Co-operative Energy reviews: Give your feedback

FOREVER21

This company never fails to amaze me.

I was a customer with them Sept.2014-15, on their fixed rate deal, which admittedly was good value. However like many others I endured numerous problems with them over the course of the year.I switched supplier on 23Sept. and to date I am still waiting for my final bill.

Then just today I received an e-mail advising me that they were " missing me" and inviting me to sign up to a new fixed rate deal till 2017.

Consumerist

<Citizens Advice> now puts Co-op Energy firmly at the bottom of the energy heap for customer service.

r2015

Then just today I received an e-mail advising me that they were " missing me" and inviting me to sign up to a new fixed rate deal till 2017

I got one as well, their fixed rate deal is more than the deal I am on with Eon

JPW2012

I had a shocker in moving my supply. It took 10 months and over 19 phone calls and numerous emails.

When the front line customer service team say that the 'escalations' team don't have direct numbers they are lying. They do. Once you get thrugh to one of them they are very helpful. It just took a lot of effort, threats and complaints to get there.

I got £250 compensation to make up for the difference in tariff prices and the hassle so it's definitely worth pursuing them. As with all the advice keep a accurate record of who you spoke to, how long the call was, agreed actions, and so forth. It's really useful if you can give all that as part of your sting, especially if it goes to the ombudsmen.

[Deleted User]

I switched from EDF to Co-operative Energy in January 2015 and right from the start wished I hadn't. Their customer service (a misnomer, surely?!) is truly appalling. I've put up with pretty much the same as everyone else who's complaining on here: couldn't access online account, couldn't submit meter readings online, Co-op not taking DD payments and not producing a quarterly bill, never being able to get through to Billing - they're an utter shambles and their customer portal launched in March 2015 is an absolute joke - who designed it? Noddy?! :eek:
All I want is an energy company that charges me a reasonable sum for my energy, takes my meter readings and bills me promptly against those (so I only pay for what I've used) and has a clear website which provides me with all the information I need at a glance. Too much to ask?
So, I'm voting with my feet and switching back to EDF (who I was with for a year before switching to Co-op) who DID actually give me what I want, before I was seduced away by the promise of big savings. The switch to Co-op has taught me a very hard lesson. It isn't all about the cheapest energy - you HAVE to factor in the suppliers' systems and customer services, namely, their ability to deliver a stress-free service at a reasonable price!
My contract with Co-op doesn't expire until end January 2016, but the regulations allow me to switch penalty-free (£50 saved!) within 49 days of my contract end date, so I'm off now. :j I checked other suppliers' offerings, through the MSE Energy Club, but all the ones that were significantly cheaper were either brand new, so had zero customer feedback, or had rotten customer feedback. Switching back to EDF will save me (estimated of course) a mere £4 per year, but the knowledge that I'll be able to pay my utility bills with the minimum of management on my part and just get on with my life is worth so much more (I do, of course, get £30 back for switching via MSE Energy Club! :j )
Co-operative Energy have one final opportunity to upset me - and no doubt will - by screwing up my final bill and my transfer back to EDF, but I'm expecting nothing less! Goodbye Co-operative Energy - and good riddance!!! :mad:

FOREVER21

Katy

Expecting a final bill from Co-op Energy don't hold your breath, like many others on this thread, after numerous e-mails, (I have given up trying to telephone them) I still have not received my final bill, my 8 weeks is now up so I will be raising a complaint via the ombudsman in the New year.

kingstreet

kingstreet wrote: »

I'm an existing customer of four years and so far, luckily?, I've been unaffected by what has happened. My requests to switch from Fixed To Mar 17 to F&S Mar 16 V1 and then V2 were dealt with quickly and efficiently.

I've today switched to F&S Oct 16 and received an acknowledgment email straight after.

I'll feed back again when appropriate.

Got my written confirmation soon after this and my November bill correctly showed the changeover so I was correctly billed from the right date.

Amazingly they still haven't managed to do anything to upset me!

osy98jb

I switched from Ovo to Co-op in January. The electricity moved fine, but despite repeated calls to customer service, my gas remains with Ovo as Co-op have been unable to remove it. I should be able to get out of the deal in mid-February, so I'll move it back to Ovo, who were great.

As I've been on Ovo's standard variable rate for gas, I imagine it's written off any savings I've made by having the electricity with Co-op. Ovo's offer wasn't that much more expensive than Co-op, I should have stuck with them.

I don't think this reflects well on MSE either. I'll be highly dubious of swapping my energy supplier around so readily again if MSE's cheapest recommendations are so terrible at customer service.

Consumerist

osy98jb wrote: »

. . . As I've been on Ovo's standard variable rate for gas, I imagine it's written off any savings I've made by having the electricity with Co-op. Ovo's offer wasn't that much more expensive than Co-op, I should have stuck with them. . .

Work out how much you have lost (consumption x difference in price per unit and any additional daily charges over the period) and put in a claim for compensation. Refer it to the Ombudsman if necessary.

iboy

Maybe I'm lucky, but in the 18 months I have been with co-op energy I've had no problems. I have switched my tariff twice in that time and on both occasions the bill and readings were correct.

I always submit readings via the website (when asked) and the bills alwys appear to be correct with my readings. They did switch to a new online and backend system earlier this year and that cause some real confusion. Again, maybe I was lucky, apart from having to register my account again, I had no problems.

My current fixed tariff ends on January 31 2016 and I've just had emails asking we to switch to their cheapest current tariff otherwise I end up on the costly variable one. I've just used their web site to request a switch when my tariff ends - so hear's hoping it doesn't all go "pear shaped".