Octopus Energy takes over Avro Energy : what should customers do?

What should Avro Energy customers do right now?

As of right now, if you have not yet been contacted by your new supplier, Octopus Energy, there is nothing you should really be doing as a customer. In terms of receiving energy to your household, it will be business as usual, and the only thing to do is to wait until your new supplier contacts you.

Will my energy supply be interrupted?

No, neither your gas nor your electricity supply will be interrupted as Avro Energy disappears. This is why Ofgem has been appointing new suppliers so swiftly: the goal is to protect customers from ceasing to receive energy in their households. There is therefore nothing to be done on your end of things concerning this aspect of the crisis.

Should I continue to pay Avro Energy by direct debit, standing order, or direct payment?

Whatever your payment method was with Avro Energy, the general consensus is that you should not be cancelling any payment systems as of right now. Instead, wait for Octopus Energy to contact you, to make sure everything is in order and that they can deal with questions of credit and debt properly.

Should I take a meter reading?

We recommend, as does Ofgem, that you take a meter reading as early as you can. This will contribute to making sure your contract transfer goes as smoothly as possible. It will also make it easier for you to switch plans or suppliers in the future, if you wish to do so.

What happens if I was in credit or debt to Avro Energy?

If you owed Avro Energy money, or if they owed you in turn, the idea is once again to wait for Octopus Energy to sort this out for you. However, your new supplier has said they will honour any credit owed by Avro Energy to old customers. The issue of debt is a little more up in the air, but Octopus Energy will sort this question out on a case-by-case basis.

Will my bills and rates go up with Octopus Energy?

It is hard to know whether or not your specific bills will go up, as this depends on the tariffs you were on before. However, we do know that Octopus Energy has automatically assigned a “deemed” contract to you, which is likely to be their most standard tariff, aka the Flexible Octopus variable rate tariff. This may or may not imply a higher rate than before for you, and if it is, don’t worry – once the supplier has contacted you, you will be free to shop for different, cheaper energy plans.

Who chose Octopus Energy to take over Avro Energy’s customers?

Ofgem (the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) is the regulator who has been appointing new suppliers to replace the old ones as they disappear. Octopus Energy was therefore chosen because it was considered safe enough to take on Avro Energy’s 580 000 customers.

How and when will I be contacted by Octopus Energy?

A lot will change for you once Octopus Energy contacts you: you will be able to switch plans or suppliers and therefore go back to picking your own energy deals and tariffs.

They will be contacting you as soon as possible, but do remember that they have a considerable amount of new customers to go through. You may therefore have to wait for a while before your contract is dealt with and your credit and debt issues are addressed.

Octopus Energy and its administrators will be contacting you thanks to your current official address. This should therefore not present a problem unless you are in the middle of moving home, in which case you must make sure your old address redirects to your new one.

Can I switch suppliers or plans right now?

If you have not been contacted by Octopus Energy, the answer is no. You will have to wait for your account to properly be set up, and for the terms of your temporary deal to be specified, before you can make a move towards other suppliers or deals. Fundamentally, though, you still have the freedom to choose the energy plan you wish to follow, according to your own criteria.

Do I have to remain with Octopus Energy now that Avro Energy has stopped trading?

Again, not really: the mass transfer is simply a temporary measure designed to make sure all energy consumers still receive the energy they need every day. You can therefore shop for contracts presented by any and all available suppliers once Octopus Energy has contacted you officially.

I was already in the process of switching suppliers: what now?

If your initiative to switch suppliers was properly sent and processed by whichever new supplier you chose, then the switch will go as planned. Your credit balance will be protected in the process.

Octopus Energy tariffs in 2021

What tariffs can you expect to find with Octopus Energy? While you are currently assigned to a deemed contract, you will eventually be able to ask to switch deals, and not necessarily suppliers. In this case, we invite you to take a look at what is offered by Octopus Energy in 2021.

Much like other suppliers, the offers can be categorised into variable rate tariffs, fixed rate tariffs, and E7 (Economy 7) tariffs.

Octopus Energy’s variable rate tariffs

Octopus Energy’s fixed rate tariffs

Fixed rate tariffs will help you keep a closer eye on your monthly rates, as they imply that your tariff does not evolve over the course of your energy plan (for a set amount of time, usually 1 or 2 years depending on the plan).

Octopus Energy’s E7 tariffs

The tariffs are set according to a dual pricing method. As you can see below, the E7 tariffs include a day rate and a night rate, which match on-peak and off-peak times of the day. They may give you a noticeable advantage when it comes to saving money on energy.

What made Avro Energy different?

At Papernest, we deal with energy suppliers of all shapes and sizes in matching customers to the perfect energy tariff. In our experience, each of them has something unique and special. So, what made Avro Energy different before it disappeared?

If you’re a sucker for a good David vs Goliath story, Avro Energy is undoubtedly appealing.

Avro Energy was created out of a desire to compete with the “Big 6”, simplifying energy consumers’ usage and billing while saving them money. It has been rated “best value for money” in the 2019 energy industry awards, and scored an overall customer satisfaction score of 81%. Their range of tariffs was eclectic but not so populous as to be confusing.

In an independent review of 25 UK energy companies, Avro came in third place. Any supplier who’s able to make it to the top three is arguably worth considering.

Who were Avro Energy?

Avro Energy was a small energy supplier based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It aimed to deliver “simplicity and savings” to energy consumers. They offered electricity and dual-fuel tariffs, although they did not offer gas-only energy plans.

Who owned Avro Energy?

Avro Energy’s Managing Director was Jake Brown. Brown worked in law before setting up Avro Energy, out of the desire for “a different approach to simplistic supply”.

Were Avro Energy any good?

It’s understandable that many who are disillusioned with the “Big 6” might gravitate to a smaller, scrappier energy supplier like Avro Energy. But was Avro Energy a good supplier?

Avro Energy was one of the best-priced suppliers on the market, with an excellent record for customer service. The only things letting the side down is the relative lack of renewables in their energy fuel mix and lack of 100% renewable tariffs. Some might also bemoan the lack of an incentive or referral scheme.

At Papernest, we understand that “good” looks slightly different in the eyes of every energy consumer. That’s why we look at each supplier holistically before we decide to recommend them to a consumer. Let’s evaluate Avro Energy by looking at some of the things that matter the most to energy consumers.

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Was Avro Energy really cheaper?

Avro Energy’s absolutely had the potential to be cheaper for most households. Even the brand’s most expensive tariff was significantly lower than the Ofgem Energy Price Cap. This currently stands at £1,042 per year for both fuels. However, this is expected to increase in April 2021.

Experts recommended looking into a fixed-rate tariff if you chose Avro Energy. Not only would you get better value for money, you would insulate your household from rising energy prices in the wake of Brexit and the pandemic.

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Avro Energy: what other services did they offer?

Aside from their energy tariffs, there were a few other services that you, as an energy consumer, may have valued at Avro Energy.

Did Avro Energy do business tariffs?

Unfortunately, Avro Energy did not offer business tariffs. Like many smaller suppliers, its focus was squarely on delivering value to domestic energy consumers.

Did Avro Energy have smart meters? What smart meters did they offer?

Unfortunately, as a smaller supplier, Avro Energy was not currently able to offer smart meter installations. However, its website stated that it hoped to be able to offer these in the near future. If you already had a smart meter, they were likely to be able to support it if it is a second-generation SMETS2 meter.

To check which generation of smart meter you have, check the serial number. If it starts with 19P, it’s a first-generation meter. If it starts with 19M, it’s a second-generation meter.

How could you apply for the Warm Home Discount with Avro Energy?

As a smaller supplier, Avro Energy was not legally required to offer the Warm Home Discount. However, it still offered this voluntarily. So, if you struggled with the cost of heating your home in the winter months, you may have been eligible for the scheme.

This government initiative offers a flat £140 discount on energy between the months of September and March. Energy consumers of are of pensionable age (core group) or in receipt of income-related benefits (broader group) may be eligible for this discount.

You can see if you are eligible to make an application by clicking here.

Avro Energy customer reviews: What did their customers say?

At Papernest, we’re passionate about giving every energy consumer the best possible deal. As such, we measure the value of a supplier by what their customers say about them. So, let’s see how Avro Energy’s customers felt about the brand.

At the time of writing, Avro Energy had an impressive customer score of 4.6 out of 5 on its Trustpilot page.

This put the supplier at the upper end of the “Excellent” range, and among the best in the country.

Of the 50,373 reviews left by customers:

• 38,927 (77%) were “Excellent”
• 8,507 (17%) were “Great”
• 936 (2%) were “Average”
• 394 (<1%) were “Poor”
• 1,609 (3%) were “Bad”

That’s 94% of customers rating Avro Energy as either “Great” or “Excellent”.

Positive reviews focused on great prices and savings, as well as polite and attentive customer service staff. Indeed, many reviewers mentioned specific customer service representatives by name. Something that typically implies that a team member has gone above and beyond. Ease of switching and managing user accounts online were also commonly lauded in reviews.

The comparatively few negative reviews focused on difficulty navigating the website, billing issues and inaccuracies, and difficulties when moving house or switching tariffs. Some particularly disgruntled reviewers cited communications difficulties with staff members, slow responses to complaints, and expensive billing errors.

How green was Avro Energy?

Avro did not offer 100% renewable energy yet. Indeed, for a long time, Avro Energy had not disclosed its energy fuel mix on its website at all. In February of 2021, however, Avro Energy disclosed its energy fuel mix for April 2019-March 2020.

Although we can see that they got some of their energy from renewables, they had not yet begun to offer any 100% renewable tariffs.

Avro Energy energy fuel mix

You can see Avro Energy’s fuel mix in the table below:

As we can see, most of their energy came from burning natural gas. While this burns much cleaner than coal or oil, it is nonetheless still a fossil fuel and therefore finite. However, renewables were the second biggest part of the company’s energy fuel mix.

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Contacting Avro Energy

The Papernest team understand the importance of being able to contact your supplier quickly when you have an important question or something goes awry.

There were a number of ways to contact Avro Energy. Many would have preferred to call them on 0330 058 2005. Their phone lines were open from 9am – 4pm Monday to Friday.

An independent survey found that Avro Energy took 18 minutes 46 seconds to answer the phone. However, they were much faster than average when it came to email queries, responding in just 1 hour and 57 minutes on average.

Customers were able to email them at support@avroenergy.co.uk.

Avro Energy: How to pay

It was cheapest and easiest to pay your Avro Energy bill via direct debit. Be sure to take monthly meter readings to ensure that your direct debit is always representative of your usage. This will usually be adjusted every 3 months.

If you preferred to pay monthly, you could do so by credit or debit card via Avro’s website or over the phone.

How to refer a friend to Avro Energy

Unfortunately, Avro Energy did not have a referral scheme.

How to complain about Avro Energy

If you had a complaint about Avro Energy, you could register this via email or over the phone. There was no special email or phone number for complaints. Simply use those listed above.

You did not necessarily have to send it in writing. However, if this is your preferred way to make a complaint, send it to:

Want to know more?

Call Papernest today on 0330 818 6225.

We’re available from 8am to 6pm.

Learn more about the other energy suppliers:

• British gas
• Scottish power
• Eon
• Octopus Energy
• Coop Energy
• npower

FAQ

Do I have a choice for my new supplier now that Avro Energy has gone bust?

At first, your replacement supplier is not up to you: Ofgem appoints new suppliers which customers will be transferred to in bulk as their old supplier disappears. This is a safety measure to ensure that consumers do not lose their energy supply and are assigned to a supplier no matter what. your officially appointed supplier, as of right now, is therefore Octopus Energy.

However, once you have been contacted by this new supplier, and the details of your current contract are finalised and clear, you will be free to shop around for other plans, either with Octopus Energy or with a different supplier which suits you better.

Who has taken over Avro Energy?

As you may now know, Avro Energy has been taken over by Octopus Energy, a larger and more stable supplier who has accepted to take on all of Avro Energy's old customers in order to ensure they are still supplied with energy in their households. This new supplier was appointed by Ofgem, the regulator, and as of the end of September 2021, Avro Energy is the only supplier whose customers have been transferred over to Octopus Energy.

Other suppliers who have taken on customers from suppliers gone bust include British Gas, EDF and Shell Energy. These can therefore be considered to be particularly stable even in this time of crisis and increasing wholesale gas prices.