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Green just gone to the wall
Shitting arse bum looks like my supplier (Green) have gone pop. Guess I’ll be transferred onto somebody’s far more expensive variable tariff. 👍
Usefully, absolutely nothing on their twitter or website about it, phone not being answered, web chat not working.
Website does say they've ceased trading. I did have to hit ctrl+f5 on my browser to get rid of the cached page.
Freester
Website does say they’ve ceased trading. I did have to hit ctrl+f5 on my browser to get rid of the cached page.
Yep, got that now too, thanks.
Really hope the government get a good shoeing over this. Crisis to crisis to crisis.
Avro now as well, which is an arse because I'm still in the throes of migrating across to them...
Avro now as well, which is an arse because I’m still in the throes of migrating across to them…
Been with Avro for a few years, just taken meter readings but can't get on their site to load them or check my statements 😕
Interestingly Ofgem website recommends taking meter readings.
Write em down I'm sure the new supplier will be wanting them sooner rather than later.
Scienceofficer
Free MemberAvro now as well, which is an arse because I’m still in the throes of migrating across to them…
Bad luck, hope you don't get stuck in admin no mans land with that.
Anybody know how long it takes to get assigned to a new supplier?
edit - according to MSE it will be several weeks
It's going to be a cold winter!
Something similar happened to me a few months back - my supplier went bust. Got automatically transferred to British Gas but kept same pricing/tariff and deal length as before. I also received money back I was due from overpayments.
And I wasn’t talking about fossil 😉
I know who you mean. And there's been speculation they may want to get out of the consumer retail market, as SSE did.
Green customer here, DD got paid today too. As above doesn't the supplier of last resort agreement mean you migrate to a new supplier on your current tariff and contract?
Although that is why none of the big companies want to take on these loss making customers at present.
Octopus are behaving a bit worryingly. Not updated my account since August, haven't replied to a customer query and now can't see any account info on the website.😬
Just logged I to my octopus account.... All there.
Just read the Ofgem guidance and I was incorrect, new supplier variable it is, oof!
Just checked my octopus account as I’m on a variable tariff due to having a Tesla battery that was fitted by the housing association to allow me to store cheap/free energy overnight so that I can afford to run the air source heat pump hot water/central heating system that was fitted to my non insulated 1bed bungalow. I’m currently paying 33.33p kw for electricity and this time last year I was paying a weighted average of 6.69p kWh (19.8p peak).
Could be a very cold winter if this is not sorted, at a rough calculation I’ll be paying upwards of £1500/year for electricity/heating if this carries on, if I switch my central heating off my electricity consumption is usually under £10/week.
Just logged I to my octopus account…. All there.
Thank God for that.
Wonder why I've not had a bill for a while then.
Edit: yes can get back in now. How some of you with families are going to cope, I don't know.
Bad enough trying to get son to turn lights off 3 days a week.
I’m currently paying 33.33p kw for electricity and this time last year I was paying a weighted average of 6.69p kWh (19.8p peak).
Could be a very cold winter if this is not sorted, at a rough calculation I’ll be paying upwards of £1500/year for electricity/heating if this carries on, if I switch my central heating off my electricity consumption is usually under £10/week.
Holy shit that's rough!
Especially when the only £ I get is disability benefits due to secondary progressive ms which also means I need to keep the house warm at all times otherwise my muscles go into spasm/clonus, over 20% of my income on electricity/heating……….bugger indeed.
As I said in a thread a couple of menthe back, and for totally flamed, I'm not worried for my personal position (green customer.... Until today). I can afford the leccy bills and I've 30 m³ scrounged wood that will heat my house for 2+ years. My gas is for water and cooking basically. However there will be people that have done all they can to get on a cheap, be affordable deal, will get stuffed onto an expensive standard rate, be and can't shift to ANYTHING as any marginally better deals are disappearing fast. Fuel poverty awaits them and a cold cold winter. If mother nature kicks in with a proper cold one, it's going to finish off the few oldies covid had missed.
Right, time to get the stoves lit.
With Avro, contract due up 10th Oct, was about to start looking around as they want to put my bill up by a grand a year, not much I can do now, actually glad we hadn't started a transfer. Off to read the meters in a min, maybe try downloading the bills later.
Igloo also in trouble
Read the meters, and add a month's worth of use to the numbers. Get as much on the cheaper tariff as you can!
Last winter was cold for me but I guess it will be colder now ...
I guess I will just have to sleep in my lounge, again, as it is warmer. 🙁
My switch to Avro was effective from today, so I’ve already paid a month in advance to them plus British Gas (previous supplier) also took a payment this month…
Oooh, this is going to be interesting, in the middle of a switch from Green to Avro, they've both got my money 😀
Direct debits cancelled and time to sit back and wait.
That reminds me, I must get some more firewood ordered...
Another £500 credit Bulb user here. Got onto the chat this morning and it should be refunded within 3-5 days. Fingers crossed.
maybe try downloading the bills later.
I'm gonna try again too, but I think it will have to be much later once the other 579,999 customers have given up trying too
An unexpected error occurred when I tried, probably because they've gone unexpectedly bust.
Bulb also emailed me asking for some extra money, even though my direct debit covers my usage and I'm in credit on my account... Not sure I have enough money to prop them up though.
Another Avro peep here...also nowt can do on webite-unepected error.
Looked on MSE at other tariffs just to see the difference, cheapest Fix is £120 from £77 for crying out loud.....
Maybe best to wait to see what Ofgem says?
Another Green customer here.
Do we need to cancel any DD, or leave them for when Ofgem transfers to a new supplier?
I’m currently paying 33.33p kw for electricity
Sounds like you're on their tracker which follows the daily wholesale rate. You can swap back to the variable or fix your rate at any point.
Log in to your Octopus account, then click "Menu", "My Account", then scroll down to "Change my tariff".
Another Green customer here.
Do we need to cancel any DD, or leave them for when Ofgem transfers to a new supplier?
Ditto!
I'm with that Dragons den lot that move suppliers for you, I'll give them a call.
I'm with Avro.
Checked the website after a long day yesterday & my account info was all there with no problem.
Figured I'd download my bills this morning, as I was knackered yesterday & didn't wanna be fiddling about.
Logged-on this morning & nothing there. I'm not sure if it's because the website is overloaded or all of the info has been removed.
I should have at least taken a screenshot of my account balance last night, as I was over £50 in credit - but I thought it would all still be there in the morning. Arse.
Crikey, I've just had my new BG contract through following the folding of PFP Energy.
With PFP I was on 19p daily standing charge and 12.13 per kwh.
British Gas is 25p daily standing charge and 25p per kwh.
Ooof, our bills are about to double.
Our heating/water is via an LPG tank because we're rural and we're at about 80% full but in year two of my contract with Calor, so the charge whatever they want phase after one year fixed.
Looks like the log burner is going to come in handy this winter and less baths for the kids!
I switched to Green Energy Network at the backend of last year, they went bust about a month later. The comms were pretty good from GNE, Ofgem (I think), and my new supplier (EDF). It took a few months to get transferred over fully but it was very painless. Recommendation from them at the time was wait until the transfer is complete and then move to another supplier if you want to.
My original GNE tariff was honoured, however that's unfortunately expiring next week and now there are no decent deals to be had so I'll be on the eye watering variable tariff in the hope things settle down soon and some cheaper deals come back (not expecting cheap cheap, just not pricing in the end of the world as we know it).
Bottom line - don't panic about being left without services as it won't happen, let the process run it's course before trying to switch away from whoever you get moved to.
It's a bit crappy that tariffs won't be honoured, but you can't really blame the suppliers that are taking everyone on - they shouldn't be forced to lose money, otherwise they might go pop too!
@somfunk. That seems like an awful way to do things - fit electric heating and a power wall when the place is uninsulated. Usually by far the most cost effective solution to reduce energy requirements is to insulate a house.
Are there any cheap wins you could make like insulating above the ceilings? We did it in our bedroom after we moved in (laid ~30cm of rockwool over the ~5cm of old fiberglass stuff) and it made a massive difference to how warm the bedroom was.
Also have you considered Octopus Go. I moved to it about 3 months ago and pay 14p/KwH in the day and 5p/KwH for a 4 hour period over night. I'm sure it's more expensive now but if you can get the cheap electric at night stored in your battery it may be cheaper overall?
The Octopus Go ship has sailed. I'm with Octopus. Current Go rate for me would be 24.3p per KWh. I'll stick with my 16p fix for the next 6 months.
Yup, looking at Octopus right now as I'm trying to work out if it's worth jumping from Bulb or not. I'm not looking to move, but going now seems like it'll be a lot less faff than what happens if they go under
Green here. That's twice in a year for me. Original lot (can't remember who) got transferred to Scottish Power, that cost us very dearly, they are an absolute shower! Wonder who we'll get foisted onto this time round and how much will get shafted by again.
What a shit show.
Scottish Power
That just made me shudder at the prospect. Made the mistake of moving there years ago and vowed to never touch again, the prospect of ending up there has probably just made my mind up about jumping ship
Good advice to take screenshots, just done it for my igloo account, who keep insisting on increasing dds despite a £500 credit.
I had a nightmare approx 4 years ago when a small company went bust, had misread the meter and apparently owed me £1k refund, which I never got, then the next supplier thought I’d underpaid and hit me for £1k. It took a lot of phone calls to sort, and guess what my online account had disappeared so I had no access to evidence the meter readings I had given online. I am sure I’m hundreds out of pocket but gave up trying to get a refund….then a couple of years later I got a bailiffs notice saying I owed that company £150 and they were taking me to court, with no access to any data I just paid it so I could draw a line under it.
Now I take photos of meter readings every month in case I get stiffed again
Scottish Power
I'd charge my car from a turbo trainer before moving back to Scottish Power.
Will be interesting to see what happens with Bulb. They are clearly too big to fail and clearly not able to obtain credit to cover their costs over winter. No one will take their customers on via SoLR. We are now seeing market failure due to Tory Government implementing price caps. Mad times. Of course if we were still part of the IEM then thing would be a lot easier.
Its crazy that regulation has done this, in the mortgage market your standard variable rate is often the best over time, but you take more risk, and a fixed price is higher, but you get the certainty. Ofgem have created the exact opposite in energy where hedging prudently has resulted in new entrants being able to undercut.. and with Brexit to compound it is highly unsurprising we are where we are. I predicted part Nationalisation when I left npower 3 years ago after the implementation of the price cap and I feel I am about to be proved right.
We are now seeing market failure due to Tory Government implementing price caps
The retail part of the value chain is minimal in value, what you were signing up for was better wholesale purchasing. Long term hedges cost more money so your offers are lower ranked and don't attract customers. The regulatory failure is the degree of hedging and financial reserve's required of the smaller companies.
I can see why energy speculators aren't getting bailed out
Avro gone and website experiencing a high volume so cant get a balance screenshot.
Thanks @mojodave, that's worked for me with Avro. Been with them for a few years, had triggered a switch on Monday which from everything I've read should still go through.... we'll wait and see!
@mojodave, also thanks, managed to get in with that link and download everything, we owe £75 apparently so not too fussed, although they seem to have rather over estimated our electricity usage and under estimated gas.
Apparently we're all off to Octopus from AVRO. We should be able to move to one of their fixed deals in due course.
Apparently we’re all off to Octopus from AVRO.
Same here & I've finally been able to get onto the Avro website too. Will have to take a butchers at octopus rates & see how much more it will cost us.
Edit-looks like standing charges are both going up by 10p per day, electric up by 10p pkwh & gas up from 2.5 to 6p pkwh
I'm going to Shell, from Green
Oh, Green customer here nd still waiting to hear where I'm being transferred. Green asked for a meter reading today to speed the process though.
edit, Uh no, I've just got the email. Shell, they are doing it all including transferring the direct debit
So moving from avro to octopus, cannot get to see our last annual statement on avro despite trying loads and know its going up but how much per month because right now a £75 per month rise is not a easy amount to swallow or manage.
Shell from Green here too, no word of tariff or DD amount, buckle up and hold on tight!
@donkeydave Ours was going up by £70 on Avro to cover a minor shortfall and the price increases. Octopus are quoting a more tolerable increase of £40 a month, it's still more than I would like though.
Will be interesting to see what happens with Bulb.
Rumours are that Octopus has / will make a bid for them.
@sandwich that's interresting, our fixed term with AVRO was due and they wanted to increase our Bill by £80 a month, wil be good if Octopus come in lower than that. We were about to switch (or at least start looking) when they went bump.
@stumpyjon out of interest, how much are you per month now? Just trying to get an idea of my rise.
£163 combined, next door who were also with AVRO were about the same.
Anyone gone from Utility Point to EDF? I’m still waiting for EDF to contact me.
Jeez, so you were expecting an £80 rise on top of £163/month!? Wow....£240ish a month will hurt.
Spare a thought for the staff. I know at least half a dozen people who were made redundant from one energy supplier already this year, to now be made redundant again from another.
They have kids to feed and mortgages.
I was contacted by a recruiter recently and I did have to say I wouldn't work in an energy retailer for any money at the moment.
Good point
Anyone gone from Utility Point to EDF? I’m still waiting for EDF to contact me.
Yes, I was contacted by email by EDF on the 21st, and by UP on the 23rd. Just a generic email, so I would expect you should have had something by now.
Ta. It was in my Junk folder.
Yeah Green to Shell, thank heavens not Scottish Power.
No word on tarriff of course, it'll surely hurt, we're on £160/m so now budgeting +50%.
NO WAY am I not cancelling the DD. Big credit with Green they can transfer that over.
Got stiffed last time with concurrent DDs and S bloody P.
Jeez another one paying £160/month. I know my wood scrounging and stoves saves me a lot, but perhaps I'd underestimated how much! My monthly DD was £72, and I had built an excessively large credit balance.
know my wood scrounging and stoves saves me a lot, but perhaps I’d underestimated how much! My monthly DD was £72, and I had built an excessively large credit balance.
or in a less smug thought - a considerably smaller house.
Bigger house it could be, or less efficient, but I'm picturing a stately home now. Nevill towers isn't special but it's a moderate size and not well insulated typical 30s suburban semi, not a compact flat.
Anyone heard anything about Avro to Octopus? I got a generic 'sit and wait' e-mail yesterday but wondered if anyone was further along?
Managed to get my balances from the Avro site after much waiting, small debit to carry across. I'm hoping for not much of an increase as my fixed deal had run out recently so my DD had gone up by £30 already.
Just had an email from money saving expert as I was in the energy club where they tracked the market and notified me if I could get a better deal, so they knew who I was with.
Key points...
You have been moved to the Flexible 6 variable tariff, which is Shell's standard tariff and follows the price cap.
While not cheap, on average there are no deals cheaper than this right now due to the dire state of the market, so for most there’s no need to do anything.
Customer service score is only 3.2/5 though.
we sit at around 250/month in chrispy towers 😮
I hope bulb hang in there
Bigger house it could be, or less efficient, but I’m picturing a stately home now
Was a lad yesterday looking for a surveyor on a 1.1million quid house so it's not inconceivable.
Fwiw we were about 110 in electric and oil averaged over the year suplimented with free sticks.
I predict we will be down to 85-90 averaged out over the year now with the solar panels
No I know it's not inconceivable, that value ought to buy a nice place and bigger than here unless it's central London.
Just got an email from Bulb asking to top up £150 odd even though I'm £97 in credit and another £100 is due to go out in a couple of days 🤔
My renewal has just come through from octopus from November its an extra 600 a year for a fixed tariff..
PFFFFPPPTTTT
Bulb been in touch this evening requesting I increase my dd by 50%, even though my account is in credit by £220. Have emailed a (probably futile) counter-proposal, as I have no desire to lend them more money at the moment...
Clearly the shoe dryers and other tat adds up.
£61 pcm at the start of the year rising to £91pcm, dual fuel. Granted thats with a massive employee discount of £10.50 per quarter but still.
Pisstaking aside, what kind of houses are you guys in? 2 bed mid terrace here. I know Trail_rats not far off ours in terms of spec but with the oil and lpg tax.