Tag: Octopus Energy

Hat Trick! Thousands of free footie kits up for grabs as Octopus Energy’s Kits for Kids enters third year

  • Last chance! Just two weeks left for grassroots teams in Scotland to win free, personalised football kits
  • Octopus Energy is giving away over 23,000 football shirts after already kitting out 50,000 young players across the UK
  • Local teams like Central Girls Football Academy U12s from Falkirk already dazzling opponents with flashy Octokits

As the World Cup moves into the knockout stages, Octopus Energy is bringing back its epic Octopus Kits for Kids giveaway for a hat-trick season – and the race is on for the final spots.*

Grassroots teams have just ten days left to apply for FREE personalised Octokits. 

This year, Octopus is giving away over 23,000 shirts to 2,000 youth and grassroots teams in a random prize draw. So far, 1,000 lucky teams have already secured their free strips for the upcoming season – leaving 1,000 kits still up for grabs before applications close.

This leaves kits up for grabs for 100 more teams right here in Scotland. 

The giveaway has exploded in popularity since it launched. Octopus initially planned to kit out just 500 teams, but due to overwhelming demand, the company rapidly expanded the programme, handing out 50,000 eye-catching Octokits to date. 

Winning teams – known as Tentacle Teams – can choose from three different designs: the famous bright pink and purple Octokit, a plain kit in their own club colours, or a classic striped design. Every kit comes personalised with team numbers and the Octopus sponsorship badge.**

Local demand for Octokits is already soaring. So far, over 1,250 applications have flooded in from Scotland. 

Tentacle Teams like Central Girls Football Academy U12s from Falkirk have already dazzled their opponents with their very own Octokits in previous giveaway seasons. 

And the perks don’t stop at the pitch. Some Tentacle Teams have won unforgettable prizes, such as exclusive tours of the iconic Emirates Stadium, home to Premier League champions Arsenal.

Ian, Coach, Central Football Academy Girls U12s, said: “The strips are perfect, the design is fun and colours are perfect for our club, the players feel special wearing them.” 

Erin, Player, Central Football Academy Girls U12s, said: “The new strips are cool and the octopus is cute.”

Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Marketing Officer, Octopus Energy, said: “Grassroots football is where future World Cup dreams begin, so we’re buzzing to make it a hat-trick of helping teams look electrifying on the pitch.

“Whether it’s a rainy Sunday morning or a nerve-racking cup final, we want every player who puts on an Octokit to feel ready for their own big moment. Here’s to more great matches, muddy boots and future stars!”

The initiative is powered by Octoplus, Octopus Energy’s legendary rewards scheme, which is now used by over 2.8 million customers. 

Parents and coaches have until 16th July to get their entries in via the Octoplus tab in the Octopus Energy app or online dashboard.

Outfoxing the opposition: upstart supplier triumphs in Which?’s annual energy survey

Outfox the Market has knocked Octopus Energy off the top spot in Which?’s annual energy satisfaction survey, while the traditional industry giants languish at the bottom of the rankings yet again.

In a year when millions of people have been living under lockdown and racking up substantial gas and electricity bills, finding a good-value energy supplier that offers excellent customer service has never been more important.

The consumer champion surveyed more than 8,000 people in September 2020 about their experiences with their energy provider across a range of categories including bill accuracy, customer service, complaints handling and value for money.

Outfox the Market, which was founded in 2017, finished at the top of the table, rising from 19th position last year.

The small energy provider frequently offers some of the cheapest deals on the market and received an impressive customer score of 82 per cent, with five-star ratings for billing accuracy and value for money.

It had the highest proportion of customers (93%) that experienced no issues in the last 12 months, but was not named a Which? Recommended Provider as it did not provide enough information on its procedures and was ordered to make its payment into Ofgem’s feed-in tariff scheme.

Following two years at the top, Octopus Energy was second in this year’s satisfaction survey but still achieved an impressive 80 per cent customer score. It is now one of the UK’s largest energy providers, supplying 1.5 million homes, however this rapid growth has not stopped it from keeping customers happy.

Octopus Energy achieved a five-star rating for bill accuracy and four stars for bill clarity, customer service, complaints handling and value for money. For the fourth year in a row, Octopus Energy was also named a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP), along with digital-only challenger Pure Planet for the second year in a row.

Along with excellent customer scores, energy firms must meet additional criteria including no regulatory intervention, with good procedures and performance when it comes to complaints and customer waiting times, to be named a WRP.

Avro Energy rounds off the top three firms, with a respectable 76 per cent customer score. The challenger firm finished in 16th place last year but has made improvements and almost nine in 10 (89%) of its customers said they’ve had no issues in the past 12 months. It received a five-star rating for bill accuracy and four-stars for all other categories including customer service and value for money.

Also among the top energy companies were People’s Energy, Pure Planet, So Energy and Utility Warehouse – and all four impressed customers when it came to billing accuracy and clarity.

The rise of challenger energy companies and major acquisitions has meant the end of the traditional “Big Six” energy companies, but the former giants, excluding SSE (owned by Ovo), still account for more than half of the energy market and continue to score below average in Which?’s satisfaction survey.

These traditional big firms (British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower and Scottish Power), plus SSE, make up six of the bottom eight energy firms.

Npower was the lowest-ranked energy provider with a customer score of just 54 per cent. While it received three stars for bill accuracy and customer service, customer feedback meant it got two stars for bill clarity and complaints handling and a dismal one-star rating for value for money.

Scottish Power finished second from bottom with a customer score of 55 per cent. It also received a one-star rating for value for money, and just two stars for bill clarity, customer service and complaints handling.

Eon finished third from the bottom, tied with SSE, receiving a customer score of 60 per cent. While it received four stars for bill accuracy and three-stars for customer service, it managed just two stars for value for money.

SSE, which is owned by Ovo, received three stars across most categories but also performed badly when it came to value for money and achieved just one star in this category.

Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said: “Year after year, challenger and small energy companies outperform the traditional providers in our satisfaction survey – delivering better customer service and offering excellent value for money.

“There are impressive energy companies, from small firms such as Outfox the Market to rapidly expanding companies like Octopus Energy, so customers do not have to put up with substandard service from any provider.

“Anyone unhappy with their provider should do their research and consider switching to one that can offer a better experience overall – you could save more than £150 a year.”