Octa+

Octa+, a high-energy heating oil specialist

Octa+ is a Belgian family business dating back to 1881. It set itself apart from its competitors by becoming the first company to supply electricity, gas, heating oil and fuel.

Its preferred field, however, is supplying fossil fuels, as this is its traditional business. Nevertheless, the company is clearly demonstrating its intention to become a versatile, diversified energy supplier.

It operates across Belgium, serving individuals and business customers.

Background:

• 1881: the company Becquevort was founded, specialising in the distribution of coal.
• 1945: company taken over by Gérard Rigo, with the supply of heating oil added to its activities.
• 1986: Becquevort opened its first service station.
• 1995: Becquevort, which by then had 52 service station, changed its name to Octa+
• 2000: merger with avec Avia Brouw, a company involved in the wholesale of oil products, to form a single group. The new group gradually became more prominent and, the same year, established a leading position on the market by buying 115 Burmah service stations.
• 2010: the company expanded its business, becoming a supplier of electricity and natural gas in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. Since then, it has continued to expand its fuel and heating oil distribution network on a regular basis and update its gas and electricity pricing plans.

Customer service in keeping with the times

Octa+ offers its customers a telephone-based service for an extra €1 per month for all packages (apart from the SMART variable and fixed deals and the 3-year SAFE deal). 

Consumers who prefer direct contact are also able to visit one of its three offices. 

Customers who are comfortable with digital channels can contact Octa+ by email, chat and even WhatsApp (the mobile instant messaging app).

Another service available online is the Octa+ customer space. Here, customers can carry out various actions, such as ordering heating oil, requesting a fuel card, or signing up for an electricity and/or gas deal. Note that, as a customer, you can also use this space to view your bills and amend your personal details.

Payments can be made by direct debit, bank transfer or even by Zoomit. Finally, customers can choose whether to receive their bills by post or by email. For some contracts, however, such as ACTIVE and ACTIV+, you will have to pay a supplement to receive your bill by post.

Three ranges (Activ, Smart and Safe) for different needs

Octa+ can take credit for offering a relatively comprehensive rate card for gas and electricity. It has three products to meet the normal customer needs:

• Activ (and its derivative Activ+)
• Smart (Fixed or Variable)
• Safe (only for electricity)

To make things simple, the Activ deals offer a variable-rate contract, the Smart deals offer a choice between fixed rate and variable rate for one year, while Safe offers a fixed rate for three years.

For all three types of contract, Octa+ will supply you with locally-produced, green electricity, even though the supplier does not do particularly well in the Greenpeace ranking of Belgian electricity suppliers.

But, since it does not have a sustainable investment policy, is Octa+ the best electricity supplier in terms of price? To find out, compare the different energy tariffs. But remember to consider the characteristics of each deal to make sure you choose one that meets your needs.

✓ Activ electricity and Activ gas

Activ contracts, whether for gas or electricity, have a duration of one year and offer variable rates (which means they change every month in line with the market price). Octa+ describes these contracts as “very advantageous for "connected” consumers”. 

In terms of billing, the default option is to receive bills by email, while payment can be made by bank transfer or direct debit. However, it is possible to receive bills by post if a supplement is paid (€2 per month). 

Regarding customer service,  thisis also available only by email (unless you activate telephone assistance for an additional €1 per month). 

Finally, for electricity, you can activate the 100 % green and 100 % Belgian electricity option for €c 0.25/kwh on top of the basic rate

Note that the supplier also offers a variation of the Activ contract called Activ+. These contractsdiffer in terms of the market prices on which the rate is based. 

• Activ takes as its reference the “ENDEX Power BE” for electricity and the “ZTP DAP (Zeebrugge Trading Point Daily Average Price)” for gas.
• The Activ+ contracts are based on the hourly “Day Ahead Belpex Baseload” prices for electricity and the “Endex TTF Gaz” for gas.

✓ Smart (Fixed or Variable) for gas and electricity

The Smart contracts are the Octa+ best-sellers. They have the same duration as the Activ contracts (1 year), but they offer a broader range of options.

To start with, you can choose between a fixed rate or a variable rate (indexed monthly) for gas and electricity. Then you can use Zoomit for your billing and payments, in addition to the standard options. Note that it is also possible to receive your bills by post at no extra cost. 

Regarding green, locally-produced electricity, this option is also available for Smart contracts under the same conditions as for Activ contracts.

In terms of customer service, Octa+ rolls out the red carpet for its Smart customers. Contact is possible via all channels: at the company’s offices, by telephone or email, via social media and through instant messaging (WhatsApp). 

Finally, customers can enjoy reductions on their heating oil orders and when filling up at the 1850 or so service stations.

✓ Safe, the long-term electricity contract

For people wishing to freeze their electricity pricesfor a long period, Octa+ has created the Safe contract. This guarantees a fixed rate for 3 years. In return for this security, the rate per kilowatt hour is slightly higher than for the other contracts. 

Other than that, the Safe contract has the same benefits and options and the Smart electricity contracts.

✓ Additional services to save money

To increase customer loyalty, Octa+ offers some additional services, such as the Octa+ HybridCard fuel card. The idea here is to allow consumers to receive reductions when they fill up with petrol or when they charge the battery of their electric or hybrid car.

Available to companies and individuals, this card provides access to a network of 1,850 petrol stations in Belgium and 2,200 in the Benelux area. In terms of electricity, a large number of charging points are also available: more than 1,000 in Belgium, for instance.

You may be interested in Octa+ if:

• You are looking for a 100% Belgian, family-owned electricity supplier;
• You are already a customer of Octa+ for your heating oil or petrol, and you want to have the same supplier for your electricity as well;
• You like having a wide range of choices in terms of products and communication channels.

For queries concerning rates, switching supplier or moving house: 0800 37 456

Contact Octa+

Bill, threat of disconnection, pre-paid meter: