Octopus tells Gairloch customer: 'We're unable to send engineers north of Great Glen' in winter

Energy firm Octopus has apologised after the company told one of its Gairloch customers that they could not book them an appointment to have their smart meter fixed because they don’t send engineers “north of the Great Glen fault line” in winter. 

The Gairloch resident, whom we have agreed not to name, contacted the Gairloch and District Times and shared email correspondence they had had with Octopus. They said that they have been trying to get Octopus to fix the smart meter at their home for at least ten weeks. 

On December 16, an Octopus customer service representative told them: “although it is not your fault the remoteness of the location does add to a delay in engineer availability,” and added, “as we are entering a period of harsher conditions typically at this time of year we are unable to accommodate our engineers going north of the great glen fault line. The time frame for this is yet to be announced.”

The energy regulator Ofgem, which sets out the service standards all energy companies are supposed to meet throughout the UK, requires all energy firms to make and keep smart meter appointments within a “reasonable amount of time.” It is understood that the watchdog interprets “reasonable” as meaning within four weeks. If firms fail to meet this standard their customers are supposed to be due an automatic £40 compensation payment.

An Ofgem spokesperson said: “While suppliers make their own decisions about where and how to deploy engineers, customers should always be treated fairly, wherever they live. If an appointment isn’t offered within a reasonable timeframe, customers are entitled to automatic compensation – and we expect suppliers to pay this promptly.

Local MP Angus MacDonald said he was shocked to read the messages from Octopus and said: “There are very few days where the schools in the West Highlands are closed due to bad weather. Surely if the children can get out and about it is perfectly reasonable for engineers to do their jobs?”

All energy suppliers are expected to help meet a UK government target that 74.5% of all domestic homes should have a working smart meter by the end of 2025, with the aim of all domestic households having one by 2030.

Homes that do not have a working smart meter may not be able to access the best value tariffs. Energy campaigners see this as of particular importance in the Highlands, where more than two in every five households live in fuel poverty. Households without a smart meter may also find it makes it difficult to get the full benefit of modern low carbon heating systems such as solar panels and heat pumps. 

Also, homes that have Radio Transmission Switch (RTS) meters must have them replaced with smart meters as a matter of urgency, as the radio signal these RTS meters depend on is to stop being broadcast soon. If these RTS meters are not replaced in time, then people’s heating systems could malfunction or stop working.

Green MSP Ariane Burgess said: "It’s unacceptable that Octopus won’t install smart meters north of the Great Glen during winter. With the RTS meter switch-off coming next year, some people need smart meters installed to avoid losing heat or power as well as to access the best tariffs. Blocking installations hits rural households hardest, many already in fuel poverty.  

“This is yet another example of UK Government changes being rolled out by private companies without thinking about rural areas. A rural-first approach to projects like smart meter rollout would stop problems like this, instead of leaving communities at the whims of private companies."

After the G&DT put this criticism to Octopus the firm identified their customer in Gairloch independently and imediately offered them an appointment in early January. The firm also denied they had ever had a policy that they would not send engineers north of the Great Glen in winter. 

A spokesperson said: “We're sorry to hear that this customer has experienced a delay in getting a smart meter installed, and we understand how frustrating that can be – especially in rural areas. 

“We're pleased to confirm that we've reached out to the customer, who has a smart meter but was suffering from connectivity issues, and an engineer is booked in to pay them a visit on the 2nd of January.”

“With regard to servicing residents who live North of the Great Glen, Octopus doesn't apply a blanket policy across the region. Due to the location and availability of engineers, we sometimes use third-party installers in different areas, each of which have their own policies in place.”

“On this occasion, the customer was told incorrect information by the customer service team member who replied to their original email. We’ve spoken to the team member and they will have some further training to ensure they’re aware of the policies going forward.”

Octopus also paid their customer a £40 goodwill payment.

Have you had trouble with your energy supplier? 

If you have a problem with your energy supplier you should contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660 for free impartial advice.

If you are not sure whether you have an RTS meter, or are having trouble getting your energy firm to replace it, this page on the Citizen's Advice website is a useful place to start.

And if you want to tell the Gairloch and District Times about your experience with your energy company, you can contact us here.

Update: This story was amended on December 21 after Octopus confirmed that it would pay a £40 goodwill payment, in addition to apologising.