Is it worth changing to Octopus Tracker now?

bristolleedsfan

choosewiselyx said:

I contacted them and I’m not sure the info they gave was right. “ Something to bear in mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

is this right? So if the prices spike for the second half of a month and I use less energy, the average price of the energy I’ve already used will increase anyway?

Most customers with smart meters should have ability to be charged daily rate for energy used.

While potentially very high EPG reduction is available prices are very unlikely to spike within short period of time.

This is another incorrect response they have given to try and justify why existing customers have not been informed by Octopus of tracker tariff yet from time to time when there was competition Octopus put tracker tariff on new customers quote page marked "cheapest tariff".

https://twitter.com/OctopusEnergy/status/1623307865036410880

"Tracker’s rates change significantly day-to-day"

"up to three times higher than what you’re paying with Flexible right now" is also incorrect while  EPG reduction applies + highly questionable whether tracker rates will ever hit current product caps.

marlot

choosewiselyx said:

I contacted them and I’m not sure the info they gave was right. “ Something to bear in mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

is this right? So if the prices spike for the second half of a month and I use less energy, the average price of the energy I’ve already used will increase anyway?

Do you have a smart meter?

My octopus bill (with smart meter) creates a weighted average by multiplying each day's usage with the rate for that day.

bristolleedsfan

Another incorrect answer they are giving

"I spoke to them on DM and even though I'm on a SM the cost would be averaged over the month"

choosewiselyx

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

Spoonie_Turtle

choosewiselyx said:

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

The readings taken on the 19th most likely referred to when your bill will be generated.  But they'll use the information from the index file (pulled from your meter when they 'take a reading') to bill you accurately for each day.

The 30 days before switching back sounds right but I can't be 100% sure.

What feels shady to you?

choosewiselyx

Spoonie_Turtle said:

choosewiselyx said:

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

The readings taken on the 19th most likely referred to when your bill will be generated.  But they'll use the information from the index file (pulled from your meter when they 'take a reading') to bill you accurately for each day.

The 30 days before switching back sounds right but I can't be 100% sure.

What feels shady to you?

That would be this bit that they sent me first about averaging the readings across the month so it doesn’t matter if you use loads when it’s cheap and less when it’s expensive.

“Market spikes can send Tracker prices up to 100p/kWh for electricity or
30p/KWh for gas – that’s three times higher than most customers are paying
right now on variable tariffs like Flexible Octopus. Something to bear in
mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

bristolleedsfan

choosewiselyx said:

 however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

Can you ask them where in Octopus Tracker T+ C  it says that being as only apparent reference to that does not mention tracker tariff.

Tracker tariff is not specifically a smart tariff being as customers can go on it without a smart meter and tracker tariff was introduced before Octopus rolled out smart meters.

Spoonie_Turtle

choosewiselyx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

choosewiselyx said:

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

The readings taken on the 19th most likely referred to when your bill will be generated.  But they'll use the information from the index file (pulled from your meter when they 'take a reading') to bill you accurately for each day.

The 30 days before switching back sounds right but I can't be 100% sure.

What feels shady to you?

That would be this bit that they sent me first about averaging the readings across the month so it doesn’t matter if you use loads when it’s cheap and less when it’s expensive.

“Market spikes can send Tracker prices up to 100p/kWh for electricity or
30p/KWh for gas – that’s three times higher than most customers are paying
right now on variable tariffs like Flexible Octopus. Something to bear in
mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

That sounds like an uninformed customer service agent.  Maybe the uptake of Tracker has outpaced their training! 

They don't bill you every day, but the actual charges are definitely based on daily usages if you have a smart meter - maybe ask if a manager can confirm that, if you're not 100% sure.

Possibly also point them to this page https://octopus.energy/smart/tracker/  taking note of the parts here that say
"I agree that my energy price will change daily, solely based on fluctuations in the wholesale market."
and 
"This tariff is best suited to customers who can shift large amounts of their energy use to avoid these expensive peaks." - if you're charged on the average there would be no point shifting energy, therefore the e-mail must be wrong.

t0rt0ise

choosewiselyx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

choosewiselyx said:

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

The readings taken on the 19th most likely referred to when your bill will be generated.  But they'll use the information from the index file (pulled from your meter when they 'take a reading') to bill you accurately for each day.

The 30 days before switching back sounds right but I can't be 100% sure.

What feels shady to you?

That would be this bit that they sent me first about averaging the readings across the month so it doesn’t matter if you use loads when it’s cheap and less when it’s expensive.

“Market spikes can send Tracker prices up to 100p/kWh for electricity or
30p/KWh for gas – that’s three times higher than most customers are paying
right now on variable tariffs like Flexible Octopus. Something to bear in
mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

I've just had my first tracker bill and each day is listed giving the energy used and the cost with the total for that day. Each day is different. The total is what you pay. Then they do an average .. total cost divided by total energy used times 100, which gives an average of what you were paying. This appears at the head of your bill as the price per kWh but is worked out after each daily cost is worked out and not before. This will be what confuses the customer service people.

Anyway, I've saved a huge amount this billing month and I'm very pleased.

Mstty

t0rt0ise said:

choosewiselyx said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

choosewiselyx said:

I asked :-

“I have a smart meter fitted already. Do I have to manually submit monthly

meter readings if I already have a smart meter?

Also, what is the minimum term to be on the tracker and how long does it
take to switch back to the variable once requested by email”

They replied

“Readings will be taken for both fuels on the 19th of every month automatically.

You can switch away from this tariff at any point, however, it is 30 days from you switch away to switch back again.“

So is this correct at all.  After receiving the personal welcome email from the CEO or whatever, I’m getting very shady vibes here  

The readings taken on the 19th most likely referred to when your bill will be generated.  But they'll use the information from the index file (pulled from your meter when they 'take a reading') to bill you accurately for each day.

The 30 days before switching back sounds right but I can't be 100% sure.

What feels shady to you?

That would be this bit that they sent me first about averaging the readings across the month so it doesn’t matter if you use loads when it’s cheap and less when it’s expensive.

“Market spikes can send Tracker prices up to 100p/kWh for electricity or
30p/KWh for gas – that’s three times higher than most customers are paying
right now on variable tariffs like Flexible Octopus. Something to bear in
mind as well is that you get charged for the monthly average of all the
daily readings, not on a day-to-day basis.I would also need confirmation
you accept the below terms and conditions please”

I've just had my first tracker bill and each day is listed giving the energy used and the cost with the total for that day. Each day is different. The total is what you pay. Then they do an average .. total cost divided by total energy used times 100, which gives an average of what you were paying. This appears at the head of your bill as the price per kWh but is worked out after each daily cost is worked out and not before. This will be what confuses the customer service people.

Anyway, I've saved a huge amount this billing month and I'm very pleased.

How much did you use, what was the average price and want did you save over the EPG rates?

A huge amount doesn't really mean anything without figures which I am sure will be of interest👍