Octopus Energy

RBZ5416

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Thought this was now worthy of it's own thread rather than tagging on the bottom of the Bulb thread.

I switched from Bulb due to them playing silly buggers with DD amounts as documented in that thread. I only use electricity & Octopus came out very slightly more expensive than Bulb. But once you factor in referral codes, worked out cheaper for me. I've switched two accounts & both went smoothly. All referral payments have been received although a little slower than expected. Emails have been answered within a couple of days max. Next step will be to see how they make use of my smart meter.

I've just adjusted the DD amounts on both accounts to use up the referral credit over the course of the year. No silly unrealistic minimums as with Bulb. In fact no minimum at all as one account is an unoccupied property & I've set that to £1pm with no complaints (at least yet!)..

This is a list of referral links pulled from the Bulb thread. If I've missed yours, drop me a PM & I'll add it to the OP to keep them all in one place. Current rates are £50 each. AFAIK, this list is in order of referral, so BB3Lions switched using xxxx, I switched using BB3Lions, etc. So the fairest distribution seems to be always use the last on the list in this post. That way everyone should get one payment on switching & another when the next person switches. Of course if you prefer to use another member to switch that is entirely your prerogative, but you will lose the double-dip.

Update 20th September 2021
The unfortunate scenario has finally happened in that two member have switched at the same time, using the same referral. So this has split the chain & the only option I can see is to publish both their referrals & you choose which to use. Please PM me your referral link & confirm who you used.

Next in line are Jester1066 & FruityLoop.

Octopus do not currently require you to have a smart meter fitted in order to move to them.

 
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How does one go about doing the numbers to see if your better off or not. Im on duel fuel with BG but dont have any smart meters. I just submit meter reads each month and they debit whats owed. No standing order or anything.
 
How does one go about doing the numbers to see if your better off or not.
Ideally you need the annual usage figures for both gas & electricity in kW. You can then use one of the comparison sites like Uswitch to get a quote which should show a range of suppliers. Just make sure that their estimate of what you're paying now is based upon your actual tariff. If your deal is ending they have a dubious tendency to then use the highest rate from your supplier.

Then you need to factor in the referral payment. If Octopus looks good for you then just get a quote direct from one of the links in the OP, making sure the projected cost is the same or less than you saw through Uswitch.
 
Ah okay, ill see if i can dig out those numbers. i haven't been on any deal with BG for about a year or so. I called to find out and at the time their tariffs did not change in price per KW but with rewards for being on smart meters. I didnt want a smart meter so didint take out a new contact due to the new one being the same as i am on now.
 
My referral code here:
share.octopus.energy/kiwi-burn-191

I've been with them over a year having used a referral code from here (can't remember the exact user) and have had no hassles in that time. Before switching I put my previous years gas & electric usage into their calculator and they were coming out slightly cheaper (I'm talking tenths of a penny) than my previous supplier So Energy on their 2019 tariffs and quite a bit cheaper than their 2020 offer. My only slight bugbear is that if you don't send meter readings, they don't update your balance so if I forget (as I often do) then it looks like I have a huge credit balance and then when I DO send readings it can take anything up to a week to reflect in the numbers.
 
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share.octopus.energy/fresh-calf-423

I initiated my switch this week so will hopefully be up and running with Octopus from the 20th. I found their prices almost identical to Bulb for my actual usage, but the referral swings it in their favour. Even more so as Bulb had pushed my direct debits up to higher than my actual winter usage.
 
We've been with Octopus Energy for a year now (moved from Scottish Power). The switch went seamlessly, DD seems to be spot on (some credit built over the summer) and I submit my meter reading once a month via their app. All good as far as I'm concerned.

I'm not in the least bit bothered they don't provide a smart reader, as I really don't see the point in them anyway, and the one we received from SP mostly sat in a drawer..
 
Just a note that my Bulb installed SMETS 2 meter is happily talking to Octopus & the IHD is still talking to SmartThings.
 
Sad to report that Octopus are also proving to be complete arses on the DD front. As I reported in the OP, I changed DD amounts to use up the credit from referrals. All went well for the first month & then I receive a "You're not paying enough, we suggest x amount." Not only did they "suggest" that amount but they increased the DD to match, without my authorisation. Changed it back again but have just seen that they took the higher amount anyway. 😡

I'm now in the process of reclaiming that via the bank under the DD guarantee. Once refunded I'll cancel the DD completely & force them to use the credit that way. Bastards...
 
I had so many issues with Octopus Energy, ridiculous and unjustified DD increases, really poor customer service. Had to go to the ombudsman eventually where I won my case.
 
I had so many issues with Octopus Energy, ridiculous and unjustified DD increases, really poor customer service. Had to go to the ombudsman eventually where I won my case.
Long time no see :)
 
I changed DD amounts to use up the credit from referrals. All went well for the first month & then I receive a "You're not paying enough, we suggest x amount." Not only did they "suggest" that amount but they increased the DD to match, without my authorisation. Changed it back again but have just seen that they took the higher amount anyway.

I had something similar, however, after I adjusted the amount back down they've only taken what I authorised.
 
Nationwide have refunded the DD as requested & I've cancelled it, so will wait for them to start squealing. Interestingly I noticed a new option on their web site to withdraw credit from the referrals yesterday.

Another minor annoyance is for some reason they can't explain, they raised a three week statement followed by another for a week. If that carries on it will be tricky keeping a handle on usage with random billing periods.
 
Just been in touch with Octopus today.
I was happy with my current supplier, So Energy, but got notified of a big price hike when my current contract ends in February.
£9 per month cheaper and then the referral money (£50) as well.

A bit concerned about the issue some have had though.
 
I'm beginning to wonder if these smaller suppliers all use an off-the-shelf billing system that can't understand account credit? Bulb never applied any of my referral credit to bills either & in the end, I had to request it be paid into my bank account.
 
Octopus have been using mine as I deliberately set my DD low to use most of it up.
 
Been with them a couple of years now and I have dropped my DD amount a few times when I have had 2 or 3 £50 referral bonuses. They have always complied, when my balance goes down to less than what a normal monthly fee is I up them again.
 
I've had no problems reducing my direct debit a little although I'm not that fussed about using my referral credit up as I may need it later in the year. If I end up working from home again or anything like that it's going to put my bills up so I'd rather have the buffer there in case I need it.
 
@Sloppy Bob £50 on its way to you :)

Think that's how you wanted it done i.e next in line @RBZ5416

Could you add me to the list please?

 

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