Smart meter not sending readings: what the 90-day fix rule means for Octopus customers

A smart meter can still show numbers on the meter itself while failing to send readings to the supplier. That is the awkward middle ground. The meter exists, your supply may be fine and the in-home display may still light up, yet your bills can drift back into estimates because the account is not receiving reliable smart readings.

For Octopus customers, this matters most on tariffs and services that rely on smart data. Flexible customers may mainly see estimated bills. Agile, Tracker, Go, Intelligent Octopus Go, Cosy and export customers may also need the right readings matched to the right time period.

What the new rules actually say

Ofgem confirmed new smart meter Guaranteed Standards from February 2026. The most useful part for an existing customer is the response rule: if you report that your smart meter is not working as it should, your supplier must check the issue, try to find out why and offer to tell you what it found within five working days. Citizens Advice says £40 compensation can apply for unfinished steps if that does not happen in time.

The 90-day point is separate. GOV.UK says suppliers must take all reasonable steps to fix faulty smart meters as soon as possible and no later than 90 days after being notified. Ofgem has also been working on a further compensation standard for meters that remain out of smart mode after 90 days, but its January decision kept that automatic compensation rule for later work rather than fully introducing it at the same time as the first three standards.

In plain English: do not wait silently for 90 days. Report the problem, get the five-working-day assessment moving, then use the 90-day rule if the meter is still not operating in smart mode.

How to tell whether Octopus is receiving readings

Start with your bill, not the app graph. Citizens Advice says a bill often shows estimated readings with the word “estimated” or an “E” near the reading. If the bill is estimated, the problem may be that Octopus is not receiving automatic readings, or that the account is still settling after a switch, move or meter exchange.

• Check the latest statement for actual, customer, smart or estimated reading labels.
• Take clear photos of the meter registers, including the date.
• Note whether gas, electricity, import, export or only one register is affected.
• Check whether the issue began after a switch, a meter exchange, a tariff change or a communications outage.
• If you have a smart tariff, ask whether half-hourly data is missing for specific days.

The in-home display is not the meter. A broken or unpaired display can be irritating, but it is a different problem from the meter failing to send billable readings. If the display is the only thing wrong, describe it that way so the support trail stays accurate.

What to send Octopus

A short, specific message is better than a general complaint that the app is wrong. Give Octopus the information needed to decide whether this is account setup, a meter communication problem, a register issue or a billing correction.

• Your account number, meter serial number and whether the problem is gas, electricity or both.
• The first date you noticed readings stopped arriving or bills became estimated.
• Photos of the meter register or registers taken on the same day you report the issue.
• The bill or statement where the readings look estimated or wrong.
• A plain request: “Please check whether my smart meter is working in smart mode and tell me what you find within five working days.”

That last sentence matters because it ties your message to the response standard. Keep the reply, because the compensation clock and any later complaint depend on what was reported and when.

What to do while the meter is being fixed

Keep submitting manual readings if Octopus asks for them or if your bills are being estimated. Manual readings are not a perfect substitute for half-hourly smart data, but they stop the account from drifting further away from reality.

If you are on a smart tariff, ask how missing smart data will be billed. Octopus tariff terms can allow missing periods to be estimated in particular ways, and third-party EV, solar or home-energy apps are not the same as supplier meter data. They can help explain the pattern, but they are not usually a replacement billable record.

If you have solar export, also keep import and export separate. A smart meter fault can look like one problem when there are really two: the import bill and the export readings. Photograph the relevant registers and avoid sending a generation figure as though it were an export reading.

When the 90-day point becomes useful

If the meter is still not sending readings after the first support response, keep the timeline clean. Record the date you first notified Octopus, the date Octopus acknowledged the fault, what checks were done and whether an engineer visit, remote fix or DCC communications issue was mentioned.

Once the problem is approaching 90 days, ask directly what reasonable steps have been taken and what remains before the meter is back in smart mode. The rule is about getting faulty meters fixed within a clear period. It does not remove the need to reconcile the bills, but it gives you a much firmer basis for escalation if the account keeps being left on estimates.

When to complain or escalate

Raise a formal complaint if Octopus misses the five-working-day response standard, the problem is not being actively worked, the same estimated billing repeats without explanation, or the 90-day repair expectation is being passed without a credible plan.

Keep the complaint evidence-led: dates, readings, photos, bills, support replies and the practical impact. After eight weeks, or sooner if you receive a deadlock letter, you may be able to take the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. If you have lost supply or cannot top up a prepayment meter, use Octopus's emergency route rather than waiting for normal complaint timescales.

Bottom line

A smart meter that stops sending readings is not just a nuisance for people who like app graphs. It can affect estimated bills, smart-tariff confidence and export records. The best approach is calm and documentary: check the bill labels, report the fault clearly, ask for the five-working-day assessment, keep manual readings and use the 90-day repair rule if the meter is still not working in smart mode.

If you are thinking about switching to Octopus while an old supplier's smart meter is already misbehaving, keep an opening reading and expect a setup period. If Octopus still fits after you compare the tariff and meter requirements, the referral-code page below explains the referral link without rushing the decision.