Good Energy Review
You could save up to £497 on your energy bills! |
Launched in 1999, Good Energy is good by name and good by nature.
It’s the first energy supplier in the UK to deliver 100% renewable electricity. Still relatively small – it supplies energy to over 66,000 customers – Good Energy is an especially attractive option for ethical consumers. WANT GREEN ENERGY? SEE WHAT GOOD ENERGY OFFERS All of its energy comes from solar, wind, hydro and biofuels produced at over 90,000 independent British generators. As far as our Good Energy review is concerned it doesn’t get much greener. But what about price? And how does its customer service stack up? Continue reading our Good Energy review to find out. The best way to see if you could save money switching to Good Energy is by comparing energy suppliers online. |
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Good Energy Tariffs
There is, inevitably, one downside to the eco-friendly Good Energy – it’s a far cry from the cheapest on the market. But that shouldn’t put you off checking if it has a deal that can tempt you. As the company’s CEO, Juliet Davenport, said: “While Good Energy is not the cheapest energy supplier on the market, we are by no means the most expensive.” Good Energy offers two main tariffs for domestic customers: Dual Fuel: Good Energy supply both your electricity (100% renewable) and your gas (green, more on this later). Electricity Only: Good Energy supply just your electricity. Good Energy is also one of the largest feed-in tariff administrators in the UK. They have been pushing the tariff – where customers get paid for generating their own renewable electricity – for years. The company does have a strong history of price freezes - in October 2016, it froze prices just one day after GB Energy hiked them 30% - but in January 2017 it announced standard variable rate customers would see bills rise 10% for electricity and 11.5% for gas. It blamed rising wholesale energy costs, network modernisation and government obligations for the hike. Which? reviewed Good Energy 3/5 stars for value for money; essentially, whilst tariffs are reasonably priced, you could find cheaper elsewhere. CAN YOU GET A GOOD DEAL WITH GOOD ENERGY? Good Energy customer Service Good Energy delivers on customer service. It was ranked second out of 22 energy companies rated by Which?, scoring 4/5 stars for customer service and dealing with complaints. Good Energy’s final score of 81% placed it just behind OVO Energy. An investigation into hold times on customer service lines found that Good Energy answer the phone after an average of 1.5 minutes. Compare that to 26 minutes for Extra Energy or 10 minutes for Big Six giant SSE and you can see they're doing something right. According to official Ofgem statistics (the best indicator of quality), Good Energy is performing better than almost all of its independent competitors. Between October and December 2016, it received just 41 complaints per 10,000 customers. This was fewer than Spark Energy (86 per 10,000 accounts), Green Star (119), Economy Energy (51) and Flow Energy (49). Of the smaller suppliers, only Ecotricity (29) had fewer unhappy customers in this period. Customers can call a dedicated customer care team or make a complaint about Good Energy using A Spokesman Said's free tool. |
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Good Energy green credentials
This is where Good Energy comes into its own. Here’s a breakdown of where it gets its electricity from: * Renewables: 100% It’s hard to argue with Good Energy’s promise that no other UK supplier is as renewable – it’s the companies unique selling point and, if you're an eco-conscious energy consumer, a reason why you might consider switching to them. Here’s a more precise breakdown of which renewables we are talking about: * Wind: 53% * Solar: 24% * Hydro: 4% * Biogen: 19% The company has raked in tons of awards and positive reviews for its focus on renewable energy, including the Sunday Times' best Green Company and the British Renewable Energy Company Award. It’s claim to provide 100% renewable energy is based on the fact that, over a year, it matches every unit consumed by its customers with a unit generated from a renewable source. And, to boot, 6% of Green Energy's gas comes from biomethane – gas produced in the UK from organic matter like manure and sewage. Good Energy also invests heavily in the UK’s renewable market, helping The National Trust develop its own generators and working with local communities to set up sustainable energy providers. Emissions are balanced through carbon-reduction schemes, which support projects in Malawi and Vietnam, meaning that Green Energy's gas is "totally carbon neutral". Green Energy proudly claims that you could cut your carbon footprint by as much as 50% switching to it. The bottom line is: if renewable energy is important to you, Good Energy are a very attractive option. Good Energy payment You can pay for your energy in all the classic ways: monthly direct debit; over the phone; online and by cheque. The preferred method is direct debit. Good Energy agrees the amount with you and debits your account each month. Or, if you are not sure what your monthly payment is likely to be, Good Energy estimates the amount based on other customers. Good Energy reviews this in three months to check if it needs adjusting. Bristol residents can pay for energy using Bristol Pounds – the city’s unique currency. Top Tip: Recommend a friend to Good Energy and you can get £25 credit added to your account. If you like the look of Good Energy, compare energy suppliers online today.
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Good Energy online offering
The Good Energy website is, by enlarge, well designed and easy to navigate. Tech savvy consumers can create a Good Energy account, allowing them to: * Check bills and documents * Pay bills * Supply meter readings * Tell Good Energy your moving home * Compare energy usage Whilst the online account is a handy tool, it’s a little unclear where on the Good Energy website you go to log in. Customers can also submit meter readings using the Good Energy app, which has a four star rating on the Apple store. Good Energy recent news On June 23rd, Good Energy announced had raised £3.1 million in extra funding and reported a significant over subscription in its latest share offer. The company's CEO, Julia Davenport, said: "It’s a strong signal that renewable energy remains an attractive investment. We’ve gone back to our roots by inviting customers, bondholders and shareholders the opportunity to invest and once again there has been a real appetite from them to get involved. I’m very pleased to see so many of our customers backing Good Energy once again. Customer-ownership is a big part of our ethos." Good Energy announced it plans to add one million customers by 2020. It currently has 220,000. LIKE THE SOUND OF GOOD ENERGY? CHECK THEM OUT Our Verdict There are a heap of reasons you might consider switching to Good Energy. It’s focus on sustainable energy makes it one of the most eco-friendly suppliers around, and it scores well on customer service. But there’s little doubt you could find cheaper deals elsewhere so really you have to crunch the numbers. Pros: * Sustainable energy makes it one of the environmentally friendly suppliers on the market * Good customer service and fast response times on the phone * Clear and uncomplicated tariffs * Ethical employer signed up to National Living Wage Cons: * Online account slightly difficult to navigate * Unlikely to be the cheapest on the market * Bills have been criticised for not being clear enough. For example, on the front of the bill it doesn’t specify if the amount charged is an estimate or not. |
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You could save up to £497 on your energy bills! |