MSE News: Octopus Energy to take on Iresa's 90,000 customers - here's what you need to know

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  • matelodave
    matelodave Posts: 8,583
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    edited 20 August 2018 at 2:52PM
    I've just had my final closing bill from IRESA and they've agreed with my calculations right down to the penny.

    I've just paid the outsanding £25.50 and my IRESA account is now closed.

    My Octopus account is now open with my actual meter reading from 31st July until it transfers to Eversmart on 10th September. All standing orders are closed.

    Eversmart's leccy is 3.2p/kwh cheaper than Octopus, saving me 7200 x 3.2p = £230 a year.

    The Eversmart standing charge is about 3p a day more costing £10.95 extra so I'm saving £220 by swapping.

    May I suggest to everyone that they now keep their own meticulous records (at least monthly meter reads) just in case their next supplier falls off the twig. It makes sorting it all out so much easier rather than trying to trawl through incomplete and erroneous supplier info.

    It would also be a good idea to keep all the correspondence, bills & staements from IRESA & Octopus for a couple of years - just in case. You don't have to print it, just save it somewhere as PDF files
    Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,489
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    @matelodave - did Iresa charge you standing charges for 1st August?

    They did on my bill - even tho'' don't think they should have.
    I accepted anyway as its only 18p and didn't want to delay onward moves.
    Octopus also have a lower meter reading for 7th August on their site than my actual reading for 31st July ,which was used to close out my Iresa account. I have asked them to assure me that this lower reading will not be used as I would be paying for some leccy twice!!
  • psamuel
    psamuel Posts: 40
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    My bill is dated to Aug 20th, the reading I supplied on the 8th is now dated to the 1st!.
    80 units more, not complaining as it is at Iresa rates.
    Downloaded bill saved for future reference.
    Now to move from Octopus :-)
  • psamuel
    psamuel Posts: 40
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    Lots of companies offering deals close to Iresa this afternoon for electric only.
    Eon just £28 a year more
    Zebra power ? £22 through quotezone. Ofgem approved site.
    Enstroga just £4!
    Out of the frying pan into the fire, Enstroga for me, applied this evening.
  • matelodave
    matelodave Posts: 8,583
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    edited 20 August 2018 at 3:55PM
    brewerdave wrote: »
    @matelodave - did Iresa charge you standing charges for 1st August?

    They did on my bill - even tho'' don't think they should have.
    I accepted anyway as its only 18p and didn't want to delay onward moves.
    Octopus also have a lower meter reading for 7th August on their site than my actual reading for 31st July ,which was used to close out my Iresa account. I have asked them to assure me that this lower reading will not be used as I would be paying for some leccy twice!!

    Dunno.

    I told Octopus what my initial meter reading was when I joined IRESA and what it was on 31st July. I worked out the number of days and number of kwh myself and did the sums for them.

    I haven't actually seen a bill except the fictitious effort produced by IRESA which was around 1790kwh too little and £189 in credit

    They just agreed both to my calculations and my 31st July meter reading as their starting read as it was probably easier than arguing over a day or so.

    We are leccy only, so fewer complications than those who've got gas as well.

    I'm guessing that they've got a lot more hassle with those who don't keep their own records, who don't know whether their bills were right or wrong and didn't bother to read their meters on 31st July.
    Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers
  • Andypolack
    Andypolack Posts: 15 Forumite
    edited 4 September 2018 at 11:50AM
    matelodave wrote: »
    I can see a bit of a battle looming.

    IRESA have not been using my meter readings but have been making their own guesstimates. Even though I sent them another reading on 31st they have still managed to "deem" a settlement reading which is nearly 1766kw less than my actual meter reading taken on 31st July.

    So IRESA think I'm in credit to the tune of about £188 but I really owe them about £25.79.

    I'm not happy to let this meter reading transfer across to Octopus as I'll end up paying for 1766kw at their inflated prices costing me around £45.50 extra.

    I've got a photo of the meter readings for 1st August and eight years of monthly meter readings to demonstrate that IRESA have been wrongly estimating their reads although I haven't been diligent enough to sit on the phone for hours to try and sort it out.

    Watch this space

    In the same situation here (although I can see yours has been resolved). I also submitted meter readings which have been ignored by Iresa right off the bat, so am now in a position where I need to calculate my usage from April 2017. Octopus contacted me and say that I owe them £380 from my Iresa account using higher figures than I have submitted, so this will be fun no doubt.

    I do however, have videos of my meter readings throughout this time, so I at least have that evidence.

    Will instigate a switch from them too, as they are nowhere near the cheapest supplier.
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,489
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    Had a request this a.m from Usio (who I'm switching leccy to) for meter reads.

    Thought I'd look at Octopus account to see whether they had calculated my balance after I gave them meter read for end of August but there now don't appear to be ANY reads on my account -the IRESA final read has gone ,a mystery reading from 7th Aug also, and my read from 31st August doesn't appear!!
    I feel a c****up coming!!!
  • HI ALL

    opened forum account to share this, and hopefully it can benefit others.

    i was with iresa, i always kept up to date readings which i kept track off (my advice always take a picture of readings)

    octopus opened my account and said i owed approx £130 to them for iresa, i went back and said thats not fair as they used older readings than supplied and the energy to be charged by them would be more.

    they came back to me and offered to drop to £100 to save paper work

    i smelled a rat, i believe they do not have proper access or records from iresa..

    i emailed back that my monthly direct debit was 65 and thats what i think i owed, i also asked them to put on the email the exact date and readings the final settlement was for.

    they emailed back offering to accept the £65 in final settlement with the readings and date correct up to the readings and date showing on my octopus account..

    i of course accepted that and happy days...

    saved £100 that i really owed as i had cancelled my direct debit as soon as iresa situation came public so owed for 2 months plus extra i had used.

    now awaiting switch to new provider, going with the big six now, after warm home it works out similar price.

    Bye for now.
  • wavelets
    wavelets Posts: 1,164
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    963066 wrote: »
    HI ALL

    opened forum account to share this, and hopefully it can benefit others.

    i was with iresa, i always kept up to date readings which i kept track off (my advice always take a picture of readings)

    octopus opened my account and said i owed approx £130 to them for iresa, i went back and said thats not fair as they used older readings than supplied and the energy to be charged by them would be more.

    they came back to me and offered to drop to £100 to save paper work

    i smelled a rat, i believe they do not have proper access or records from iresa..

    i emailed back that my monthly direct debit was 65 and thats what i think i owed, i also asked them to put on the email the exact date and readings the final settlement was for.

    they emailed back offering to accept the £65 in final settlement with the readings and date correct up to the readings and date showing on my octopus account..

    i of course accepted that and happy days...

    saved £100 that i really owed as i had cancelled my direct debit as soon as iresa situation came public so owed for 2 months plus extra i had used.

    now awaiting switch to new provider, going with the big six now, after warm home it works out similar price.

    Bye for now.

    Wecome, and as you say, bye (at least for now) :cool:

    Not sure what you are hoping for here.

    You will be billed to your meter reading. If they are willing to negotiate this, that is because your meter reading was estimated.
    So you negotiating down your payment owed to Iresa simply lowered the estimated meter reading.

    The current supplier (Octopus) will start their billing from the meter reading used to close your Iresa account.

    I understand that Octopus are charging loads more than Iresa did. So you'll end up paying more at Octupos rates compared to what they were willing to accept was owed to Iresa. That's presumably why they agreed to your request so eagerly...:rotfl:
  • wavelets wrote: »
    Wecome, and as you say, bye (at least for now) :cool:

    Not sure what you are hoping for here.

    You will be billed to your meter reading. If they are willing to negotiate this, that is because your meter reading was estimated.
    So you negotiating down your payment owed to Iresa simply lowered the estimated meter reading.

    The current supplier (Octopus) will start their billing from the meter reading used to close your Iresa account.

    I understand that Octopus are charging loads more than Iresa did. So you'll end up paying more at Octupos rates compared to what they were willing to accept was owed to Iresa. That's presumably why they agreed to your request so eagerly...:rotfl:

    Hi Again,

    :j INCORRECT, :j

    my settlement with them was for everything i owed iresa up to the agreed switch date and readings.
    i paid in full and final settlement £65 of the £170 i worked out owed.

    its nothing to do with estimated readings, its what they have accepted in lieu of full settlement for balance owed.

    Bye Again :A
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