Energy price increases

darius

So Octopus have sent me the OctopusAvro tarrif I'm going to be on and the price hike is massive.

I've crunched my specific numbers (luckily I am a home budget spreadsheet record keeper of nerd levels).

If I use the same amount of gas & elec as I did in the last year, my bill will be 1.514 times what it would have been on Avro.

Fuck me.

Gas p/kwh is the dominant price in this house (big, old, cold, despite insulation), its the only thing i've needed to compare suppliers over the years.

Used to be 2.5p/kwh

Now at 4p/kwh

Some rates online are up at 10p/kwh

Fuck me again.

I can deal with gradual bill hikes over years, but this is one big £££ hit in the bolox.

Haych

Feeling a bit twitchy about Octopus now, to be honest.

I've not heard from them in a couple of weeks, last time was an email prompting me to set up a password for the account, which I did.

The account dashboard stated I should be up and running by October 26th.  Back at the end of September I received an email from them asking for meter readings, which I duly submitted.

With it being 1st of the month today I thought it would be a good time, and good habit, to submit new meter reading, especially since I hadn't heard from them.

So I just logged in and was quite alarmed at what I saw.  It doesn't look like they've recorded the meter readings I submitted in September as the dashboard stated that my first readings were still needed!

However, and this is weird, they seem to be monitoring my electricity usage, presumably using the smart meter I have installed - I find this odd since Avro never used the smart meters, they were installed by the previous energy supplier so Avro couldn't use them!  But there's a whole usage history for electricity in my dashboard!

If they're using the smart capability of the electricity meter, why aren't the doing the same for gas, since the meters are both smart and were both changed at the same time?

The lack of information apparently available in my dashboard when I log in and the lack of communication from Octopus is making me very nervous, though.  

Oh yeah, and the dashboard is also stating I don't have a direct debit set up and is prompting me to create one - I thought they were just taking over the existing Avro DD?

Again, twitchy ring time, think I'll get in touch and ask what the flippety flop is going on.

chillidoggy

I’m in the same position. Haven’t heard from Octopus since 21st October, but I need to check my accounts to see if anything has moved. I’m a bit confused as to how they intend to take over the DD’s, but the info definitely said not to touch the Avro DD.

As for the price increases, none of us are going to escape them. It’s just who’s offering the best deal as per usual.

Bidley

Octopus have since been in touch and told me my switch is on track for 4/11. I cancelled my Avro DD and set up a new one with Octopus weeks ago. Not much more info on my Octopus account page. It also gives me the option for opening meter readings, which is annoying because I gave them to Octopus when this all started, and I can't put them in again because it's too long ago. I'll wait until the switch happens before I panic.

ToneControl

I'm just hoping that my gas provider bought a future contract for supply
I switched at the start of September onto a great fixed rate, not sure if that can last really

My new electric supplier folded 4 weeks after I switched, I've been moved to Eon

HerbieTheRadDorklift

My water bill has come down £25 a month  

Kittyfrisk

@Haych  I'm in the same situation as you (& others).
Had an email from Octopus on the 24th October advising setting up a password on the new account. Done. No readings, credits or Direct Debit details showing
 It reckoned that things should be sorted out within 5 days, but having just checked online it now says 5th November.

 Also the website states  "Don't worry – Avro's administrators are still finalising bills, accounts and balances. Once yours is finalised, we'll automatically update the financial details here."

Thankfully I don't have 'smart' meters & I still have all my previous meter readings, so I reckon I'll hunker down & let it ride until the 5th & see what happens then. With luck the DD's & due meter readings might align on the 5th (I like a bit of symmetry).

 The one thing that did bother me a bit, is that there was a debit to my bank account made by Avro on the 5th October.
Now I'm thinking that it wasn't Avro but Octopus, & the name attached to the ongoing Direct Debit just hasn't been changed yet.

Not great to be caught up in all this crap, but one things for sure, we aren't alone & there are probably going to be a lot more similar 'adjustments' to our lives for the next few years.

chillidoggy

Just logged in to Octopus and seen this - 

All done!

ArchtopDave

Another small energy company has gone out of business - Bluegreen has gone bust.

chillidoggy

Just provided Octopus with meter readings, and I'm still paying the Avro DD at the moment. Hopefully that will get sorted soon, but I must be a good few hundred in credit by now, which is a little worrying.

chillidoggy

Anyone that was with Avro, might want to check their Octopus account. The current tariff they're moved us all on to (presumably) is called Flexible Avro which is variable. I was paying £128 a month, their estimate for staying on that is £138/month. There are only two other tariff options offered, both fixed, one at £290/month the other at £204/month.

I'm staying with the Flexible Avro for now, but keeping a damn good eye on the prices.

Kittyfrisk

Still waiting for Avro to sort out their shit with Octopus.
In the meantime two more energy suppliers Neon and Social Energy Supply are sent to the wall by the latest waves in the energy market.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59311551
Wholesale gas prices have risen by a further 17% as German regulators hold Nordstream2 up.
Anyone else stocking up on bearskins to see us through the winter...?

chillidoggy

I e-mailed Octopus a week or so ago, and had a response which was that they are dealing with the situation, and not to worry, any credit I had with Avro will be taken into account, and not to change the DD.

Haych

chillidoggy said:

I e-mailed Octopus a week or so ago, and had a response which was that they are dealing with the situation, and not to worry, any credit I had with Avro will be taken into account, and not to change the DD.

I did the same and received the same reply about two weeks ago. 

I checked my account last night and nothing has changed. Starting to worry when they finally do get their A into G they’re going to hit me with a big bill for the interim. 

chillidoggy

Haych said:

chillidoggy said:

I e-mailed Octopus a week or so ago, and had a response which was that they are dealing with the situation, and not to worry, any credit I had with Avro will be taken into account, and not to change the DD.

I did the same and received the same reply about two weeks ago. 

I checked my account last night and nothing has changed. Starting to worry when they finally do get their A into G they’re going to hit me with a big bill for the interim. 

And with the price increases announced today, who knows what it will be. I'm hoping the changeover to Octopus can be completed before they go under!

Haych

Octopus seem to have finally got their act together, sort of.  

My account is up and running, they're taking smart meter readings and have given me a balance of my account.  the credit balance I had with Avro has been transferred so I'm mostly happy.

That said, they still seem to think I don't have a direct debit set up, but they seem to be getting the payments that the Avro DD is still taking each month.

I'm keeping a close eye on the account and will be keeping the account at zero balance, even if I have to make an extra payment each month to prevent from going into energy debt.

bertie

did that lot that Gareth Thomas was punting on TV go under as well ? 

Bidley

Octopus are saying I owe them £206 for my old Avro account. Except my Avro account says I'm £108 in debit, less the £98 I paid in October.

So after being told by Octopus to not cancel my direct debit, Avro took their monthly payment after they went bust, and Octopus haven't factored that in, as they're looking at my bill from 29/09/21. Brilliant.