On twenty second July, Ofgem contacted us and another suppliers, to tell us that Iresa would stop buying and selling and their license be revoked from twenty seventh July. They did this to discover a Provider of Final Resort – the provider that will greatest have the ability to take over one other provider’s accounts within the occasion of them going bust. You’ll be able to learn in regards to the Suppliers of Final Resort right here, which explains the rules Ofgem has put in place.
As soon as this was publicly introduced, Ofgem appointed Octopus Power as their Provider of Final Resort at 11pm on 30 July, which means that we’d take over the account of each Iresa buyer, together with being liable for any credit score balances. We dedicated to informing all clients by the top of the working day on 1st August. On the morning of 31 July, Ofgem handed us the information of everybody they consider to be an Iresa buyer. By Wednesday, we would uploaded all of this knowledge to our platform so we may start the method of assembling new accounts. We briefed all our employees and began the mammoth job of making an account for every of those 95,000 clients – a job we would accomplished that very same night.
At 5pm on 31 July, Ofgem publicly introduced that Octopus Power could be entering into the breach, and we (shortly!) launched www.octopus.vitality/iresa, so Iresa clients may get info on what was occurring to their provide.
Preserve your eye on this weblog, as we’ll be updating it usually with additional info!
Wednesday 1 August
By Wednesday, we would uploaded all Iresa’s buyer knowledge to our platform so we may start the method of assembling new accounts. We briefed all our employees and efficiently created accounts for every of those 95,000 clients, a colossal job we would accomplished only a day after we obtained the information from Iresa.
By the top of the day, we emailed each Iresa buyer, and prolonged our cellphone assist line to 8pm in order that we may reply any questions in regards to the change. We additionally met with the directors (Deloitte) and Iresa senior administration at their workplaces in Nottingham, to debate how one can make the transition so simple as doable for purchasers. We additionally met with the Power Ombudsman to debate the method for managing ongoing disputes.We are actually engaged on analysing the information we’ve got been given and construct the technical construction essential to function because the vitality provider for Iresa clients.
Thursday 2 August
On 2nd August, the non permanent group introduced on to assist within the Iresa-Octopus transition had been inducted and educated up on the fundamentals of our processes by skilled members of our group. Over the course of the day we obtained emails and calls into the 1000’s from Iresa clients, averaging an e-mail response time slightly below two and a half hours throughout our entire buyer base, with a median name wait time of lower than two seconds.
It shortly grew to become obvious that Iresa’s knowledge on buyer accounts was in an actual mess, stuffed with inaccuracies. We obtained many emails and calls from clients who had both moved away from Iresa inside the previous couple of months or who’d moved home and had been now not liable for that property. In response we’ve got up to date our FAQs so that individuals can get the solutions that they’re on the lookout for. Over the following few weeks, we’ll work very onerous on guaranteeing the accuracy of all info that we maintain on former Iresa clients as a lot as doable.
We additionally touched base with Citizen’s Recommendation to debate the themes coming although in buyer queries, and adjusted our messaging and employees coaching round this. Lastly, along with the directors of Iresa; we mentioned what info we’d like from them to ensure Iresa clients obtain correct ultimate payments.
Friday 3 August
The third August was one other busy day, marking the day that every one Iresa gasoline meter factors had been registered with Octopus on Xoserve, the UK’s central knowledge service supplier for gasoline meters, which is nice information. Electrical energy works somewhat in a different way. It is barely extra difficult, with a better variety of shifting components for us to coordinate earlier than this course of may be sorted out. We’ve spent the previous few days discussing with totally different trade companions how we’re going to take accountability for that offer.
As you’ve gotten in all probability gathered on this weblog, we’re extraordinarily conscious that Iresa clients have gone by a really onerous few months with their outdated provider, and it’s actually essential to us that they expertise one thing fully totally different with Octopus Power. A part of that is going by buyer emails, understanding the actual ache factors, and the way we can provide folks the knowledge they want in a method that’s simple to grasp and private to them.
It’s value emphasising that we’re conscious that many individuals switched away from Iresa earlier than they folded, and people folks will stick with their new provider quite than be switched to us. A part of the method we’re going by in the meanwhile is discovering out which clients closed their accounts however are nonetheless owed cash. We pays these folks as quickly as we’ve got a full understanding of the precise balances.
We’re frequently checking in with Ofgem to see how issues are going, and now have a broad understanding of what number of clients had debits and credit with Iresa once they went into administration. We’re having persevering with conversations with the directors to ensure the transition with funds is as easy as doable.
Saturday 4 August
On Saturday, we cast forward with our planning, turning our focus to understanding the perfect strategy to transferring credit score and debit balances over from Iresa to Octopus. We started shuffling the shoppers into totally different classes based mostly on their standing with Iresa on the time of switching to us, e.g. those that’d already begun switching away and had been left with a credit score stability, those that had been nonetheless being provided by Iresa with a debit stability on the account, and many others.
Sunday 5 August
All eyes had been on our subsequent large e-mail replace, which we’re aiming to get out to all Iresa clients by Wednesday morning. The standing of this largely hinges upon whether or not we’re in a position to take precise meter readings from these switching clients to make use of as handover readings, quite than counting on estimated readings. Understanding an actual level in your provide at which one provider takes over from one other is somewhat difficult at the perfect of occasions. Your handover studying is an independently-validated meter studying establishing the purpose your outdated provider stops billing you, and your new provider begins. We have delved into the nitty gritty of this course of right here.
The primary problem for us within the case of Iresa’s clients is that we do not have all of the meter technical particulars we would typically have at this level, and so cannot validate the readings we obtain by way of the standard processes.
Monday 6 August
We’re now attending to the stage the place we are able to start to contact Iresa clients with subsequent steps. By tomorrow morning (Wednesday eighth), clients ought to get an e-mail about taking meter readings, together with details about their on-line account, after we’ll obtain their account stability info and once they can change from Octopus Power in the event that they so want.
The e-mail will request a meter studying within the subsequent 5 days. Should you present one, we’re hoping to have the ability to use this as your ultimate Iresa studying, and your first Octopus Power studying. On Monday, we anticipate clients will start to obtain their ultimate electrical energy payments from Iresa. We’re ready for up-to-date readings from Xoserve relating to gasoline utilization, though if these aren’t obtainable, we’ll use your earlier utilization historical past to estimate one.
We all know some folks have moved into an Iresa-supplied home throughout this time of change, and should you did so after 1st August, we’ll set you up with a brand new account the identical as we’d any Octopus Power buyer. If it was earlier than 1st August, it’s going to take us barely longer as we have to course of these in bulk – however watch this area!
Wednesday 8 August
We’ve now despatched out an e-mail to all Iresa clients, so should you haven’t seen it, verify your spam folder! We’ve tried our greatest to not e-mail anybody who has already informed us they’ve already moved out or are now not with Iresa. Please contact us should you’ve obtained the e-mail and also you don’t suppose you need to have. Everybody else, this e-mail ought to give a greater thought about subsequent steps, together with meter readings, your on-line account and account stability info.
Thursday 9 August
On Thursday, we spoke to the Ombudsman about how the c.700 open Iresa complaints will probably be handled, and can collaborate with them to work out subsequent steps for every case in query. We’re working with the prevailing Iresa group to resolve these as quickly as doable.
We’ve discovered that the Ombudsman complaints fall into three classes: the customer support Iresa clients skilled, switch points, and billing points. The primary two have basically been addressed by shifting the accounts to Octopus, and we’re now engaged on these clients with billing complaints. We’re taking steps to get these sorted, and have already obtained an enormous amount of meter readings from Iresa clients, which can be utilized to work out ultimate balances.
Friday 10 August
There’s been additional discussions relating to complaints, as we’ve been chatting with the Residents Recommendation Bureau’s Further Assist Unit to start the method of handing over open Iresa complaints to them.
In the meantime, our tech group at Octopus is working with Iresa to add buyer account balances to our personal system. Because of this by early subsequent week we’ll have the ability to ship out a take a look at e-mail to a handful of consumers. The e-mail will state the stability of the account, and provides clients an opportunity to click on to inform us in the event that they suppose it’s unsuitable.
A handful of our most skilled group members are additionally working with Iresa, trying on the extra difficult billing points on a case-by-case foundation. This consists of trying on the full account historical past and correspondence, evaluating what the client believes is the standing of the account, what Octopus believes and what Iresa believes. It will in the end permit us to come back to a consensus relating to every account.
Friday 17 August
We’re aiming to e-mail out the vast majority of ultimate payments (displaying debits or credit) in the beginning of subsequent week (20 August) and have simply began sending out small batches of those to check our processes because the payments are handed over from Iresa programs to ours. Our group are working this weekend to choose up any responses and enhance the method earlier than we begin sending greater batches subsequent week. Thanks to the 40,000 Iresa clients who’ve given us meter readings to assist with that course of. Should you weren’t in a position to, don’t fear, we’ll use an estimate.
Monday 20 August
By midnight tonight we’ll have despatched ultimate payments to round half of Iresa clients, with the others to observe over the following couple of days. Iresa had some programs challenges, and it was by no means constructed to do what was wanted over this course of, however their technical specialists have been improbable, working with ours seven days per week to resolve as many points as doable. Nonetheless, after we ship out the ultimate payments we’ll embody a easy type for buyer to inform us in the event that they do suppose it is unsuitable and likewise the explanation for that. We are going to take a look at every one among these intimately over the following seven days and are available again to every buyer.
Some examples of the shape under:
Tuesday 21 August
Since our final replace, over half of all ultimate payments have been despatched to Iresa clients. Because of all who’ve used our nifty e-mail characteristic to both settle for, or dispute, ultimate account balances. We’re working by any billing discrepancies and can keep in touch quickly if that is you.
Should you’re nonetheless ready in your ultimate invoice, it will be coming within the subsequent few days.
Our group are working actually onerous on this. We’ve received upwards of 60 folks working full time on clients transitioning from Iresa to Octopus. Over the previous week, we have helped 1000’s of consumers, answering calls in underneath 90 seconds on common, and responding to emails at a median of three hours.
Thursday 23 August
We’ve now despatched over 70,000 ultimate payments to Iresa clients. Thanks a lot to everybody on your persistence. A lot of you’ve got in contact to say that you simply had a really difficult expertise with Iresa, we’re doing our very best to make this expertise as easy as doable. Thanks for individuals who have mentioned type phrases about what we have been doing to date, particularly those that got here into this course of disheartened by what had gone earlier than, and who bore with us while we sorted it out.
A shout out particularly to the gent who got here from Studying to go to us in London and share his Iresa story and the one who corrected his earlier calculations on his ultimate invoice and contacted us once more to advise that really, he truly thought he owed some cash, and never vice versa.
Should you haven’t obtained your ultimate invoice, we’re working by it in the meanwhile and goal to have it out over the following few days. Please be sure to verify it rigorously – should you aren’t proud of the quantity then ‘Disagree’ and we’ll look into it for you intimately over the following 7 days.
Friday 24 August
As we hurtle fortunately in direction of the financial institution vacation weekend, we’ve now despatched out over 75,000 ultimate payments to Iresa clients. Because of those that’ve clicked ‘Agree’ to the ultimate quantity (both credit score or debit) so it may be transferred to their Octopus account, and likewise those that clicked ‘Disagree’ and are working by any points with the information with us.
We recognize that many individuals had very difficult experiences with Iresa, and are owed cash and it’s been nice to assist so many individuals over the previous couple of weeks. Simply to remind anyone who continues to be ready for a ultimate invoice – any credit score stability you might need is protected, and you’re going to get it again.
We are going to nonetheless be working over the three days of the financial institution vacation weekend to generate the remaining payments and reply to any buyer enquiries, so should you haven’t heard from us, please bear with us and you’ll do.
Thursday 30 August
It’s been slightly below a month since we had been entrusted with all 90,000 of Iresa’s clients and we’ve received simply 15,000 ultimate payments left to ship out to these clients who had been nonetheless on provide when Iresa went into administration on the finish of July.
We’ve a big full time group producing these payments as shortly as we are able to, however among the knowledge we’re engaged on with Iresa is sort of messy, and we’re having to work by manually in lots of circumstances to repair errors that come up. Because of everybody who’s being extremely affected person with this fairly complicated course of and any errors which the information might throw up. And simply to remind you, that in case your ultimate invoice would not look proper, you may ask us to overview till it does.
We additionally now have a special group engaged on first payments for individuals who have been with us for practically a month – welcome to Octopus Power! And should you had been an Iresa buyer who switched away earlier than 1st August, we’re working in your invoice too with the administrator, however it may take us a bit longer to get this to you.
Thursday 13 September
Excellent news for these of you who converted to us from Iresa on a prepayment meter: we have revealed a useful info web page to reply the entire burning questions you might need about your provide.
We’re nearly completed sending out ultimate payments to Iresa clients who had an energetic account when Iresa went into administration, with round 10,000 left to concern. So, what’s the maintain up?
Roughly half of those haven’t obtained a invoice but as a result of they switched meters sooner or later throughout their time with Iresa (maybe changing a damaged meter, or getting a sensible meter put in). The meter change complicates their billing course of, which means we’ll take somewhat longer to work out costs and shut off the accounts.
Should you’re nonetheless ready on a ultimate invoice, and the meter change scenario would not apply to you — we’re engaged on the ultimate payments for the remaining few thousand of you now. By the top of the day in the present day we anticipate to have despatched out one other 1,000.
We’re additionally engaged on getting ultimate balances again to clients who switched away from Iresa a while earlier than the corporate went into administration. This is likely to be you should you’re up and working with a brand new provider now, however had been nonetheless ready on a ultimate invoice, direct debit, or credit score refund when Iresa went bust.
We solely have the main points of a portion of those clients. We’ll be contacting them to request financial institution particulars shortly. If we owed them credit score, we’ll organise their refund. In the event that they owed cash when Iresa went bust, the Directors will probably be selecting this up. Iresa will ship us particulars of the remainder of the shoppers like this quickly, so we are able to motion and shut these off too.
We’re within the ultimate stretch!
Thursday 29 September
By the top of this week we’ll have issued 97% of ultimate payments for individuals who had been Iresa clients when the corporate went into Administration on 31 July.
The ultimate 3% are predominantly clients who had their meters changed throughout the time they had been a buyer of Iresa. These replacements typically weren’t registered accurately by Iresa which has led to loads of problem producing clear, correct payments.
We’ve been engaged on designing and constructing a model new system to provide ultimate payments for this affected person 3%. If that’s you – your ultimate invoice must be out within the subsequent week.
After that, we’ll be specializing in ultimate payments for purchasers that had left Iresa earlier than 31 July. If that was you, and also you’re in a rush to pay money for your ultimate invoice, please drop us a line and we’ll attempt to pace issues up for you.
We’re the 97%
Should you’ve obtained a ultimate invoice, and your Iresa account is now closed, you may chill out into our tentacled embrace. We’ve despatched you an e-mail welcoming you to Octopus, with every little thing that you must find out about us. Please discover the cool options of your on-line account, from our meter studying wheel of fortune to our “Refer a pal” scheme, and be taught extra about us on our weblog.
The e-mail outlines our quite distinctive billing system: we offer you payments when YOU ask for them. To obtain a invoice, simply submit a meter studying (and spin the wheel…). We’ll ship you a invoice inside 24 hours.