Smart Meter, Not-So-Smart Experience: Our Ongoing Battle to Get Readings Working with Octopus Energy

If you've ever switched energy supplier and been told "your smart meter will just work," this post might feel familiar. We switched from E-On Next Drive to Octopus Energy in February 2026, and what should have been a straightforward process turned into weeks of chasing, waiting, and checking for readings that never appeared. Here's what happened, where we are now, and what we've learned.

Why We Switched

We'd been on the E-On Next Drive tariff since around July 2025. It served us well — cheaper overnight electricity meant we could charge the EVs, run the heat pump, and heat water during the low-rate window. But we wanted to move to Octopus Energy for their Intelligent Octopus Go tariff, which offered smarter scheduling and better integration with our evolving setup (solar, Powerwall, and eventually a new EV charger).

Our switch date was 18th February 2026.

The Problem Begins

To move onto a time-of-use tariff like Octopus Go, Octopus needs to be able to communicate with your smart meter. We were told this could take up to two weeks after the switch — fair enough, we thought. We'd wait.

Two weeks passed. Nothing. No readings appeared in our Octopus account at all.

We emailed a few times and were told the same thing each time: wait, there's nothing we can do, it'll come through eventually. Not especially reassuring when you're generating solar, exporting to the grid, and trying to manage your energy costs — but you've got no visibility on what the meter is actually recording.

Getting Through

On 4th March — over two weeks after the switch — we rang again. This time, we spoke to someone who acknowledged the delays and apologised. He did a few things on his end (we weren't told exactly what), and said he hoped it would resolve things.

Later that day, we checked our online account and readings had finally appeared. Progress.

We rang back immediately and asked two things. First, could we switch to Octopus Go? Yes — and it was done that same day. Second, could they submit our export application (to get an MPAN so we can earn from the energy we send back to the grid)? Yes — they said they'd do that too.

Back to Square One

We monitored our account over the following week, expecting regular readings now that things seemed to be working. They weren't. After the initial batch of readings appeared on the 4th, nothing new came through.

When we had the Hypervolt Pro 3 installed on 12th March, we wanted to switch from Octopus Go to Intelligent Octopus Go — the smarter tariff that works with compatible chargers to schedule charging during the cheapest windows automatically. But when we asked, Octopus told us they couldn't read our smart meter, so the switch wasn't possible.

More emails. More calls. We specifically asked about having an external aerial fitted to the meter, because our mobile signal here is poor — and smart meters rely on mobile networks to communicate. That request didn't go anywhere.

Then on 13th March, readings appeared again. We were able to switch to Intelligent Octopus Go the same day.

Where We Are Now

As of mid-March 2026, we're on Intelligent Octopus Go and the Hypervolt is scheduling charges overnight as intended. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news is that our meter readings still aren't updating reliably. They seem to come through once every seven to ten days — and usually only after we've been in contact chasing them. It feels very much like each time we complain, someone manually triggers a push to the meter, readings appear briefly, and then it goes quiet again until the next time we chase.

We've also been asking since 4th March whether our export application has actually been submitted. As of writing, we've had no confirmation. That means we're still generating solar, still exporting surplus energy to the grid, and still not earning anything for it because we don't have an export MPAN or an export contract in place.

What We Think Is Going On

We're not meter engineers, but based on everything we've been told and what we've observed, the issue seems to be communication between the meter and the network. Our area has poor mobile signal, and smart meters use the mobile network (typically via a communications hub attached to the meter) to send readings back to the supplier.

If the signal is too weak or intermittent, the meter can't reliably phone home. That's why readings appear sporadically rather than consistently — and why they seem to come through after manual intervention.

An external aerial would likely solve this, but despite requesting one, it hasn't been arranged. We'll keep pushing.

What We'd Recommend

If you're switching to Octopus (or any supplier) and you need smart meter communication for a time-of-use tariff, here's what we'd suggest:

Don't just wait. The advice to "give it two weeks" is standard, but if readings haven't appeared after that, start chasing actively. Emails are fine for a paper trail, but phone calls tend to get things moving faster.

Check your mobile signal. Smart meters need a mobile connection to communicate. If your home is in a poor signal area, you may run into exactly the problems we've had. Ask about an external aerial early — don't wait until you're weeks into the problem.

Keep a timeline. Write down every call, email, and date. When you're going back and forth with support, having a clear record of what you were told and when makes a real difference.

Chase your export application separately. Don't assume it's been done just because someone said they'd do it. Ask for confirmation, and if you don't get it, ask again. We're still waiting for ours.

Submit manual readings. While your smart meter is playing up, you can submit manual readings through the Octopus app or website to make sure your bills are accurate. It's not the automated experience you signed up for, but it's better than estimated bills.

What's Next

We're continuing to push Octopus on two fronts: getting the smart meter communication reliably fixed (ideally with an external aerial), and getting confirmation that our export application has been submitted. We want an export MPAN, an export contract, and to start earning from the energy we're sending back to the grid.

We'll update this post as things develop. If you're having similar meter issues — especially in a rural or low-signal area — we'd love to hear from you. It helps to know we're not the only ones.