Some important things you should know about your new Octopus Energy account

Moving supplier can seem daunting, but at Octopus Energy we hope to make your life as simple as possible following your move from Bulb.

There's a couple of things that may look different on your bills, tariffs, or in the Octopus app.We've outlined them below.

Key differences between Bulb and Octopus Energy

Differences	At Bulb	At Octopus
Unit rates and standing charges	Bulb excludes VAT when showing your unit rates and standing charges, but you are billed including VAT.	The amount you see on your bill and your online account includes VAT. That means your Octopus Energy rates may look higher than at Bulb because we include VAT upfront.
Tariffs	Most Bulb customers are on the 'variable tariff' that is protected by the government price cap.	Bulb customers will be moved onto our variable tariff, 'Flexible Octopus', which has the same standing charge and unit rates, and is also protected by the government price cap.
Statements	Statements are produced on the same day of each month, which can be changed on request. If Bulb don't receive a reading an estimate of your usage is used instead. This is the same for smart and traditional meters.	Customers receive a statement each time a reading is manually submitted. If you have a working smart meter, you'll receive statements monthly, on your chosen date. We only use estimates if we don't receive a meter reading for over 3 months.
Energy Price Guarantee	Bulb discounts their tariff rates directly with the Energy Price Guarantee, so the EPG discount isn't shown on your statement as a separate line.	Octopus shows both the non-discounted and discounted EPG rates on your statement so you can clearly see the benefit.

Where can I see my historic energy usage from before my move to Octopus?

Any old meter readings you made while with Bulb will be transferred over to your account and you can check your previous usage and charges on your monthly bills in the ‘view my bills’ section of your account.

The accuracy of the energy usage data will be dependent on whether you submitted meter readings or Bulb used estimated readings on your behalf.

Unfortunately we won’t be able to migrate your historic energy usage for use in the ‘explore your data’ feature, this will only start populating your energy usage from the first day you move over to us.

I'd like a smart meter - how can I get one?

Register your interest in a smart meter and we'll be in touch as soon as there are appointments available in your area (and don't worry, we won't inundate you with emails). The process is the same if you would like to upgrade from a traditional prepayment meter to a smart meter.

Having a smart meter with Octopus means you could save £££.

How do I sign up to an Octopus smart tariff?

Once your account has migrated, you can call or email us to discuss the best options for you. Or you can sign up direct from the relevant smart tariff page, if you already have one in mind.

How do I join Saving Sessions?

With Saving Sessions, we reward you for using less power. If you'd like to take part we'll need at least 20 days of electricity readings from your smart meter, from the date your account migrates to Octopus Energy. Saving Sessions will be coming to an end in March.

Will I still receive my Energy Bill Support Scheme?

Yes, you will receive any remaining EBSS payments. The £67 will be added to your account and won't be taken off your Direct Debit amount, which will remain the same. You can adjust your Direct Debit in your online account or by giving us a call.

We're still waiting to hear from the government about any future plans to extend the scheme for vulnerable households. We'll let you know when we have more information.

How do I receive my Alternative Fuel Payment?

This is a government support payment of £200 for households that use an alternative fuel to mains gas (oil, LPG, coal, biomass, etc). You should have received the full £200 payment at the end of February into the account you had at that time (either Octopus Energy or Bulb).

If you believe you are owed this payment and have not received it, get in touch with us. You can find out more at the government website: you can find out more here, or get in touch with us: www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills/alternative-fuels

BEIS (the government department for energy) determines eligibility for the Alternative Fuel Payment scheme.

Hey I'm Constantine, welcome to Octopus Energy!