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Original poster

Something not right with OCTOPUS Energy bill?

91 replies

lawrenceofarabia · 20/06/2023 12:05

So I am currently trying to work out why my monthly bill with OCTOPUS Energy is so high. Bearing in mind we have not used the heating at all for at least the last 2 months. I have tried to cost each and every appliance:
Fridge freezer, washing machine (don't use tumble drier) shower, kettle, tv on standby, hair dryer, hair straightener, lamp and lightbulbs, air fryer, gas ring, security camera, Alexa.
I have worked out roughly how long each appliance is used per day and the daily cost. I have been generous in some instances in my workings and I still only get to HALF the cost of the bill. This includes adding on Octopus standing charge.
I have sent meter readings and I just don't understand how the meter readings are so much more than my daily/monthly use?
For context I live in a small 2 bed terraced house with my lodger (who goes to bed early each night and is very economical with w machine and d washer etc - we share usage and only use 2-3 times per week between us) I have a gas boiler which has recently been serviced.
Anyone else struggling to work out what is going on with their energy bills/usage?
Are the meter readings giving a false reading!

OP posts:
pod100 · 02/07/2023 18:05

I need to look into it properly, I’ve not looked at bills in depth, but it just seems bizarre given we’re in July now and I should be building up my credit for winter. I haven’t used use fire/heating from April onwards, gas is only on for hot water, and electricity use is massively reduced due to light nights. Need to sit with calculator and work it out.

dementedpixie · 02/07/2023 18:32

I am £170 in credit. Last month we used £220 worth of gas/electricity which was less than previous months where its been closer to £350.

I pay £289 per month currently and it will stay at that until we build up more credit for the winter

Prices are high no matter which provider you choose

Grahambella · 02/07/2023 18:39

I have had an odd issue with octopus too. I give regular meter readings. Over December and November last year I gave them regularly as I had had a new boiler fitted and was trying to work out the best times/temps/cost whilst still be able to work without freezing!

I was 2k in credit in may. So I asked for 1k back. They then ‘calculated’ my bill and billed me for usage in December. I was taking daily readings at one point in December. They were vague about why and I haven’t had time yet to follow it up.

HundredMilesAnHour · 02/07/2023 18:47

Grahambella · 02/07/2023 18:39

I have had an odd issue with octopus too. I give regular meter readings. Over December and November last year I gave them regularly as I had had a new boiler fitted and was trying to work out the best times/temps/cost whilst still be able to work without freezing!

I was 2k in credit in may. So I asked for 1k back. They then ‘calculated’ my bill and billed me for usage in December. I was taking daily readings at one point in December. They were vague about why and I haven’t had time yet to follow it up.

You "haven't had time to follow it up"? In 6 months?!

EmeraldFox · 02/07/2023 18:50

pod100 · 02/07/2023 09:58

Another who has moved from Bulb to Octopus and is massively unimpressed. I started the winter being £1000 in credit with Bulb and dipped into this gradually each month, being around £700 in credit in March. I pay £360 each month. We moved over to Octopus and I told them I wanted to withdraw some of my credit balance and took out £500, and ever since then I’ve been in debit…? Some months up to £300?? I need to look into it properly but I cannot understand how this can be the case. I’ve also had the email saying costs are going down but they aren’t lowering my bill

Is it that you are submitting readings and the money going out before your direct debit comes in? It can take several days of showing as pending before the money is credited to my account. So my account could go into debit then back into credit for three weeks. It's currently at £3 but my dd goes out tomorrow and into my Octopus account sometime after that.

EmeraldFox · 02/07/2023 18:51

Costs go down from yesterday so will show when you are billed for this month

dementedpixie · 02/07/2023 18:52

I am the same. My account shows in debit after I submit readings and then the payment credits a couple of days afterwards and puts me back into credit

Something not right with OCTOPUS Energy bill?
Bluebells1970 · 02/07/2023 18:54

We were passed onto Octopus from Bulb. Am nearly £900 in credit and they won't let us amend the dd for £200 per month. I'm getting seriously peed off with it.

EmeraldFox · 02/07/2023 18:56

Moonshine60 · 25/06/2023 13:32

Same here. And we've just received an email from them saying that the tariff is reducing...but they will continue to take the same amount DD from us. I didn't think they were allowed to accumulate money and make interest on it, which is what I guess is happening.

I got that email, I just went into the app and reduced my dd myself to what the prediction tool recommended.

Justputitdown · 02/07/2023 19:02

I've found the exact same with Octopus (having been switched from Bulb). I've applied for a smart meter but there's a waiting list.

dementedpixie · 02/07/2023 19:02

Bluebells1970 · 02/07/2023 18:54

We were passed onto Octopus from Bulb. Am nearly £900 in credit and they won't let us amend the dd for £200 per month. I'm getting seriously peed off with it.

Will it not let you change it on the app?

EmeraldFox · 02/07/2023 19:06

Bluebells1970 · 02/07/2023 18:54

We were passed onto Octopus from Bulb. Am nearly £900 in credit and they won't let us amend the dd for £200 per month. I'm getting seriously peed off with it.

On the website go into balance forecast from the account page, it will give a recommendation which has always been accurate for me though I change it as my usage or prices change. From there you can click on a link to change your payments.

Precipice · 02/07/2023 19:11

We pay variable debit with Octopus, having set it up that way with Bulb. When they first transferred it, they didn't apply the DD in that month. I saw this at the end of the month when I went to submit readings and paid manually. This was March-April. As it was not clear whether they were going to take DD payment in the next cycle, I paid that bill too, only to find that they had in the meantime managed to set up the DD and so charged me twice on that bill. I emailed them wanting the extra balance to be returned to me, and I got no response from them at all. I didn't pursue this actively since I knew it would be eaten up in the next two months, which it has been by now, but it was still an annoyance. By definition, having a variable debit, I don't want to run a credit balance with them!

Iwasafool · 02/07/2023 19:15

I switched to Octopus from British Gas and I find them excellent. British Gas messed my final meter reading figures and Octopus helped to sort it out. Obviously prices shot up, particularly as I was on a very good deal, but that isn't their fault.

I was thrilled with my bill this month, all the things we've been doing to cut down use is paying off.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/07/2023 19:16

EmeraldFox · 02/07/2023 19:06

On the website go into balance forecast from the account page, it will give a recommendation which has always been accurate for me though I change it as my usage or prices change. From there you can click on a link to change your payments.

Show quote history

Same here. I've had a really good experience with Octopus.

We've reduced our usage and were getting into credit and twice I've been able to have the credit refunded in a couple of clicks in my online account and also reduce the direct debit.

Katmamma · 01/10/2023 22:12

Hi, I am with the squid 🐙 not bychoice but because it was foisted on me by the gov ernment Because Avro went bust. Follow your instincts. This is not right. We are all being charged too much.

DontDareToGetOld · 04/10/2023 17:01

Could it be that Bulb usually estimated customer's usage so they were underpaying?
Therefore the 'huge credit' that customers thought they had didn't actually exist.

AvengedQuince · 05/10/2023 18:44

Katmamma · 01/10/2023 22:12

Hi, I am with the squid 🐙 not bychoice but because it was foisted on me by the gov ernment Because Avro went bust. Follow your instincts. This is not right. We are all being charged too much.

I'm paying £70 a month. I mean I'd rather be paying half that, but I am sure I am being billed accurately.

Xenia · 05/10/2023 19:45

I am with a different provider. A year ago I moved to paying for what I use in a particular month and submitting a monthly reading. That has been much easier for me although it means high bills in winter and low in summer, but it works best for me. I had to ring my provider to move to that service as they do not seem to advertise it much

CrazyHamsterLady · 05/10/2023 20:29

We just pay the bill on demand every month, it’s so much easier and you only pay for what you’ve used. Is that a possibility for you?

Xenia · 06/10/2023 11:27

Crazy, I agree but a lot of the energy companies seem to hide that option. I only found about it from an article in the Financial Times and had to call my provider to get set up. Actually when I first paid bills in the 1980s it was always like that except quarterly - tiny bills in summer and large in winter so am quite glad I went bacl to that. I don't like the concept of building up lots of credit and someone holding my money when I am perfectly competent of budgeting for higher winter bills myself and like to control and have my own money.

blobby10 · 06/10/2023 11:40

Another Octopus customer here and I too have no problem adjusting my DD myself. Currently have around £350 in account credit with £150 a month DD set up. on 4th October I had an email saying my DD would be increasing to £179.26 per month. I wasn't ready to do that so have reduced it back to £150 for October and November which should get me back on track for the winter months. I compared unit rates and standing charge rates with lots of other providers and Octopus are still one of the lowest. Am waiting for them to be in my area again for fitting a smart meter so I can work out where the high electricity usage comes from!

Ontopofthesunset · 06/10/2023 11:48

I was moved from Bulb to Octopus too and I've had no problems at all. There is an option in the app to adjust your direct debit. They actually lowered mine as I had built up so much credit. I send in a reading every month and they calculate usage based on that, but I pay a DD that is the same every month to cover higher winter usage.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 06/10/2023 11:52

dementedpixie · 21/06/2023 22:03

You can change the direct debit yourself on the app or ask for some of the credit balance to be refunded to your bank account

Yes I was going to say the same thing. I actually log back in and increase mine as they keep reducing it, but I'd rather have a substantial credit going into winter.

Graciebobcat · 06/10/2023 11:55

I moved from Bulb as well and don't have a DD, I just pay for usage each month.

That's because Bulb dicked around with the DD so much and were trying to treat me as a bank, and even the minimum amount I could change it to was unreasonable, so I just paid for usage each month after they sent me a bill, which even allowing for building up credit for winter was far less than the DD amount they wanted.

I may set up a DD again but I want to see how it goes with Octopus this winter first, I just don't trust energy companies not to pluck figures out from up their arse.

It has all been good so far though it annoys me that they don't send me a bill on 1st of the month but about 7th or 8th and I don't seem to be able to change that.

At least I can check my smart meter reading on 1st and make the payment then.