On 1 September, Octopus announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the energy retail arm of Shell Energy. This means that Shell Energy's 1.4 million energy customers will be moved to Octopus once the deal is completed (which is expected to be in the fourth quarter of 2023).
In the 2023 Uswitch Energy Awards, Octopus Energy scooped the Overall Customer Satisfaction prize and came second in the Best Value For Money category. As these awards are voted for by customers, Octopus's successes here reflect the high regard its customers have for it as a supplier.
Octopus Energy has grown significantly since its foundation, largely thanks to acquiring the customers of suppliers that have gone bust, notably Bulb, which had 1.5 million customers when it went into administration. It has also invested heavily in energy efficiency measures along with green energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, as well as expanding operations outside the UK to places as far away as Texas.
There are a variety of Octopus Energy tariffs on offer, including fixed rate and variable tariffs. Other Octopus Energy tariffs include the Tracker tariff, which is based on the daily wholesale price of energy, and the Agile Octopus tariff which has half-hourly rates. The Octopus Go Tariff is designed especially for households with an electric vehicle, offering cheaper night rates to help make charging more affordable.
Octopus tariffs all offer 100% renewable electricity as standard, with the option to offset the gas that you use. Octopus also offers no exit fees, a commitment to year-on-year, transparent pricing, and personalised service. Emails and calls to Octopus Energy are answered by UK-based energy specialists, with average call wait times under a minute. Octopus Energy customers have access to an online account, with features from editing Direct Debit amounts and dates, to entering a meter reading, to managing email and account preferences, requesting a credit refund, and booking a smart meter installation.
All Octopus energy tariffs offer 100% renewable electricity, with energy needs met by clean, green sources like solar and wind power. To reduce carbon footprints even further, Octopus can offset the carbon emissions from the gas customers use for a few pounds extra each month. In the last year alone, 26,900 tonnes of CO2 have been saved from entering the atmosphere thanks to customers choosing Octopus’ low-carbon energy over an average standard tariff. That's roughly the same climate impact as planting 365 trees for each and every Octopus Energy customer.
Octopus Energy has a TrustPilot score of 4.7 from over 150,000 reviews, as of July 2023. Most reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with 89% of the total reviews rating the supplier at five stars.
Octopus Energy has an app which acts as a way for customers to manage their energy on the go. Similarly to logging in to an account on a computer, customers are able to see their latest usage and statements, make payments and get help with any problems they're having.
You can get a smart meter with Octopus. They make thousands of appointments available across the country each week, though they may not be in your area immediately. Customers can register their interest and then be notified when appointments are available in their area.
As mentioned above, Octopus offers smart meters but also products like smart meters and heat pumps, along with specific electric vehicle charging tariffs.
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