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Last updated: 8th December 2021
Affect Energy Review Summary
Who are Affect Energy
Affect Energy are a relatively new energy supplier, having been founded by John Szymik in 2016. Although the company are relatively new, the team that founded the company had 50 years experience working for large energy suppliers.
By 2018 the company had 22,000 customers. It was bought out by Octopus Energy at that point although Affect Energy remains as a brand. If you are considering switching to Affect Energy it might be a better idea to switch to Octopus Energy instead.
Affect Energy are based in Shoreham By Sea on the south coast, near Brighton in West Sussex.
What tariffs do Affect Energy offer?
Affect Energy only offer two tariffs, a variable rate tariff and a one-year fixed rate tariff. All of Affect Energy’s energy is 100% renewable, so a separate tariff for renewable energy is not offered.
The variable tariff has no contract term and so there are no exit fees. The fixed rate tariff has a one year contract term and if you leave before the end of that contract term there is an exit fee of £25 per fuel.
Affect Energy do not offer an electric vehicle tariff or any ‘feed-in’ tariffs. However, Octopus Energy offer a smart ‘feed-in’ tariff called Outgoing Octopus. Octopus Energy also offer Octopus Go, a tariff for the owners of electric vehicles with lower rates for four hours overnight so electric vehicle owners can charge their vehicles more cheaply.
How do Affect Energy compare on price?
Affect Energy was set up to be a streamlined service that could pass on cost savings to their customers in the form of cheaper energy bills.
This means that the company’s prices are lower than the Big Six energy companies, but there are cheaper energy suppliers in the market.
What do other Affect Energy reviews say?
Affect Energy have a five-star rating on TrustPilot with 98% of those people who have submitted a review rating the company as Good or Excellent. Most of the reviewers praised the customer service.
However, the majority of reviews on TrustPilot relate to Octopus Energy’s customer service rather than Affect Energy’s customer service.
Affect Energy aren’t rated by Which? although Octopus Energy takes the top spot in the most recent Which? survey and have been awarded the Which? Recommended Provider award.
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How green is Affect Energy’s energy?
Affect Energy’s energy is 100% renewable, as is the energy supplied by their parent company, Octopus Energy. The company do not use fossil-fuel or nuclear power to generate their energy.
What is Affect Energy’s customer service like?
Affect Energy aim to be a primarily online energy supplier and prefer interactions to be conducted online. The company offer an option to use email, and you can also contact the company via Twitter or Facebook Messenger. There is no Live Chat option.
A phone number is listed, but the call centre is only available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, and you cannot sign up over the phone.
Citizens Advice ranks Affect Energy 13th out of 40 energy suppliers with a rating of 3.85 stars out of a possible five stars. The company score well on customer service with only 3.9 complaints out of every 10,000 customers. The average call waiting time of 43 seconds is also impressive.
At 90.7%, the number of customers receiving their bills on time is not quite so impressive and only 89.1% of customers were switched within 21 days.
What is Affect Energy’s website/app like?
Affect Energy was originally set up with a view to making it easier for their customers to interact with them by making it easy to perform all transactions online, but the company do not have an app and the Affect Energy website is poor.
The online portal – MyAffect – enables you to submit meter readings and manage your account but contact details are hard to find and the FAQ section has not been populated. The website gives you the impression that it hasn’t been finished, and it is likely to remain that way as the focus is on Octopus Energy’s online presence now.
There is no option to contact the company via Live Chat, although Affect Energy encourage their customers to contact them via Twitter or Facebook Messenger.
What billing options are available?
You can only pay by direct debit. You cannot pay by cash or cheque and Affect Energy do not accept pre-payment meters.
Payments are made in advance. The amount taken each month is based on your estimated annual usage, divided by 12. This amount is revised every three months based on your actual usage.
Do Affect Energy offer smart meters?
Affect Energy will accept customers who are on second generation smart meters.
The company planned to roll out smart meters to their customers in 2018 but the takeover by Octopus Energy stopped that. Octopus Energy are planning to roll out smart meters to their customers soon and that may include Affect Energy customers.
Do Affect Energy offer a recommend a friend referral scheme?
Affect Energy do not operate a referral scheme. However, their parent company, Octopus Energy, offer a referral scheme that gives £50 credit to people who refer new customers to them and £50 credit to the people who sign up to Octopus Energy.
In this section we answer a few more specific questions which potential customers may find useful:
Do they work with pre-payment meters?
Affect Energy do not offer pre-payment meters. Payment is by direct debit only. Octopus Energy offer pre-payment meters.
Do they accept Economy 7?
Yes, Economy 7 tariffs are available from Affect Energy.
Are they signed up to the Warm Home Discount?
Affect Energy are not signed up to the Warm Home Discount and this is unlikely to change. However, Octopus Energy, Affect Energy’s parent company, are signed up to the Warm Home Discount.
Are they signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee?
Affect Energy are not signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee although Octopus Energy is signed up. According to Citizens Advice, only 89.1% of people switching to Affect Energy complete the switch within 21 days.
Do they mention about the Priority Services Register?
Affect Energy do not offer the Priority Services Register. Octopus Energy, Affect Energy’s parent company, do offer the Priority Services Register.
Do they offer a ‘Dual Fuel’ discount?
Affect Energy don’t offer a “Dual Fuel” discount. Octopus Energy don’t offer a ‘Dual Fuel’ discount either, claiming that they prefer to offer the cheapest possible tariff regardless of whether their customers choose to use them for one fuel of both electricity and gas.
Will they offer to pay a customer’s exit fees when they join them?
No, Affect Energy won’t pay any exit fees from your previous supplier if you switch to them. Octopus Energy won’t pay any exit fees either, although Octopus Energy do give advice on their website to help people avoid paying exit fees.
What happens if you move home whilst with them?
If you move home you need to tell Affect Energy two working days before you move out. The company will then cancel the energy supply contract on your existing property.
If you want to use Affect Energy in your new property you will not be charged a termination fee for cancelling the contract on your previous property and a new contract will be set up for the new property.
If you decide to use a new supplier at your new property Affect Energy may charge an exit fee.
Do they offer any incentives for joining?
Affect Energy do not offer any incentives for joining, other than the fact that the energy that they supply is 100% renewable and the fact that their prices are competitive compared to the rest of the energy supply market.
How to contact Affect Energy
Address: 7 Riverside Business Centre, Brighton Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 6RE
You can contact Affect Energy customer service by calling: 0330 60 62 675
You can email them through: help@affectenergy.com
Opening hours:
Monday – Friday 9am – 6:00pm
Closed on all Bank holidays.
Switch to Affect Energy
The easiest way to switch to Affect Energy is through a comparison website. This will allow you to check if Affect Energy is one of the cheapest suppliers for you (tariffs vary based on your area) and will allow you to quickly and easily switch to them.
