Co-operative Energy reviews: Give your feedback

mattchalmers

Changed my co-op tariff in January 2016 - Got a confirmation email.
Now June I check my current balance and they did not swap my tariff, but left me on the original that expired in April.
They are slow to respond to emails - refuse to allow you to talk to billing and then have the cheek to ask me to send them the confirmation email that they sent me to prove I did request a tariff transfer.

There may have good tariffs but there is a risk in my experience they are incapable of actually billing correctly.
As soon as they can get an accurate bill to me I will pay it and leave.
Poor Very Poor

Ignite

We've just left this bunch of jokers for a couple of new companies. Changeover was on the 5th May. Any idea how long they take to sort out a final bill (real experiences please, not "the company line").

Bene

we switched on moving house, but are really shocked to discover that Tariff was only for a year, and without any warning we were transferred to 'the most expensive' tariff, which has made us seriously in debt to them. Our monthly DD was £50 and now it has been increased to £274 No warning this would happen, No consultation, No choice of Tariff offered to us.
We have written to complain, but have got to find the money to pay the arrears, and new DD until our switch to another company comes through.

System

Bene wrote: »

we switched on moving house, but are really shocked to discover that Tariff was only for a year, and without any warning we were transferred to 'the most expensive' tariff, which has made us seriously in debt to them. Our monthly DD was £50 and now it has been increased to £274 No warning this would happen, No consultation, No choice of Tariff offered to us.
We have written to complain, but have got to find the money to pay the arrears, and new DD until our switch to another company comes through.

If you were on a fixed term tariff, all suppliers are REQUIRED to inform you in the period 49 to 42 days before your contract end date that your contract is coming to an end. Under the terms of the Supply Licence IF a supplier has failed to provide this notification then they cannot change your tariff prices. Are you sure that the supplier didn't contact you?

swanny65

AJR01 wrote: »

My fixed-term contract with Co-op Energy ends on 31/05/16 and I have applied to switch to another supplier. Today I received a letter from Co-op Energy with the following warning:
As you are currently in a fixed-term contract, you could be subject to an exit fee if you leave before the end date of 31/05/2016. Your contract has £30 exit fee per fuel, so you will need to pay this before you leave.
There then follows half a page of ways in which the fee can be paid.


As I am within the last 49 days of my contract term and cannot be charged an exit fee, I find this letter from Co-op Energy to be very misleading, even fraudulent. It certainly reinforces my decision to switch.

I contract also expires on 31/05/2016 and I am switching supplier. My letter states the above but, to be fair to the Co-op, the next line then states....

If you are leaving us within 49 days of your contact end, you will not be charged an exit fee for early termination of your tariff.

swanny65

Bene wrote: »

we switched on moving house, but are really shocked to discover that Tariff was only for a year, and without any warning we were transferred to 'the most expensive' tariff, which has made us seriously in debt to them. Our monthly DD was £50 and now it has been increased to £274 No warning this would happen, No consultation, No choice of Tariff offered to us.
We have written to complain, but have got to find the money to pay the arrears, and new DD until our switch to another company comes through.

Strange this as i have received a letter and an email reminding me to switch. I also input my meter reading regularly and my last bill told me of cheaper tariff options.

Mojisola

Bene wrote: »

we switched on moving house, but are really shocked to discover that Tariff was only for a year, and without any warning we were transferred to 'the most expensive' tariff, which has made us seriously in debt to them. Our monthly DD was £50 and now it has been increased to £274 No warning this would happen, No consultation, No choice of Tariff offered to us.

swanny65 wrote: »

Strange this as i have received a letter and an email reminding me to switch. I also input my meter reading regularly and my last bill told me of cheaper tariff options.

Every bill I get from the Co-op has one page called "Could you pay less?" It lists the tariff I am on and the tariff end date plus info about any cheaper tariffs I could switch to and, in bold, the line -
Remember - it might be worth thinking about switching your tariff or supplier.

Consumerist

Bene wrote: »

we switched on moving house, but are really shocked to discover that Tariff was only for a year, and without any warning we were transferred to 'the most expensive' tariff, which has made us seriously in debt to them. Our monthly DD was £50 and now it has been increased to £274 No warning this would happen, No consultation, No choice of Tariff offered to us. . .

I get an email every quarter to tell me my "bill" is ready. Each statement tells me if I can switch to a cheaper tariff and their estimate of the projected savings for each tariff.

Have you registered for an online account? Have you downloaded your quarterly statements in pdf format?

If you have not been able to register online, have you raised the issue with Co-op?

The Co-op has its faults - by the bucketful - but I have always been able to download my quarterly statements and have known what my account balance is each quarter.

I think you should take some responsibility for being so surprised at your account balance.

Bene

The messages received from the Co-op energy were all promotions and the last message received on 31st March 2016 [and presumably AFTER the end of our cheap Tariff] was to tell me my latest bill was ready. There has been no mention of the Tariff ending; there is no letter - either by post or by email - mentioning that we were due to be put on 'the most expensive' tariff, or that our existing arrangement was ending.
Thank you for the information that companies are required to give 42+ days notice of any change. We have had none. Double-checked - and there is nothing.
I have written to the Co-op to complain about these things; and have - via the MSE.com - switched to a cheaper supplier [a predicted saving of £500+ per year]

Bene

My next quarterly bill is not due until 26 June.
The bill that should have included any information about a new tariff, or the old one ceasing to apply, was issued on 31st March.
The first we knew was a letter notifying us of arrears and raising the monthly DD.
We have never, ever been given an update on what other tariffs are available [one Forum member mentions being told with the notification for each quarterly bill]
I should indeed 'take some responsibility', and believe I have done so - but I would expect to be told clearly and in advance that a Tariff is ending, and what choice I might have in any new one, The increase is huge; and we do believe that the Co-op has responsibility for informing its customers.