Ørsted Energy (Formerly Dong Energy) Reviews & Tariffs
Formerly known as Dong Energy, this Denmark-based utility company recently changed its name to Ørsted after announcing it will stop using non-renewable energy by 2023.
They currently only supply UK business energy customers with electricity and gas.
Will they improve your business’ green credentials? Find out below.
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Ørsted Energy Reviews
- Trustpilot: 3.5 out of 5, based on 2,919 reviews, rated ‘Average’ overall. (Note this is for Ørsted Denmark, not their UK business)
Ørsted Energy Business Electricity, Gas & Dual Fuel Tariffs
Business electricity and business gas
- Fixed-price products – businesses can stick to a budget.
- Flexible price products – businesses can “benefit from market fluctuations”.
- Power Purchase Agreement – a contract between the energy generator and the business lasting 3 months – 15 years.
- Deemed rates – the default charged when you move to a property already powered by Ørsted.
- Dual fuel
For a more specific energy tariff, you can contact Ørsted through their website https://orsted.co.uk/business.
Ørsted Energy Background
Ørsted was known as Dong Energy (standing for Danish Oil and Natural Gas). Their name change is inspired by Danish physicist and chemist Charles Hans Ørsted, whose work went on to form the basis of how we generate electricity.
This supplier is pushing towards using totally renewable energy after a history of nonrenewable and reduced. They’re in the process of building “the world’s biggest offshore wind farm”, aiming to reduce the cost of offshore wind power by 35-40% by 2020 and offer businesses renewable energy that’s affordable.
In their native Denmark, they already provide half of the nation’s electricity.
Ørsted Energy Smart Meter
There’s information about smart meters on Ørsted’s website, including a breakdown from The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, but no indication of when or how business customers can have them installed. Judging by their tone, Ørsted doesn’t seem convinced by the possibility of rolling meters out to all customers by 2020.
Smart meters are designed for the most accurate monthly billing, rather than reading their meter manually. The meter also records usage in real time, so the user knows how much energy they’re using at a glance.
Other Ørsted Energy Meters
It’s not said explicitly how customers can submit meter readings, or how they read different types of meters, but logging into the Ørsted portal is probably the way to go.
Customers with a supply agreement can have an AMR Meter (Automatic Meter Readings) installed. This means bills are more accurate and access to the meter doesn’t have to be pre-arranged. It’s similar to having a smart meter in terms of reporting to the energy company but doesn’t report usage and cost to the user in real time.
Ørsted Energy Bills
Your bill can be paid by bank transfer, Direct Debit or cheque. To change your payment method, or adjust your Direct Debit, you can log into your online account.
Ørsted Energy App
There’s no app available for customers, but many features are accessible through the Ørsted Portal. By logging in you can see your energy consumption broken down by the half-hour, costs for the previous month, and much more.
Switching To Ørsted Energy
There’s no information on the Ørsted website about switching and how long it takes. The most relevant information is in their welcome pack.
Moving locations With Ørsted Energy
There’s not much info about moving locations either, but giving them a call or logging into your online account would probably be the best place to start.
Ørsted Energy Fuel Mix
Coal – 0% (8.5% UK average)
Natural gas – 0% (44.1%)
Nuclear – 0% (21.0%)
Renewable – 100% (24.2%)
Other – 0% (2.2%)
Ørsted Energy In the News
Demand side response: Ørsted predicts higher revenues for energy flexibility
22 Nov 2017, The Energyst
Speaking at an energy conference, Jeff Whittingham claims Ørsted have been able to keep customers by launching products that “pay companies to adjust consumption”.
74% think shifting to clean energy will boost the economy (Please note this piece was sponsored by Ørsted)
17 Nov 2017, Sustainable Brands
Stats commissioned by Ørsted show that people across 13 different countries are supportive of a green future. 73% think green energy will produce more jobs and be cheaper to use than fossil fuels.
Ørsted to sell half of the world’s largest wind farm for £2bn
1 Nov 2017, Financial Times
Ørsted is “selling a 50% stake in the world’s largest wind farm for £2bn” to raise profits. The energy supplier is the world’s largest wind farm operator and is selling 50% to two Danish pension firms in equal portions.
Ørsted Energy Complaints
There aren’t many review sites covering Ørsted at the moment, and many of the reviews on their Trustpilot page are, understandably, written in Danish. Many of these customers will use Ørsted for their domestic energy in Denmark, rather than just business.
59% of Trustpilot reviewers give them 1 star and 21% score them as ‘Excellent’, bringing them down to 2 stars on average. There are some good reviews in there, but there are more bad ones.
Ørsted haven’t reported how quickly they deal with complaints, but their procedure and how to complain, are explained in a document.
Contact Phone Numbers & Email
Phone: 0800 056 8101 (Mon-Fri 8:30 am-5:30 pm)
Email: [email protected]
Ørsted Energy Address
5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG
Website: https://orsted.co.uk/
Ørsted Energy Summary
Unfortunately, there isn’t a huge amount of information on Ørsted’s website, so it’s difficult to judge how efficient they are, how long switching takes, or how competitive their pricing is. You also need to be able to understand Danish quite well to find the content of the reviews useful.
The best way to judge their affordability would be to enquire yourself with your specific business information.
Pros:
- Fuel mix is 100% renewable
- Choice of fixed and variable tariffs, both gas and electric.
- Some review scores aren’t too bad, and overall they score significantly better than most of ‘The Big Six’.
Cons:
- Not many review sites out there to compare.
- Information about pricing and servicing is difficult to find or you have to enquire directly to get it.
- Ørsted seems quite an anti-smart meter.