Moving to Octopus from Shell

MforumSManE

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

pbcpdeveloper said:

Maybe you have experienced the same as me, my SVR with Shell was:
Day Rate:  37.2750
Night Rate: 15.7780
Standing Charge: 45.65 

Octopus SVR Rates for the South East are:
Paying By Direct Debit - same as I was paying with Shell (these have been rounded to 2 decimal places)
Day Rate:  37.28
Night Rate: 15.78
Standing Charge: 45.65 

non-Direct Debit (what Octopus have assigned to me)
Day Rate:  38.04
Night Rate: 16.48
Standing Charge: 51.13

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

So I guess Octopus would say "we switched you to a like for like tariff"

But my point to them is "may be same in name, but not the same in cost. You should have told me there was a difference (increase in this case) and give me the option to accept or not, they didn't do that"

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

QrizB

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

... and the rates you were/are being charged?

You're claiming a £104 per year increase, which (depending on your annual use) sounds a lot like 5% of £2k, so it's quite possible that the difference is simply VAT - Shell's tariff excluded VAT, Octopus's includes it.

But unless you tell us the rates, we will never know.

MforumSManE said:

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

That could be exactly the same problem.

MforumSManE

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

... and the rates you were/are being charged?

You're claiming a £104 per year increase, which (depending on your annual use) sounds a lot like 5% of £2k, so it's quite possible that the difference is simply VAT - Shell's tariff excluded VAT, Octopus's includes it.

But unless you tell us the rates, we will never know.

MforumSManE said:

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

That could be exactly the same problem.

I am electricity only and my yearly consumption is 11030Kwh, a lot more that the average.

The difference in cost is due to the rates I am now paying and nothing to do with the 5% VAT, and I am more than capable of determining is the extra I am paying is due to the increased rates Octopus are charghing and don't need any help on that front thanks, and to be honest irrelevant to this question I am asking, which is.

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

BellaBlondykeTheThird

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

... and the rates you were/are being charged?

You're claiming a £104 per year increase, which (depending on your annual use) sounds a lot like 5% of £2k, so it's quite possible that the difference is simply VAT - Shell's tariff excluded VAT, Octopus's includes it.

But unless you tell us the rates, we will never know.

MforumSManE said:

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

That could be exactly the same problem.

I am electricity only and my yearly consumption is 11030Kwh, a lot more that the average.

The difference in cost is due to the rates I am now paying and nothing to do with the 5% VAT, and I am more than capable of determining is the extra I am paying is due to the increased rates Octopus are charghing and don't need any help on that front thanks, and to be honest irrelevant to this question I am asking, which is.

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

The answer is probably YES b cause you are going from one supplier SVT rate to another.

However if you are sure you have read the bills correctly for VAT etc then no harm raising  a query about this to Octopus or a complaint.

X is the best communication I have found for Octopus 

Netexporter

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

Have you set up an new Direct Debit for Octopus? If not, you'll probably be paying the quarterly-in-arrears rate, which is higher than both DD and pre-payment.

MforumSManE

Netexporter said:

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

Have you set up an new Direct Debit for Octopus? If not, you'll probably be paying the quarterly-in-arrears rate, which is higher than both DD and pre-payment.

No it nothing to do with Direct Debits, paying in arrears etc etc.

Nothing has changed on the payment front, my account status etc etc

My account is paid in full every month.

The only difference is what Octopus are charging me over what Shell were charging me.

And I have raised an official complaint to Octopus, so I'll wait and see.

I was hoping someone on this forum with detailed knowledge of OFGEM rules would say YES or NO to my question "Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally without first informing me"

QrizB

MforumSManE said:

The difference in cost is due to the rates I am now paying

Rates that you still haven't shared, despite being asked several times.

I'm beginning to think that you don't actually want any help.

MforumSManE said:

I am electricity only and my yearly consumption is 11030Kwh, a lot more that the average.

Are you an Economy 7 customer? That might explain it. Octopus could easily have a different day/night split than Shell.

But if you're not willing to share details of your tariff, we'll never know of this is the issue.

MforumSManE said:

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

If it's solely because the day/night split on E7 has changed, then I think the answer is YES.

MeteredOut

Someone should ask the OP for the rates for both tariffs.

MforumSManE

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

... and the rates you were/are being charged?

You're claiming a £104 per year increase, which (depending on your annual use) sounds a lot like 5% of £2k, so it's quite possible that the difference is simply VAT - Shell's tariff excluded VAT, Octopus's includes it.

But unless you tell us the rates, we will never know.

MforumSManE said:

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

That could be exactly the same problem.

I am electricity only and my yearly consumption is 11030Kwh, a lot more that the average.

The difference in cost is due to the rates I am now paying and nothing to do with the 5% VAT, and I am more than capable of determining is the extra I am paying is due to the increased rates Octopus are charghing and don't need any help on that front thanks, and to be honest irrelevant to this question I am asking, which is.

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

The answer is probably YES b cause you are going from one supplier SVT rate to another.

However if you are sure you have read the bills correctly for VAT etc then no harm raising  a query about this to Octopus or a complaint.

X is the best communication I have found for Octopus 

Yes I have raised a complaint with Octopus so will wait and see.

But I can't agree with you thats its ok to increase rates just by switching from one supplier to another, given that switch was forced on the consumer by the regulator OFGEM.

Look at it this way.

If the rates had doubled would that be OK? No it would not, and there would be more of a backlash from consumers and the regulator. And given a family member who was also switched from Shell to Octopus received exactly the same rates tells me Octopus were wrong to charge me more.

So in my opinion the Octopus should have:

1. Made their rates the same as the Shell rates

2. Or contacted me to inform of an increase first

BellaBlondykeTheThird

MforumSManE said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

QrizB said:

MforumSManE said:

My rates were different, but to simplify things were giving me a £104 increase per year, not a lot I admit, but its the principal of the change I am interested in.

Is it within the regulator rules that Octopus can increase my rates without informing me first?

Maybe, maybe not.

What's the name of the Shell tariff you were on, and the rates?

And the same info for the Octopus tariff?

Both the Shell & Octopus tariffs were their Standard Variable Rate tariff.

... and the rates you were/are being charged?

You're claiming a £104 per year increase, which (depending on your annual use) sounds a lot like 5% of £2k, so it's quite possible that the difference is simply VAT - Shell's tariff excluded VAT, Octopus's includes it.

But unless you tell us the rates, we will never know.

MforumSManE said:

To add an additional complication / justification to my grievance. I manage a close relatives SVR account, also switched from Shell to Octopus, and their tariff is exactly the same.

That could be exactly the same problem.

I am electricity only and my yearly consumption is 11030Kwh, a lot more that the average.

The difference in cost is due to the rates I am now paying and nothing to do with the 5% VAT, and I am more than capable of determining is the extra I am paying is due to the increased rates Octopus are charghing and don't need any help on that front thanks, and to be honest irrelevant to this question I am asking, which is.

Can Octopus increase my rates during the switch from Shell legally YES or NO?

The answer is probably YES b cause you are going from one supplier SVT rate to another.

However if you are sure you have read the bills correctly for VAT etc then no harm raising  a query about this to Octopus or a complaint.

X is the best communication I have found for Octopus 

Yes I have raised a complaint with Octopus so will wait and see.

But I can't agree with you thats its ok to increase rates just by switching from one supplier to another, given that switch was forced on the consumer by the regulator OFGEM.

Look at it this way.

If the rates had doubled would that be OK? No it would not, and there would be more of a backlash from consumers and the regulator. And given a family member who was also switched from Shell to Octopus received exactly the same rates tells me Octopus were wrong to charge me more.

So in my opinion the Octopus should have:

1. Made their rates the same as the Shell rates

2. Or contacted me to inform of an increase first

Octopus bought Shell they didn't have to take them on as supplier of last resort. Unless you are in a fix then they can transfer you onto their price capped flexible SVT tariff and from there you can chose whatever tariff you like.

Do you have a smart meter? If so get on one of their smart meter tariffs unless you are economy 7 then to be honest their E7 rates have not historically been the best so transfer away to another company and you can probably get a £50 hoping referral bonus as well.

Anyway let us know how your complaint goes.