Bristol Energy is a company that prides itself on its commitment to supply gas and electricity to the Bristol area, as well as the rest of the country, while supporting renewable energy and local communities.
They currently offer both energy for the home and business market.
Bristol Energy Reviews
- Trustpilot: 6.5
- Review Centre: Not reviewed yet
- Which? Not reviewed yet
- Citizens Advice: Not enough information to rank this supplier
Here are results of reviews from the UK’s top consumer sites. As yet, Which? and Review Centre have not reviewed Bristol Energy, but it’s score on Trustpilot, based on 151 reviews is 6.5 which is an average score. More than 50 per cent of the comments are extremely favourable.
The complaints usually centre around customer services issues. However, Bristol Energy has responded to all unfavourable reviews.
It first started in 2016, when it first entered the energy market. Because it is a relatively new company, there are few reviews of it.
Bristol Energy Electricity, Gas & Dual Fuel Tariffs
If you live in Bristol and have a Bristol postcode you may be able to save up to £258 a year on your domestic fuel bills. The company offer a fixed deal and don’t charge you if you decide to leave the scheme and use another supplier. Their current tariffs include:
Bristol Energy 1 Year Fix (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Prices Fixed for 12 months
- Electricity and/or gas
- Pay on Receipt of Bill or Direct Debit
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Electricity rates from 13.16 p/kWh + 17.17 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
- Gas rates from 3.05 p/kWh + 15.59 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
Bristol Energy 2 Year Fix (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Prices Fixed for 24 months
- Electricity and/or gas
- Pay on Receipt of Bill or Direct Debit
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Electricity rates from 13.34 p/kWh + 25.50 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
- Gas rates from 3.00 p/kWh + 23.79 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
Bristol Energy ‘My Bristol Tariff’ 1 Year Fix (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Prices Fixed for 12 months
- Electricity and/or gas
- Pay on Receipt of Bill or Direct Debit
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Tariff is open only to properties with a BS postcode
- Electricity rates 14.69 p/kWh + 17.97 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
- Gas rates 3.24 p/kWh + 15.39 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
Bristol Energy ‘My Local Tariff’ 1 Year Fix (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Prices Fixed for 12 months
- Electricity and/or gas
- Pay on Receipt of Bill or Direct Debit
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Tariff is only available to properties in the South West
- Electricity rates from 13.85 p/kWh + 17.54 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
- Gas rates from 3.12 p/kWh + 15.90 p standing charge (including VAT).
Bristol Energy ‘My Green Plus tariff’ 1 Year Fix (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Prices Fixed for 12 months
- Electricity or Dual Fuel only
- 100% renewable electricity bought from local and national generators
- Pay on Receipt of Bill or Direct Debit
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Electricity rates from 13.38 p/kWh + 21.15 p/day standing charge (including VAT)..
- Gas rates from 3.05 p/kWh + 19.50 p/day standing charge (including VAT)..
Bristol Energy Standard (Paper and Paperless Billing)
- Variable tariff
- Electricity and/or gas
- Pay on Receipt of Bill, Direct Debit or Prepayment (pay as you go)
- Online discount per fuel with paperless billing
- No tie-ins
- Electricity rates from 13.59 p/kWh + 22.00 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
- Gas rates from 3.38 p/kWh + 19.20 p/day standing charge (including VAT).
The tariffs listed above were accurate at the time of publication ( 2 November 2017) but may have changed since that time. You can see their latest current tariffs.
Bristol Energy Business Energy
There are fixed tariffs for businesses, although not yet tariffs for large companies, only for small to medium businesses. Bristol Energy offers 100% renewable electricity at a fixed rate for 12 months. It also offers fixed rates for 1 or 2 years.
For more see: Bristol Energy Business Electricity & Gas Tariffs & Rates
Bristol Energy Background
Bristol Energy is very different to other energy suppliers. It’s owned by Bristol City Council. In practice, this means that the revenue received from customers helps local communities. Prices are lower than those of other energy providers and if there are savings on the energy the company buys, the saving is passed on to the consumer.
Bristol Energy won the Start-Up Business of the Year Award at the 2017 Business Leader Awards.
Customers are invited to visit Bristol Energy at their offices at Bristol Energy Hub on the city’s harbourside. Bristol Energy is committed to sustainable energy and intends to become even greener than it is already. Of course, this is good news for the environment. Their My Green Tariff will provide your home with 100% green electricity.
Your business can also benefit from Bristol Energy’s green electricity too.
The company is part of the initiative to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles that are used in the UK, this extending its green credentials. The aim is to eventually only use green fuel sources.
You can choose the tariff that best suits you and Bristol Energy provides customers with clear information about each if its tariffs.
The company offers a one-off payment of £140 to customers who are having problems paying their fuel bills called the Warm Home Discount.
Bristol Energy Smart Meter
Not all customers can currently have a Smart Meter, but this situation will change as the company grows. However, if you have a smart meter and switch to Bristol Energy, the meter can maintain its supply, but it may mot retain all its benefits.
Other Meters
There are prepayment meters so that customers can pay in instalments. Customers with prepayment cards can top them up at Post Offices participating in the scheme. They can also take their card or key to service stations or shops that have a PayPoint or Payzone.
They also offer tariffs for those on Economy 7 meters.
Bristol Energy Bills
You can have your Bristol Energy bills sent to an address other than the one the company is supplying. Customers with pre-payment plans don’t get billed monthly. but are sent a statement annually.
Customers in Bristol can pay in Bristol pounds.
With Bristol Energy there are many ways to pay a bill; by Direct Debit from your bank account; pay online; pay directly to Bristol Energy from your bank account; make a telephone payment; pay at a Post Office with PayPoint in cash, by cheque or with your card; or pay using your prepayment meter.
Bristol Energy Warm Home Discount
Bristol Energy was part of the 2017/18 Warm Home Discount scheme, which gives vulnerable people £140 towards their energy bills, but only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group.’ You can learn more about how to apply for 2018/19 on their website.
Bristol Energy App
As yet there isn’t a Bristol Energy app.
Switching to Bristol Energy
If you want to switch to Bristol Energy, it’s easy. You can call them at 0808 281 2222. at any time between 9am and 5pm. Alternatively send them an email to customercare@bristol-energy.co.uk.
Bristol Energy any switch will take approximately four weeks, and they will regularly update you on the progress. When it’s close to the date you are due to switch to Bristol Energy, you will be asked for your meter readings. If you decide not to go ahead with the switch, you can cancel within 2 weeks.
Moving Home with Bristol Energy
For Bristol Energy to help you move home, you simply need to inform them when you plan to move. You can also inform the company of the name of the person moving in to your old home.
If you are unsure, simply give Bristol Energy your landlord or letting agent’s details (phone number, your name, address and email address). The company will also need a forwarding address for you, and your current email address and/or phone number.
It would be very helpful if you could inform Bristol Energy of the actual meter reading on the date you move. This will mean that we don’t have to give you an estimated bill. When you move in, if you want Bristol Energy to supply your fuel, you will need to tell them when you intend moving, giving them 5 days’ notice.
For pre-payment customers, Bristol Energy needs 2 working days’ notice of the date you are leaving your old home. Please don’t forget to leave your key or card in your old home. If you forget to do so, you may continue to be charged. If there is no prepayment facility in your new home, contact Bristol Energy if you wish to continue with the prepayment plan.
Bristol Energy’s Fuel Mix
If you choose Bristol Energy’s 100% renewable electricity tariff, then your fuel will come from a number of green sources: wind, hydro, solar, and bio-generation.
If you choose the standard tariff, then the fuel mix will currently be:
- 32.3% Natural Gas
- 23.7% Nuclear energy
- 24.3% Renewables
- 17% Coal
- 2.5% Other fuels
As Bristol Energy continues to grow, the percentage of ‘green’ fuel in the mix will grow.
Bristol Energy Feed-in Tariff
Bristol Energy is a voluntary Feed-in Tariff (FIT) licensee. This means you can receive your FIT payments from them (as long as your system is MCS certified) if you are an Bristol Energy customer, but they are not obliged to offer this service on an ongoing basis. You can learn more on their website.
Bristol Energy in the news
As Bristol Energy was only set up in 2016, there are not very many articles about it. However, on 4th May 2017 the BBC reported that the company is on target to make a profit by 2021. The firm is unusual because it is council-owned and has promised to reinvest its profits in the local community. The company has won support from Bristolians who should reap benefits if people switch to it.
On 3rd April 2017, Bristol Energy criticised other providers for raising tariffs to meet the price cap, which goes against the spirit of Ofgem’s price cap. Customers who use pre-payment plans are intended to benefit from the cap. Peter Haigh, the managing director of Bristol Energy said that such customers had been “penalised for too long.”
Bristol Energy Complaints
Ofgem does not have data yet on complaints about Bristol Energy because it is such a new company.
Bristol Energy has published complaints reports which can be accessed on this link. In Q2 2017 they received 1004 complaints or 1148 complaints per 100,000 accounts and managed to resolve 73% on the same or next working day and 98% within 8 weeks.
Bristol Energy ask customers to contact its customer care service to make complaints, and outlines its policy here. On this page there is also contact information for the Energy Ombudsman.
Contact phone numbers and email
Customer Care: 0808 281 2222
B2C Sales and Renewals: 0808 189 4072
Business to business: 0808 168 3888
And opening hours are:
Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm
The email address for Bristol Energy is CustomerCare@bristol-energy.co.uk.
The National Gas Emergency service can be contacted in an emergency at any time on 0800 111 999 if you need help out of office hours.
If you have problems with your electricity supply, a power cut for example, call the 24-hour helpline on 105.
Bristol Energy address
The address for Bristol Energy is:
Bristol Energy Ltd
100 Temple Street
Bristol
BS1 6AG
If you want to visit the offices, they are located on the Harbourside at:
The Hub
Unit 5-6
1 Canon’s Road
Bristol
BS1 5UH
Website: https://www.bristol-energy.co.uk/
Bristol Energy Summary
Because Bristol Energy is a new company there is not much data on it as yet. However, this start-up has had favourable reports from the BBC. On the downside, when it had just been set up there were a spate of complaints about its customer care service on Trustpilot.
Pros:
- Offers a great range of tariffs at very competitive prices
- Aiming to be a green energy company and has started well, with its Green tariff option.
- It aims to reinvest in the local community, which should be good news for the people of Bristol.
Cons:
- Some earlier issues with customer service (which they have responded to and are clearly working to improve)
- May not offer the absolute lowest tariffs (especially for those living outside of Bristol)