Being moved from Shell to Octopus - Seems too good to be true

Keu

QrizB said:

Grey_Critic said:

Invited them to quote me a new deal. The figures they quoted for Electric were actually 10 units less than I had used in the last 12 months. Gas was different they quoted a projected figure 60% more than the last 12 months. I questioned this pointing out it amounted to £480 more than I paid this year. Said I want a quote based on Like for Like consumption. 

For years I have been able to calculate my total bills year on year within £50.00.  All about how much money they can put in their bank account.

Not wishing to detract from your point, so long as you're in credit Octopus allow you to adjust your own DD from within your account. If you think it's too high, you can change it to make it smaller.
They're also very good at refunding overpayments on request. I've asked for a refund every quarter this year, and it's been paid within the stated period. (I could reduce my DD but I'm getting cashback on it.)

Also what he told me on the phone is that if you call them up they will allow you to set up a "Variable Direct Debit"  where you pay for what you used.  He said that at Octopus this is totally in the customers hands and they can generate the next bill themselves by providing reads with no pressure.  Shell Energy gave me what was in effect a 24 hour window or they would generate an estimated bill which were always wrong and correcting these created complicated bills that could not be reconciled.

I asked why Octopus did not mention this on their website and he said they try to keep it quiet,  I then noticed people on here also said you can request variable DD. I have always preferred to pay all I owe, too many years of the then big six holding on to my money and being really slow at repaying it.

The way I manage energy is to pay all my surpluses into a savings account, so I am ready for Winter and will transfer back whatever is necessary.   

I have yet to come across a UK energy company who can get predictions right, this is even more important in these hard times when usage should be lower if people are making the effort.  It is good that they appear to put the customer in charge, I guess it does not cost them much, don't pay and they will convert your smart meter to prepayment mode.

[Deleted User]

I have yet to come across a UK energy company who can get predictions right, this is even more important in these hard times when usage should be lower if people are making the effort.  It is good that they appear to put the customer in charge, I guess it does not cost them much, don't pay and they will convert your smart meter to prepayment mode.

It is unreasonable to expect any supplier to get predicted usage 100% correct when the future usage is based on historical usage and seasonal adjustments. For example, last Winter was very mild. Should the supplier base usage estimates going forward on a mild Winter; an average Winter or a cold Winter? I suspect that most would base their estimates on a mild Winter.

MultiFuelBurner

Prepare for El Niño

We expect to use 500-1000kwh more energy this winter and have budgeted for such. Plus a delivery of seasoned logs costing £160

For Winter 2023-24, we see the El Niño phase peaking around December and previous El Niño winters for the UK normally deliver colder weather but also drier winters, we’ve also seen some rather severe cold spells during a El Niño phase in winter.

Will UK winter 2023-24 be a cold one?

Based on current long range data, UK Winter 2023-24 is likely to be generally drier compared to previous winters and colder, increasing the risk of more snowfall events.

Mommasue

Find someone who is on octopus already. Get referred and get the referral bonus.
Ive been with octopus for.... must be 10 years, never had any issue and they are SO EASY to deal with.
You dont need 24 hour phone lines when the power company do their job well.

With octopus you relax, make a cuppa, binge watch your fave series and keep warm.

Simples  😁


 

Keu

[Deleted User] said:

I have yet to come across a UK energy company who can get predictions right, this is even more important in these hard times when usage should be lower if people are making the effort.  It is good that they appear to put the customer in charge, I guess it does not cost them much, don't pay and they will convert your smart meter to prepayment mode.

It is unreasonable to expect any supplier to get predicted usage 100% correct when the future usage is based on historical usage and seasonal adjustments. For example, last Winter was very mild. Should the supplier base usage estimates going forward on a mild Winter; an average Winter or a cold Winter? I suspect that most would base their estimates on a mild Winter.

I don't think anyone said 100% but one would have thought that by now they would have been able to come up with something better as so many complain.  I have some family in Europe and their providers get it pretty damn close.

I once got an Energy company to give me all the historic data for the property I lived in, these days they are a little more reluctant but one can argue that as you do not know any of the previous occupants the data is not personal and they are quite happy to share the data with the industry.

I have about 7 years of usage figures I got entered into an app and it seems able to predict my usage, it tells me I am currently likely to use 3.911m3 of Gas this month.  It responds to any read I put in but also takes account of previous years for this month. 

You are right about winter, I have had one January where the winter was particularly bad, another year it was March and two Decembers,  However, I just prefer to save up any money I have not spent when I get paid and pay my bills on variable direct debit.  

bristolleedsfan

Gerry1 said:

I'll happily recommend Octopus.  Their bills couldn't be clearer; their Kraken system is so good that they're licensing it to other companies.

Their app is also very good.  Download it and have a read to get a better feel of what they're all about.

Your gas is back with Octopus now ?????



 

Gerry1

bristolleedsfan said:

Gerry1 said:

I'll happily recommend Octopus.  Their bills couldn't be clearer; their Kraken system is so good that they're licensing it to other companies.

Their app is also very good.  Download it and have a read to get a better feel of what they're all about.

Your gas is back with Octopus now ?????

@bristolleedsfan Thanks.   I never switched my gas away from Octopus, but I did switch my electricity from BG's SVT to BG's Fixed August 24 v7.

With this tariff there is no exit fee for reverting to the BG SVT (£100 if you change supplier) so it seemed a no brainer, protected if the SVT price goes through the roof but able to escape in the unlikely event that the SVT prices crash to pre-crisis levels.

Johnat102

I seem to have a completely different experience of Octopus to everyone else. 

Years ago (Before Shell, Before Green, before People's Energy) I was with Octopus. They kept raising the amount I paid each month despite me being in credit with them. I Would phone up, we would calculate my annual spend, divide it by 12, agree that with energy costs falling I was paying slightly more than I needed, and then a week later another letter would come through saying "we are raising your monthly DD". I would phone up again and the whole thing would continue. Every 3 months another letter to raise my DD, despite me still being in credit. 

Eventually I had enough and moved. 

People's were no better. 

Green collapsed before I had chance to test their customer service. 

Shell  by comparison were a breeze. I only paid for what I had used. Their bills were straightforward: Billed on the 11th and paid on the 27th of each month. Extremely expensive but straightforward.

Since moving back to Octopus I have already received 3 bills in as many weeks, spoken to 4 people in their customer service by email, had 2 apologies, and made an official complaint. I am now waiting for a manager to contact me. But their bills are a shambles. 

For some reason my first bill from Octopus dated 7 March was entitled "Your energy account 11th Feb. 2024 - 5th March 2024" but was for only part of a month, from 10th Feb. 2024 - 5th March 2024. Why the date disparity? I was billed £145.14, and the bill had the cryptic message "On 5th March 2024 your new balance is -£145.14" (More on that later).

I was more concerned that my billing date was moved forward a week so that they would take payment on the 22nd, before I get paid on the 27th. 

I contacted Octopus to ask that they continue billing me on the same day as Shell. They agreed to bill me on the 22nd and take payment 10 days later. 

Then I got another bill saying they would take payment on the 22nd after all. I contacted Octopus again, and they apologised for not cancelling the payment on the 22nd, but now it was too late to stop the payment.  

So I transferred some savings and made the £145.14 payment on 22nd March with less than £1 to spare in my bank account. I made a complaint.

Then I got another bill dated 17th March entitled "Your energy account 6th March 2024 - 16th March 2024" for electricity only from 6th March 2024 - 10th March 2024 for £13.58. Why the date disparity? Why no gas bill? The bill's cryptic message now said: "On 16th March 2024 your new balance is -£158.72". 

I contacted Octopus and asked what was going on? Supposedly this was a small payment to take me up to my new billing and payment schedule (of 22nd of the month for billing and 2nd of the next month for payment). But why no gas bill? I paid £13.58 on 2nd April.

Now I have a third bill dated 27th March entitled "Your energy account 17th March 2024 - 26th March 2024", for electricity from 11th March to 21st March, and for gas from 6th March to 21st March for £87.07. Why the date disparity? Why the late gas bill? The cryptic message now said: "On 26th March 2024 your new balance is -£100.65". On 11 April £87.07 was taken from my bank.

I contacted Octopus and asked for a manager to contact me and explain what is happening. Three days later I received an email saying I would be contacted by a manager in "a few days".
Octopus bills are baffling. Shell's charges show up on the Octopus website, and Shell consistently charged me once for electricity, once for gas, once for tax, and then billed me. In contrast Octopus: 
On 5th March for electricity : We charged your account £84.28
On 5th March for gas:  We charged your account £60.86
On 10th March for electricity: We charged your account £13.58
On 21st March for gas : We charged your account £47.11
On 21st March for electricity: We charged your account £39.96
On 22nd March: You paid £145.14 to your account

Why did they not take the whole payment? 
Is this the origin of the cryptic message:  "On 26th March 2024 your new balance is -£100.65".

So far in April 

Direct debit: You paid £13.58 to your account

Electricity: We credited your account £39.96

Electricity: We credited your account £13.58
You have -£33.53 in your Octopus Energy account.
11 Apr 2024 pending payment of £87.07 hasn't yet been applied

Even though £87.07 has already left my bank account

but Octopus has not updated the website.

As far as I can see £13.58 + £87.07 = the cryptic "new balance is -£100.65"
Will new balance always = £0 from now on, as it always was with Shell which billed in full every month?

And what are the "We credited your account" payments? because they clearly didn't reduce what I paid, so did they ever exist?

To the people who say Octopus has an easy to use website: "Please explain what is going on with my account"

To the people who say Octopus have great customer service "Please explain what is going on with my account"

Can anyone recommend an energy provider that has a genuinely simple website, and genuinely good customer service? Don't reply if you have never had any problems. That does not denote good customer service. Good customer service is not an absence of problems. That is good service, not good customer service. Good customer service happens when problems are promptly and comprehensively addressed.  

bob2302

Johnat102 said:

Shell  by comparison were a breeze. I only paid for what I had used. 

My understanding is that you can request a variable DD with Octopus.

Qyburn

bob2302 said:

Johnat102 said:

Shell  by comparison were a breeze. I only paid for what I had used. 

My understanding is that you can request a variable DD with Octopus.

Yes, that's what I have always done. Electricity only though, so not so large Summer/Winter variation.

The disadvantage is they raise a bill and take a DD every time you give a metr reading. And if you leave it more than a month they're liable to do so on an estimate.