Avro Energy reviews: Give your feedback

victor2

Inforapennyinforapound said:

I can’t add anything to the current problems I’m afraid..but I have been with them for years.
Can someone advise re smart meters readings?  I had smart meters installed in December and just expected auto readings to be taken. However having seen all the problems I decided to look at my account and it tells me I’m in credit BUT I notice no readings have been noted since January when I submitted them myself..and it tells me I can submit readings by 12.6.21.
I am totally confused. How do I know if my payments are covering usage? I could be well in debit for all I know! I just assumed readings were sent via the ether?  I’ve had no emails asking for readings.... what should I do? ( I used to get asked for readings prior to ‘smart’ meters..

They normally generate statements monthly. Look in your account for the latest statements and download copies. Then look at them to see if your readings have been estimated, which they probably have if they're not receiving readings from your smart meters for whatever reason. If you manually provide a reading on 12/6, which a presumably just before the next statement date, they will use that and should just estimate the days between the reading date and statement date, so it won't be far off.

Only by giving an actual reading will you bring your account into line and see where you stand financially.

Telegraph_Sam

Inforapennyinforapound said:

I can’t add anything to the current problems I’m afraid..but I have been with them for years.
Can someone advise re smart meters readings?  I had smart meters installed in December and just expected auto readings to be taken. However having seen all the problems I decided to look at my account and it tells me I’m in credit BUT I notice no readings have been noted since January when I submitted them myself..and it tells me I can submit readings by 12.6.21.
I am totally confused. How do I know if my payments are covering usage? I could be well in debit for all I know! I just assumed readings were sent via the ether?  I’ve had no emails asking for readings.... what should I do? ( I used to get asked for readings prior to ‘smart’ meters..

This sets out graphically my own personal reservations over smart meters (which are not shared by everyone ..).  Great in theory, less so in practice, in particular when changing energy suppliers and/or addresses. I prefer the greater direct control which DIY meter readings (should) give and for which I am prepared to pay a modest premium. I look forward to hearing from others who can more adequately answer your queries and defend smart meters.

Inforapennyinforapound

victor2 you are spot on! Statements give estimated meter readings! So what on earth is the reason/ benefit of smart unsmart meters!!.Looks like I need to go back to manual readings.
This whole business is tiresome..

Consumerist

Inforapennyinforapound said:

victor2 you are spot on! Statements give estimated meter readings! So what on earth is the reason/ benefit of smart unsmart meters!!.Looks like I need to go back to manual readings.
This whole business is tiresome..

I seem to recall, from a previous post (way back) in this thread, Avro say that you can request to read meters manually so that you get the monthly reminders again.

Avro also say, reportedly, that they get meter readings remotely but the process is not yet automated. I'm guessing they collect them on a regular basis but if the collection date does not coincide with your statement date then they will estimate for the intervening period. If this is the case then the estimates should not be too far out from your actual readings.

Telegraph_Sam

I think you will agree that this demonstrates inforapennyinforapound's point admirably!

egyptiancotton

The Direct Debit that Avro took on 07/06/21 has finally been credited to my account. I emailed Avro last night to complain as part of the formal complaint I submitted regarding the erroneous gas transfer issue that Avro still hasn't resolved. I suspect either the complaints department read my email and credited the amount to my account or the system was slow to update. Direct Debits were always credited to my account within a few hours, until this month.

It's coming up to four weeks since I submitted a formal complaint and I still haven't had any contact from Avro - not even a courtesy message to let me know that they're reviewing my complaint and when they'll contact me to discuss the next steps.

Consumerist

I suspect that Avro, like many companies at the moment, are busy re-scheduling their staff between home and office. Hopefully, it won't be too long before their CS returns from this recent appalling service to its more regularly bad service.

Toastrack03

youravinalarrrf said:

Toastrack03 said:

I'm trying to switch from Avro, but the new supplier says "we have received an objection to the switch from your current supplier, which is preventing us from taking over at this moment."

A surprise to me, because I've had nothing from Avro advising of any problem.

Their Live Chat has been unavailable since yesterday morning, so I've emailed them but apparently should expect to wait 3-5 days for a reply.

Very, very unimpressed.

If your account is in debit (no matter how small) Avro will automatically object to any switch request. This is against Ofgem's rules which Avro are deliberately and wilfully ignoring but the only way to resolve this issue is to make a one off payment covering any debit balance plus an amount to cover the period of time the switch to the new supplier will take (17-21 days maybe).

Once your one off payment is showing on your account resubmit your switching application and don't forget to cancel your direct debit with your bank once your switch has been accepted and is in process to prevent further unnecessary payment to Avro.

Thanks youravinalarrrf, this was all news to me.

I've now acquainted myself with OFGEM's Standard Licence Conditions (SLCs) and will, at the appropriate time, remind Avro of them.

victor2

Toastrack03 said:

youravinalarrrf said:

Toastrack03 said:

I'm trying to switch from Avro, but the new supplier says "we have received an objection to the switch from your current supplier, which is preventing us from taking over at this moment."

A surprise to me, because I've had nothing from Avro advising of any problem.

Their Live Chat has been unavailable since yesterday morning, so I've emailed them but apparently should expect to wait 3-5 days for a reply.

Very, very unimpressed.

If your account is in debit (no matter how small) Avro will automatically object to any switch request. This is against Ofgem's rules which Avro are deliberately and wilfully ignoring but the only way to resolve this issue is to make a one off payment covering any debit balance plus an amount to cover the period of time the switch to the new supplier will take (17-21 days maybe).

Once your one off payment is showing on your account resubmit your switching application and don't forget to cancel your direct debit with your bank once your switch has been accepted and is in process to prevent further unnecessary payment to Avro.

Thanks youravinalarrrf, this was all news to me.

I've now acquainted myself with OFGEM's Standard Licence Conditions (SLCs) and will, at the appropriate time, remind Avro of them.

Good luck with that. When I tried quoting the SLC to them they responded that "I believe you are interpreting these licence conditions slightly differently than we are."

I was an ex-customer by then and they'd only over-charged me by a few pounds. When OFGEM ruled against quite a few other big suppliers (although not Avro) for exactly the same thing , I pointed it out to them. They have never replied. The initial complaint was before the pandemic and Avro's subsequent nose dive from poor customer service to depths even lower.

I do manage another account with Avro, which has been fine. Submit monthly readings manually, have renewed online, but could do with adjusting the DD down a bit to hit near zero by end of contract. That could be difficult, going by more recent comments on here.

Consumerist

I do think that it's only by complaining and seeing it through to the Ombudsman that Avro will ever change.

It is probably the usual case that only a small amount is involved so people don't bother. Only when the Ombudsman starts handing out compensation awards in large numbers will Avro sit up and take notice.

It doesn't matter a jot how Avro interprets its Licence Conditions, it's how the Ombudsman interprets them that matters to us.

Ofgem, for example, took a dim view of Avro's interpretation on signing up to the National energy database and so stopped them taking on new customers - Oh how Avro's "interpretation" changed then.