Important info
Avor Energy ceased trading in September 2021, and it's customers were taken on by Octopus Energy.
Summary
Although Avro Energy may not have been among the top ten energy providers in the UK, it was still rated higher in terms of customer service as compared to the Big Six. Avro enjoyed a good reputation for its:
- Affordable range of tariffs that are easy to understand
- Simple approach to accessing your online account
- Round the clock customer service
- Speedy complaint resolution
About Avro Energy
While the Big Six energy suppliers dominate in terms of market share, you may not be getting the most value for your energy plan, nor the best customer service. It is precisely for this reason that smaller suppliers like Avro Energy have risen in popularity, to provide customers with cheaper alternatives that provide fast and satisfactory service.
Avro had been providing gas and electricity services since 2015. It had grown its customer base to 40,000 electricity consumers and 30,000 gas consumers in just five years. Under the leadership of Jake Brown, a former lawyer who became the managing director, Avro aimed to offer customers low-cost energy tariffs with transparent and easy-to-understand plans.
However, having accrued losses of around £55 million over seven years, the supplier collapsed in 2021 and its customers were taken on by Octopus Energy.
How do Avro Energy tariffs compare?
Avro focused its offering on “simplicity and savings” – providing a variety of gas and electricity plans at competitive prices with variable and fixed rate tariffs
It tried to avoid using complicated jargon, which made it easier to understand what you’re getting. What’s more, Avro did not charge exit fees for switching contracts, which made it a relatively flexible option.
Two popular tariffs offered by Avro were:
Simple and Super Connect Tariff
This tariff was a fixed rate tariff offering gas and electricity services at moderate prices. While not the cheapest tariff, it was still comparatively affordable compared to similar tariffs offered by the Big Six providers; for example – the average annual price of this plan in a study by T3 was found to be around £850 per year. For a nominal sum more, you could have also ensured that your energy supply came from 100% renewable sources, making it an eco-friendly choice.
No Standing Charge Tariff
Tired of paying expensive standing charges for unused properties? The Avro No Standing Charge Tariffs would have had you sorted! Under this tariff, you only paid for energy used, so if you didn't use energy while your property is unoccupied, you could have saved a lot of money. Fairly affordable at 13.781p/ kWh for electric and 3.255 p/ kWh for gas, this was a great tariff for owners of second homes.
How are Avro Energy reviewed by their customers?
Avro enjoyed relatively positive reviews from its customers, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.7/5 (excellent). It was also ranked 16th in the Which? annual survey of 35 energy companies.
Primarily Avro’s reviews praised its economical tariffs, including the Super Fixed and Super Connect tariffs, which have been recognised as among the cheapest in the market. In addition to this, customers find that Avro’s bills are easy to understand and accurate.
One of Avro’s biggest criticisms is that it may charge you quite early on (a week after the cooling-off period begins), which means that you’re effectively making your first payment before committing to Avro’s services. Additionally, it is yet to include prepayment meters in its service offering.