Fixed price deal tariff being increased

k1727

MWT said:

Since this has floated to the top again, here is the current tariff information for Eastern region...

In line with the original advertised formula for the tariff, the prices have recently been updated for the 1st April changes.

But the tariff information very clearly says fixed, price guaranteed and "the price you pay per unit is fixed"..... I was sure I'd clicked Octopusfixed anyway, not Price Promise - was wondering if the same happened to anyone else?

richbrad72

Data point: for anyone coming across this issue v late and wondering if they should contact Octopus still.. Apols for long post but
TLDR - do!

I joined Octopus in June/July 21 via Online only, onto the July 21 price promise tariff.
I cannot remember with certainty what I saw before choosing the tariff but I am a mathsy person, I work in banking with numbers all day and the concept Octopus are aiming for apparently with this product is really quite unlikely to have confused me unless it was genuinely unclear in some way.
Received the regulatory tariff explainer & contract via calling the product fixed, and the verbatim wording in the Welcome Pack with "but the price you pay per unit is fixed" so believed I was on a fixed product. 
Last Autumn received an email saying my prices were increasing, did not pay attention to it as I thought I had a Fix.
Mid March receive another email saying price increases so properly investigate.
I email into Octopus complaining that they are clearly not billing me in line with the tariff information label & their T&Cs.

(as an aside, that their T&Cs, despite having been revised since Summer21, still does not make specific provision for the operation of a tracker tariff seems shoddy if they actually want to make it a core tariff of theirs - it only details fixed, variable, or time of use (eco7) tariffs without a particularly true fit for the trackers onto any of them)

After 6 emails, 3 phone calls (including 1 hang up from them) - all just repeating similar first responses other posters received, ie, they say its a fixed "term" not fixed "price" I said this is a complaint and I want a final response or I will Ombudsman.
This appears to have been the magic words as it got my complaint transferred to someone empowered to do something, and I was offered to have my usage re billed at the tariff price of the June 2021 "true" fixed tariff, which I have accepted as it is a similar unit price to what I expected to be on, and is ~half the variable price they wanted to move me to.

So whilst it took some time and effort I have been re billed, and fixed through to summer 23 as I had expected to be from the start. 

My final comment would be that if my firm - a regulated business in theory just like the energy companies are -  tried to "get away with" sending out incorrect/misleading information which turns out to be to the detriment of the customer, on regulatory documents meant to simplify things for the customer as the tariff information label is; the FCA would be all over us in a flash and we would expect to be hammered at the Ombudsman if we tried it there. I am disappointed that Posters experience of the energy sector is different, although my experience of this issue is that Octopus are willing to honour the terms they did send out; even if those were not the terms they thought they were sending out.

Dr75

richbrad72 said:

Data point: for anyone coming across this issue v late and wondering if they should contact Octopus still.. Apols for long post but
TLDR - do!

I joined Octopus in June/July 21 via Online only, onto the July 21 price promise tariff.
I cannot remember with certainty what I saw before choosing the tariff but I am a mathsy person, I work in banking with numbers all day and the concept Octopus are aiming for apparently with this product is really quite unlikely to have confused me unless it was genuinely unclear in some way.
Received the regulatory tariff explainer & contract via calling the product fixed, and the verbatim wording in the Welcome Pack with "but the price you pay per unit is fixed" so believed I was on a fixed product. 
Last Autumn received an email saying my prices were increasing, did not pay attention to it as I thought I had a Fix.
Mid March receive another email saying price increases so properly investigate.
I email into Octopus complaining that they are clearly not billing me in line with the tariff information label & their T&Cs.

(as an aside, that their T&Cs, despite having been revised since Summer21, still does not make specific provision for the operation of a tracker tariff seems shoddy if they actually want to make it a core tariff of theirs - it only details fixed, variable, or time of use (eco7) tariffs without a particularly true fit for the trackers onto any of them)

After 6 emails, 3 phone calls (including 1 hang up from them) - all just repeating similar first responses other posters received, ie, they say its a fixed "term" not fixed "price" I said this is a complaint and I want a final response or I will Ombudsman.
This appears to have been the magic words as it got my complaint transferred to someone empowered to do something, and I was offered to have my usage re billed at the tariff price of the June 2021 "true" fixed tariff, which I have accepted as it is a similar unit price to what I expected to be on, and is ~half the variable price they wanted to move me to.

So whilst it took some time and effort I have been re billed, and fixed through to summer 23 as I had expected to be from the start. 

My final comment would be that if my firm - a regulated business in theory just like the energy companies are -  tried to "get away with" sending out incorrect/misleading information which turns out to be to the detriment of the customer, on regulatory documents meant to simplify things for the customer as the tariff information label is; the FCA would be all over us in a flash and we would expect to be hammered at the Ombudsman if we tried it there. I am disappointed that Posters experience of the energy sector is different, although my experience of this issue is that Octopus are willing to honour the terms they did send out; even if those were not the terms they thought they were sending out.

Hi can u possibly give anymore info on what you said to octopus as I have been to the ombudsman and they sided with octopus and when I appealed the decision they did the same again . I'm at my wit's end with it and any extra info would be greatly appreciated . Thanks 

pochase

If you lost the appeal you will need to go to court now.

Be aware that Octopus will bring the Ombudsman decision as argument in a court case.

[Deleted User]

Sadly, too few people think through the consequences of an Energy Ombudsman Decision not going their way. I am not a great fan of Energy Ombudsman Services (EOS) as, in my experience, their so called ‘investigations’ are not always as robust as they should be.

As indicated above, your options are limited. If you are able to demonstrate that the Energy Ombudsman’s decision-making process was flawed then you can make a complaint against the Energy Ombudsman. Details are on the EOS website. Don’t try and add new evidence as this will be ignored. If you disagree with the outcome/handling of this complaint, you then have the right to escalate your complaint against EOS to the Independent Assessor. This process will NOT overturn the Decision that has been taken.

Going to Court is an option but the dice are now likely to fall in the supplier’s favour.

bristolleedsfan

Dr75 said:

richbrad72 said:

Data point: for anyone coming across this issue v late and wondering if they should contact Octopus still.. Apols for long post but
TLDR - do!

I joined Octopus in June/July 21 via Online only, onto the July 21 price promise tariff.
I cannot remember with certainty what I saw before choosing the tariff but I am a mathsy person, I work in banking with numbers all day and the concept Octopus are aiming for apparently with this product is really quite unlikely to have confused me unless it was genuinely unclear in some way.
Received the regulatory tariff explainer & contract via calling the product fixed, and the verbatim wording in the Welcome Pack with "but the price you pay per unit is fixed" so believed I was on a fixed product. 
Last Autumn received an email saying my prices were increasing, did not pay attention to it as I thought I had a Fix.
Mid March receive another email saying price increases so properly investigate.
I email into Octopus complaining that they are clearly not billing me in line with the tariff information label & their T&Cs.

(as an aside, that their T&Cs, despite having been revised since Summer21, still does not make specific provision for the operation of a tracker tariff seems shoddy if they actually want to make it a core tariff of theirs - it only details fixed, variable, or time of use (eco7) tariffs without a particularly true fit for the trackers onto any of them)

After 6 emails, 3 phone calls (including 1 hang up from them) - all just repeating similar first responses other posters received, ie, they say its a fixed "term" not fixed "price" I said this is a complaint and I want a final response or I will Ombudsman.
This appears to have been the magic words as it got my complaint transferred to someone empowered to do something, and I was offered to have my usage re billed at the tariff price of the June 2021 "true" fixed tariff, which I have accepted as it is a similar unit price to what I expected to be on, and is ~half the variable price they wanted to move me to.

So whilst it took some time and effort I have been re billed, and fixed through to summer 23 as I had expected to be from the start. 

My final comment would be that if my firm - a regulated business in theory just like the energy companies are -  tried to "get away with" sending out incorrect/misleading information which turns out to be to the detriment of the customer, on regulatory documents meant to simplify things for the customer as the tariff information label is; the FCA would be all over us in a flash and we would expect to be hammered at the Ombudsman if we tried it there. I am disappointed that Posters experience of the energy sector is different, although my experience of this issue is that Octopus are willing to honour the terms they did send out; even if those were not the terms they thought they were sending out.

Hi can u possibly give anymore info on what you said to octopus as I have been to the ombudsman and they sided with octopus and when I appealed the decision they did the same again . I'm at my wit's end with it and any extra info would be greatly appreciated . Thanks 

Someone else was offered 2 year fixed rate as complaints resolution. - Screen Shot was available at same time as Price Promise tariff.

 https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78690521/#Comment_78690521

 However I was offered a number of deals

1.  They could retrospectively change my tariff to what would have been their best 2 year fixed deal when I moved in August (but would increase my monthly payment by £20),
2.  I could stay with my current deal.
3.  I could move to their current variable deal with a £50 credit to my account.

Dr75

k1727 said:

lensgirl1234 said:

I did it online. My online tariff looks exactly like that. 

Also, I received this on 13th August after the switch took place

This has happened to me too and I'm just gathering evidence to submit a formal complaint - I was wondering where you found this? I can't find anything similar on my account.

Also, was anyone else confused when they found out their tariff was called "Price Promise"? I was sure I signed up for Octopusfixed and I emailed at the time to try and figure out what had happened, it's as if I signed up to one tariff and they changed it. Either way, the only other two options at the time were Super Green and Flexible...

Hi do you have a pic of the whole thing that could maybe show that it's for that deal ? It would really help my case a lot if i got a copy of that 

Dr75

Just out of interest does everyone have the same description on their monthly statement? My deal started out as July fixed for 2 years ,I received the welcome pack saying this and also an email about six weeks later that was about the 8 things octopus want me to know (number three said it's fixed ) . When I check the statements they say it's now green variable and I cannot remember ever seeing anything mentioned about green variable . Then I was emailing a person at octopus who always sending me screenshots about a 12 month variable deal from October last year saying that is my deal ...to say I'm confused is an understatement 

bristolleedsfan

Outcome just posted elsewhere -  "After a painstaking 4 x months I have finally got satisfaction in proving through The Ombudsman Services that we had been mis-sold a Energy contract with Octopus Energy. There is still some justice in the world"

uk1

What worries me about this is that this demand seems to be a cynical opportunist try-on and the majority of people will cave in and pay up.

Why is there no process that compels Octopus to disclose the numbers of customers involved in this “scam” and compel them to proactively  contact them all to both refund the overcharge and compensate them WITHOUT the cost being transferred onto other customers.  In other words making the directors pay.  They are paid performance related bonuses and there should be biting sanctions against them personally for malpractice. 

I’m pretty annoyed about this.