Octopus Energy - Not as good as they think they are

MrChef1_

Does anyone else have issues with Octopus Energy ?

I have had loads of trouble with them, from not able to get back over £ 500 of my money when in credit, to issues with smart meters, solar panels, the list goes on.

My latest moan is this : Last March I got an email from Octopus stating my monthly DD was being increased to £ 146.76, from £ 72.54, just in time for the summer months when bills become lower, and I was in credit by over £68 at the time.

I replied to Octopus telling them to leave my DD as it was, as I knew my credit would not disappear for a few months yet.

In reply Octopus told me about their " payment adequacy review " which is a NON NEGOTIABLE and MANDATORY feature of my DD which CANNOT BE STOPPED OR DISABLED and was NOT AN OPTIONAL FEATURE and CANNOT BE REMOVED

They then told me all this was EXPLICITLY DETAILED in their terms and conditions which I had accepted (apparently) when my contract started.

They also told me that there is a DEBT PREVENTION AND REGULATORY COMPLIANCE on the site of OFGEM which is regulated by OFGEM and Octopus have a legal responsibility to adhere to this.

After going into Octopus's terms and conditions and reading through them TWICE, and also going on to OFGEM's site and reading through that, I discovered THAT ALL THE ABOVE WAS A LOAD OF NONSENSE AND DID NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE.

Eventually I told Octopus that I would go on to a VARIABLE Direct Debit when my credit with them ran out, and would pay my bills in full each month, whether it be £ 45 or £ 450.

They agreed to this on 9th March 2026 and said in the email agreeing to this "we will be here to support you with that change, and WE WILL MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SET UP SMOOTHLY FOR YOU"

Then lo and behold today, 2nd July 2026 Octopus emailed me to say my DD was going up from £72.54 to £152.38 thus starting the whole thing all over again.

As the saying goes "YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT UP."

Rant over

Swipe

Unfortunately, this is the state of many energy suppliers at the moment. It's a pretty sad state of affairs that I'm constantly having to watch them like a hawk and scrutinise every bill, meter reading, tariff price and peak / off peak siwtching times to ensure I'm not out of pocket. Prior to getting a smart meter I rarely had to raise a ticket or even call my energy supplier. These days there are so many variables to go wrong that simply didn't exist before.

AdrianMessenger

I'm with Octopus, only because of moving to a property where they were the original account. Although I might pay a fraction more, I pay on receipt of bill, having kept an eye on usage.

That's not to say I wouldn't leap over to a better deal. Their communication is okay; having said this, I was previously with British Gas, so it couldn't possibly be worse than them.

debitcardmayhem

Rant no need to shout everything, reasonable question did they put you on Variable DD/

Newbie_John

I've been with them for 5 years with short break for Tomato, direct debit set to £1 but never taken as I pay my bill in full by card as soon as it arrives.

I think you just need to have a good payment history with them and you'll be fine.

There's a lot of people with unpaid bills, very uncertain market so they're trying to avoid issues.

If they place you on variable, then all sorted right? :)

TadleyBaggie

They've been fine for me, in fact I didn't even have to request a refund, they suggested it.

WiserMiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82056429#Comment_82056429

Although I might pay a fraction more, I pay on receipt of bill

Hardly a fraction, if you're using the typical amounts of energy, that's costing you about £116 per year more. What benefit do you get, and is it worth £116?

If you don't want to build up a credit balance, just email or call Octopus and they'll be happy to switch you to Monthly Variable Direct Debit.

WiserMiser

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6674868/octopus-energy-not-as-good-as-they-think-they-are

Then lo and behold today, 2nd July 2026 Octopus emailed me to say my DD was going up from £72.54 to £152.38 thus starting the whole thing all over again.

Have they reverted you to Fixed DD, or is this simply a Variable DD that's higher than you expected?

Jemma01

The app wouldn't let me request a refund because apparently something is wrong with the smart meter they recently installed and seems to be working fine 🤔, I have £333.36. I'd rather pay the bill directly in full.

eschaton

I’d consider a new supplier.

I’ve been with EDF for over 15 years bar one year with another supplier. My reason for moving to them was the constant fight with Scottish Power over DD amounts. They have always been accurate although I’ve always done monthly readings without fail over the years. I came out of winter slightly behind but am now back to building credit for winter. Their forecasted bill for the year ahead if usage remains the same is absolutely spot on.

Back in 2022, I had built up a credit of £460 due to changing boiler and all radiators which was more efficient and had also made a real effort to reduce my use. That was the only reason the credit built up. At my 6 month review I was going to request £400 back but they refunded the full £460 credit and reduced my DD without being asked.

AdrianMessenger

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82056540#Comment_82056540

Thanks for the thought, though I'm only a few months into this new account; as I'm currently away a fair bit, I'm a low user there so far, and it isn't yet an issue.