Local export data differs to Octopus energy report is this a meter remote reading issue?

[MikeSharp01]

I was just running through our generation data this week and I noticed that the Octopus app was not showing me the same thing as the local inverter was for the 25th although the 26th and 24th are perfectly the same. Here are the two graphs for the 25th. I notice occasionally the Octopus takes time to show the readings, but I have never seen it only catch up part of a day. Anybody else seen this? I wonder how much back data our meter keeps locally? I will call Octopus on Monday to discuss or perhaps put this on the Octopus tech forum to see if anybody there has seen it if not seen here before.

 

Here is what Octopus is showing for 25th.

 

Here is what the inverter is telling me rounded to 2dp not three as Octopus.

[Temp]

I take it the inverter knows how much is exported not just whats generated.

[SteamyTea]

Well yours is a lot better logged than EDF manages.

I think there is already 7 days missing and not at the end of the month yet.

 

[MikeSharp01]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

I take it the inverter knows how much is exported not just whats generated.

That graph is what the inverter thinks has been exported and it aligns perfectly with the Octopus graph but has no missing 30 minutes segments like the Octopus one has.

[Rob99]

On 28/06/2025 at 16:36, MikeSharp01 said:

That graph is what the inverter thinks has been exported and it aligns perfectly with the Octopus graph but has no missing 30 minutes segments like the Octopus one has.

You can sign up to Octoprice ( https://www.octopriceuk.app/missingData) using your Octopus API key and it will tell you whether there is any missed half hour data from your smart meters. It also has other useful stuff on tariffs.

[Temp]

Bit of a scandal if the meter is missing export. Imagine the class action lawsuit if it was found a lot of them missed export units.

[Temp]

ho hum..

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OctopusEnergy/comments/1dl01hk/missing_a_day_worth_of_export_data/

 

 

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I had the same. It seems that export readings are not done cumulatively so if readings are missing you will miss out on the respective export payments. I had similar and contacted Octopus on twitter. That seems the most responsive contact method.

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I had around 150Kwh of Export data that I asked for them to get refunded, yet they had no data to prove this their end so after many phone calls to try and sort it they just credited me with a ' curtesy ' payment of approx the total amount of 150 kwh.

Every month there's always a problem lol welcome to Octohell. 🤣🤨

 

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As some have pointed out this is a relatively common occurance.

 

Look on www.octoprice.app/missingData, plug in your octopus api token (found under personal details, developer settings on the website, not the app) and see if the central database is missing any meter readings from your smart meter

 

Edit: and just checked mine, the import and gas have come through for yesterday but not the export which is annoying as it was a good day for me.

 

 

Edited June 29 by Temp

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

Bit of a scandal if the meter is missing export. Imagine the class action lawsuit if it was found a lot of them missed export units.

i would read the T&C's about  missing data on time of use tariffs. See what it says?

 

Just looked at agile import prices yesterday they were almost zero, windy and sunny loads of renewable and no where for it to go. Will soon be like Australia where you get charged for export.

[MikeSharp01]

3 hours ago, Rob99 said:

You can sign up to Octoprice ( https://www.octopriceuk.app/missingData) using your Octopus API key and it will tell you whether there is any missed half hour data from your smart meters. It also has other useful stuff on tariffs.

Did that and here is what I see:

 

 

A bit patchy but no missing data and not unlike previous / subsequent days. No '0' (Zero) blocks in the main part of the day. So it must be a software glitch somewhere although it consistently shows the same missing blocks every time in the App and on the Website. Looks like this is is one for a call in the morning. 

[SteamyTea]

10 hours ago, Temp said:

Imagine the class action lawsuit if it was found a lot of them missed export units

In 15 years time you get a cheque for 30 quid.

Not going to happen.

10 hours ago, Temp said:

welcome to Octohell

How the mighty fall from grace.

[MikeSharp01]

43 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

11 hours ago, Temp said:

welcome to Octohell

How the mighty fall from grace.

To be fair to Octopus they have not yet had the chance to respond to my query, I think I have all the evidence there is a problem, their own backend data shows that there is no missing data on the day and, judging by the colours in the 30 minutes slots, we were exporting more that nothing across the whole of daylight. I think this means there is a glitch in the software that is copying the data across. One can speculate on why that might have happened and it is likely that the scrape over from one to the other can be rerun, lets wait and see. 

[Dillsue]

If the meter is supposed to be read every half hour and they miss a few half hourly slots or a whole day/week then surely when they eventually capture a read everything will even out?? Won't show you half hourly figures but you'll not miss out on payments for total export??

 

Not sure if every smart meter displays it, but ours shows total export so probably best to take a reading every so often if you don't trust remote readings from Octopus??

[sharpener]

I have seen the same occasionally but assumed it would be corrected in due course.

 

@MikeSharp01 did you get it sorted, and if so how? Is it going to be a permanent fix or something you have to watch out for for the rest of your days (sigh)?

[MikeSharp01]

1 hour ago, sharpener said:

 did you get it sorted, and if so how? Is it going to be a permanent fix or something you have to watch out for for the rest of your days (sigh)?

Yes we did and two things came out if it. Firstly the data was in the Octopus back end all the time as I could see it via the detail tool, it just was not copied across to the main viewing system. Secondly the way billing works on the simple Octopus export, not agile, is that they use the last meter reading of the month and so errors from intermediary readings don't matter a jot BUT if that one reading is wrong then the bill will be wrong! So I have added a line to my logger to record the total exported by the inverter at 10 seconds to midnight on billing day, and every other day actually, so I can check the bill readings. 

[sharpener]

22 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said:

they use the last meter reading of the month and so errors from intermediary readings don't matter a jot

 

Thanks, that puts my mind at rest to some extent.

 

If the last reading of the month is erroneously low the billed amount (credit) will also be wrong, but (presuming the error does not get corrected subsequently) then in the following month you will be paid more to compensate, and lose only the notional value of the interest due.

 

Ultimately it is only the last ever reading that needs to be completely accurate!

[MikeSharp01]

24 minutes ago, sharpener said:

If the last reading of the month is erroneously low the billed amount (credit) will also be wrong, but (presuming the error does not get corrected subsequently) then in the following month you will be paid more to compensate, and lose only the notional value of the interest due.

 

Ultimately it is only the last ever reading that needs to be completely accurate!

Yes, as I understand the simple export system. The 30 minutes readings however are critical if on the 'agile' tariff as this needs to be absolutely clear how much went in and went out in each of the 30 minute periods as a gap could be much more difficult. As I said the back end tool ( https://www.octopriceuk.app/missingData) as @Rob99 points out above can see our missing data, as I show just below rob99s post, so I assume octopus must use that to do the 30 minute calcs for Agile working out.

 

It would be good if I could get a local reading of the smart meter but I am not sure this is possible although I hear tell of wifi smart meters - anybody know if a local reading is possible?

[JohnMo]

I am a 4G meter, but that sends data direct to DCC and everything gets read from there.

 

But strangely I have consumption data from prior to the 4G hub being installed. So the smart meter must store a period of data as well. Communication was established last Friday, but I can see 30 mins data back to 15 June on the octopus app.

 

I am also using an octopus mini, which connects to your meter wirelessly, so that my be reading directly from the smart meter and utilising the app to display data?

[sharpener]

53 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

I am also using an octopus mini, which connects to your meter wirelessly, so that my be reading directly from the smart meter and utilising the app to display data?

 

Yes, AFAIK that sends data to Octopus and so is probably what their cloud app shows you. Whereas the proper backhaul link to DCC is what is used for statutory metering purposes. Hence the discrepancies between the two. Wottamess.

[JohnMo]

Possibly why the app says estimated below the graph.

[Dillsue]

3 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said:

It would be good if I could get a local reading of the smart meter but I am not sure this is possible although I hear tell of wifi smart meters - anybody know if a local reading is possible?

The display on the front of our meter shows import and export readings. The In Home Display shows the import reading but I've not found an export reading. Can't see why the IHD couldn't show the export but maybe it just needs setting up?

[MikeGrahamT21]

I’ve had this in the past and not realised, they do a yearly catalog of all the data and get any missing bits.

 

you end up with a bill which shows credit and charge for almost the same amounts, bar the bits they missed, it’s very messy but it is handled