Add your feedback on energy supplier Green Star Energy

RTSpark

I'm still waiting for someone to get back to me from customer services as to why my gas didn't switch over. I've also found the online account facility useless, as it doesn't show anything except what I've been paying them each month and whats its totaling. My electricity supposedly switch over without issue, but I can't input any meter readings online.

Ladykelly

APPALLING SERVICE FROM GREEN STAR. In May i looked at switching my energy supplier. I did initially sign up to switch to Green Star and within a matter of days i received a letter dated 11th May with details of the switch and the cooling off period etc. I decided to look at the numbers again and decided against switching as i felt the savings were negligible.
As it was evening i could not speak to anyone as your call center only open till 6pm. I therefore sent an e-mail informing that i wanted to cancel the whole switch.
By 22nd May I had not received any response to this and then received a letter from Scottish, my supplier informing that the switch was still going ahead.
I telephoned on the 22nd May and explained i wish to cancel the switch. I was assured that this was ok and switch would be cancelled.
I then received further communication from Scottish power that my gas account was being switched. I called again on the 2nd June and was informed that they had cancelled the electricity switch but not the Gas. I was then informed they would have to complete an erroneous transfer but it would be sent back Power as if i had never left.
Again i received further communication from Scottish power and called Green Star again on the 23rd June to be told that the Erroneous transfer request had been raised but could take up to 6 weeks.
I recently checked my scottish power account to discover that the Gas account has still not been returned to them and we are now well beyond the 6 week period.
Although no money had been taken by Green Star my debits have been changed at Scottish power so i am now having to play catch up and my gas account is still floating around somewhere between the two.
I called again on 12 September and was told the Erroneous Transfer was still in place but they were not sure why it had taken so long.

I am absolutely appalled at this complete incompetence. The Gas account should never have been switched in the first place as i was well within the cooling off period.

bourneID

It's been a rocky start with Green Star. I'm in the same boat as others have posted:

* Final bill from my previous supplier was an estimate - they claim Green Star failed to send the final readings over yet Green Star (phone) stated everything was done for the changeover. I don't know who to believe, and my old supplier refused to accept my readings, so very little I can do.

* Been unable to update my meter readings due to an error with the gas account. This was fixed after an email, but my latest bill was estimated and now refuses to accept my actual reading because my actual reading is too high. I have been recommended to submit meter readings to customer service by email or phone.

* Emails to and from Greenstar are not secure/encrypted, which isn't great in the modern IT security world, especially if I need to send addresses/meter readings/possibly sensitive data to their customer services team.

* Advertises live chat features across the site, but the actual page states it's 'coming soon'. Been like this for longer than the average person thinks 'soon' is...

* Quite a few typo's on their Terms and Conditions webpage (missing spaces seems to be common) - likewise they've updated the website T&C, but not the official "Print to PDF" link meaning the two are out of sync (example: different correspondence addresses and a change to section 6). This may seem like nit-picking for issues, but a company's T&C should be accurate and without mistakes....

But, on the positive side:
* They do respond to emails, and fixes the issues in the first go.

* They are open about being aware things aren't perfect and aware customers are experiencing issues. How long it will take for everything to be fixed is a personal opinion - I'm happy to wait...for now.

My overall summary is this could be a good company if they fix the issues they're aware of - but in its current state I would not recommend transferring to them, and currently aim to move away once my fix term is complete.

If all the issues are fixed, live chat is available (and working with reasonable response times), emails secured, their T&C page is tidied up (hopefully with notification that it's changed?) and prices are competitive after this plan then there's a good chance I'll stay on. Just have to wait and see...

Cheers, hope this has been helpful.

BourneID

murphydavid

Just when I thought things were starting to look up I now can't log in to my account. It says I put in the wrong password, but my web browser or computer puts it in as soon as I open that page so not a typo on my part and it was working fine like that so unlikely. Anyway eventually after copy pasting from my password safe and then typing it in with the same result and using two different computers and two different web browsers. I used "forgot password" and re-set it etc with them confirming the re-set (now 3 or 4 times). Still locked out. So its down to contact them and all that entails.
I'm getting down to thinking that this is too much work for cheaper energy maybe they've blown there chance. If they can't settle to normal customer service in (is it) 7 months now maybe they never will. What a fine mess you got me into ???

Burndengreen

That's it enough is enough my time is too valuable to waste on these charlatans.
Switched via mse in May and had numerous issues, meter readings going missing logins not working they are unable to deal with a smart meter that has two tariffs I still have not had a Bill despite numerous requests. I have a 60 exit fee on my account but have just started a switch to m & s as I know their customer service wilbe much better, if greenstar attempt to charge the exit fee I shall be sending them an invoice for my wasted time. MSE please take this company off your books,

The other people I feel sorry for are the poor customer service people who clearly are being let down by inadequate managers.

Alan9990

I switched on 18/5/2017 and I still haven't had the final readings sent to my old supplier.

I sent a complaint to their complaints department on the 29th of August but I have not had any reply. They seem as comatose as the rest of the outfit. Hopefully I might get more help from the Ombudsman.

KeyboardWarrior

Well after 8 weeks of inaction by GSE I finally received the response to my formal complaint allowing me to escalate the problem to the regulator.

Within an amazingly quick 48 hours the Ombudsman had 'negotiated' a settlement with GSE which corrected my opening meter readings and granted me a £50 goodwill payment (in lieu of my wasted time and "loss of use" of my credit with SSE). The meter readings have been corrected (although I'm now missing an interim reading for Gas) and I now have proper final bills from SSE. I suppose (and pray) that the goodwill payment will be applied as a discount to my first bill.

Why it has taken such an effort to get GSE to correct such a simple mistake is beyond comprehension and beggars belief. Fingers crossed that they don't screw anything else up.

jenny.ward7322

I've had nothing but problems since moving house and switching to Green Star Energy. I cannot get them to send the agreed meter reading to the previous supplier so I can pay that final bill.
The call centre staff are useless and it took me 30 minutes last week to get through to a supervisor. Hats off to him - he was the most patronising customer service employee I have ever spoken to. He just talked at me and talked over me, not listening to anything I was trying to say and wasn't in the slightest bit bothered. I have lodged a formal complaint but I'm not holding my breath!
As soon as this mess is sorted out, I will be switching again.

footyguy

jenny.ward7322 wrote: »

I've had nothing but problems since moving house and switching to Green Star Energy. I cannot get them to send the agreed meter reading to the previous supplier so I can pay that final bill.
The call centre staff are useless and it took me 30 minutes last week to get through to a supervisor. Hats off to him - he was the most patronising customer service employee I have ever spoken to. He just talked at me and talked over me, not listening to anything I was trying to say and wasn't in the slightest bit bothered. I have lodged a formal complaint but I'm not holding my breath!
As soon as this mess is sorted out, I will be switching again.

I have answered your question posed as to what else you can do, in the other thread you had already created about this
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5724866

Best keep to one thread, else you may become even more confused

facilitym

:mad: Been with Green Star for a couple of years. Transfer from Eon was just about OK although emails were an issue. However in the interim there have been no major issues.

This month I had recourse to approach their customer services, really for the first time since they took on my supply. This exchange has caused me serious concern.

A new bill was posted on 5th October in the sum of £281.97. As it used estimated figures that exceeded the readings which I took immediately, I posted the figures on 6th October. The new readings seemed to be ignored until I approached them with query on 16th October; they undertook to use the new figures, which they did. BUT the newly adjusted bill altered the previous readings used in the last bill that had been paid some months before. The net effect was that I would be paying for about 1200 units a second time.

I again contacted them on 19th October and they accepted the error and, to correct it, amalgamated all bills from 1st April to date and issued a new bill, crediting my payments and resulting in a bill of £14.88 outstanding. All seemed settled at last.

Today, 20th October, they took 281.97 from my bank by Direct Debit, 2 weeks after the correct readings were provided and 4 days since my chase up. Surely they have had enough opportunity to stop the payment.

So I again contacted them with my concern. The agent saw the error but would not arrange a credit without me providing yet another set of readings. After an exchange of opinions I provided and he informed me that I would receive a refund in 10 days. Really?

I asked to speak to their dedicated complaints team, step 1 of the procedure set out on their bill. He said that he would record the complaint. I advised him this was not what was indicated on the invoice, that he was not a member of the Dedicated Complaints team and he went off to see what he could sort out. Some time after he returned indicating that even he could not get through to the Dedicated Team.

At this point I realised I was getting nowhere so had to accept that a refund may arrive in 10 days.

The whole issue is quite annoying and really stressful and although they offer quite competitive rates, I guess you get what you pay for - pay peanuts, get monkeys.

Neeless to say I will be getting out of this contract as soon as an opportunity presents itself.