Octopus Energy takes on Avro customers

Consumerist

Just for info.: I made my first manual debit-card payment to Octopus today. Octopus balance updated immediately, two email confirmations of the payment received including a payment reference code. Octopus payments history also updated immediately.

Now, that's the way to do it. Well pleased.

Max68

Weird happenings today.  Octopus credited my account with £87.79 and £3.39 for Gas.  Looked down the balance sheet and it seems they charged me 26 SEP 2021 - 30 SEP 2021 £3.39 on 30th September.  1 OCT 2021 - 10 DEC 2021 £87.79 on 6th December.  26 SEP 2021 - 30 SEP 2021 £3.39 on 7th December.  1 OCT 2021 - 10 DEC 2021 £87.85 on 10th December and then credited on 21st.  So they charged me twice but the bigger one is 6p out!  So not quite sure what they have done but it seems to tally!

It is frightening though.  If you are in their "Winter Workout" you have to add your readings, which is a bit annoying as it tends to generate a charge.  Just between 11 DEC 2021 - 18 DEC I was charged £15.59 for electricity and £11.00 for Gas although it says "A charge of £11.00 hasn't yet been applied. This transaction will be reviewed before being finalised".  Those I assume aren't including standing charge.  So just for a week that is £26.59 which four weekly would work out at £106.36 without standing charge or VAT.  And that's just putting the heating on for a maximum of one or maybe two hours a day!  Maybe I need to cut the amount of time the hot water is on as well! 

Compared to this next years price hikes look horrific in comparison.  Saw an article that suggested bills that are £1200 a year will rise to £1600 in April then £2000 plus in October.  Surely Ofgem and the Government have top do something.

QrizB

Max68 said:

Compared to this next years price hikes look horrific in comparison.  Saw an article that suggested bills that are £1200 a year will rise to £1600 in April then £2000 plus in October.  Surely Ofgem and the Government have top do something.

Short of invading Norway, there isn't a lot the UK Government can do in the short term. Gas is expensive and 50%+ of our electricity is generated by burning gas. The best I'm hoping for (and it won't help me personally) is targeted help similar to the winter Fuel Payment to help the poorest households.

Over the next couple of years, more renewables will come online (and eventually be joined by Hinkley Point C, and after another decade or so Sizewell C) and our reliance on gas will reduce.

Max68

Yep guess you are right.  The big problem is many people can't afford their energy bills or a new gas boiler let alone say a heat pump with the costs involved in that.  Was looking into repairing my double glazed windows today as there is too much condensation (a side effect from having the house too cold!) and the 20 year old seals are rock hard and falling apart.  Even a repair is well out of my price range.  There doesn't seem to be many options fore those of us on low incomes.  My Winter Fuel Application to Octopus has been showing "pending" since we were swapped over, which is a concern because it's generally first come first served! 

Consumerist

Max68 said:

. . . Compared to this next years price hikes look horrific in comparison.  Saw an article that suggested bills that are £1200 a year will rise to £1600 in April then £2000 plus in October.  Surely Ofgem and the Government have top do something.

I hope the so-called 'eco warriors', who want gas and petrol consumption to be turned off overnight, are really feeling this in their pockets. Certainly, the rest of us are going to.

Max68

We were trying to work it out earlier and we found that we might be better off getting take away every night rather than cooking and using oven, hob, microwave and washing up afterwards.  Was rather sobering!

polymaff

I see that wholesale gas prices peaked today at just over 15p per kWh.  Makes you think.

2010

Surely none of the energy companies, who are mainly foreign owned, thanks to Thatcher selling them off, will not be paying any shareholder dividends for the forseeable future.

Hardly saving all that much but the Gov. could scrap 5% vat on energy immediately.
The old excuse of the EU won`t allow it has long gone.

Boris will learn the old adage at the election box.
"It`s the economy, stupid".

QrizB

2010 said:

Surely none of the energy companies, who are mainly foreign owned, thanks to Thatcher selling them off, will not be paying any shareholder dividends for the forseeable future.

Personally, I don't mind if Centrica (BG) doesn't pay a dividend as it's share price is up 63% on a year ago.

wild666

elsien said:

How long are Octopus taking to get back to people if you email them? I have queried the complete lack of any activity on either my avro or octopus account but the email has fallen into a black hole of nothingness.

I contacted them about the warm home discount as I receive the enhanced rates of PIP but no ESA or UC due to savings. I don't expect to get the WHD but it's worth trying if the benefit claimed is in one of the groups.