Octopus Energy takes on Avro customers

Consumerist

orange-juice said:

Is this quote worth fixing for? . . .

It is anticipated that the Ofgem cap is likely to rise by some 50% from April so work out, based on your estimated annual consumption, what the new tariff is likely to cost you for the next year. Compare that with the annual cost of a 50% increase in your current Octopus tariff.

Don't base your comparison on the DD you are paying but on the estimated costs of your annual usage on both tariffs.

Edit

Also bear in mind that if you apply to switch now, it will take about 3 weeks to complete and then you will be paying more for your energy (on the fix) until 01 April.

jlroberts

Consumerist said:

jlroberts said:

Shoud l stay with them at least a month to see my actual readings when I put in my readings next month, . . .

Avro's customer service was virtually non-existent in its latter months but they were still producing monthly statements. You will need those to sort this out.

From your post, you would seem to be on the Octopus capped variable at the moment so STAY PUT for the time being - as Martin Lewis says, there are no meaningfully cheaper tariffs anywhere else. You are very unlikely to benefit from any move right now.

I've found one Avro statement funnily enough in my Octopus account saying my final bill was £270.99 So I assume thats all I owe Avro from my time with them now I just move on to what I've set up with Octopus and dont owe Avro anything since Octopus took the £270.99 balance on and I'm paying Octopus for that?

Consumerist

jlroberts said:

I've found one Avro statement funnily enough in my Octopus account saying my final bill was £270.99 So I assume thats all I owe Avro from my time with them now I just move on to what I've set up with Octopus and dont owe Avro anything since Octopus took the £270.99 balance on and I'm paying Octopus for that?

That's what I assume too.

polymaff

orange-juice said:

Is this quote worth fixing for? I know ML says it could be worth considering if it's 40% or so more expensive, but the mix of unit rates and standing charges gives me a headache.

Flexible Avro

AIUI ML was talking about 12-month fixes.  Surely, by definition, a tariff containing the word "Flexible" will not be a "fixed" tariff in the the context of ML's comments.

MWT

polymaff said:

orange-juice said:

Is this quote worth fixing for? I know ML says it could be worth considering if it's 40% or so more expensive, but the mix of unit rates and standing charges gives me a headache.

Flexible Avro

AIUI ML was talking about 12-month fixes.  Surely, by definition, a tariff containing the word "Flexible" will not be a "fixed" tariff in the the context of ML's comments.

Flexible Avro is what they are on now, the question was about the fixed tariff they posted below that part...

"Tariff cost breakdown

⚡ Electricity Daily standing charge 24.86p /day Unit rate 27.96p /kWh Exit fee £0

🔥 Gas Daily standing charge 26.10p /day Unit rate 8.33p /kWh Exit fee £0"

wild666

BooJewels said:

fivegoldstars said:

Hope this doesn't get lost in the thread, but quick question - has anybody else noticed that their flexible Avro prices have increased in the last few days? I know it's flexible, but I understood it to be set at the price cap. However, gas and electric unit prices and standing charges have gone up sometime since January 1st?

You're not confusing the VAT situation are you, as I did the same a week or two ago?  I thought they'd gone up, compared to my spreadsheet prices - as I work it out without VAT and add it at the end - but their displayed unit prices include VAT.

There were comments a few pages back about not seeing a December bill, despite your balance being adjusted after submitting a meter reading.  I was in the same position, but my December bill just arrived by email.

I ended up with Octopus on my own property due to another SoLR a couple of years ago and it was my experience then that it all sorted itself out over a period of time - pieces of the jigsaw were gradually put into place and it just sorted itself out fine over a few weeks.  The same seems to be happening with this arrangement.

My spreadsheet takes account of the VAT as I use the rates with VAT added. That way I know what my total bill will be whether it's the daily, weekly or monthly reading I look at.

I do a few spreadsheets one has the monthly totals, separate spreadsheets for electric and gas plus a writer page for daily usage of electric and another for weekly usage of electric and gas. I update the electric and gas weekly spreadsheets with total usage kWh used, monthly daily charges and prices. I don't use a lot of gas so don't see it that necessary to do a daily gas usage reading as the most I use is three units per week, around 33 kWh. 

Aylesbury_Duck

I'm still waiting for the transfer to move forwards.  I switched to Avro on 21st September, just before they went under.  I did the patient thing and kept my DDs running, and £106 was taken out in each of September, October, November and December.  January's payment date came and went with no DD, but I see that the recipient on my bank account has changed from Avro to Octopus in readiness for a future debit, so some progress there.  The problem I now have is that my Avro balance is only showing £318 and doesn't acknowledge the fourth £106 taken from my bank (by "Avro Energy") in December.

I suppose all I can do is sit tight, await a final bill from my time with Avro, and hope the £424 credit is put towards my Octopus account, rather than the £318 balance showing on my Avro account.  What should I do if it doesn't?  Speak to Octopus?  Avro's administrators?  My bank?

BooJewels

wild666 said:

BooJewels said:

fivegoldstars said:

Hope this doesn't get lost in the thread, but quick question - has anybody else noticed that their flexible Avro prices have increased in the last few days? I know it's flexible, but I understood it to be set at the price cap. However, gas and electric unit prices and standing charges have gone up sometime since January 1st?

You're not confusing the VAT situation are you, as I did the same a week or two ago?  I thought they'd gone up, compared to my spreadsheet prices - as I work it out without VAT and add it at the end - but their displayed unit prices include VAT.

There were comments a few pages back about not seeing a December bill, despite your balance being adjusted after submitting a meter reading.  I was in the same position, but my December bill just arrived by email.

I ended up with Octopus on my own property due to another SoLR a couple of years ago and it was my experience then that it all sorted itself out over a period of time - pieces of the jigsaw were gradually put into place and it just sorted itself out fine over a few weeks.  The same seems to be happening with this arrangement.

My spreadsheet takes account of the VAT as I use the rates with VAT added. That way I know what my total bill will be whether it's the daily, weekly or monthly reading I look at.

I do a few spreadsheets one has the monthly totals, separate spreadsheets for electric and gas plus a writer page for daily usage of electric and another for weekly usage of electric and gas. I update the electric and gas weekly spreadsheets with total usage kWh used, monthly daily charges and prices. I don't use a lot of gas so don't see it that necessary to do a daily gas usage reading as the most I use is three units per week, around 33 kWh. 

I obviously account for the VAT - I said that I 'add it at the end', rather than use a unit price including it.  I have 3 sub totals - units, standing charge and VAT and an overall 'bill' total - as they do on billing.  It must work reasonably well, as I challenge myself when I'm waiting for a bill to see how close I am to what they bill and I'm put out if it's more than about 3p difference.  Gas is slightly different as I have an extra total kWh number, worked from my m3 number and the totals aren't always quite as accurate as electricity, if the calorific value differs slightly - it's a variable that electricity doesn't have.

I don't go to quite as much detail in my spreadsheet, I enter monthly numbers and try and tally my workings out (including DD payments and credits) with billing.  But from that I can compare this January to last, work out an average year from any combination of 12 months etc etc.

I have been taking more regular meter readings of late as my circumstances changed and then I had a new boiler, so after a couple of erroneous periods for electricity, I've been watching it more closely, which has helped me identify the culprit - a counter-intuitive heater timer switch that ended up on when it should have been off on a 20/4 hour split.

orange-juice

Consumerist said:

orange-juice said:

Is this quote worth fixing for? . . .

It is anticipated that the Ofgem cap is likely to rise by some 50% from April so work out, based on your estimated annual consumption, what the new tariff is likely to cost you for the next year. Compare that with the annual cost of a 50% increase in your current Octopus tariff. Don't base your comparison on the DD you are paying but on the estimated costs of your annual usage on both tariffs.

Edit

Also bear in mind that if you apply to switch now, it will take about 3 weeks to complete and then you will be paying more for your energy (on the fix) until 01 April.

Thank you. I had no idea that my bills showed estimated annual usage. That's made things a lot easier!

Seems like if it's a 40% increase, i'd be slightly better off with the (140% * flexible avro tariff) but I'd be saving £20-30 if I fix compared with (150% * flexible avro tariff) [but haven't factored in the fact that i'll be paying earlier, like you say].

Seems like following the 'doing nothing' advice will be better for me, though I've heard of LBC that it's prices might rise again in October?!

Do you know what the unit rate/standing charges might be for the new price cap tariff come April? Or does that not really matter if I'm doing the sums and can see what the 50% increase will do while I'm on my current tariff?

Anyone else on this thread done the sums and worked out what they'll be doing?

Consumerist

orange-juice said:

Seems like if it's a 40% increase, i'd be slightly better off with the (140% * flexible avro tariff) but I'd be saving £20-30 if I fix compared with (150% * flexible avro tariff) [but haven't factored in the fact that i'll be paying earlier, like you say].

Seems like following the 'doing nothing' advice will be better for me, though I've heard of LBC that it's prices might rise again in October?!

Do you know what the unit rate/standing charges might be for the new price cap tariff come April? Or does that not really matter if I'm doing the sums and can see what the 50% increase will do while I'm on my current tariff?

Anyone else on this thread done the sums and worked out what they'll be doing?

The likely increase to the cap again in October adds another dimension to the calculation.

If you switch to a fixed tariff now it is likely to be for a year (or longer) but you can only really calculate using the capped rate until October because the rise is unknown.

Now, if the cap rises again in October, say, by the same amount as it will in April, and you are on a fixed rate at that time, then the fix starts to look attractive in the longer run - particularly for a two-year fix.

You can do all the calculations you want but the bottom line is going to be how the current energy crisis pans out and how long it will take.

Edit

Don't get too hung up on unit rates alone. What's important is the annual costs of your energy.