OCTOPUS GO Price Increase

[Jomarkh]

Thanks.
So there are still reasonable rates available.
The gas unit rate is ok but the day rate is up a bit

 

[Jaygee]

I’ve just been contacted by Octopus inviting me onto a new tariff called Intelligent Octopus. They give you 6 hours overnight @ 5pp kWh, but it’s 23pp kWh at other times …..

Right now I believe you need to have a wall box (strange as they tout the ohme cable)or Tesla and iOS. I was tempted but there is no way you can keep track of low rate sessions during the day to ensure that billing is accurate.

 

[KeithG]

I live on the Fylde Coast and changed over to Octopus Energy in January of this year hoping to move onto their "Go Faster" Tariff for overnight charging for 5 hours at 0.055p per kWh and day rate at 0.1399p per kWh.

Some of you may recall my previous posting where I mentioned they installed new SMETS2 Meters back in March which simply haven't been able to communicate since and have worked as dumb meters, so was not able to take advantage of the "GO" or "GO FASTER" Tariffs.

The current price I am paying is their Standard Tariff at 0.1599p per kWh for all units, which can add up saying we have two electric vehicles in the household.

OCTOPUS blamed the connection problem on the lack of signal in our area which turned out to be sheer "Bullsh*t" as I managed to speak to a technical person at the Government Run DCC (Direct Communication Company) who are responsible for supplying the communication or "HAN" between the meters in the home and the Energy Supplier in this case OCTOPUS ENERGY.

The problem we eventually found was that the meters had not been commissioned correctly back in March by the original installer and where not connected to the hub, Octopus didn't follow correct procedures of raising Incident Reports to the DCC and simply didn't connect everything correctly.

Now we are 9 months on and after hours of "ping ponging" emails between the DCC and OCTOPUS ENERGY and our MP, everything is finally up and running and communication at long last with the meters has been established, there was a good signal in the area all the time according to the DCC Technical people, the problem was purely down to OCTOPUS ENERGIES so called Technical people not not wanting to know what was the true cause of the problem.

Now Octopus have offered to change us over from the Standard Tariff to Octopus "GO", BUT the price has now gone up! there evidently is no more "GO FASTER" Tariff and the "GO" Tariff only offers an overnight charging for 4 hours at 0.05p per kWh.

The day rate has now changed from the original 0.1399 per kWh up to 0.24p per kWh which means there is no advantage at all changing over from our current fixed Standard Tariff of 0.1599p per kWh.

I know price rises are on the way, but currently "OCTOPUS GO" EV Charging has become an expensive option.

If OCTOPUS claim your meters can't communicate after installation and their excuse is like ours "they have exhausted all options" persevere and get in touch with the DCC to check the signal for your area as this may be an installation error NOT the DCC Signalling at all.

Regards,

Andy (Blackpool)

Hi Andy.
I think Go/Go Faster is still available and they should give it you backdated because of their error.
Have Octopus given you the backdated Go Faster tariff and compensated you?
It took them 4 months at the end of last year to get my meter sorted and they backdated mine and gave me compensation.
You need to be in contact with the right people.
I eventually put a complaint on Trustpilot which got a response. Once you get the correct person they are very good. The ordinary contact staff don’t seem to know the “smart tariff stuff”.
If you are already emailing Octopus, send it for the attention of “Alanah in the smart Switch Team”. Politely explain the circumstances and ask for the tariff to be backdated to your switch date. They made it 6 weeks later. I gave them the EV consumption figures off my charging App. for them to work out the refund.
There is also an email [email protected]. Phil is the Boss in smart and I can get you his Facebook page. He is very helpful and hands on lots of Facebook pages.

 

[Jon Farmer]

I live on the Fylde Coast and changed over to Octopus Energy in January of this year hoping to move onto their "Go Faster" Tariff for overnight charging for 5 hours at 0.055p per kWh and day rate at 0.1399p per kWh.

Some of you may recall my previous posting where I mentioned they installed new SMETS2 Meters back in March which simply haven't been able to communicate since and have worked as dumb meters, so was not able to take advantage of the "GO" or "GO FASTER" Tariffs.

The current price I am paying is their Standard Tariff at 0.1599p per kWh for all units, which can add up saying we have two electric vehicles in the household.

OCTOPUS blamed the connection problem on the lack of signal in our area which turned out to be sheer "Bullsh*t" as I managed to speak to a technical person at the Government Run DCC (Direct Communication Company) who are responsible for supplying the communication or "HAN" between the meters in the home and the Energy Supplier in this case OCTOPUS ENERGY.

The problem we eventually found was that the meters had not been commissioned correctly back in March by the original installer and where not connected to the hub, Octopus didn't follow correct procedures of raising Incident Reports to the DCC and simply didn't connect everything correctly.

Now we are 9 months on and after hours of "ping ponging" emails between the DCC and OCTOPUS ENERGY and our MP, everything is finally up and running and communication at long last with the meters has been established, there was a good signal in the area all the time according to the DCC Technical people, the problem was purely down to OCTOPUS ENERGIES so called Technical people not not wanting to know what was the true cause of the problem.

Now Octopus have offered to change us over from the Standard Tariff to Octopus "GO", BUT the price has now gone up! there evidently is no more "GO FASTER" Tariff and the "GO" Tariff only offers an overnight charging for 4 hours at 0.05p per kWh.

The day rate has now changed from the original 0.1399 per kWh up to 0.24p per kWh which means there is no advantage at all changing over from our current fixed Standard Tariff of 0.1599p per kWh.

I know price rises are on the way, but currently "OCTOPUS GO" EV Charging has become an expensive option.

If OCTOPUS claim your meters can't communicate after installation and their excuse is like ours "they have exhausted all options" persevere and get in touch with the DCC to check the signal for your area as this may be an installation error NOT the DCC Signalling at all.

Regards,

Andy (Blackpool)

Hi Andy,

How did you manage to get to talk to some at the DCC? As I understand they only communicate with Industry and don't take enquires from the general public?

 

[AndyNWuk]

With great difficulty at first Jon, but perseverance prevailed.

I am an electrical engineer and do understand most of the processes but still kept getting the return emails at first saying "you must go through your supplier".

Then after copying my MP, Ofgen, Octopus and the DCC with all correspondence I received an email from the DCC's I.T. dept who then asked me for a picture of the Bar Code for the communications hub above the meter, he went on to explain they had done a search on my property and could not find any record of SMETS-2 Meters being installed at all and didn't have any record or any Incident Reports from Octopus Energy supposedly raised back in March after the failed installation of the meters which was suppose to be an automatic process.

After this, the DCC confirmed they would raise another Incident Report at their end and they followed this through with further help from the Octopus Operations Manager and the problem was finally found and rectified.

It wasn't a DCC signalling problem at all, but a fault of the original installer who failed to put the correct Communications Hub Bar Code number on the job sheet in the first place.

9 months later I am finally connected and can at last charge my two electric vehicles on the GO FASTER Tariff which Octopus has now honoured at the original March rates for another year, with also some compensation as they admitted it was their failure after constanty blaming the DCC signalling for 9 months.

Interestingly, the DCC asked me to check the Green Flashing WAN light on the communications hub, they said if it wasn't flashing at all then there isn't any signal, if it flashes once every five seconds there is a signal but it is poor, if it flashes once every three seconds it is a strong and good signal, my hub was showing the latter which the DCC explained according to their charts I should have a strong signal in my area coming by Long Range Radio NOT Cellular as we are in the north of the country.

Andy (Blackpool)

 

[Alb]

As an electrical engineer myself, I know that life is so much better when you can talk to a counterpart in your own language! I often ask the person I'm talking to in situations such as this whether they are a professionally qualified electrical engineer. If the answer is "No", nine times out of ten you will be wasting your time.

 

[AndyNWuk]

Totally agree Alb

 

[Ron61]

I've signed up to free chargers my rate is 0.00p per kWh, no daily charge and no exit fee

 

[Jomarkh]

Do tell

 

[Dodger]

I've signed up to free chargers my rate is 0.00p per kWh, no daily charge and no exit fee

I've been with them for the last 3 years!

 

[Ron61]

Do tell

Go into Zapmap, select "payment" then "Free to use"