Octopus Tracker

masonic

I've been fairly ambivalent towards the situation, on the one hand I feel the stated reason for the change is not valid and it seems the price cap has been conflated with the EPG (which is an irrelevance currently anyway). On the other hand, they could have invoked a variation under the existing T&Cs without changing anyone's tariff version. But they did not do that. The whole debacle exposed to me a more serious issue in their billing, wherein they incorrectly stated that the price was guaranteed for any customer with an end date. That seems to have been resolved in my latest bill, though I have no idea about others.

The change is likely to cost me about £2.50 per month over the warmer months, and who knows what the situation will be like come winter 2024. Rather than pushing a objection that is largely of a procedural/regulatory nature (which really feels like Ofgem's responsibility), I'll challenge myself to make equivalent savings through reduction of my consumption.

Griffindog

t0rt0ise said:

Alnat1 said:

I was switched to the Dec 23 v1 Tracker (gas) on 15th Feb but I've noticed it still says fixed term ends 17 June 2024, my end date on the previous version.

Is this right and what everyone else is seeing, or should it now say fixed term ends 15 Feb 2025.

Others are getting the old rate until their previous listed date. So your rate shouldn't change until June.

I disputed my tariff before the change over date as I previously had a fixed term of June. I sent a screenshot of my tariff page showing the end date (before they removed it) and also of a bill showing “Price guaranteed until [June date]”. I had to escalate it to a complaint but once I did that the change was done within hours. I calculated that the change would make around £100 difference so it was worth doing. If they introduce a new version of Tracker before mine ends I may end up paying more - we’ll see.

masonic

MarzipanCrumble said:

I am with Octopus.  I would like to go on to Tracker.  I have SM2 meters.  My problem is that they intermittantly communicate with Octopus - I think.  I look at my Octopus Dashboard and there are missing days.

However I have been told by Octopus Help that as long as they get readings every 24 hrs  -  no probelem.  When I had a Powercycle I was assured getting every 30 mins though this did not show up on DashBoard.

I don't think that's quite correct. Others have reported any missing data to be problematic, but the bills are still generated using averaged consumption figures for the billing period rather than actual usage on each day. This may not be a concern to you if you are not actively shifting usage between days to get the lowest unit rate. There is still a significant saving to be had vs SVT.

bristolleedsfan

masonic said:

 The whole debacle exposed to me a more serious issue in their billing, wherein they incorrectly stated that the price was guaranteed for any customer with an end date. That seems to have been resolved in my latest bill, though I have no idea about others.

I looked back through fixed term v1 statements, not price guaranteed so maybe only shown on November Tracker 2022 v1 fixed term statements.

"I feel the stated reason for the change is not valid and it seems the price cap has been conflated with the EPG"

Yes Octo nonsense stating "all variable tariffs are subject to price cap"

Griffindog

All the earlier responses I got to my request to reinstate November 22 were going around in circles, virtually saying ‘we needed to take you off a fixed tariff to put you on a fixed tariff’. There was nothing else in those responses to say anything about changing the prices. 

If they had said that I was still on Nov 22 but under the Ts and Cs they needed to change my rates then I would probably have accepted that.  They can’t put someone on a fixed term then decide six months later that it’s ending several months early. They wouldn’t do it with people who have signed up to any other fixed tariff.

masonic

I think there is a technical term to describe this approach, but I don't want to trip any profanity filters.

Those who were around these parts a year ago might remember such gems from Octopus as: "The government's Energy Price Guarantee discount does not apply to new
fixed term tariffs agreed after October 1 (2022), for new customers or existing customers renewing.", "We've worked hard within the rules of the scheme to develop new versions..." and "In short: No more annual renewals: Fixed-term contracts aren't eligible for the Energy Price Guarantee, so our smart tariffs will now technically be "variable" products, without an end date."

I also got the following, related to Go specifically: "If government rules change, or we get to the end of the Energy Price Guarantee, we may reintroduce fixed terms, if it means we can make EV charging cheaper."

So was this all down to Ofgem's pesky regulations and inflexibility around "innovative products like Tracker"? Or part of the original plan?

bristolleedsfan

masonic said:

I think there is a technical term to describe this approach, but I don't want to trip any profanity filters.

Those who were around these parts a year ago might remember such gems from Octopus as: "The government's Energy Price Guarantee discount does not apply to new
fixed term tariffs agreed after October 1 (2022), for new customers or existing customers renewing.", "We've worked hard within the rules of the scheme to develop new versions..." and "In short: No more annual renewals: Fixed-term contracts aren't eligible for the Energy Price Guarantee, so our smart tariffs will now technically be "variable" products, without an end date."

I also got the following, related to Go specifically: "If government rules change, or we get to the end of the Energy Price Guarantee, we may reintroduce fixed terms, if it means we can make EV charging cheaper."

So was this all down to Ofgem's pesky regulations and inflexibility around "innovative products like Tracker"? Or part of the original plan?

Being as Octopus changed status from fixed term to variable for reasons they stated, likely they planned to revert back after EPG finished.

I would suggest likely MSE gained this info from Octopus which is entirely correct.

Changing status back to fixed term of course gives customers certainty about standing charges/formula etc, does not seem very professional to give a reason for doing so that clearly is not true/correct.

bristolleedsfan

Just touching on subject of complaints and outcomes just in case helps anyone. 

Someone who changed from agile to tracker at the end of November who would not have done so had they known tracker formula was increasing/agile formula not increasing got reverted back to agile last week with a promise can switch back to tracker without waiting 9 months. (soiurce X formerly twitter)

Telegraph_Sam

If I exit from the Dec 23 tariff and simultaneously apply to rejoin in 9 months' time, is it pure speculation what kind of a deal I will be faced with then? The unit kWh rates will obviously be different, but the price formulas and T's & C's and such like?

Slinky

Are the current standing charges the same for Agile and Dec 23Tracker?