Octopus energy telling me my fixed tariff is variable - help!

GrumpyDil

Octopus Price Promise July 2021

V1

Tariff type Fixed

Payment method Direct Debit

Unit rate 18.13p per kWh

Standing charge 26.20p per day (£95.62 per year)

Tariff ends on 30/09/2023

Price guaranteed until 30/09/2023

Exit fees (if you cancel

this tariff before the end

date)

I don't often post on this forum but the above is from OP's posts.

That refers to Price promise July 2021 and I'd read that as being a fixed price agreement?

Is there a difference between the July and October tariffs or is it just very misleading? 

Ultrasonic

jimjames said:

Ultrasonic said:

For future info., what all 'fixed' energy tariffs do is fix the standing charges and unit prices for the contract term. How much anyone has to pay depends on how much energy they use, with direct debit amounts adjusted as needed to cover this.

Except the contract details apparently contradict the email and the unit prices are NOT fixed for the contract term. Future info or not, this is not a normal fixed rate deal.

As above, I said 'For future info.' I was explaining how actual fixed term tariffs work, not saying this was the case here. The reason being that even if the tariff the OP had signed up for was a fixed tariff (rather than a tracker) it still wouldn't have done what they expected. I'm trying to help stop the OP signing up for an actual fixed tariff in the future and then ending up back here again with basically the same complaint.

bristolleedsfan

GrumpyDil said:

Is there a difference between the July and October tariffs or is it just very misleading? 

October tariff variable rate with no price promise/guarantee, £10 below energy cap

Gerry1

The email states:-

"About your tariff

You’ve selected our Octopus Price Promise tariff. This means that your energy bill will reflect the amount ofenergy you use each month, but the price you pay per unit is fixed."

That is clearly not the case with a tracker, so the email is highly misleading. Ask for a deadlock letter and go to the Ombudsman upon receipt, or after eight weeks if they don't send one.

k_man

I would go beyond misleading.
My suggestion is to contact Octopus again, including a copy of that part of the welcome email.

I suspect someone used the wrong email template for that tariff, and Octopus may agree to a deal as a result.

shiraz99

I'd agree, the email confirmation regarding your tariff is misleading, bordering on just plain wrong. Rather than trading standards you need to make a formal complaint followed up raising a complaint with the energy ombudsman.

MWT

If you search on here you'll find the previous thread from a few months ago when this was originally noticed by a few people, there may be some guidance there that is useful, but in short, all the pre-contract marketing was very clear on what the tariff was and how it worked, but when the confirmation emails arrived some decided it was an opportunity to change the tracker into a fixed tariff due to the error on the email, but others who had managed to get onto the tariff without ever seeing the marketing material genuinely believed they had a fixed tariff.

As far as I know those who reached out at the time were all sorted out by Octopus one way or another.

bellybee

Just wanted to say I have finally had a response from Ombudsman which was then appealed by Octopus and then upheld and Octopus have had to apply a large credit to my bill and issue a £50 goodwill gesture and an apology it is worth fighting. Just a bit of background for you all. 
We signed up in September 2021 online. I only ever select fixed term tariffs so cannot imagine I'd ever sign up for this variable cap thing. We got the welcome pack clearly stating fixed tariff and unit price won't change. All bills stated fixed till September 2023 until August this year where it suddenly disappeared. I sent several emails that went unanswered and finally contacted on twitter. Was given all rubbish about it being variable despite me referring back to letter. Said that was an error offered £50 I refused and pushed for tariff to be implemented. Got lots of push back. Logged complaint and contacted CEO got offered £200 and told that was generous and Ombudsman would only give me £50. They tried to make me wait 8 weeks I insisted on a deadlock letter being issued. Raised with Ombudsman detailed all my evidence and complaint to Octopus. Eventually got a call from Ombudsman they said there was no way they couldn't agree with me after seeing the letter. Guy calculated what I was owed which I challenged as there had been another increase. He recalculated but in meantime Octopus appealed. Ombudsman upheld decision but I only got lower amount which I am now challenging. 
Do keep fighting it's hard and stressful but we shouldn't be bamboozled by these companies. If I can help anyone let me know. 

wild666

The only thing fixed are the prices per kWh and SC, the more you use the more you pay it's not an all you can eat tariff where you pay a set amount per month no matter how much electric and gas you use

bristolleedsfan

wild666 said:

The only thing fixed are the prices per kWh and SC, the more you use the more you pay it's not an all you can eat tariff where you pay a set amount per month no matter how much electric and gas you use

Tariff that is being discussed stated on some of the paperwork that kWh unit rates were fixed when in fact it was a variable rate tariff changing every cap period with a £50 below cap guarantee.