Bristol Energy Reviews: Give your feedback

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  • robidy
    robidy Posts: 4 Newbie
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    Been with them for over a year now...apart from chasing me monthly for a meter reading they are great.:j

    Spoke to lady today who explained it's so your bill is accurate and is cheaper then sending someone round every month...explains why my bills are accurate. :beer:
  • Oww
    Oww Posts: 2 Newbie
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    Appalling service. Reported my gas meter as faulty and they told me the first appointment was in three weeks, but at least I could have a 2 hour slot. Waited three weeks, then received an email saying they couldn't make it anymore (no reason given). When I called to arrange another appointment, they told me I'd have to wait another three weeks and, worse still, claimed they didn't do two hours slots and I'd have to have either a 5 hour or 6 hour slot instead. Tried to complain and got the usual nameless lack of response. Don't bother with this company - they are awful. Even Bristol City Council - part owners - have now taken their business elsewhere.
  • Oww
    Oww Posts: 2 Newbie
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    Me too. I'm getting out as soon as I can.
  • mylastpound
    mylastpound Posts: 119 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    RugbyG wrote: »
    I have been with Bristol energy for nearly a year now.
    The switch was painless & they kept in touch through procedure.
    Since then I have received a monthly email asking to submit energy readings which I have done via their website, really quick & simple.
    Then received bill a week later.
    Had zero problems with them so far, .


    Same for me too! really happy with them
    3-6 Emergency Fund, No96: £1,000 / £2,000 - House Deposit: £11,000 / £11,000 - Holiday Fund: £100 / £1,300 -
    June 2018 Grocery Challenge £61.59 / £250
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Oww wrote: »
    Appalling service. Reported my gas meter as faulty and they told me the first appointment was in three weeks, but at least I could have a 2 hour slot. Waited three weeks, then received an email saying they couldn't make it anymore (no reason given). When I called to arrange another appointment, they told me I'd have to wait another three weeks and, worse still, claimed they didn't do two hours slots and I'd have to have either a 5 hour or 6 hour slot instead. Tried to complain and got the usual nameless lack of response. Don't bother with this company - they are awful. Even Bristol City Council - part owners - have now taken their business elsewhere.

    According to the BBC:

    A council says it has increased investment in its own energy firm by £6.7m since November.

    Bristol City Council set up Bristol Energy in 2016 and in the last five months its stake has risen from £17.3m to more than £24m.

    The firm posted an £8.4m loss last year and lost the council contract to British Gas.

    A Bristol Energy spokesperson said the investment will be paid back "with interest".

    The firm, which recently started offering customers gas made from human waste, was created to reinvest its profits back into the community as a "force for social good". Last year, it revised its original business plan after customer take-up was lower than expected, saying it would become profitable in 2021 - two years later than first planned.

    Also according to the BBC:

    Dwindling central government funding and previous financial mismanagement has left Bristol City Council facing a £108 million deficit by 2023 if nothing is changed.

    This sounds like a perfect storm. Councillors can not afford not to back this particular horse. I wonder what local taxpayers think about it?
  • Agent_Starling
    Agent_Starling Posts: 2 Newbie
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    I switched using the MSE club a couple of months ago. It went smoothly and I paid the stated fixed amount, £31 ish. Last week they emailed to say that they are changing the direct debit to £47 ish. That is not my idea of 'fixed'. I may as well not have switched at all.
  • glider3560
    glider3560 Posts: 4,115 Forumite
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    Agent_Starling wrote: »
    I switched using the MSE club a couple of months ago. It went smoothly and I paid the stated fixed amount, £31 ish. Last week they emailed to say that they are changing the direct debit to £47 ish. That is not my idea of 'fixed'. I may as well not have switched at all.
    The price per unit and per day is fixed. Your usage is not fixed, so the payment amount can vary.



    If you think they are wrong, challenge them. They did similar to me and corrected it as soon as I pointed out my usage was less than they estimated.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    Agent_Starling wrote: »
    I switched using the MSE club a couple of months ago. It went smoothly and I paid the stated fixed amount, £31 ish. Last week they emailed to say that they are changing the direct debit to £47 ish. That is not my idea of 'fixed'. I may as well not have switched at all.

    Welcome to the forum. As stated above, the term fixed can be misunderstood. The initial DD payment is set at 1/12 of your annual cost. The annual cost is based on your estimated usage and the tariff that you have signed up to. Suppliers will normally review your usage at the 6 month point in a 12 month contract. They use an algorithm to profile your estimated usage over the months of the review.

    Charges are deducted from the payments that you have made. In your case, £31 per month equates to an annual cost of £372.

    On review, the supplier has increased your payment to £47 per month. It follows that the supplier has revised your annual cost to:

    6 x £31 = £186 plus 6 x £47 = £282. In other words, the supplier is assessing that you will use £468 worth of energy by the end of the 12 month point.

    It has been a cold Winter so most of us will have used more than our estimated consumption. That said, if the supplier has over estimated your consumption, you will have a credit on your account at the end of the contract.
  • Agent_Starling
    Agent_Starling Posts: 2 Newbie
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    Before Bristol I was with SSE on a fixed rate and it never varied, always the same payment each month. At the end of the period there was about £10 credit and they put the monthly up to £48 so the switch has been a bit pointless unless there is a big correction at some point.
  • glider3560
    glider3560 Posts: 4,115 Forumite
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    Agent_Starling wrote: »
    Before Bristol I was with SSE on a fixed rate and it never varied, always the same payment each month. At the end of the period there was about £10 credit and they put the monthly up to £48 so the switch has been a bit pointless unless there is a big correction at some point.
    You need to look at your usage. It your usage is the same as it was with SSE, then ask Bristol Energy to lower the payment.
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