Uk Blackouts & Octopus Go

[PITA]

Just had a horrible thought...

If these Government scheduled blackouts start during Winter...

For every day you have a Blackout, your Smart Meter won't record the 30 minute blocks...

Octopus Energy will then default onto their Terms & Conditions and charge the whole day use at Flexible Rate ...

So this means ALL your imported power at Flexible Tariff rates during this scheduled blackout period.

>>>>>>>>

Plans reveal exactly when YOUR house would face winter blackouts

Plans reveal exactly when YOUR house would face winter blackouts

The Electricity Supply Emergency Code allows the Prime Minister to introduce rolling power cuts across the country in an effort to conserve electricity.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[JHWL]

1. You're quoting the Daily Mail
2. Industry will be shut down before homes. Industry being a massive consumer of gas already.
3. The United Kingdom has proven reserves equivalent to 2.6 times its annual consumption.
4. Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all this to blow over

 

[PITA]

1. You're quoting the Daily Mail
2. Industry will be shut down before homes. Industry being a massive consumer of gas already.
3. The United Kingdom has proven reserves equivalent to 2.6 times its annual consumption.
4. Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all this to blow over

Yes... but I'm showing how Octopus Go Terms & Conditions will clash if this happens, and potentially default onto Flexi Rates for the WHOLE DAY.

That will have an impact to a lot of people on here, that may not know until their bill turns up.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Smart meters can remember weeks without power. The reading will just be 0 for the time the power was off.

If it went to the ombudsman Octopus wouldn't have a chance trying to charge high rates for the whole day. Not that I think they'd do it, their reputation seems to matter to them.

 

[PITA]

Smart meters can remember weeks without power. The reading will just be 0 for the time the power was off.

If it went to the ombudsman Octopus wouldn't have a chance trying to charge high rates for the whole day. Not that I think they'd do it, their reputation seems to matter to them.

Yes but are those readings held in memory before the powercut, not during a power cut... see the difference?

Do Smart Meters have an internal battery backup? To remain powered and collecting the 30 minute periods during a blackout?

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Yes. It's part of the spec. It's probably static memory rather than battery backup.

Readings during the power cut are irrelevant, they're zero.

 

[consilio]

1. In the absence of half hourly smart meter data, we will charge you as we would a customer on our Flexible Octopus variable tariff, based on typical consumption patterns (known as “Profile 1”).

I don't think this would be an absence of half hour meter data. They would have this for most for the day, just not during the period of any blackouts. They are protecting themselves against no data at all, you can imagine the complaints from people living in areas that experience regular power cuts if they charged you the full rate for a supply issue.

Also the below...

Electricity meters​

These are powered directly from your electricity supply. In case of power interruption, your smart meter will save your information (including your IHD information), so that it can be restored when the power is back.

 

[PITA]

Yes. It's part of the spec. It's probably static memory rather than battery backup.

Readings during the power cut are irrelevant, they're zero.

That's not how Octopus Energy work.

They don't 'assume' zero... they have to have a FULL 24 hour data set.

If one 30 minute data set is missing, the whole day defaults to Flexi Rates.

Now... if your Smart Meter does not work during a blackout and misses a 30 minute dataset showing 'error' ... that's not zero, it's an error...

See the difference? The Smart Meter has to be operational at all times. It has to be powered up...

 

[Tony Hoyle]

There's no way that's enforcable. The ombudsman would nail them to the ceiling for it. I think you're misreading what their intent is. Power cuts are really not that uncommon.

I've *had* power cuts whilst on octopus and not been charged at a different rate.

 

[PITA]

There's no way that's enforcable. The ombudsman would nail them to the ceiling for it. I think you're misreading what their intent is. Power cuts are really not that uncommon.

I've *had* power cuts whilst on octopus and not been charged at a different rate.

It's in their T&C's !!!

...but have you had Power Cuts longer than 30 minutes, to disrupt a 30 minute data set on your Smart Meter?

 

[PITA]

1. In the absence of half hourly smart meter data, we will charge you as we would a customer on our Flexible Octopus variable tariff, based on typical consumption patterns (known as “Profile 1”).

I don't think this would be an absence of half hour meter data. They would have this for most for the day, just not during the period of any blackouts. They are protecting themselves against no data at all, you can imagine the complaints from people living in areas that experience regular power cuts if they charged you the full rate for a supply issue.

Also the below...

Electricity meters​

These are powered directly from your electricity supply. In case of power interruption, your smart meter will save your information (including your IHD information), so that it can be restored when the power is back.

So Smart Meters DO NOT work then, during a blackout... they only restore saved data up until that point...

 

[Adopado]

I've *had* power cuts whilst on octopus and not been charged at a different rate.

Me too.

In the scenario described it will be even easier because the power cuts would be directly advised to suppliers and DNOs in advance.

 

[browellm]

Buy yourself another Powerwall and join EDF.

/thread

 

[PITA]

Buy yourself another Powerwall and join EDF.

/thread

Trying to join EDF ... but no new customers allowed...

 

[Tony Hoyle]

It's in their T&C's !!!

...but have you had Power Cuts longer than 30 minutes, to disrupt a 30 minute data set on your Smart Meter?

One was about three hours when a substation went phut.

 

[Mr H]

Ha ha ha It’s the Daily Fail. A rag not worth being in the bottom of a litter tray

 

[Adopado]

One was about three hours when a substation went phut.

... and we had one for 4 days ... all Octopus records and charges were correct.

 

[Casss]

3. The United Kingdom has proven reserves equivalent to 2.6 times its annual consumption.

I agree with point 1 and 4, I’ve got my paper bag ready…

But where are you getting this 2.6 times annual consumption figure? Consumption of what and what time and in what scenario? National grid are reporting much slimmer margins this year on two scenarios. The worse scenario (no imports from Europe of lng or volts) is why they are saying that load notices could be likely. Either way our margin is slimmer and only just meets the ‘legal requirement’ for the best scenario, according to them.

 

[phil4]

If you've been on Octopus Go for a while, you've probably already had "missing readings". They don't default you to flexi in that instance, they literally stop billing you altogether. You then nudge them, they go and retrieve (or not) the missing reading, and if you're lucky they get it and bill you properly. They defo don't auto bill the whole day on Flexi.

 

[consilio]

OP perhaps you could ask Octopus on this and then come back and update us?