Avro Energy reviews: Give your feedback

pearl123

Consumerist said:

I think, with Avro, you have to accept that competitive pricing comes at a cost in terms of customer service. If you go in with your eyes opened by threads like this then you can make an informed choice. 

I tried my upmost to get a partial refund from Avro before my end of term. I'm in credit and would be leaving more than enough to pay my remaining amount. 
My end of tarrif comes up fairly soon, I shall  move, as a result. I'm not impressed. 

Consumerist

pearl123 said:

Consumerist said:

I think, with Avro, you have to accept that competitive pricing comes at a cost in terms of customer service. If you go in with your eyes opened by threads like this then you can make an informed choice. 

I tried my upmost to get a partial refund from Avro before my end of term. I'm in credit and would be leaving more than enough to pay my remaining amount. 
My end of tarrif comes up fairly soon, I shall  move, as a result. I'm not impressed. 

I understand that you may be disappointed because you couldn't get an interim refund but, whatever you do, don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

If you can do better elsewhere at the end of your contract then switching will be the right thing to do but you should do your comparisons at the time and try to make a hard-headed decision on that basis.

MidlandsGlory

Some good progress. After Avro's contractor installed smart meters and fluffed it I was having problems with the IHD, a GEO II unit that has a pathetic range, there is no spot in the house it can connect to the meter (the meter is outside on a double garage wall). OK so I found in the Android store an app by the IHD manufacturer that allows remote cloud monitoring of the IHD on my phone, So I connected the IHD to my home wifi signals, left it plugged in the garage near the meter wall and it worked, sort of, every other day I found the IHD reset, wifi turned off and the settings erased, re-entering them very laborious!!!
But.. since the installer came back and properly commissioned the gas meter, then commissioned both meters to IHD its been working non stop. So at least I can get readings via my phone to submit online without standing out in the cold and wet trying to write down the meter numbers. Progress!
Apparently the IHD can be remotely updated or controlled by 'somebody, somewhere' and the reason it kept losing settings is they were remotely resetting it in an attempt to get it to connect (never going to happen) so now its sorted that's ceased.

Telegraph_Sam

It took me 4 minutes earlier this afternoon to read my monthly gas and electric readings manually, and a further 7 minutes to submit them online (if I had done this a day earlier or later it would have made no difference).  I have already received, printed off, checked and filed the corresponding bill (from Octopus).  I will do a manual top up so that my account remains at zero.  I really struggle to accept that faffing around with a smart meter would make life any easier. If I was to switch to Avro I hope that a SM would not be imposed on me.

[Deleted User]

MidlandsGlory said:

Some good progress. After Avro's contractor installed smart meters and fluffed it I was having problems with the IHD, a GEO II unit that has a pathetic range, there is no spot in the house it can connect to the meter (the meter is outside on a double garage wall). OK so I found in the Android store an app by the IHD manufacturer that allows remote cloud monitoring of the IHD on my phone, So I connected the IHD to my home wifi signals, left it plugged in the garage near the meter wall and it worked, sort of, every other day I found the IHD reset, wifi turned off and the settings erased, re-entering them very laborious!!!
But.. since the installer came back and properly commissioned the gas meter, then commissioned both meters to IHD its been working non stop. So at least I can get readings via my phone to submit online without standing out in the cold and wet trying to write down the meter numbers. Progress!
Apparently the IHD can be remotely updated or controlled by 'somebody, somewhere' and the reason it kept losing settings is they were remotely resetting it in an attempt to get it to connect (never going to happen) so now its sorted that's ceased.

Well done for your tenacity in getting it resolved, but (serious question) why did you have smart meters installed in the first place?

Consumerist

AngelicKaty said:

MidlandsGlory said:

Some good progress. After Avro's contractor installed smart meters and fluffed it I was having problems with the IHD, a GEO II unit that has a pathetic range, there is no spot in the house it can connect to the meter (the meter is outside on a double garage wall). OK so I found in the Android store an app by the IHD manufacturer that allows remote cloud monitoring of the IHD on my phone, So I connected the IHD to my home wifi signals, left it plugged in the garage near the meter wall and it worked, sort of, every other day I found the IHD reset, wifi turned off and the settings erased, re-entering them very laborious!!!
But.. since the installer came back and properly commissioned the gas meter, then commissioned both meters to IHD its been working non stop. So at least I can get readings via my phone to submit online without standing out in the cold and wet trying to write down the meter numbers. Progress!
Apparently the IHD can be remotely updated or controlled by 'somebody, somewhere' and the reason it kept losing settings is they were remotely resetting it in an attempt to get it to connect (never going to happen) so now its sorted that's ceased.

Well done for your tenacity in getting it resolved, but (serious question) why did you have smart meters installed in the first place?

From the post "So at least I can get readings via my phone to submit online without standing out in the cold and wet trying to write down the meter numbers"

JohnB47

Telegraph_Sam said:

It took me 4 minutes earlier this afternoon to read my monthly gas and electric readings manually, and a further 7 minutes to submit them online (if I had done this a day earlier or later it would have made no difference).  I have already received, printed off, checked and filed the corresponding bill (from Octopus).  I will do a manual top up so that my account remains at zero.  I really struggle to accept that faffing around with a smart meter would make life any easier. If I was to switch to Avro I hope that a SM would not be imposed on me.

I'm with Avro. A couple of months ago I was contacted by their SM installers. I declined and they've not contacted me since. Let's hope it stays that way.

wakeupalarm

If anyone is thinking of joining Avro Energy then my advice is DON'T.  They are the worst energy company I have ever dealt with.  They ignore emails, they ignore complaints, they set Direct Debits way too high.  They don't refund huge credit balances, they ignore Ofgem's license conditions.  Don't even think about having a smart meter installed with these incompetents.  Forget the cheaper prices, the savings are not worth the hassle you have to go through in dealing with these muppets.. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS.

MidlandsGlory

AngelicKaty said:

MidlandsGlory said:

Some good progress. After Avro's contractor installed smart meters and fluffed it I was having problems with the IHD, a GEO II unit that has a pathetic range, there is no spot in the house it can connect to the meter (the meter is outside on a double garage wall). OK so I found in the Android store an app by the IHD manufacturer that allows remote cloud monitoring of the IHD on my phone, So I connected the IHD to my home wifi signals, left it plugged in the garage near the meter wall and it worked, sort of, every other day I found the IHD reset, wifi turned off and the settings erased, re-entering them very laborious!!!
But.. since the installer came back and properly commissioned the gas meter, then commissioned both meters to IHD its been working non stop. So at least I can get readings via my phone to submit online without standing out in the cold and wet trying to write down the meter numbers. Progress!
Apparently the IHD can be remotely updated or controlled by 'somebody, somewhere' and the reason it kept losing settings is they were remotely resetting it in an attempt to get it to connect (never going to happen) so now its sorted that's ceased.

Well done for your tenacity in getting it resolved, but (serious question) why did you have smart meters installed in the first place?

Well actually, I don't care what meters I have! but I am planning to have my old consumer unit replaced with a current one in the not too distant future but to do that we need to isolate it and break seals on the incoming fuse, then have seals replaced which a regular electrician can't do.
Sooo... while the meter guy was installing I 'persuaded' him to install a proper isolator switch I had ready on the consumer side so I can isolate my consumer unit when needed without breaking seals. A specific visit from someone authorised to do this work would have costed me £100.  MSE Gold!

Telegraph_Sam

wakeupalarm said:

If anyone is thinking of joining Avro Energy then my advice is DON'T.  They are the worst energy company I have ever dealt with.  They ignore emails, they ignore complaints, they set Direct Debits way too high.  They don't refund huge credit balances, they ignore Ofgem's license conditions.  Don't even think about having a smart meter installed with these incompetents.  Forget the cheaper prices, the savings are not worth the hassle you have to go through in dealing with these muppets.. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS.

In view of what you say I might  look for alternatives to Avro if I was to switch. I came across So Energy. Granted that this is an Avro thread, so apologies if it is off topic, has anyone had experience of So?