MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Who's an octopus customer here?
Guilty
Yep - excellent service from them..
thanks now all I need is a short limerick on how you would spend £50 pounds
There once was a spender named Sue,
Who spent fifty pounds, that's true!
She bought a new hat,
That was quite flat,
Now she's feeling rich, it's all new!
Me too, happy with them so far
I am.
yes - mixed thoughts on their CS.
Been providing monthly meter readings when asked.
Not asked for one since end of November.
Doubled the DD based on estimated readings for last 2 months.
Go onto website to try to reduce DD to what it was and you’re unable to.
Provided them actual readings, awaiting an updated bill.
No correspondence or apology and this is for a pensioners account.
Not impressed by CS !
Same as Danti.
Their DD estimate was 150 ppm more than actual, with no option to reduce.
I cancelled the DD and they can wait every month if they're going to play that game.
Bulb, who I think are owned by Octopus.
yes, love the Chief execs emails about how they'll never make a profit, no mention of the octopus group company buying up windfarms and making silly profits selling energy to octopus at global energy rates for us mugs to pay full whack..
Never had an issue. Read and load up my meter readings through their app on a monthly basis and the data appears in my account within a few hours.
I've not had an issue in reducing DD below their requested level; did require me to contact them and explain why typical use previously is now not typical but they accepted.
And had a refund last month of overpaid balance without any issue, in my account in <48 hrs.
Also guilty. Good service re dds and accurate statements. Big con or not, we've donated £48 so far to their hardship fund through their energy saving initiatives. I like them.
Yes, but they are being crap in replacing the dead gas meter that they asked us to have fitted.
Been on estimated bills since April last year
Similar company ethics...
thanks now all I need is a short limerick on how you would spend £50 pounds
With fifty pounds, I'd have some fun,
I'd buy books, games and maybe a bun,
I'd take a trip to the arcade,
Play games, win tickets, and upgrade,
Or maybe just buy pizza for everyone!
Hmmm, perhaps ChatGPT isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Octopus for me;
Meter read, bill sent, no fuss.
Spin wheel to win.....nowt.
I've just moved to them after e-on refusing to lower my direct debit or to refund me some of my credit.
Was debating going on the tracker tariff they do, any thoughts?
Go onto website to try to reduce DD to what it was and you’re unable to.
I’ve just put mine down to £1 from next month onwards.
They can’t connect to my electric meter and have £550 off my money despite being unable to bill me for electric since October.
I wonder if letting my account go in to debit will focus them to fix it, I’m not convinced it will.
Since they have taken over Bulb (am with them), I guess I am with with Octopus now.
The only utility company I've ever dealt with to have decent customer service.
Happy with the level of service I need.
Meter reads , bills within 24hrs . Ignore their crazy payment schedule .
Never won owt on t'wheel o fortune.
Best of the worst ifykyim
Octopus here I just reduced dd to 5 quid pcm to maintain dd discount and draw down credit.
If u don't DD u get put on non DD tariff which is higher.
Happy customer here. Never had a problem, unlike Scottish Power & Southern Electric.
Oh ya Octopus asked me to reduce my DD but I just leave it alone, can't be arsed. However, they just take the lesser amount rather than the amount I set for my DD.
I just don't like to owe anyone a single penny.
thanks now all I need is a short limerick on how you would spend £50 pounds
If I found something out really nifty
That I’d won, not one pound but fifty
I’d find a nurse
Who could put it in their purse
Then they wouldn’t need to be quite so thrifty.
Like a utility company should be, as a minimum🤷🏼♂️so better than most
they seem to say that smart meters are being installed area by area and so you need to wait until they're in your area. Is this people's experience so should I request my existing supplier give me one, assuming it will be compatible, if I'm thinking of switching..
There once was a lad from the sticks
Whose code was ashen-elk-46
He shared it around
To gain £50
And rewarded himself with a twix
Octopus installed a smart meter for me as part of the switchover from previous supplier (British gas)
Go onto website to try to reduce DD to what it was and you’re unable to.
Managed to do this ok eventually, but I am in credit, and it did take a while to find the correct section of their website.
It didn't look like an editable field, which didn't help.
Octopus Go customer here. They are bloody brilliant. God knows what @dyna-ti's problem is.
Octopus? Really good.
I set a diary reminder. Every month I record my meter readings. Then I paste them into the octopus meter readings pages. Spin the wheel 3 times. A few days later I get an updated account balance.
For us electricity uses a smart meter. Gas does not.
Their website works well. Their app is OK.
I used their forecasting tool and saw that we could reduce our DD . Did that and got the current +ve balance refunded. All neatly done from the website.
I'm with them. Customer service can be hit and miss. Perfect reply to question about economy 7 timings, very poor on whether they can fix the smart meter for remote electricity readings. Watching debits like a hawk as they are a bit keen for us to run a surplus with them, I prefer to save with something that has a cast-iron FCA guarantee attached.
Also never one on the spin the wheel game.
Was debating going on the tracker tariff they do, any thoughts?
I ended up on tracker v1. My last bill averaged out at approx 23ppkwh and my ppd rate is 18p. it's been like this for a few months now as wholesale prices have been fairly low presumably due to the mild winter. If you go to Page 39 of the 'not putting the heating on' thread, I've posted my January wholesale and unit rates there. I'm in Yorkshire btw there will be slight regional differences and I don't expect v1 will be the current tariff on offer so your ppd rate might be different, but the wholesale rates should be the same (with the regional diff). There's a website somewhere that might help you I'll try and find it and post a link.
http://mysmartenergy.uk/Tracker/Yorkshire
You'll need to use the drop down boxes to change the region and the version of tracker tariff that's currently available to you. It should then show some historic prices for gas and electric
Moved to them from Good Energy after becoming convinced that GE business model(*) makes no sense for a consumer. Happy-ish with Octopus - always quick response to my queries on Twitter.
(*) essentially, you always pay electricity bills at the higher of renewable- or gas-origin price.
Was debating going on the tracker tariff they do, any thoughts?
For gas, absolutely; out of the last six months or so there have only been a few days when it's been more expensive than the standard tariff everyone else does. It's been around 6.5 - 8p per kWh recently which is a fair old saving. If it does go above the cap - I'd be very surprised if it does - you can just switch back.
I haven't looked at the electricity tracker as we're on Go instead for the off peak rate. We've done extremely well out of the Octopus Go Faster tariff the last two years, dirt cheap electricity in the evening. We've been with them for both gas and electricity for years and have no complaints at all.
I left then for a better deal in Oct 21
Last Aug I got a bill from then despite my account being closed for 10 months
I complained and spent three months chasing the complaint, which I then found out they had closed as they said I never contacted them, despite there being about 25 emails going back and forth between us.
They offered £100 discount if i settled the bill which I refused
Eventually they gave up and admitted they were in the wrong and cancelled the invoice. But they left the £100 credit there. So I emailed and asked for them to pay it out, and they did! So I ended getting £100 from a utility supplier, despite no longer being their customer.
Octopus want a photo of my electricity meter, its the second time they have asked in 3 months. When I questioned why they said its because they need a monthy reading... I already submit that online.
Considering they have over £600 of my money as "credit", if I was trying to scam them, I'd be doring a really poor job, so I doubt its that.
Anyone else having seemingly pointless requests?
When I questioned why they said its because they need a monthy reading... I already submit that online.
Not a smart meter then? It will be to verify the readings you've been giving.
Why are you letting them have £600 of your money?!
No pointless requests (yet) but they seem to have given up charging me for gas.
Octopus want a photo of my electricity meter, its the second time they have asked in 3 months. When I questioned why they said its because they need a monthy reading... I already submit that online.
Considering they have over £600 of my money as "credit", if I was trying to scam them, I'd be doring a really poor job, so I doubt its that.
Anyone else having seemingly pointless requests?
I've had no hassle with Octopus for our shop. It does have a smart meter so I just get an invoice each month.
If you have credit with them, they are legally obliged to return it to you when you request it.
I can't get them to address the fact that theyre no longer getting readings from my smart meter - I get some friendly to and fro over email whenever I raise it, which end with promises to escalate it to their smart meter guys, who'll pursue it further... then nothing. 18 months so far
There once was a user quite bold, Who wanted some cash, truth be told,
"No referral codes here!" Said the rules, crystal clear,
But sod'em I'm after the cash.
Up untill now, they have been fine, overcharging and pocketing the extra but as you say I can ask for it back. Taking a photo isnt really much hassle, its just odd that they want a meter reading then follow it up asking for proof. Wasnt sure if this is a new company wide thing or if I'm being singled out.
We have a gen 1 electric smart meter which is basically useless, we were told that we couldnt have a gas one because they'd be too close together and I refuse to give up a days holiday so they can fit a gen 2. Again, they have a shed load of my money, if I was trying to scam them by under reporting usage, I'm doing a bad job.
Why are you letting them have £600 of your money?!
It started out that we under paid through winter and over paid through summer, averaging out about right, its slowly crept up to them basing the whole year on our winter usage, I really should get a refund off them.
Also, I could just take pictures once a day for a week and submit one every month making it look like I've used almost nothing... Hardly the most robust fraud detection process is it?
its just odd that they want a meter reading then follow it up asking for proof.
I'd say it's pretty standard* - plus, maybe, the fact that they have a big chunk of your money and they want to know why.
* I've had to send a photo of my PV generation meter recently - it's a bi-annual requirement to check you're not making numbers up and that the meter hasn't been changed.
As it happens they [EDF] had not validated my previous generation meter photo from March '24 and I'd had no FIT payments since then - they're now sending me £4500 😁
The only utility company I've ever dealt with to have decent customer service.
Not at all good in my experience. Getting a smart meter replaced took months and required some high-level chuntering to get someone out. Back-billing problems ongoing from that from early 2024.
This year I had the warm home grant taken from the bill. Neither of the bill payers are on means tested benefits and we aren't entitled to it. My son who has the same initial is on means-tested support due to Long Covid. Wrote and asked for it to be dis-applied, re-assured that it would be and lo it's still there this month! Their billing team is truly shocking.
I am not a fan, but they are all as bad as each other and when checking the tariff savings there don't appear to be any due to chicanery with standing charges and unit prices.
Been fine for me but likely to switch out as they are a few hundred £ more this year than some others based on my usage.
Been using them for years, so does mum and best mate. I’ve never had an issue, pay £60 month for electricity and have approx £200 in account thanks to recent £150 warm home bonus/discount thing.
It started out that we under paid through winter and over paid through summer, averaging out about right, its slowly crept up to them basing the whole year on our winter usage
This is what I get with them, keep trying to up my payments so I am in credit with them all year - nope I'll go into deficit over winter & then back into credit over summer thank you very much.
I pay by variable DD last Yr I think only 2 x DD were taken in winter Having solar and 15kwh batteries and on ev rate. I export excess and any credit is applied to import account. So credit is built up by the SEG rather than me paying them a set amount ea month.
It started out that we under paid through winter and over paid through summer, averaging out about right, its slowly crept up to them basing the whole year on our winter usage
Yup they all do this. It's a sport to them.
Don't **** about with these corporate shithouse rats and their hateful admin children. Take them to the ombudsman. Just received 180 quid in compensation, a grovelling apology letter, reduced DD and refunded credit. That's 580 quid in compo so far this year from these shyster businesses, we are forced to deal with going about our day-to-day lives. Absolutely hate the ****s, all of them!
This is what I get with them, keep trying to up my payments so I am in credit with them all year - nope I'll go into deficit over winter & then back into credit over summer thank you very much.
which is where i am too (although im never in debit over winter still). notified that my DD was going up despite having over £200 in there but it was easy enough to just log in and reduce it back down to slightly less than it was before.
Take them to the ombudsman. Just received 180 quid in compensation, a grovelling apology letter, reduced DD and refunded credit.
It takes me about 3 clicks in the Octopus app to request a credit refund and another 3 clicks to adjust my DD. Any reason why that wasn't an option for you?
Just checked mine, the amount in credit has crept up to over £1100, with monthly usage around £300 which will no doubt go up a bit over next 3 months. I have used the app to request a £400 refund.
They will now ask for my monthly DD to go up from current £400 I imagine…
Just checked mine, the amount in credit has crept up to over £1100
I have used the app to request a £400 refund.
id be requesting £1100. better in your bank than theirs 😉
Just set up variable DD and pay for what you use
Just checked mine, the amount in credit has crept up to over £1100
Do you not look at the account statements they email to you every month?
They put mine up from £110 to £160 but this is the first winter after the heat pump was installed so the prices are reasonable. However at that rate I think we will be in credit after next summer. This post is not useful to anyone.
My app says I can't automatically get a refund "due to an issue with your meter" ! ie. It's not a smart meter and never will be 😛
They’re not great on the smart meter front. We have two accounts with them one house has a smart meter which doesn’t work. They can’t be bothered fixing it, we’ve made multiple requests. It’s one of the northern half of the UKs meters working on a dodgy comms network which doesn’t work well in the north half of the uk. Seemingly the meters that use mobile data work much better. I’ve not bothered getting a smart meter installed in the other house as it seems pointless if they use the same type. So a monthly manual readings gets submitted for both. I think Fuse energy put in decent meters with mobile data. I’m thinking of moving both accounts to them as without a working smart meter I can’t get a smart tariff.
its just odd that they want a meter reading then follow it up asking for proof
The reason is likely quite simple and not singling you out as an individual.
Whenever you enter a reading it needs to be validated. The validation varies from supplier to supplier but it will take into account your previous consumption, your supplier estimated consumption and also the estimated annual consumption held within industry data for your meterpoint.
If the reading you submitted fails validation some suppliers will ask for another reading. Octopus it seems have cottoned on to how easy it is to get a photo of the meter which provides a fair amount of extra useful information alongside the reading. This will then be used to validate the reading and hopefully update the industry. The reality is they need at least two validated readings a decent distance apart to guarantee the industry update.
Ideally all of the industry stuff should be transparent to the customer but the reality is that is not always the case.
The cynic in me also wont rule out a degree of behaviour modelling. Asking for a photo makes submitting a read a bit more inconvenient and may encourage a few more folks to think about a smart meter.
I think Fuse energy put in decent meters with mobile data.
Tread carefully. The UK smart metering network for DCC enrolled meters in the north is long range radio / mesh only.
If a company is promising to fit a meter that uses mobile data it likely will not be connected to the UK smart meter network and will not be able to move to another supplier in smart mode.
Get details of exactly what they propose to fit and how it impacts your ability to change supplier before you commit
Thanks for your input seriousrikk. I’m in no hurry to change. It does seem crazy that the meters selected for oop north don’t work in quite a lot of rural areas. Long range radio in the mountains of the highlands does seem a silly idea to me.
As of April 2025, it is possible to have a cellular smart meters installed in the LW radio meter zone. I have one, installed by Octopus, after our smart meter repeatedly failed to upload 1/2 hourly usage data.
Despite never sending them a photo, yesterday I got a generic email saying they are closing my ticket and hope they answered all my questions, so as I thought, they didn't need it at all.
Thanks for your input seriousrikk. I’m in no hurry to change. It does seem crazy that the meters selected for oop north don’t work in quite a lot of rural areas. Long range radio in the mountains of the highlands does seem a silly idea to me.
The actual thinking behind it was pretty sound. At the time it was all planned out mobile coverage was pretty poor in rural areas so the proposal to use a mesh of long wave radio was billed as a solution to this.
The downside of course it that to work properly as a mesh there needed to be a decent takeup of smart meters and that just hasn't happened at the scale it was supposed to.
As of April 2025, it is possible to have a cellular smart meters installed in the LW radio meter zone. I have one, installed by Octopus, after our smart meter repeatedly failed to upload 1/2 hourly usage data.
Oh cool, thanks for the correction. I'll go read up about those - I will confess it's a few years now since I was involved in the device side of things.