Octopus Energy takes on Avro customers

[Deleted User]

oliverbrown said:

QrizB said:

That's not how it's meant to work.

You tell your new supplier your opening reading and they pass the info back (via an established industry process) to the previous one.

My previous supplier generated my final bill months ago, along with final readings. This is not a conventional migration.

Yes it is but with one important difference. When a SoLR is appointed, accounts are moved across en bloc. The SoLR will normally ask for a meter reading even when a smart meter is fitted. This is because no new supplier can access a smart meter until it has been formally handed over to them on what I believe is termed the COSGain date. Before data can be pulled, the SoLR has to send out bespoke security certificates to each of the smart meters.

The difference between a SoLR switch and a conventional switch is the period from SoLR appointment to COSGain.  The failed supplier will bill up until the day before SoLR appointment and the SoLR will bill thereafter. Despite the fact that the Administrators may have issued a Final Bill, the opening and closing readings will still have to be agreed. I should imagine for some accounts where consumers don’t routinely provide meter readings this could be a time-consuming process if the SoLR disagrees with the opening reading that is on the Final Bill.

xlnc99

Worrying times 

Anyone found anyone else to go with? Are we all staying with Oct?

westv

[Deleted User] said:

oliverbrown said:

QrizB said:

That's not how it's meant to work.

You tell your new supplier your opening reading and they pass the info back (via an established industry process) to the previous one.

My previous supplier generated my final bill months ago, along with final readings. This is not a conventional migration.

Yes it is but with one important difference. When a SoLR is appointed, accounts are moved across en bloc. The SoLR will normally ask for a meter reading even when a smart meter is fitted. This is because no new supplier can access a smart meter until it has been formally handed over to them on what I believe is termed the COSGain date. Before data can be pulled, the SoLR has to send out bespoke security certificates to each of the smart meters.

The difference between a SoLR switch and a conventional switch is the period from SoLR appointment to COSGain.  The failed supplier will bill up until the day before SoLR appointment and the SoLR will bill thereafter. Despite the fact that the Administrators may have issued a Final Bill, the opening and closing readings will still have to be agreed. I should imagine for some accounts where consumers don’t routinely provide meter readings this could be a time-consuming process if the SoLR disagrees with the opening reading that is on the Final Bill.

I don't think the previous supplier referred to was Avro. Mine, for example, was EDF.

Consumerist

xlnc99 said:

Anyone found anyone else to go with? Are we all staying with Oct?

I think there are always options to go with but the issue is whether you can save by going somewhere else. At the moment I think you'd need to take a relatively long view to find any long-term savings and it would be risky at this point.

Edit

I would say that if anyone is thinking of going for a fix then NOW might be the time to jump before suppliers start building in the probable effect of Russian gas supply into their fixed pricing. Just speculation, of course !

oliverbrown

[Deleted User] said:
The failed supplier will bill up until the day before SoLR appointment and the SoLR will bill thereafter. 

The failed supplier won't bill me anything, my switch to them completed after they ceased trading. 

westv

I decided to contact Octopus on Twitter. I'm now half way there - readings from supplier prior to Avro are now in my account but I'm still waiting for a refund of the direct debits Avro took..
One thing that I did surprise me is that in their reply they mentioned that they couldn't see the previous final readings (I had to send a copy of the final bill),.
It makes me wonder perhaps if some of those who transferred to Avro after they went under are being forgotten about due to this.

double_dutchy

westv said:

...... but I'm still waiting for a refund of the direct debits Avro took.....

Similar for me. I was with Avro for 6 days and although I have the opening reads for Avro (based on previous supplier's final bill) and I can also give them smart meter readings for 26th September 2021 (last day for Avro) I was told by Octopus "our system automatically has a block in place to prevent billing on our side prior to our receiving transfer readings from Avro", and those transfer readings apparently need to be approved by the Avro administrator.

So my account is now showing a debit amount for most of the energy used since September but, like you, no Avro payments included (and no actual bill), but that has at least allowed me to set up a regular DD for Octopus which I couldn't do previously.

Octopus were quite happy for me to suggest the DD amount, doesn't seem to be any pressure to get in to credit quickly.

oliverbrown

I'm making progress too, both gas and electricity meters are now listed in my account. Both are showing a switch completion date.

The money from my Avro account has not been transferred yet though, and Octopus has taken nothing from the direct debit I set up months ago.

westv

double_dutchy said:

westv said:

...... but I'm still waiting for a refund of the direct debits Avro took.....

Similar for me. I was with Avro for 6 days and although I have the opening reads for Avro (based on previous supplier's final bill) and I can also give them smart meter readings for 26th September 2021 (last day for Avro) I was told by Octopus "our system automatically has a block in place to prevent billing on our side prior to our receiving transfer readings from Avro", and those transfer readings apparently need to be approved by the Avro administrator.

So my account is now showing a debit amount for most of the energy used since September but, like you, no Avro payments included (and no actual bill), but that has at least allowed me to set up a regular DD for Octopus which I couldn't do previously.

Octopus were quite happy for me to suggest the DD amount, doesn't seem to be any pressure to get in to credit quickly.

How did you set up the DD? I have a DD recorded for Octopus in my bank details (nil amount) and there is a DD listed on my Octopus account (again nil amount) but there doesn't seem to be any way of putting in an amount.

oliverbrown

westv said:

How did you set up the DD? 

Everyone with billable usage at Avro had their estimated usage transferred to Octopus.