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[#11168215]

Are they all legitimate or will some of them go bust. I’m looking to move on from tonic as I’m paying to much (£89 month) I looked at Bulb who are quoting (£61 month). Avro energy are just (£51 month) but I’ve never heard of them. Is there anything to be aware of? All dual fuel tariffs. If anyone has a code for Avro feel free to send it over.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 5:53 pm
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Message me if you want an Octopus code for £50 off.

As for recommendations etc no idea but they have so far been easier to deal with than Scottish Power. I switched for their off peak tariff as I'm supposed to be getting an electric car.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 6:33 pm
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Just reminded me to switch for the same reason - have recently got an electric car. I even cam on here to get the recommendation thing and then completely forgot about it..

What car are you getting?


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 6:41 pm
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We've been with Bulb for a couple of years and had no problems at all. However I am about to switch to Yorkshire Energy as they are cheaper.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 6:43 pm
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I was with Tonik for a couple of years, only issue was credit refund when I left.

Was with Avro years ago and again now. No major problems, they have been in trouble with the regulator a couple of times but no issues here as a customer. Can't see any sort of referral code.

Tonik definitely did a code thing for introducing friends though.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 6:45 pm
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@WorldClassAccident we have a BMW i3S on order, was due at the end of June but who knows now as the factory has stopped production.

Also Octopus have stopped fitting Smart meters and my charge point isn't being installed at the moment either.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 7:04 pm
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if you decide on bulb pm me for a referral code for £50 off for us both i think it is...


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 7:09 pm
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No guarantees re future solvency, hopefully a smaller risk these days.

Your quoted figures, are these all on the same usage? That's a huge variance if so.

Use a comparison website and accurate usage figures, make sure you are seeing all suppliers, for a proper comparison.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 7:27 pm
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Cheers, I might go with octopus as they were second cheapest. The only discrepancy with my figures are my usage projection changes with each bill from tonik and I can’t find an annual usage.

Did you have to chase tonik for the credit refund?


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 7:39 pm
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I’m waiting for Octopus to get back to me for the last few days as wanting to switch. Have an OVO installed SMET2 smart meter so theoretically can go for the variable tariff with Octopus to charge the EV at the cheaper rates.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 7:43 pm
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Avro used to make Lancasters, so they're bomber.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 10:30 pm
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Been with Avro for 2 years, cheap and cheerful, no issues.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 10:33 pm
 tomd
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I get my gas and electric off Avro. They manage to take meter reading and bill me every month so seem legit. Had to call them once and they answered the phone.

Transferred from Octopus who were fine. Had cause to call them once and also OK.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 10:37 pm
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If you haven't got the smart meter gubbins Octopus Tracker tariff is currently really cheap I believe. You have to actually request it, they won't offer it.
Also those waiting for a smart meter install to go onto Octopus Go or Agile, should get in touch with them asap and ask to go onto Tracker tariff in the interim. Again, you have to ask to go on it, they won't offer it.
PM me for referral code if you take my advice 😁
NB it's not fixed so is a bit of a gamble long term, however you can leave it at any time without penalty.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 10:46 pm
 igm
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Why would you care if the supplier goes bust?
Your lights don’t go off if they go bust.

Provided you don’t over pay them why would it matter? (In fact you might even be protected in that case, but I’d need to check.)


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 10:56 pm
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Provided you don’t over pay them why would it matter? (In fact you might even be protected in that case, but I’d need to check.)

Any credit is protected, so doesn't matter if they go bust and you are heavily in credit.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 11:01 pm
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SO energy and Pure Planet have the best customer service in the industry. Definitely check those out. I’m with Tonik and looking to move on.


 
Posted : 30/04/2020 11:03 pm
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Yes I had to chase Tonik for the £80 credit. They are supposed to do it automatically, when I called they apologised said it would be done within 10 days and took most of that.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 12:11 am
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Just come off a year with avro. Moved to a cheaper deal as I try and do every year or two. No complaints though.

As above there’s no real issue if the energy supplier goes bust as their administrator will sell that contracted customer base on to another provider and your contract price will be honoured.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 12:27 am
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I've just renewed with Avro as the deal was coming to an end.
Did a comparison on MSE and phoned Avro to get usage figures for last year, they offered their best deal which was only £1 a month more than Fox so I stayed with them and DD has dropped from £79 to £63 and there are no early exit fees so if something else comes along......


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 8:32 am
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I was with Octopus until 'look after my bills' said I'd be a lot better off with Utility Point. Octopus were fine but it's still not clear what happened to the account surplus I had with them.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 11:29 am
 tomd
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Octopus were fine but it’s still not clear what happened to the account surplus I had with them.

You need to call to get it back.

They hung onto my £400 for a few months. When I called they were very helpfully and claimed the money hadn't gone back due to a "system fault". Aye right. Was in my account within 5 days of calling.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 11:31 am
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If anyone has a octopus code they can message me as that’ll be cheaper with £50 off. Thanks


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 12:12 pm
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u got mail


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 1:47 pm
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Cheers Tom, I'v emailed them. I shall pick up the dog and bone if that doesn't work.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 2:08 pm
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I have in the past used Ebico, OVO, Octopus and for the last few years have been with Tonik.

When I switched from Octopus to Tonik they did need reminding to refund credit built up with them.

Never had any service issues with any of them, OVO were great a few years ago but there prices have crept up since they have gotten larger so no longer as competitive.

Had Smart Meters installed by OVO whilst I was with them and although they are 1st generation Tonik can take automated readings from them.

I have just renewed with Tonik again as they came in as one of the cheapest (baring in mind wholesale fuel costs have dropped since Covid 19),there were a couple of cheaper quotes(Talking a few quid difference over the space of a year) but decided to stay put as better the devil you know, my monthly payments have dropped about £20 upon renewal.

I worked my actual annual usage from the figures on last Aprils 2019 bill compared to my the most recent bill April 2020 (available on the Tonik web portal) and used these on the comparison sites.

If you use the generic assumptions regarding the size and type of house and no. of occupants they nearly always differ from your actual usage (well they did for me)and hence the price advertised will maybe not be the same as your actual usage costs if you use your actual usage figures.

We too have a EV on order (its waiting at the dealers but cant get it delivered for obvious reasons) so have held off from switching to a EV tariff, Tonik have a EV tariff but its not advertised along with the regular tariffs when you do a quote you have to go to a different section of the website to access it.

Tonik along with most of the others do referrals(£) too.


 
Posted : 01/05/2020 3:33 pm
 wsj1
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Any one want to message me a referral for Octopus energy? Cheers


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 9:39 am
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Just started my 2nd year with Yorkshire energy. No problems so far. I give them monthly readings and they don't fit smart meters so never get pestered.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 9:49 am
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I've sent you a pm with the octopus referral link. Cheers


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 10:31 am
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I was with a very cheap supplier a few years ago, they went bust.
Another supplier took over, at the original price on my contract.
Turns out an unsustainably cheap energy supplier going bust is a win!


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 10:35 am
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I’m with octopus. I have no loyalty and will Juno to cheapest provider but octopus were by far the cheapest when I moved a few months ago

Happy to share code with anyone moving


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 10:39 am
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Octopus Go is well worth being on if you have an EV, for four hours of cheap electricity overnight; if you've got an octopus smart meter (they are doing installs again now) you just have to ask.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 12:43 pm
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Tonik, eeeuuurgh. I feel your pain. They are absolutely the worst company I've ever had dealings with. Currently trying to get away from their clutches. There is a Facebook group called something like Tonik complaints. The horror stories on there. I'm trying to move to bulb. They pay your early leaving fees up to £60 plus they have great reviews.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 1:23 pm
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@lambchop I'll send you a PM with. Bulb referral code in in case it's any use to you


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 1:30 pm
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I suspect 'BULB and their great reviews' will soon be altering to 'BULB and their mediocre reviews'as there is much annoyance at how they currently operate. I've been with them for around 15 mths. Just got the email telling me their prices are rising and that as a consequence my DD will go up £13 a month to cover the estimated winter usage. I A nice graoh shows what they expect me to use). The trouble is that I am £171 in credit with a further chunk going in next week. Couple with their poor estimation of my summer use ( I spent some of it in hospital and don't use much in any case) so they owe me for over estimating both gas and electric use. In a nutshell I am £200 in credit and am supposed to use about £100 more over the coming Winter than I will pay in...so by March I will still be £100 in credit. Couldn't get thru to speak to anyone, their online chat thing is currently unavailable so sod 'em. I've moved across to Avro where I should save about £100 a year


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 1:40 pm
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I'm with Octopus as my previous supplier went bust - the regulator picked Octopus for me. I'm still with them as they seem pretty good.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 1:43 pm
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Been working with igloo energy recently, they actually give a shit about customers and data - very unusual


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 2:24 pm
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I suspect ‘BULB and their great reviews’ will soon be altering to ‘BULB and their mediocre reviews’as there is much annoyance at how they currently operate. I’ve been with them for around 15 mths.

It will be negative from me not too!

Got an email this morning saying they want to stick my DD up from £134 a month to £183 based on what they think I might use. I've had a good old argument on live chat an hour ago and they refuse to budge. So sod them - I know what I'm doing tonight now.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 2:31 pm
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Im on octopus agile which means i can store cheap overnight energy in my tesla power wall battery and use that during the day, it updates the kw cost every 30mins and has saved me £300+ over the previous year.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 2:59 pm
 DT78
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I have had a nightmare with switching - wish I never had.

Small company went bust, transferred over to another company but with much higher tariff, so I transferred to another smaller company....then after 6 months the big 5 started discounting so I switched to them.

Following? During that time some idiot can round and incorrectly read the meter, putting a '1' at the front of the reading instead of a '3'. So, the one that goes bust owes me over £500+ and the next provide slaps with a bill of £1k just before xmas. All of them ignore your own submitted readings as use something called the 'data controller'. Some mystical body you cannot contact to sort shit like this out.

After many hours / calls I get it sorted with big 5 provider. 6 months later get a baliff letter saying I owe company 1 (who hadn't paid the £500 refund they said they should) saying I owe £200+. I give up and just pay it.

So you think this saga is over??? No, I switch from big 5, provide my readings and then, guess what they ignore my readings and jump me back to the incorrect amount again.

I am now taking photos of my meters every month and saving them for when this happens again. Its a bloody nightmare.

The worst thing is, no one tells you they are ignoring your supplied reading until you spot it on your bill. also I provided readings via apps and websites for companies that have gone bust - guess what I cannot access these to prove what I submitted anymore.

I currently have no idea if I have paid the right amount, but I'm pretty sure I've massively overpaid, but no way to work it out or prove it.

Rant over. morale of story - take photo evidence of your meter reading every month


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 4:26 pm
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I’m on Octopus now. Been absolutely fine in the time that I’ve been a customer. I had a credit on my account, overpaying the monthly DD, but I requested a refund via the website and it was in my account in a few days.

I had a similar experience as DT78 but with Scottish Power. I’d had a new gas meter fitted, the installer had logged the meter number wrong, so even though I’d queried the bills repeatedly the billing got royally screwed. They insisted that I owed them £1300 or there abouts. When I presented them with photo evidence of every monthly meter reading on both the new and old meters, a spreadsheet showing cost and usage of units for over three years they backed down, recalculated and adjusted my bill to show I was 53p out.

I switched from them sharpish.

TL:DR Octopus referral codes available if anyone should so wish.


 
Posted : 17/09/2020 5:08 pm
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Just about to move from Bulb, is Octopus still the supplier of choice? To get the referral payment can this still be done via USwitch or does it needs to be directly with the supplier? Cheers


 
Posted : 12/10/2020 1:15 pm
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No idea @juanking. Offer of a referral code still stands if you are going to Octopus, they’ve been no bother at all for me.

@ me on here and I’ll get the notification email, the messaging system seems to work but not always.


 
Posted : 12/10/2020 1:23 pm
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i left bulb to go to pure planet a few months back, that was the one recommended by moneysavingexpert then, dunno if thats still the case or not. happy enough with them and if you want a referral code (we each get £25) then pm me.

cheers


 
Posted : 12/10/2020 1:24 pm
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Just having checked the Octopus referral codes, they are offering £100 for new customers until 15th October and £50 for the referrer as normal.


 
Posted : 12/10/2020 5:17 pm
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