quite similar, this might explain the strange readings you’re seeing. 

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
BPLightlog
Super User
Super User
March 15, 2023

Hi BPLightLog, Thanks for your speedy reply! I took both peak and off peak readings from a digital meter, not a mechanical analogue one. I suppose there is a slim chance I misread the previous reading: 21221 which may account for the 20875 reading I took today. OK, supposing it was human error, surely this can be rectified, can’t it? I can’t be the only person with this problem. Isn’t there a procedure for sorting this out?

Sorry, can’t really photograph now, it’s pitch dark and the meter is housed in an external cupboard and there are no street lights where we live. I could send one tomorrow. Would that help?

If it’s a mistaken reading, it should be easy to sort. It’s also worth checking that the registers haven’t been swapped as we’ve seen that a few times in the last few months. The photo was just to check what sort of meter and help with the reading so whenever if we can help. As has been explained, these digital meters can’t go in reverse 

Bring me Sunshine ~ E&E {Solar PV, Battery Storage, Hybrid EV, ASHP and Home Assistant automation}
Peter new username
Rank 2
Rank 2
March 15, 2023

Many thanks to all on here who are trying to help me out with my recent weird meter reading.

Attached is a screenshot of some of my previous readings, including today’s anomaly - the strange peak reading of 20875.

If anyone is clever enough to work out what this figure should be, given the previous peak readings going back to December 2021, I would be both grateful and very impressed!

 

Firedog
Super User
FiredogSuper UserSolved
Super User
March 15, 2023

Updated on 30/06/25 by Abby_OVO

 

The readings screenshot helps a lot, thanks. So, no register switch involved here. However, it’s the December 2022 reading that’s anomalous. I’ve taken a guess that the reading was in fact 20221 instead of 21221, so your consumption looks like this:
  

The blob is the anomalous reading of 21221, while the orange point below it is what it probably should have been - 20221. This would give a reasonable fit to the trend over the whole period. 

Support should be able to correct that one digit for you, which would bring everything back into line.

 

And … a smart meter wouldn’t have made this sort of mistake. It might make others, but they’re usually corrected automatically and quickly.

Out of line meter reading or entered the wrong reading by mistake? The following topics may be helpful, but you will still likely need to get in touch with out Support Team so they can correct the reading:

 

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
Tim_OVO
OVO Staff
OVO Forum Legend
March 16, 2023

Wow you’re good, @Firedog!

 

@Username hopefully there’s at least one thing that you’re impressed with at OVO since you joined from your previous supplier: our super human forum members!

 

Feel free to share a link to this topic via a web chat conversation that you can start via this link with our Support team. They should be able to help you get that December reading removed. 

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Peter new username
Rank 2
Rank 2
March 16, 2023

Hi Tim & Firedog,

Huge thanks go to Firedog and others re my problem! Why FD hasn’t won any badges or whatever your rewards are called, I can’t imagine.

Others on here have suggested that my problem ‘is easy to solve’. How easy? What do I actually do to get my apparent false reading corrected, please? If someone could spell this out in nice, easy to follow steps, that would be great.

I have to say that having a blog/forum is an excellent idea and one I hadn’t come across on any other electricity supplier’s website before. Could the inclusion of a forum be as a result of OVO’s abysmal average rating on Trustpilot?……just ONE star and masses of dissatisfaction!

Blastoise186
Super User
Super User
March 16, 2023

I’m pretty sure Firedog will almost certainly earn a Badge pretty soon! Perhaps… Sooner than you might think…

If memory serves, you should just be able to talk to OVO Support and give them a link to this thread. Allow them some time to read through it and they’ll hopefully do the rest. You shouldn’t need to do much else otherwise.

This forum has existed since 2017 and is one of only four of its type in the UK. The only suppliers we know to have one are:

  • OVO
  • Bulb
  • Scottish Power
  • E.On Next
  • Pure Planet (before they died)

It’s meant to allow us to chat with each other and help each other out, but it doesn’t replace the other options. Costs a fortune to run though but well worth the money.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!