Avro Energy reviews: Give your feedback

2010

Simple and Select12M is the latest tariff being offered to new and existing customers.

BooJewels

youravinalarrrf said:

Simple and Select12M is the new tariff released yesterday and it replaces Simple and Savvy12M which was only released on the 18th May. Needless to say Simple and Select12M is more expensive for both gas and electricity.

Your problem is being caused because Avro do not recalculate your estimated annual gas usage each month - in fact they never recalculate it unless you specifically request them to do it. The estimated annual Electricity usage is automatically recalculated each month. If you look at your last few bills you will see the estimated annual gas usage never changes.

You need to contact them and request that they urgently review your account and adjust your direct debit accordingly. Based on my experience you can expect to wait 2-3 weeks for this to be done.

You're correct - the gas usage has always been wrong and I thought we'd straightened it out previously, but seemingly not.
I'll persist with my emailed renewal ticket - which says that they'll take 2 - 4 weeks to sort.  When I used a neighbours address and my actual usage, it gave me a direct debit amount that would be acceptable, so clearly the gas estimate is the factor that needs correcting.  So I'm not going to renew without sorting that out.

youravinalarrrf

Avro might eventually get the message if every customer requested an account review each month on receipt of their bill?

It's probably another cunning scam which allows Avro to keep unnecessary credit in their account to earn interest on it. I can't think of any other energy company who are incapable of providing accurate estimated annual gas usage on each bill/statement. I believe it's a requirement of the Operator's License issued by Ofgem that they provide this information.

BooJewels

I've had a similar perpetual problem with British Gas - but the opposite way, they underestimate my use - it constantly tells me that I'm paying too much and keep giving me my built-up credit back in summer and reducing my DD, so I end up having to manually pay it back in winter when I get into debit.  I just put it into a savings account and make a few pennies on it.  When I see they've dropped my DD (usually 2 or 3 times a year) I just sign in and change it straight back.  It's quicker than going round the houses trying to sort it out every few months - they just can't seem to grasp the problem or fix it.

Telegraph_Sam

That's surprising from BG but then they are perhaps better resourced than the small fry who depend on customers maintaining credit balances to fund their working capital.  It is usually far easier to eliminate any true negative balances via top up payments compared with having the hassle of begging for credit refunds. Give me the BG approach any day!! 

egyptiancotton

Once upon a time, I highly recommended Avro. Now I recommend you steer well clear.

A few months ago I went to switch from dual-fuel with Avro to separate suppliers but I cancelled the switches. No issues with cancelling both switches. However, British Gas Evolve still took over my gas supply. I contacted British Gas Evolve and they were very helpful - straight through an advisor who admitted fault and arranged for my gas supply to be transferred back to Avro straight away. British Gas Evolve provided written confirmation of when they transferred my gas supply back to Avro and that Avro had accepted the transfer. I haven't had a bill from Avro in over 4 months because my account needs correcting, and I'm unable to submit gas meter readings because of the hiccup. I spoke to Avro via web chat back in March and the advisor who dealt with me said he would get a member of the relevant team to contact me to sort the issue out - I was never contacted. I chased Avro several times but didn't receive a response.

I've raised a formal complaint with Avro but my emails have gone unanswered and it's coming up to three weeks since I raised the complaint. I did manage to speak to someone via Facebook Messenger but I was told each time that the complaints team have up to eight weeks to respond - I told the advisor that this isn't strictly correct as Avro have eight weeks to resolve the issue since I first raised the complaint otherwise I can then escalate the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The advisor then said she made the complaints team aware of my emails - I'm doubtful I'll get a response.

I agree with one of the poster's comments, that this kind of drop-off in customer service has often preceded insolvency for other suppliers. One of Avro's reviews on Google said something similar - Avro are operating like a company going into administration. Avro's web chat has been unavailable for quite some time now. When I was able to reach them via phone or web chat previously, the customer service was usually very good, but it has since taken an absolute nose dive.

Consumerist

Well, I agree that their CS isn't up to much.

Whether they are on the brink of receivership is an interesting question, however. I accept, as one of their customers at the moment, that it isn't looking too positive.

I seem to remember, though, that when Ofgem stopped them taking on new customers, the word was that was a precursor to collapse - but they're still here.

In the current energy market I suspect they are struggling but I can only say, for myself, that I hope they make it through.

If I wasn't already a customer, I must confess I would think hard before switching to them.

Hope it all works out for you, however.

2010

Avro is supposed to have been going under since it first started trading in Dec 2015.
It`s still trading!
This pandemic has been a great excuse for companies not providing good CS.
Our local council office has not opened for over a year with nearly all their staff working from home.
If you ring a bank, insurance company, etc., most of their staff are working from home.
Try getting through to a doctor`s surgery, telephone appointments mostly, if you can get one.
Up and down the country CS crap, so not just Avro.

egyptiancotton

2010 said:

Avro is supposed to have been going under since it first started trading in Dec 2015.
It`s still trading!
This pandemic has been a great excuse for companies not providing good CS.
Our local council office has not opened for over a year with nearly all their staff working from home.
If you ring a bank, insurance company, etc., most of their staff are working from home.
Try getting through to a doctor`s surgery, telephone appointments mostly, if you can get one.
Up and down the country CS crap, so not just Avro.

But you can't even get through to Avro for non-emergencies over the phone. At least with local council offices, banks, insurance companies, etc., there is the option of contacting them via web chat or telephone. There have been customers complaining that they have tried to get through to Avro for emergencies, but haven't had any luck. Avro's web chat has been unavailable for a while - if their staff are working from home, then why is the web chat unavailable? Avro should at least be providing support for non-emergencies over the phone and via web chat.

2010

lloydyyy said:

2010 said:

Avro is supposed to have been going under since it first started trading in Dec 2015.
It`s still trading!
This pandemic has been a great excuse for companies not providing good CS.
Our local council office has not opened for over a year with nearly all their staff working from home.
If you ring a bank, insurance company, etc., most of their staff are working from home.
Try getting through to a doctor`s surgery, telephone appointments mostly, if you can get one.
Up and down the country CS crap, so not just Avro.

But you can't even get through to Avro for non-emergencies over the phone. At least with local council offices, banks, insurance companies, etc., there is the option of contacting them via web chat or telephone. There have been customers complaining that they have tried to get through to Avro for emergencies, but haven't had any luck. Avro's web chat has been unavailable for a while - if their staff are working from home, then why is the web chat unavailable? Avro should at least be providing support for non-emergencies over the phone and via web chat.

I`ve never tried to phone them so I don`t know how long the wait is.
I do know when I phoned Virgin Money the wait was 45 minutes recently.
The only time I emailed Avro last month about my contract end date, I got a reply the following day.
I put my monthly readings in on the date it says in my Avro account and the bills are always accurate.
They always give notice about any DD increase and they were still the cheapest provider for a fixed rate account I could find when my old tariff ran out last month.
Speak as you find, I guess.