Octopus Energy takes on Avro customers

victor2

I seem to be one of the 60,000 too. Can't see what is complicated, the account was with Avro for a good few years and ran without issues. Avro (or the administrators) produced a final bill for 29 Sept in November, but still nothing with Octopus yet, apart from the basic account and two DDs taken, which I set up manually.

meinnit

Merlin139 said:

oliverbrown said:

UPDATE SATURDAY 15th JANUARY

Over 90% of Avro customers have now been issued final bills, and are now set up and getting bills normally as Octopus Energy customers. The remaining 8-10% have more complex data or billing issues that we are working quickly to solve and expect to have any remaining customers’ bills out over the coming weeks.

The next step is getting credits back to customers. The data for accounts who left Avro prior to Octopus Energy taking over and were owed a credit are now being imported into our systems with  refunds being processed in batches over the coming weeks. We‘ll attempt to return any credits to the bank account used with Avro in the first instance.

Guess my 3 days of emails going backwards and forwards asking for an update finally paid off! Kept getting the reply of we are working on it and it will be sorted in a few weeks. As I pointed out to them on Wednesday it was 4 weeks since they updated the page and what was the point of an Update page if you don't update it!

I joined them on Sept 23rd. Day they went belly up. Don't see what makes mine more complex? I do need a new final bill from Avro technically as they one I have does not show the DD payment made on Oct 14th. This was following Octopus advice to keep DD active.

One thing I have been told is that until I receive a final bill via email from Avro, I am still with Avro. That was at 16:15 yesterday.

I have a diary entry to bug them Monday 31st if no resolution.

Did the same.. chased them for an update on the progress as there hadn't been an update since 16th Dec.

I saw this article on Friday before the official update was posted on https://octopus.energy/avro/ on Saturday..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-10394219/When-receive-credit-balance-Avro-Energy.html

It contains the exact update posted on the official page on Saturday. It's a shame we had to read that update in the media.

Vegastare

I think I should stop reading this thread......now I find I have a more complicated bill.....why in 3years of remaining with Avro did I have no problems,  Each month they requested reading each month I sent it and never had one query.

But Octopus certainly took on Avro customers and all I can say is if it is complicated then maybe they should look to there billing system.  Best system in the world called Kraken....um who owns it well enjoy the read - while I like 60,000 wait for their bills

https://utilityweek.co.uk/how-kraken-is-waking-up-customer-service-for-global-partners/

Consumerist

Vegastare said:

I think I should stop reading this thread......

Well, it's probably true to say that there is little we can help you with at this stage but it may be a small crumb of comfort to others in the same boat that they are not alone.

[Deleted User]

Smoke and mirrors going on with Octopus and/or The administrators re historic customers of Avro (i.e those that had left before they went bust and were awaiting final credit etc)

From Octopus Today - "We are currently waiting on the Avro administrators to migrate the data over from the Avro accounts for people who moved out of their properties before Avro went bust.  We understand it is frustrating having to wait for your money to be refunded however, please know that the administrators are working as quickly and effectively as they can.

From the admins (10 days ago) -"Octopus has had access to these records for a number of months and has asked that all queries are directed to it. The process to transition customer accounts and generate final bills is a complex one due to the compatibility of the system previously used by Avro and the Octopus platform. The process is being led by Octopus. Their technical specialists are working this through as a matter of high priority, recognising the complexity of the exercise and the high volume of customers (c.600k) that require their accounts reconciling and final bills raised."

Unless the sender(s) of these emails did not read the details I had laid out for them in my emails to them both (namely being one of those customers who had left Avro before 26th September) I'm really not sure that both things can be true.  Passing the buck it seems with no way of working out who is causing the data migration delay.  I'd would be happier if Octopus had stated "We have these records but just need to process them".  Oh well I shall just have to wait yet another month before rattling their cage.

MWT

DerwentMailman said:

Unless the sender(s) of these emails did not read the details I had laid out for them in my emails to them both (namely being one of those customers who had left Avro before 26th September) I'm really not sure that both things can be true.  Passing the buck it seems with no way of working out who is causing the data migration delay.

If I remember correctly, Octopus were covering the costs of retaining staff at Avro for the purpose of migrating all the information, if so, those staff may well have had access to the records as the Administrators said, but it doesn't mean the records were all extracted and delivered to Octopus in their final form.

This stuff is very messy unfortunately.

[Deleted User]

The latest from Octopus today stated the following

"Whilst we have access to some parts of your Avro account, we do not have access to the financial side so we are unable to issue a refund at this time.

We need to wait until the administrators have passed over the finiancial information of people who moved out prior to Avro going bust and who are owed the credit on their accounts."

Now I really don't know who to believe is causing any delays.  If Octopus are to be believed then the latest update issued on their website looks a bit off as well.  Let us hope that the data import takes place quickly now (over the coming weeks to use their words) rather than dragging on for another couple of months  I'm starting to lower my expectations from 4 months to 6/7 months+ before former customers like myself get their credit refund.

Vegastare

I managed to download the last 12 months Avro bills just in case things went pear shaped.
I too understood that Avro staff were retained to help with transfer.
Still folks Octopus are the best loved energy supplier in UK so we are in safe hands.  Plus there accounts systems is world beating.

Consumerist

Vegastare said:

. . . Still folks Octopus are the best loved energy supplier in UK so we are in safe hands.  Plus there accounts systems is world beating.

Well, someone seems to be feeling the "love and power". I think I'll reserve judgment for now.

jlroberts

Hey guys first timer poster, This seems like as good a place as any to get a bit of help.

The Mrs and I moved into our privately rented place in March 21, The landlords has passed the last meter reading onto Avro and all of our contact details and then....Nothing, No matte how hard I tried to chase them up I could not get through to customer services to sort out the billing, So from March 21- Jan 17th I had no bills

On Jan 17th we recieved a letter with just my partners surname as the bill holder and it said our Avro repayment plan was £270.99 , So I called up Octopus who have clearly taken over and I provided my meter readings and as well as the £270.99 avro repayment we apparently owe Octopus £541.68 I think from 27th of september when they took over Avro going bust.

This is the first time we've moved out so I'm still trying to wrap my head around our energy bills and how to pay them.

They estimated we use £125 Gas and electric monthly plus the money we owe them and the avro repayment plan they're spreading that over 12 months so I will be paying around £185 ish for the next 12ish months if that sounds right to you guys? Obviously our estimates are way off if im right since they're guessing from back to March when we moved in and September when they took over.

The plan they have us on is the Flexible Avro saying this

Unit rates

Electricity: 20.12p per kWh

Gas: 3.94p per kWh

Standing charges

Electricity: 23.76p per day

Gas: 26.11p per day

Current annual amount: £658.80

Shoud l stay with them at least a month to see my actual readings when I put in my readings next month, Also does it seem like they have billed me rightly? obviously the actual readings I gave them massively jumped from the estimate as they must have thought no one was living here but I still cant believe my Avro repayment is only £270.99 from moving in - when Octopus took over in Sep as that seems cheap right?

Sorry for the massive paragraph and well done to anyone who's actually managed to read it all, Any advice would be greatly appreciated .