Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

MatsyLR said:
Its easy to be jaded by customers calling, specially nowdays. Agent's shouldn't be taking it out on customers but it happens....could also be a newbie (as they are recruiting like mad at the momen and the agent just didn't know what to say)
I know where I worked they don't tell you how to work out a bill manually anymore in training, your just assumed to know how. Reading a bill is skimmed over quickly and your expected to pick it up on the floor.

I left at the point where the phones where kicking off due the cost of living and the winter approaching. People I still speak with who are still there are not having a good time, just constant complaining easy to see how stressed they are.
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I expect they swamped with calls along the lines of I cant afford this and wont be paying this.

I noticed Octopus customer service standards dropped of a cliff since the crisis started.
 
stuman said:
so our house has been set at 21 degrees for the duration and we are averaging £6 a day including 2 showers.

This is a 100sqm 3 bed detached house.

Something to be said for a new build - they’re cheap to run!

Edit to add: wet underfloor heating so flow temperature set at 40degrees
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Our house is 1970's and is costing £9 a day. 2 adults and 2 kids. Baths not showers as well. Bigger than 100sqm too. 3 bed.

I think geography has a lot to do with it though so comparing apples to oranges.
 
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chrcoluk said:
I expect they swamped with calls along the lines of I cant afford this and wont be paying this.

I noticed Octopus customer service standards dropped of a cliff since the crisis started.
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Which is to be expected, a human can only take so much before they just stop caring.
I had to get out as it was just constant whining and it was making me ill, I get people where complaining for a reason but its misguided complaints that we had to attempt to deal with when there was/is nothing we can do, got very frustrating as people just don't understand that your energy provider has VERY LITTLE to do with the cost of your energy, specially the people on the other end of the phone having to take it with a smile day in and day out.
 
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MatsyLR said:
Which is to be expected, a human can only take so much before they just stop caring.
I had to get out as it was just constant whining and it was making me ill, I get people where complaining for a reason but its misguided complaints that we had to attempt to deal with when there was/is nothing we can do, got very frustrating as people just don't understand that your energy provider has VERY LITTLE to do with the cost of your energy, specially the people on the other end of the phone having to take it with a smile day in and day out.
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Indeed, it will take its toll.
 
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Here's a question for you all.

The last few days it's been really cold as you know. 17 degrees inside my house felt really cold.

Today it's massively warned up outside. I have my heating on 17 and if anything I feel too warm.

How is it that the inside temperature is the same yet I was cold before and too hot now?
 
danlightbulb said:
Here's a question for you all.

The last few days it's been really cold as you know. 17 degrees inside my house felt really cold.

Today it's massively warned up outside. I have my heating on 17 and if anything I feel too warm.

How is it that the inside temperature is the same yet I was cold before and too hot now?
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Is that actual temp or target temp? Actual may overshoot if its not having a lot drawn out (mine overshot tonight for example and is now not coming on) (I have turned the smart learning stuff off on my system as it seemed to take longer to heat up in the morning)

Could be drafts, its amazing how the temp can be ok but a draft makes it feel colder.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Is that actual temp or target temp? Actual may overshoot if its not having a lot drawn out (mine overshot tonight for example and is now not coming on) (I have turned the smart learning stuff off on my system as it seemed to take longer to heat up in the morning)

Could be drafts, its amazing how the temp can be ok but a draft makes it feel colder.
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It's the temp on my living room thermometer, with the main stat being in the hall. The heating isn't running tonight but it was on full blast over the last few days.
 
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danlightbulb said:
It's the temp on my living room thermometer, with the main stat being in the hall. The heating isn't running tonight but it was on full blast over the last few days.
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So its quite possibly overshooting now. Problem with main stats is they can do odd things over time unless they are 100% in the coldest part of the house.

Wouldn't rule out drafts as well though depending where you are in comparison to rad(s) window(s), door(s) etc
 
Well unless you got sensors all over the room, bear in mind you just measuring the temp at a specific spot.

So measured 17C in winter is probably going to feel colder than measured 17C in summer.

So what you described following the large upwards shift in outdoor temps makes a little sense to me.

As MKW said also easier for overshoots to happen as the heating is working less hard to hit its target. Kind of like going downhill vs uphill.
 
I would guess with my limited knowledge it's the structure of the house and drafts, for example my parents have a 90's built fully detached house with cavity wall insulation, their house has the thermostat set to 16.5 and it feels much warmer than mine which is a 1960 semi detached with the thermostat set to 19.

Today we turned the heating off because it felt too warm at 19c where as last week when it was below freezing outside it felt cold despite being 19c inside
 
danlightbulb said:
Here's a question for you all.

The last few days it's been really cold as you know. 17 degrees inside my house felt really cold.

Today it's massively warned up outside. I have my heating on 17 and if anything I feel too warm.

How is it that the inside temperature is the same yet I was cold before and too hot now?
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It's because of the humidity level. Despite the temperature, if the room has damp air it will feel much colder
 
I thought that higher humidity feels warmer and lower humidity feels cooler?

As isn't that why air con units feel cool at 21c as they also dehumidify the air as well?
 
ljt said:
I thought that higher humidity feels warmer and lower humidity feels cooler?

As isn't that why air con units feel cool at 21c as they also dehumidify the air as well?
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humidity emphasises whatever the temperature is, as water transfers better, ie why water cooling is more effective...if it's hot humidity makes it feel warmer, if it's cold humidity makes it feel colder.
 
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chrcoluk said:
I expect they swamped with calls along the lines of I cant afford this and wont be paying this.

I noticed Octopus customer service standards dropped of a cliff since the crisis started.
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Tbh I've still had excellent service from Octopus. It's a little delayed compared to their older return times on emails but the phone calls are still.pretty quick to get through and I've spoken to them a half dozen times this year for various things.

Help with their tariff options, refunding credits changing to variable, discussing financial help with bills etc all been pretty smooth tbh. Although I didn't really qualify for financial support cause earnings as certain things ignored like travel to work and CSA when that all calculated they still provided a £20 voucher to help out for back to school for some monies to the boys uniforms and such.
 
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Curlyriff said:
Tbh I've still had excellent service from Octopus. It's a little delayed compared to their older return times on emails but the phone calls are still.pretty quick to get through and I've spoken to them a half dozen times this year for various things.

Help with their tariff options, refunding credits changing to variable, discussing financial help with bills etc all been pretty smooth tbh. Although I didn't really qualify for financial support cause earnings as certain things ignored like travel to work and CSA when that all calculated they still provided a £20 voucher to help out for back to school for some monies to the boys uniforms and such.
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Well yes email times have gone bad (weeks or never now instead of days), but I also meant the quality of the responses, some of the responses I have had or others have had (and shown me) are really really bad.

Responses along the lines where its clear they havent a clue on the question but you getting some kind of reply so they can tick a box to say the email is dealt with. Phone is better but I remember when I was trying to get my IHD fixed, and was told all sorts of fairy tales.

I have never understood companies treating emails as if its ok to take a long time to respond, as they far more efficient, if they respond to emails within 5-10 minutes then they get people of the call queues.

I will say call queue times (relative to other companies) are still reasonable though, typically under 5 mins, whilst when I rang Boots last week I was in queue for 3 hours, Sainsbury's bank 4 hours, and Morrisons 2 hours.
 
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chrcoluk said:
Well yes email times have gone bad (weeks or never now instead of days), but I also meant the quality of the responses, some of the responses I have had or others have had (and shown me) are really really bad.

Responses along the lines where its clear they havent a clue on the question but you getting some kind of reply so they can tick a box to say the email is dealt with. Phone is better but I remember when I was trying to get my IHD fixed, and was told all sorts of fairy tales.

I have never understood companies treating emails as if its ok to take a long time to respond, as they far more efficient, if they respond to emails within 5-10 minutes then they get people of the call queues.

I will say call queue times (relative to other companies) are still reasonable though, typically under 5 mins, whilst when I rang Boots last week I was in queue for 3 hours, Sainsbury's bank 4 hours, and Morrisons 2 hours.
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Okay I haven't tbh had any of that. I have had wrong information twice and apologised, corrected and dealt with (within a day) along with responses no longer than 5 days from original emails tbh. Their workforce has doubled in a year and training takes time etc so I am not surprised that they not 100% or anything but generally compared to my brother, parents and housemates when they moved out with never getting responses has been their biggest issue and hours+ on the phone holding.

And yeah mine shows 19th fine. 2.5kWh used yesterday.
 
Curlyriff said:
Okay I haven't tbh had any of that. I have had wrong information twice and apologised, corrected and dealt with (within a day) along with responses no longer than 5 days from original emails tbh. Their workforce has doubled in a year and training takes time etc so I am not surprised that they not 100% or anything but generally compared to my brother, parents and housemates when they moved out with never getting responses has been their biggest issue and hours+ on the phone holding.

And yeah mine shows 19th fine. 2.5kWh used yesterday.
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App says same as website "uh oh looks like we cannot connect to your meter", hope my smart meter hasnt died already. Hopefully it updates tomorrow.

IHD is still working so makes more more hopeful.
 
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