Co-op Energy "Hikes" prices 2.4% blames Government

wakeupalarm

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/apr/24/co-op-electricity-price-rise

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/household-bills/10785350/Co-operative-Energy-blames-government-as-it-raises-energy-prices-2.4-per-cent.html

http://www.yourmoney.com/your-money/news/2341300/co-operative-energy-to-hike-prices

So Co-op energy has rasied prices by 2.4% and has blamed the Government for increased green energy charges.

Could it be they need to pay for those huge bonuses paid to their directors whilst the rest of the groups' businesses went to pot.

oldskoo1

Price comparison site here I come

Back in around 2008/2009 when this all started co-op energy promised simple clear and reasonable pricing.

Still simple and clear but feels like they are pushing up prices and squeezing as much as possible. No longer feels like the mission statement of the past to never be the cheapest but at least competitive.

JezR

wakeupalarm wrote: »

Could it be they need to pay for those huge bonuses paid to their directors whilst the rest of the groups' businesses went to pot.

Co-op Energy is by no means perfect, but is not part of The Co-op Group.

I do wonder whether Midcounties and some other Co-ops now rue the common branding now.

antrobus

wakeupalarm wrote: »

.....So Co-op energy has rasied prices by 2.4% and has blamed the Government for increased green energy charges.....

It's just a tad disingenuous for Co-Op Energy to 'blame the government'. Small electricity suppliers are exempt from certain 'green energy charges'; but Co-Op Energy has now breached the threshold and has become liable. They knew this was going to happen sometime. Had they been fully open and honest and, dare I say, 'ethical' about it, their customers would already know about it.

JezR wrote: »

Co-op Energy is by no means perfect, but is not part of The Co-op Group.

It is indeed a subsidiary of the Midcounties Co-Operative which is independent of the Co-Operative Group.

JezR wrote: »

....I do wonder whether Midcounties and some other Co-ops now rue the common branding now.

Yeh, like they've got no responsibility whatsoever for the mess that the Co-Op Group got into. It's not as if they appointed directors to the board or anything like that.

Sunblind_Duck

Well, when I joined Co-op Energy three years ago, I was told that not only would my bills be reduced, but also much easier to understand. However, my online account is in such disarray that it would take a degree in maths to interpret the figures. All my monthly statements have disappeared (luckily I have saved most of the PDF files) and have been replaced by one statement covering the three year period. I say 'statement', but in actual fact it is a complete mess, which includes cancelled statements totaling £2,300.00 for which I cannot see any explanation.
The upshot is that, on Monday, I shall ask them for my total energy usage figures for the last 12 months, and look for a new supplier.

Mr_Crunch

Sadly Co-op Energy is now just trading on past goodwill, and hoping that inertia will retain its customers. It was broadly competitive until end 2013, but it isn't any more - I am in the process of switching to Ovo, and should save 10% over Co-op's new tariff, and 6% over its old tariff. So I leave them feeling that I have been screwed.

Nada666

Mr_Crunch wrote: »

So I leave them feeling that I have been screwed.

In what sense? Which part of 'we will never be the cheapest' is confusing? Or is is something else?