Being in a bonded pair but wanting time apart is absolutely not the same thing as being a single piggy living totally on its own never able to interact with another piggy.
We ‘harp on’ about it because companionship is a basic welfare need and is essential even if they don’t cuddle up or share hides, most piggies will not cuddle or share hides as time goes on - they are still bonded and are still interacting. They can be in the same level but still have their own spaces (hence the importance of a big enough cage). It is not a fall out - a fall out is a full on bond breaking fight or clear sustained bullying.
Piggies cuddling up together etc is a not something most will do but it does not mean they are falling out and it does not mean they can be by themselves.
I have always told you in all replies about housing that double storey hutches do not count towards the cage size. It’s only ever the single level and this is why we advised you right from the beginning that a 6 foot single level hutch was needed for two boys (5 foot single for two girls). It is not about it being two storey or having a run attached.
It’s fine to have a two storey hutch if that is what you choose - but you can find one doesn’t like the ramp, it is harder to keep warm, uses more bedding etc etc. Yes, opening up the bottom does give them somewhere else to go to but it does not give them more cage space.
It’s also about providing lots of enrichment in the hutch for mental stimulation which is vitally important to keeping outdoor piggies happy in winter when they can’t get run time.
This is not conflicting advice, perhaps you may have misunderstood the reasons behind the advice.
I don’t know how long ago you had piggies last but advice and research changes over time. This is why you will find the way we kept animals back years ago is not the same as the advice now - welfare and care advice has moved on and it’s important we move with it.
All my animals, in the last almost four decades that I’ve kept them, have lived long lives but I would not go back to doing things the way they were.