So Energy Review
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So Energy’s name doesn’t fill you with confidence, but it happens to be one of the cheapest gas and electricity suppliers around.
What’s in a name anyway? FIND OUT HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE WITH SO ENERGY What really matters in our So Energy review is price, customer service, tariffs and green credentials – the nuts and bolts of choosing an energy supplier. Based in leafy Chiswick, London, So Energy started taking on households in November 2015; it offers dual fuel, electricity and gas tariffs, but does not support the Warm Home Discount. It says it’s “based on simplicity, ease and great value” and that it wants to shape the industry around these ideals. You might think ‘So what?’, that's what all the suppliers taking on the Big Six say. But, So Energy's unique selling point is price and being green. Compare energy suppliers on A Spokesman Said and you'll see what I mean. 
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Is So Energy cheap?
So Energy backs itself when it comes to price. Its website claims the average customers will save £250 a year by switching. Under its Low Price Policy, it aims to ensure its fixed-rate tariff will always be one of the cheapest deals around. In fact, So Energy aims to be in the cheapest 10% of all tariffs available when comparing average energy usage. But these are just vague goals, not concrete promises. There’s a good chance So Energy's claim holds water. Back in January, a study found its cheapest average tariff came in at just north of £800 – the third cheapest on the market and beaten only by Extra Energy and GB Energy. One of those suppliers, GB, has since gone out of business and it’s worth sounding a note of caution: as the cost of wholesale energy rockets, small suppliers offering cut-price deals will have to raise prices to survive. So Energy might be cheap now, but can it maintain that pricing structure and remain profitable? At the moment, though, it stacks up fairly well; we got a quote for £858 for a four-bedroom house in north London - bargain! Is So Energy’s customer service any good? Because it’s so new, there’s very little information about So Energy’s customer service. It has yet to publish its complaints data with Ofgem, so it’s difficult to know for sure how effective its service is. In a customer service survey by Which?, So Energy finished in the top 10 with a satisfaction score of 71%. It had a five star rating for bill accuracy BUT it did not have a rating for customer service online and on phone - so the jury remains out. When we called So Energy, the call didn’t go through correctly, and the company is only available between the limited hours of 9-5 Monday to Friday, which might put off some households. So Energy can be contacted on [email protected] and 0330 111 5050 and aims to respond to messages in one working day. If you need to make a complaint, use our free tool to make your voice heard and complain about So Energy. We're in your corner. SWITCH AND SAVE ON ENERGY TODAY 
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So Energy tariffs
Currently, the company’s one fixed tariff is called So Lion. So Energy does not currently offer a prepayment meter option. To keep things simple, So Energy will only ever have one tariff available and this will change from time to time. Here are the key details of So Lion: * Fixed energy prices for 12 months * Monthly Direct Debit * Online only * £5 exit fee for gas and £5 for electricity * Does not offer Warm Home Discount A heads up: So Energy takes the first Direct Debit payment from your bank account on or around the day you join them. This might spook some customers not expecting to be charged straight away, but it's nothing to worry about. Is So Energy green? So Energy is so green. Its electricity has been 100% renewable since April 1, 2016. As an added plus, So Energy lets customers vote for which renewable source they want to get energy from. Each year, customers vote for either wind, solar, hydro, biomass or tidal. So Energy then makes agreements to source energy according to each share of the votes. The company’s website has all the run of the mill advice to help you cut down consumption and save money – boiling less water in the kettle, washing clothes at a lower temperature and programming your central heating, for example. So Energy account So Energy’s website is pretty slick. It’s well designed and easy to use and includes a handy guide to help customers get used to their account. The account allows customers to manage usage and payment, submit meter readings, understand bills and tariffs and view statements. We were impressed. A Spokesman Said’s verdict Pros: * Competitively priced tariffs * Clear and well planned website * Green energy Cons: * Unclear how good customer service is * Limited variety of plans for customers |
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