LoCO2 - customer service experience

fewkeste

Hello all, I'm in the process of switching to LoCO2 for electricity only and I'm starting to have concerns about their speed of response to customer queries etc. Can I hear from forum readers and contributors about their experiences (good or bad) with LoCO2 please?

penrhyn

Never heard of them.
Do they appear on comparison sites?

fewkeste

penrhyn wrote: »

Never heard of them.
Do they appear on comparison sites?

Yes they do - that's how I came across them. Prior to them appearing quite high up on an energyhelpline search/comparison listing, I had never heard of them either.

penrhyn

Don't seem to be on Energyhelpline anymore, and their website does not look as if its visited very much.

Premier_2

fewkeste wrote: »

Hello all, I'm in the process of switching to LoCO2 for electricity only and I'm starting to have concerns about their speed of response to customer queries etc. Can I hear from forum readers and contributors about their experiences (good or bad) with LoCO2 please?

Hi, I don't have any experience of the company itself, but can confirm they are one of the 'little 8' i.e. one of the smaller suppliers. They have been around for a few years now and do appear on the comparison websites such as energyhelpline.

e.g. here, they are the 4th cheapest



Here's what energyhelpline say about them (or perhaps what they have told energyhelpline to put about themselves):

LoCO2 Energy began supplying renewable electricity to homes and businesses throughout the UK in July 2009. They are a small but growing business that take great pride in their ethical credentials and friendly, familiar approach to customer service. Whilst LoCO2 Energy itself is new to the retail electricity supply market, its parent company, Tradelink Solutions Ltd (TLS), has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the UK energy market. Established in 1997, TLS provides independent advice, outsourcing and consultancy to the gas, electricity and renewable energy markets. It also develops and owns a portfolio of hydropower stations through its sister concern, TLS Hydro Ltd.

LoCO2 Energy offer a choice of three tariff plans. Each option is designed to suit different budgets while still helping to sustain our planet. LoCO2 Energy is committed to ethical trading and holds the Gold Level One Watford Green Business.

Here's their customer service promise

http://www.loco2energy.com/About_Us/Customer_service_promises.asp

To be honest, it's little more than I would expect from a small supplier, but if they are already failing you on this, then steer clear.
All I would say is that as a small supplier, expect them to only man the phones during normal office hours.

penrhyn

I stand corrected, was looking at the dual fuel tariffs and they don't do gas!

fewkeste

I contacted LoCO2 by email on 17/8/11 and, after I had received a letter from them confirming that they had received a request to switch to them on 25/8/11, I emailed them again on that same day - 25/8/11. Up to now I've heard nothing from them - hence my reason for posting in the first place. I wondered if my experience was typical or a one off aberration.

Premier_2

fewkeste wrote: »

I contacted LoCO2 by email on 17/8/11 and, after I had received a letter from them confirming that they had received a request to switch to them on 25/8/11, I emailed them again on that same day - 25/8/11. Up to now I've heard nothing from them - hence my reason for posting in the first place. I wondered if my experience was typical or a one off aberration.

So you didn't get an email response within 24 hours (I said they probably only work office hours) and you think they may have disappeared?

If it was that urgent, you should have telephoned them.

You had contact with them within the last week, so they are indeed still in existence.

fewkeste

Premier wrote: »

So you didn't get an email response within 24 hours (I said they probably only work office hours) and you think they may have disappeared?

If it was that urgent, you should have telephoned them.

You had contact with them within the last week, so they are indeed still in existence.

It wasn't 24 hours it was days - my first attempt at contact by email was on 17/8. Yes I had a letter from them on 25/8 and today I thought their website had disappeared (it hadn't - it was just down I think). Nevertheless, the tardy response (none at all) to my emails was of concern which is why I wanted to check the service other LoCO2 customers receive. Re. telephoning them - you're quite right I could phone them but it wasn't urgent and I don't want to get stuck on a long 0845 call that costs me money on my particular phone tariff. They publicise an email address for customer contact so it's not unreasonable to expect a response when sending them an email.

Premier_2

fewkeste wrote: »

It wasn't 24 hours it was days - my first attempt at contact by email was on 17/8. Yes I had a letter from them on 25/8 and today I thought their website had disappeared (it hadn't - it was just down I think). Nevertheless, the tardy response (none at all) to my emails was of concern which is why I wanted to check the service other LoCO2 customers receive. Re. telephoning them - you're quite right I could phone them but it wasn't urgent and I don't want to get stuck on a long 0845 call that costs me money on my particular phone tariff. They publicise an email address for customer contact so it's not unreasonable to expect a response when sending them an email.

You contacted them by email on 17 August 2011 and you got a written response on 25 August 2011

You emailed again on 25 August 2011 (Thursday) meaning they only had until Friday to answer as yesterday was Saturday and Saturday is not normal office working day; so 1 day.

Edit: Dump the mobile. As the common warning goes " Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will cost considerably more"

fewkeste

Premier wrote: »

You contacted them by email on 17 August 2011 and you got a written response on 25 August 2011

You emailed again on 25 August 2011 (Thursday) meaning they only had until Friday to answer as yesterday was Saturday and Saturday is not normal office working day; so 1 day.

To clarify, my email contact with them on 17th August was nothing to do with the letter I received on the 25th. The email I sent on 17th August was a query about contact telephone numbers whereas the letter on 25th August was an acknowledgement that they had received my request to switch supply from energyhelpline. i.e. the letter of 25th August was not triggered by my email of 17th August - they were two seperate and unrelated activities. I hope that makes sense. Incidentally, the email I sent on 25th August was because the switch request/acknowledgement letter I received on the 25th August quoted different unit prices to the ones I saw on the energyhelpline website and on LoCO2's website when I did my comparison. I was querying if there had been a price increase between me doing a comparison search and selecting LoCO2 and them writing to me. To be fair, the prices they quote in the letter are applicable from 1st October so presumably the lower rates I saw when I did my comparison are in force at present but by the time my switch has been completed, these new prices will be in force. Very frustrating.

I was with British Gas for electricity (Websaver 10) and rejected the impending price increase on 17th August. On the same day I reconfirmed my search/comparison results and conclusions (i.e. LoCO2 Pocket tariff was best for me) and went ahead with the switch via Quidco/enegyhelpline. I can't really back out of my switch to LoCO2 because then any new supplier would not make contact with BG within the 15 day limit that BG require to keep my prices at pre-increase prices during the wait for switching. The 15 day timer started of course on 17th August - the day I rejected the BG price increase. So, it looks like LoCO2's prices increased after I initiated the switching process. That is what I was seeking to clarify in my email of 25th August to them. Since I'm moving to a non-fixed variable tariff with no exit fee, I'll have to look around again as soon as the switch is completed since I understand bulk energy supply prices are set to fall.