Avro Energy reviews: Give your feedback

2010

Consumerist said:

youravinalarrrf said:

The only problem I experienced doing this was that their software took several attempts before it would recognise my bank account sort code.

I had that problem until I entered the sort code without any dashes (i.e. only the six digits).

So you`ve afterall decided to set up a new DD with Octo.
From what I can see they ask your name, account number and sort code and then you click submit, then what happens?
Is it just a "thank you" and you have to wait until your account is fully set up until you can change the date and amount of the DD through your dashboard.

youravinalarrrf

I honestly can't remember!

Try refreshing your Dashboard and see if anything changes. If that doesn't show any changes try logging out and back in and check again. I have a feeling it automatically knew what my previous Avro amount and payment date was and I then increased the payment amount from within the Dashboard.

Consumerist

2010 said:

. . . From what I can see they ask your name, account number and sort code and then you click submit, then what happens? . . .

This was more than a week ago but, as far as I remember, the short answer is: Nothing; but my Octopus account now had my bank account details. I'll wait the 5 days until I'm advised that the account is properly set up before resetting the DD amount.

2010

Just set up a new DD.
When I clicked submit, the next page showed the amount and date the DD would be taken.
Which was exactly the same as Avro.
It also gave me the option to change the amount and date.
I upped the monthly payment but left the date of the month the DD is taken the same.
It also said the DD would be active from 1st Nov.

Consumerist

2010 said:

Just set up a new DD. . .

Thanks. My Avro DD was due on the 25th so I wasn't too sure whether trying to change the DD yesterday (21st) would take immediate effect. From what you say, it takes them a few days to activate any changes so I could probably change the DD now without changing the payment due this month.

littlemissbossy

These are my rates for Lancashire

Electricity
24.38 SC per day
19.95 KWh

Gas
26.11 SC per day
4.00 KWh

I've just amended my DD from £72 to £100, ouch!

Consumerist

littlemissbossy said:

. . . I've just amended my DD from £72 to £100, ouch!

I noticed from their Ts&Cs that it is the customers' responsibility to keep their account in credit; not really in keeping with evening out the cost over the year.

With winter looming, you may find you will need additional payments to keep your balance in credit.

littlemissbossy

Consumerist said:

littlemissbossy said:

. . . I've just amended my DD from £72 to £100, ouch!

I noticed from their Ts&Cs that it is the customers' responsibility to keep their account in credit; not really in keeping with evening out the cost over the year.

With winter looming, you may find you will need additional payments to keep your balance in credit.

Yes, I will definitely be making an overpayment or two.

youravinalarrrf

The Electricity on my Octopus Dashboard has finally updated this afternoon and now shows this

All done! 🎉

We're officially your energy supplier from Saturday 23rd October.

You'll get a final bill from your previous supplier in the coming weeks.

However, since your old supplier is responsible for releasing your final bill, we can't say for certain when you'll get it, but from our experience it usually happens in four to six weeks.

Octopus have also amended the meter details to correctly identify that it's a SMETS 1 meter which should allow it to receive the update which will allow it to automatically send readings if and when that ever happens and be able to transfer between providers.

I'm still hopeful that 4-6 week delay before the final bill is issued by Avro is just another erroneous message from their software. If that turns out to be the case I will owe Octopus an apology for assuming they had previously told porkies.

I just need them to upload the final Avro meter readings to the Octopus system and I should be done.

MWT

Consumerist said:

I noticed from their Ts&Cs that it is the customers' responsibility to keep their account in credit; not really in keeping with evening out the cost over the year.

There is no divergence from that objective, as long as you start your payments at the right level from the end of winter, that way you will end up with a decent balance by the time you hit this point in the year to carry you through winter.

I would suggest you also take it as a degree of flexibility you don't find with many suppliers these days, Octopus are not generally prone to trying to force specific large payments onto their customers. As long as you demonstrate that you keep your account positive they are not likely to be chasing you to pay more.

It is not part of their plan to provide free loans over winter though, so expecting to pay 12th of your annual use starting with a zero balance at this time of year is not really reasonable to expect...