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Need help in this area? See Data Input FAQ.
Don’t worry — most data input issues are straightforward to fix. Whether a connection stopped working or an upload didn’t process correctly, this page covers the most common problems and tells you exactly what to do about them. The good news: Nectar flags issues proactively. You don’t have to go looking for problems — they show up on your Dashboard and in the connection list, with clear status labels that tell you what went wrong.

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Connection issues

Connection problems are the most common type of issue you’ll encounter. Usually, they come down to a changed password, an expired security code, or a temporary utility website outage. Status labels match the Glossary — Connection status. Use the table for what each status means, what often causes it, what to do next, and how long things usually take.

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How to reconnect

1

Find the connection

Go to Data Input > Connections and look for the connection with the error status. Error connections are highlighted so they’re easy to spot.
2

Open the detail view

Click on the connection to see its full details, including the specific error message and when the issue was first detected.
3

Start the reconnect flow

Click the Reconnect action. This opens the right flow for the error: credential steps for password issues, or MFA forwarding setup when the status is MFA token expired.
4

Finish the flow

For Password incorrect, New password needed, or Additional credentials needed, enter updated credentials in the embedded browser and submit. For MFA token expired, complete MFA forwarding (how codes reach Nectar), confirm, or turn off MFA if the portal no longer requires it — you do not re-enter the password on that path. Nectar will attempt a new collection after you finish.
Reconnecting preserves everything — all existing accounts, meters, and historical data tied to the connection remain intact. You’re updating credentials or MFA forwarding, not starting over.
MFA-specific guidance: If your connection shows MFA Token Expired, see the MFA overview for the full triage flow, utility-specific guides, and best practices for keeping MFA connections healthy.

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Upload issues

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Processing failed

The file couldn’t be read or doesn’t appear to be a utility bill. This usually happens because:
  • The PDF is scanned at very low resolution, making the text unreadable
  • The file is a photo taken at an angle or in poor lighting
  • The document is corrupted or password-protected
  • The file isn’t actually a utility bill (maybe it’s an account summary, a payment confirmation, or an invoice for a different service)
What to do: Try re-uploading a clearer copy of the bill. If the original was a photo, try scanning it with a scanning app to create a cleaner PDF. If the document is genuinely unusual or non-standard, consider using manual entry to enter the data by hand.

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Duplicate detected

Nectar found an existing bill in the system that matches the one you uploaded — same utility provider, account number, service dates, and total charges. If it’s a real duplicate: No action needed. Nectar correctly prevented the same bill from being counted twice in your reports. If it’s a false positive: This can happen with corrected or amended bills that share the same service period as the original. Open the original bill in Data Inventory > Bills and contest the duplicate flag.

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Missing data after processing

The bill was processed successfully, but some fields are empty or look wrong. This happens with:
  • Unusual bill formats that the AI hasn’t seen many examples of
  • Multi-page bills where data is spread across different pages
  • Bills with handwritten notes, stamps, or poor print quality
What to do: Open the bill in Data Inventory > Bills and manually fill in or correct the missing values. If extraction is systematically wrong for this file, open the upload on Data Input > Uploads, use Reprocess with feedback on that document (describe what was wrong), and let Nectar re-run from the stored original. If a specific utility provider’s bills consistently have extraction issues, report it to [email protected] — the team can improve the extraction model.

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When your data doesn’t show up

You’ve set up a connection or uploaded a bill, but the data isn’t appearing where you expect it. Don’t panic — work through this checklist:
1

Check the connection status

Go to Data Input > Connections and verify the connection shows Connected. If it’s in an error state, use Connection issues to find the cause and next steps. Data won’t flow until the connection is healthy.
2

Check Data Quality

Go to Data Quality to see if any items were flagged during processing. Bills with validation issues may not appear in Analytics or exports until the flags are resolved.
3

Check the timing

Connections are checked weekly after they are Connected. If the connection was just created, the first bills often appear within a few hours, and in some cases within up to 48 hours while the connection is still Pending. For ongoing connections, new data may take up to seven days after the utility posts a new bill. Give it time.
4

Check the start date

The data collection start date controls how far back Nectar looks for bills. If it’s set to “Current month” or a recent custom date, older bills won’t be collected. Check the connection’s configuration and the company-level default in Settings.
5

Check the site assignment

Make sure the connection is associated with the correct site. If data was collected but assigned to a different site than expected, you’ll find it in Data Inventory under that other site.
6

Email [email protected]

If everything above checks out and data is still missing, email [email protected] with the connection name, company name, and what you expected to see. The team typically responds within one business day.
If Completeness shows a missing month, work the diagnosis order in Filling data gaps (connection health first, then duplicates, then timeline).

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When to email [email protected]

Reach out to [email protected] when:
  • A connection has been in an error state for more than a week and you’ve already tried reconnecting
  • You see Under Investigation and need a status update
  • The same error keeps recurring after you fix it
  • You suspect a utility website redesign is causing issues
  • Data is missing and the checklist above didn’t help
  • You’re seeing behavior that doesn’t match the documentation
You can also report a connection issue directly from within Nectar. Click the Report issue action on any connection row, sheet, or detail page. This opens a form where you can select the problem category and add details, then sends an email to the Nectar support team with your account information automatically included. When you email, include the company name, connection name (or bill ID for upload issues), what you expected, and what you’re seeing. Screenshots help too.

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FAQ

It depends on the type of issue. Problems you can fix yourself (like updating a password) are resolved as soon as you reconnect — usually a matter of minutes. Issues marked Under Investigation mean Nectar’s engineering team is working on it; these are typically resolved within a few business days. Website Down issues resolve automatically when the utility’s website comes back online.
If the error is Password Incorrect, MFA Token Expired, or New Password Needed, start with whoever manages the utility login — they need to provide updated credentials. For Under Investigation, Website Down, URL Inaccessible, Company Inactive, or Other Error, email [email protected] since the issue needs engineering or account help.
Recurring issues usually point to one of two things: the utility website changes its authentication flow frequently (some do), or there’s an underlying technical issue. Report recurring problems to [email protected] with details on how often it’s happening. The team can investigate whether a permanent fix is possible.
It means the Nectar team has identified an issue that requires engineering attention — something beyond a simple credential update. Common causes include utility website redesigns, changes to how a portal handles authentication, or unusual technical errors. The team is actively working on it. You don’t need to do anything, but you can email [email protected] for a status update anytime.
Most uploads complete in under five minutes. If it’s been longer than 30 minutes, the processing likely encountered an issue. Try re-uploading the file. If it still gets stuck, the document may be in a format the system can’t read — try converting it to a cleaner PDF, or use manual entry as a workaround. Email [email protected] if the problem persists.
A working connection shows the status Connected in your connections list. You should also see recent bills appearing in the Recent Bills section of your dashboard and in Data Inventory. If the status is anything other than Connected or Pending, see Connection issues for guidance.
This means the utility provider’s website is temporarily unavailable — it’s on their end, not yours. No action is needed. Nectar will automatically retry on the next weekly check, and once the utility’s website is back up, data collection resumes normally. These outages are usually resolved within a day or two.
Nectar supports hundreds of utility providers globally, but not every utility is available. If you try to create a connection and can’t find your provider in the list, contact [email protected] with the utility name and website URL. The team regularly adds new providers, and many requests are fulfilled within weeks. In the meantime, you can always upload bills manually.
Duplicate bills typically happen when the same utility account is connected twice (through two separate connections) or when you upload a bill that was also collected automatically through a connection. Check if you have multiple connections for the same utility login. Nectar has built-in duplicate detection for uploads, but connections to the same portal can produce overlapping data.
Nectar checks connections on a weekly cycle. If a connection fails (due to website downtime, for example), it will automatically retry on the next weekly check. For issues that require your action (like a changed password), Nectar won’t keep retrying the old credentials — you need to reconnect with the updated information first.