Co-operative Energy reviews: Give your feedback

zappster

And an email from them today to say they're going to take my direct debit tomorrow ... at last.

I'll let you know if they do (or don't !)

bubieyehyeh

I've decided to leave co-op due to be unable to contact them.

This was re-inforced for me when I went to check if my final bill had been generated only to find they have disabled all the online account access and a new system wont be available till 11 March. What a bunch of amateurs.

priorslee

bubieyehyeh wrote: »

I've decided to leave co-op due to be unable to contact them.

This was re-inforced for me when I went to check if my final bill had been generated only to find they have disabled all the online account access and a new system wont be available till 11 March. What a bunch of amateurs.

I quite agree, I may well be following you. Just tried to call them to chase up my switch which started on 7 Jan, only to find that their website and phone lines are not available until Tuesday morning. Customer service is non-existent at the moment (and that isn't an exaggeration!)

kingstreet

Email to me last week;-

The co-operative energy

Temporary changes to the way we communicate your bills and statements

Dear Ian,

We are writing to let you know about a temporary interruption to our online service that may have affected you. Due to updates in our systems, which include a new online account portal, you may not have been able to log in to your online account to view your bill over the last 48 hours. The portal is now back up and running and you can view your bills until Wednesday 4th March.

Following this date, we are expecting a further period of downtime, due to essential maintenance, until our new online energy management system launches on Wednesday 11th March. Once the new system has launched, you will receive instructions on how to activate your new account via email.

From Wednesday 4th March until Wednesday 11th March when the new portal has launched, you will not be able to supply your meter readings or pay a bill online. If you need to submit a meter reading or pay a bill, you can call us on 0800 954 0693 and choose the relevant option.

Thank you for your patience and we apologise for any inconvenience caused

The Co-operative Energy Team

Consumerist

kingstreet wrote: »

Email to me last week;-

Thanks for the info.

You'd think they would advise all their customers if their account portal is going to be unavailable.

bubieyehyeh

I quiet agree they should have let all customers know, especially when their phone lines are also closed for part of the same period the online system is unavailable!

I noticed last week for a short time the website, it said something like welcome to the new portal for which you will need the new customer number we have sent you in the post. So I wonder if that was a sneak preview on the new portal, which they then reverted.

Glad I'm leaving them, however I expect that is not going to be simple, especially if I need a new customer number which I haven't received.

johnmcga

Just saw this thread, thought I'd add my 2p's worth to say that overall the Co-Op have been ok during the two years I've been with them.

Then I saw the post that says their online account management system is unavailable till 11 March. What a load of crap - that's no way to run a website!

zappster

Well I promised to return, to let you know if they'd taken my direct debit on 5th March.

No, they didn't. I despair.

What can I do to get them to take my money ?

ElkyElky

Been with them for a few years and they're actually useless. I pay every 3 monthly. No emails or anything to tell me when to submit my readings (unlike my previous providers) and their bills don't actually state when payment must be received by.

Had to contact them 4 times to get a PayPoint card sent and when they eventually sent a card, it's for PayZone and doesn't work with PayPoint. I pay these monkeys on average 600 a quarter, I'll be damned if I let them have direct debit access to my bank account.

Despite all of that, they're still the cheapest in my area.

Consumerist

zappster wrote: »

. . . What can I do to get them to take my money ?

It certainly sounds, from what you have said earlier, like an IT problem. But other suppliers have been fined in similar circumstances.

There's not too much you can do for immediate effect but you should keep a record of all your requests to restart the DDs and put money aside to service any shortfall that is created on your account.

I suggest you start their formal complaints procedure to get their attention. If the problem isn't solved after 8 weeks you can refer the complaint to the Ombudsman Services: Energy. It's not a quick process but if complaint levels start to rise then Co-op may come under more scrutiny from the regulator.