Bulb energy - UK's biggest green supplier - becomes Octopus energy

[BristolEcho]

Interestingly I asked Bulb about smart meters.
They said they are not rolling out until the tech is fixed as the current batch are a mess.

We've booked ours in with Bulb so they are rolling it out. To be honest I just like to know what I'm spending especially as we now have a washer/dryer so I want to know how much the thing is going to cost us.

 

[Badgers]

We've booked ours in with Bulb so they are rolling it out. To be honest I just like to know what I'm spending especially as we now have a washer/dryer!

I would like one too but not in a hurry. Are you paying anything for this or is it the government subsidised scheme thing?

 

[colacubes]

I would like one too but not in a hurry. Are you paying anything for this or is it the government subsidised scheme thing?

We’re also booked in to get one from Bulb. No cost unless you cancel the appointment with less than 24 hours notice.

 

[BristolEcho]

I would like one too but not in a hurry. Are you paying anything for this or is it the government subsidised scheme thing?

Yeah no cost to us at all otherwise I likely wouldn't have bothered. I'm not sure they'll be able to do it ours as our electric meter is quite high and they say they can't do it if it's above 8ft. We'll see though.

 

[gentlegreen]

Coincidentally Bulb just sent me an email offering me a smart meter.
I will of course be ignoring it.

 

[geminisnake]

I don't like the idea of smart meters, for one it's taking a job from a person, for 2 we use approx £1 of leccy a day(including standing charge) so I don't see where we can cut back for 3 we don't get decent enough coverage(internet/tv/phone/radio) where we are so I suspect the thing would rarely work.

 

[BristolEcho]

I don't like the idea of smart meters, for one it's taking a job from a person, for 2 we use approx £1 of leccy a day(including standing charge) so I don't see where we can cut back for 3 we don't get decent enough coverage(internet/tv/phone/radio) where we are so I suspect the thing would rarely work.

Do you still get people reading your meters? Flow never sent anyone out in all the time we had them and Bulbs you do nice and easily through the app.

TBF the smart meters can be a bit problematic from what I hear so appreciate the reluctance.

 

[Boudicca]

Interestingly I asked Bulb about smart meters.
They said they are not rolling out until the tech is fixed as the current batch are a mess.

I can confirm this. I got one installed on Monday and all it has done is spout meaningless random numbers at me.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Ah, it was you! Thank you - it does help as funds have gone a little low.

I'll bung some money in the server fund in a bit.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Do you still get people reading your meters?

Don't suppliers have an obligation to read the meter at least once a year or something? I'm not sure how it works to be honest.

 

[BristolEcho]

Don't suppliers have an obligation to read the meter at least once a year or something? I'm not sure how it works to be honest.

Yeah I thought they had to read them which is why I was annoyed at Flow never sending anyone in the time that we had them. I've since been told they don't have too, but not sure what the exact procedure is. I guess the smaller companies will have problems with this.

According too ofgem:

Suppliers are required to read and inspect your meter(s) at least every two years –
although some suppliers may visit more frequently. Bills, between supplier meter
readings, are issued using estimates based mainly on past consumption.

 

[geminisnake]

Do you still get people reading your meters? Flow never sent anyone out in all the time we had them and Bulbs you do nice and easily through the app.

I thought it was a legal requirement that the meter is read once a year? Can't remember who told me this though. Aye, our meter gets read twice a year afaik, guesstimates the other 2 bills. Oh, just noticed your other post

 

[a_chap]

Condition 21B.4 of the Standard Conditions of Electricity Supply Licence says:

The electricity supply company "must take all reasonable steps to obtain a meter reading
(including any meter reading transmitted electronically from a meter to the licensee or
provided by the Customer and accepted by the licensee) for each of its Customers at least
once every year."

Note that this does not apply to any customer with a Prepayment Meter.

You can read the whole thing here
https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/D...Conditions Consolidated - Current Version.pdf

 

[souljacker]

We've got the smart meter. For the first month or so it seemed to alternate between saying it couldn't talk to the meter and saying we were using some bonkers amount of power a day. It seems to be working now but we don't trust it so pay it no attention at all. It regularly claims we have gone over budget but at no point had asked me what my budget is.

Stupid thing.

 

[Boudicca]

We've got the smart meter. For the first month or so it seemed to alternate between saying it couldn't talk to the meter and saying we were using some bonkers amount of power a day. It seems to be working now but we don't trust it so pay it no attention at all. It regularly claims we have gone over budget but at no point had asked me what my budget is.

Stupid thing.

Yup, mine is still doing the random number generation thing and I'm not holding on the phone for 20 minutes to tell them. Tbis is annoying as I really would like to understand how much the central heating costs to run.

 

[discobastard]

Interestingly I asked Bulb about smart meters.
They said they are not rolling out until the tech is fixed as the current batch are a mess.

I had a smart meter fitter by Bulb a few weeks ago. One of the new ones. Works fine.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

You can read the whole thing here
https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/D...Conditions Consolidated - Current Version.pdf

I'm not that bored.

 

[High Voltage]

I switched to Bulb hoping to save a few bob - looks like the anticipated reduction in my £80 / month budget was a bit "oversold" - they still want £80 . . . Hey Ho

 

[Badgers]

I switched to Bulb hoping to save a few bob - looks like the anticipated reduction in my £80 / month budget was a bit "oversold" - they still want £80 . . . Hey Ho

Mine was £80pcm
Bulb suggested £40pcm
Am now paying Bulb £60pcm

Still better

 

[strung out]

I switched to Bulb hoping to save a few bob - looks like the anticipated reduction in my £80 / month budget was a bit "oversold" - they still want £80 . . . Hey Ho

Is the price of energy actually cheaper than your old supplier though? If so, then you'll build up credit in your Bulb account and either be able to claim it back, or reduce your monthly payments further down the line.

 

[BristolEcho]

I switched to Bulb hoping to save a few bob - looks like the anticipated reduction in my £80 / month budget was a bit "oversold" - they still want £80 . . . Hey Ho

Did you leave your previous place with debt? I'm not saving much monthly, but I had a £160 odd debt with Flow and I'm in credit with Bulb at the moment so I was clearly paying under what I should have been with Flow, but they kept it low intentionally in my opinion. Should know more after a year.

 

[BristolEcho]

On topic -
Energy suppliers could face tougher financial checks.

Energy suppliers to face tougher financial checks

I'm not an energy geek by the way!

 

[passenger]

Must say so far so good I put 10 pounds on last Thursday and still have £2,02 plus my 5.00 emergency, seems a bit odd as I am so use to nervously checking my meter with EDF.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

So Good Energy have pissed me of royaly today so I'm thinking about switching. Can you get a smart meter will Bulb? Good Energy couldn't manage this. Are there any nice intro offers to sweeten the deal?

 

[colacubes]

So Good Energy have pissed me of royaly today so I'm thinking about switching. Can you get a smart meter will Bulb? Good Energy couldn't manage this. Are there any nice intro offers to sweeten the deal?

Yes you can get a smart meter if you want one as I had one fitted in December. They also have a referral where you and the referrer get £50 towards your bills. Am happy to send you referral if you want to PM me your email address.

ETA - actually scrap that. I don't need your email. It's just a referral code. Let me know if you want me to PM you it.

 

[souljacker]

We are still waiting for them to fix our meter. It's reporting gas but not leccy. Obviously, it's not important that its bust at the moment what with the Covid meaning even if they could fix it they won't. But I'm not impressed by Bulbs service and I'm not impressed by my meter.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

So Good Energy have pissed me of royaly today so I'm thinking about switching. Can you get a smart meter will Bulb? Good Energy couldn't manage this. Are there any nice intro offers to sweeten the deal?

Don't get a smart meter. It only works with the company that puts it in. Then you are done. I'd wait until the technology is better and actually interchangeable between providers.

 

[colacubes]

Don't get a smart meter. It only works with the company that puts it in. Then you are done. I'd wait until the technology is better and actually interchangeable between providers.

Not necessarily. That was true of the first generation of smart meters rolled out before 2018. The 2nd generation ones are compatible and can be transferred between companies. I know the one I had fitted in December is one of those and can be transferred.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

That was my understanding as well, the newer ones were transferable. That's folks.

 

[mauvais]

We are still waiting for them to fix our meter. It's reporting gas but not leccy. Obviously, it's not important that its bust at the moment what with the Covid meaning even if they could fix it they won't. But I'm not impressed by Bulbs service and I'm not impressed by my meter.

Same here but the other way round, gas doesn't report but electricity does. Bulb respond to my queries, but weeks later each time, negating any chance of solving the issue. Their customer service has declined significantly while I've been a customer and I wouldn't recommend them.