Cooperative Energy - Any views?

penrhyn

Stuff the Co-op they are closing the Ilkeston Store!

oldskoo1

I have been using them a few years now. Never had any problems, i've switched twice (as i've moved house in the time i have been with them).

Both times were fine and as expected, i've seen no decline in telephone or email support. It has actually been very good, they usually answer the phone with a minute or 2 and emails sometimes within 6 hours. Contrast this to n-power who i switched from after our 2nd house move, i would be on hold for 15mins, although their ring back service was decent i was passed around several departments and nobody ever responding to a web query i made.

Price is obviously important, when i first went with them they were actually the cheapest by a small amount. As the rest of the market yoyo's and if you are prepared to gamble a bit or switch and fix with other suppliers once your contract is up you will get the cheapest by playing the market. However in the 3 years ive been with the co-op they have always been price competitive. They actually state this is their policy to be price competitive but not always the absolute cheapest.

I guess it depends where you live but in the 3 years they have only been marginally more expensive than the absolute cheapest. Without the hassle of playing the market every 1 or 2 years juggling and switching for the best prices i'm happy to stay with them. Plus if at any point they become expensive you are free to switch without penalty. As that clause is in there i very much doubt that they plan to pull your pants down any time soon.

Atidi

oldskoo1 wrote: »

As the rest of the market yoyo's ...

Wan't it the Co-op that put their electric prices up in the first half of last year, and then when it was found it was totally unjustified (quoting wholesale prices were or had gone up when they didn't) they felt obligated to reduce them again???

Atidi

zorber wrote: »

I work for the company but not the energy division. If you are going to switch then now is probably one of the best times to do it. ...

The best time would have been last August/September, when Martin started banging on about getting a good fixed rate.

Anyone who followed that advice should now be laughing all the way to the bank...

Herongull

I am switching to them.

It is a good time to be with a variable supplier. Prices have always risen so they probably won't rise again until the Autumn or later.

If in 6 months or a year, it looks like a good time to lock into fixed rates, you can leave without penalty.

If you go for fixed rates now, then you are stuck with them for a year (unless you want to pay penalties) and you can't switch later this year if it looks like prices are about to go up again and you want to lock into fixed then.

macman

Unless you opted for a fix without an ETC (thank you EDF).

bubblesbonbon

Paul_01 wrote: »

Thanks Zorber. Yes, I do get a good feel about them. I'll update this thread with my experiences.

May well be worth posting on the Referrals Board - £25 off your first bill (and £25 for the referrer)

Paul_01

Wywth wrote: »

Does a comparison site show they are the cheapest for you?
Are you happy with a variable rate tariff?

If the answer to both the above questions is yes, then why not switch to them?

The answer to both questions is yes.

With regard to the variable rate, I get the feeling that they won't price hike without good reason - they make a big thing on their website about keeping prices steady, rather than making a play for the number one spot on the comparison sites for a period before increasing the prices soon after winning new customers.

We'll see though.....

debutyou

With Cooperative Energy, you really need to keep a close eye on the PDF Price Lists, (tariffs and standing charge). They don't always reflect what Cooperative Energy is telling its customers.

Cooperative Energy have been taken to task by Advertising Standards Authority recently over their claim that they reduced prices by 2% for all its customers.
www. asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications.aspx#2
(See informly resolved cases: 27/02/2013)

Customers in the West Midlands on Price List 2.1 found that tariffs hadn't actually being reduced by 2%, only the standing charge.
www. cooperativeenergy.coop/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/price-list-v2.1.pdf

A Customer complained that the Cooperative Energy banner advertising stating 'We're reducing our prices by 2%' was untrue, Cooperative were forced to remove all banner advertising from their website and the adchoice network (though the price reduction is still being quoted as a 'blanket' 2% price reduction in the news editorial on their Website).

Though this was done through informal negotiation between ASA/Cooperative, its still embarassing for a company that bases its whole ethos on being so called 'ethical'.

Turns out they're pretty much happy to lie through the teeth if its a bit of harmless marketing.

The Customer negotiated a 2% reduction on their bill for 12 months+amount of compensation, as the reduction in price was advertised for 7 days on the website before notifying West Midlands customers directly.

In effect the notification after 7 days is a 2% increase, on a 2% reduction to which they should give you 28 days notice. (Prices were frozen for these customers, not reduced by 2% as advertised), so West Midlands customers(2.1 tariff) are due a mimimum reduction of 2% for 35 days.

Cooperative may have to reimburse all West Midland customers on Price List 2.1 in the West Midlands, if Energy Ombudsman rule against them (if it gets this far).

For anyone this affects, it may be worth getting in touch with Cooperative Energy.

Wywth

debutyou wrote: »

With Cooperative Energy, you really need to keep a close eye on the PDF Price Lists, (tariffs and standing charge). They don't always reflect what Cooperative Energy is telling its customers.

Cooperative Energy have been taken to task by Advertising Standards Authority recently over their claim that they reduced prices by 2% for all its customers.
www. asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications.aspx#2
(See informly resolved cases: 27/02/2013)....

Taken to task???

According to that link it says:

After consideration by the ASA of complaints received, the following companies and organisations agreed to amend or withdraw advertising without the need for a formal investigation:

Now since the 2% reduction was last year and earlier this year the Co-op have announced a price increase (at least for new applicants), I doubt they would have run the old advert again anyway.

Interesting the ASA didn't bother taking the supplier to task over the old advert i.e. something more than the supplier saying they will not to run it again. Presumably the ASA considered there was nothing worth taking them to task over.