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SSE Review Summary
Who are SSE?
SSE are headquartered in Perth, Scotland. They were formed in September 1998 when Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric merged. They are listed on the London Stock Exchange and are a FTSE100 constituent.
They have almost five million customers or around 12% of the UK market. They employ just over 20,000 people.
In 2013, SSE became the UK’s largest officially accredited Living Wage Employer. In 2014 they became the first FTSE100 company to be awarded the Fair Tax Mark for being fully transparent about their tax affairs.
In January 2020, SSE became part of the OVO Group. During this year they won five Uswitch awards.
What tariffs do SSE offer?
SSE offer three fixed-rate tariffs and one variable-rate tariff.
The fixed-rate tariffs have either a one- or two-year fixed-rate period and come with a smart meter included. One of the variable-rate tariffs comes bundled with a Smart Home Package which comprises a Nest Thermostat E and a Google Nest Mini.
In addition to these four tariffs, SSE also offer a tariff aimed at the drivers of electric vehicles. This one-year, fixed-rate tariff lets electric vehicle owners have 2,000kWh of electricity free of charge which they can use to charge their vehicle overnight. SSE claim this is the equivalent of 8,000 free miles.
The fixed-rate tariffs are not available to pre-payment customers. Pre-payment customers areonly able to access the variable-rate tariff. None of the tariffs have an exit fee, other than the tariff that is bundled with the Smart Home Package where there is an exit fee of £75 per fuel.
SSE also operate a ‘feed-in’ tariff for people who generate their own renewable energy.
How do SSE compare price?
In their recent energy supplier survey, Which? gave SSE three out of five stars for value for money.
However, since SSE became part of the OVO Group, cheaper tariffs may be available from OVO Energy, Boost or Spark Energy.
What do other SSE reviews say?
Citizen’s Advice give SSE an impressive 3.85 out of five stars, putting them in 5th place out of 40 energy suppliers. They scored SSE particularly well for complaints handling, billing and completing switches. However, Citizen’s Advice criticised SSE for taking longer than average to answer the phone.
Which? put SSE in joint 24th place out of 35 energy suppliers. Again, SSE’s complaints handling and general customer service were praised, although in other areas Which? thought that SSE was only average.
The reviewers at TrustPilot have had mixed experiences with the reviewers either loving SSE or hating them. 50% of the reviewers rate SSE at either good or excellent. However, 46% of the reviewers rate SSE as either poor or bad.
Interestingly, the TrustPilot reviewers who complain are complaining about failings in SSE’s customer service, whereas the reviewers who praise SSE praise them for excellent customer service.
How green is SSE’s energy?
Only 23% of SSE’s electricity comes from renewable sources. The majority (67%) comes from gas. 4% comes from coal and 4% comes from nuclear power.
However, SSE are investing heavily in renewable energy via their its subsidiary SSE Renewables which built and operates Meentycat wind farm. At 72MW, this wind farm is currently the largest wind farm in Ireland.
They also operate a ‘feed-in’ tariff for people who generate their own renewable energy and feed that energy into the National Grid, and they operate a tariff to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles.
What is SSE’s customer service like?
SSE are mostly praised for their customer service in online reviews, although, they are criticised for their customer service by half of the reviewers on TrustPilot.
Their average call wait time is around 50% longer than the average energy supplier call wait time, although they respond to live chat requests in around the same length of time as their competitors.
Their call centre opening hours are fairly standard, but unusually, they offer longer call centre opening hours for their pre-payment customers. Pre-payment customers can also access the SSE call centre on Sundays, an option which is not available to direct debit customers and customers who pay on receipt of a bill.
There are only 4.2 complaints per 10,000 customers according to Citizen’s Advice, which is considerably lower than other energy companies.
What is SSE’s website/app like?
The SSE website looks great and it’s easy to find the information that you need. It contains an online portal that lets you manage most aspects of your SSE account. However, there is no live chat feature.
There is also an app that works with both Android and Apple’s iOS devices. The app lets you perform the same transactions that you can perform via the online portal.
The SSE app scores an impressive 4.6 stars at Google’s Play Store and an even better 4.8 out of five stars.
What billing options are available?
SSE offer payment via monthly direct debit, either with a fixed monthly amount or a variable monthly amount based on your actual usage.
The fixed monthly amount is based on a customer’s estimated energy usage and is reviewed regularly. Customers can change the date on which the direct debit is taken online.
The variable direct debit option requires customers to submit regular meter readings, although customers with smart meters don’t have to do this as the smart meter will submit their meter readings for them automatically.
Customers can also pay by credit or debit card, bank transfer, cheque or cash.
Pre-payment customers can either top up at a PayPoint or, if they have a smart meter, they can top up online.
Do SSE offer smart meters?
All of SSE’s fixed-rate tariffs come with a free smart meter although the standard variable-rate tariff does not. You can switch to SSE if you already have a smart meter, although your smart meter may lose its smart functionality and only operate as a conventional meter.
Pre-payment customers on smart meters can top up their balance online rather than having to go to a PayPoint to top up their balance.
Do SSE offer a recommend a friend referral scheme?
SSE do not offer a friend referral scheme.
Below are a few quick questions you may need answers to along with our SSE review:
Do they work with pre-payment meters?
SSE accept pre-payment meters. In fact, their call centre is open longer for pre-payment customers.
Do they accept Economy 7?
SSE accept Economy 7.
Are they signed up to the Warm Home Discount?
SSE are signed up to the Warm Home Discount. You can register your interest in the scheme at their website.
Are they signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee?
SSE are signed up to the Energy Switch Guarantee. According to Citizen’s Advice, 98.7% of switches are completed within 21 days.
Do they mention about the Priority Services Register?
SSE operate a Priority Services Register for their vulnerable customers.
Do they offer a ‘Dual Fuel’ discount?
SSE do not offer a ‘Dual Fuel’ discount. However, they offer discounted heating breakdown cover or broadband if you buy those from them as part of an energy supply bundle.
Will they offer to pay a customer’s exit fees when they join them?
SSE will not pay any exit fees charged by a customer’s previous energy supplier. Those fees will remain the responsibility of the customer.
What happens if you move home whilst with them?
If you move home while you are an SSE customer, you’ll need to give SSE the details online. You may also be able to set up a new SSE account for your new home at the same time.
Do they offer any incentives for joining?
With one of SSE’s fixed-rate tariffs, customers get a free Smart Home Package which consists of a Google Nest Thermostat E and Google Nest Mini.
SSE also operate SSE Reward which gives their customers preferential access to events at SSE-sponsored venues, as well as access to exclusive SSE customer lounges at the venues and related prize draws.
How to contact SSE
You can contact SSE in a number of ways. Below as part of our SSE review we’ve detailed all their means of contact:
Customer Email: No email address listed
Telephone: 0345 070 7373
Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Saturday, 9am to 2pm. Longer opening hours including Sundays for pre-payment customers
Office Address: Grampian House 200 Dunkeld Road Perth PH1 3GH
How do I switch to SSE?
The easiest way to switch to SSE is through a comparison website. This will allow you to check if SSE is one of the cheapest suppliers for you (tariffs vary based on your area) and will allow you to quickly and easily switch to them.
My complaints are logged as “General Enquiry”, and so no wonder that SSE are listed as receiving few complaints.
I inherited a pre-payment meter at my property. It took me several hours on the phone simply to register as the new owner. Their attitude to low income householders is abysmal.4 months on, I am still unable to pay by direct debit or view my account online.
Customer services pass you from one desk to another and back to where you started
The website asks callers to be courteous to their staff; the problem is that customers are angry by the time they finally get through.
I wish there was a 0 star rating I could give. This company is the definition of trash! I’ve been trying to switch over to direct debit for my gas for 2 years since moving into the property, because the current pay as you go system has me paying close to £70 PER WEEK! during the winter! That’s £280 per month just for the gas! For a 2 bedroom flat! Understandably at first, they said it was due to Covid-19. But after they opened back up their engineers simply didn’t show up twice! Now they’re telling me I need to wait until the 5th of Jan 2022 to get my next appointment! Like what! I’m currently on the line with them as they’re transferring me back and forth from department to department with neither having a clue of what they’re doing. Utter nonsense!!
I cannot begin to express my dismay about the abysmal service SSE now offers its customers – so very different from 5 years ago.
After completing an online change of tenancy form with gas & electric meter reading, names, forwarding addresses, email addresses etc it has become apparent that the online forms are simply ignored.
I have now just got off the phone following a wait of 31 minutes for one person (Pau) who could acknowledge the meter readings but not close the account. I then another 26 minutes wait for Flora who thankfully took my number because we almost immediately got cut off. She was lovely but explained that she didn’t want the name of the new tenant but that would be for a different team (the split bill team???).
This was my third call following the online form and yet still I haven’t been able to complete the change of tenancy.
Having spent around 3 hours on what should have been a simple exercise, I have now made a formal complaint but assume SSE just don’t care.
I will never use SSE again and would advise others to try and avoid them too.
SSE been harassing me now for 9 months with letters headlined – “Final reminders to submit meter readings” or something like that, as it turned out my Smart meters have never worked and I have been getting estimate bills for nearly two years.
Since I have Smart meters, option to submit meter readings online isnt available to me, calling their CS also doesnt help, was advised there is some issue and they cant submit my meter readings.
I just had another estimated bill from them, at the same time they also changed my DD from £46 to £96
Engineer who was scheduled to come in to look at the meters never showed up, phone line they have for smart meters never answers calls(not exaggerating on this I think I have totalled over 5h waiting on them to answer, couple times called them myself then one time was transferred there by CS).
Not sure if can change energy supplier with broken meters and also planning to move next spring so looks like will need to put up with these halfwits.
I’m on the phone for an hour now trying to talk to one of your agents about an incorrect bill you have sent to me. Your customer service is absolutely disgusting!
SSE…….
How this company can have the audacity to proclaim of their having a Customer Service Department is criminal.
Will senior management listen to their customers
PS numerous phone calls and 3 email complaints later I still await “any response”
I have never been so dissapointed with a provider in my entire life. i live with my 1 child and they tried claiming i used £90 a month in just gas. My current supplier charges me less than half that and that isnt even estimated, i input meter readings every month, same i did with SSE. This company is literally impossible to get hold of, but when you owe them money, they literally call you 3+ times a day, they want ALL the money in one go, wont accept a monthly payment to pay off the last bill. basically they think i can afford to pay them 90 in one go when i am also paying 35 to my new supplier and i couldnt ever afford the 90 with them in the first place. its like they want all their money before they get shut down……
they also declined my warm home discount which i was entitled to and have had with previous suppliers. id honestly rather have no gas at all than go with these theives. i was sold the world when i got offered to join SSE, but then was given a bucket of vomit and charged £90 a month for the privilege. Avoid this company like its covid in a pipe!
Unbelievable! They are still charging me for a service I canceled almost three months ago. I’m not even in the country anymore and they don’t answer my emails. By telephone they don’t tell my family member what’s going on either. And there is not an explanation whatsoever in my bill. I’m terribly dissatisfied with SSE.
Please everyone careful from this company SSE ITS THE WORSE COMPANY I HAVE EVER SEE THE ADVISERSNEVER HELP YOU THE HANG THE PHONE THEY MADE ME CRY TODAY I WAS ON THE LINE 6 hours never solved my issue and still I’m crying I have my 95 year granny in the house my electric of 2 days and I don’t know way They don’t care about anything they only want take ur money please don’t signup with them if u miss one payment they cut you electric I’m shocked and u will never get speak with the manger even in ur dream sorry about my English but I wanted to warn everyone
By far the worst company I have ever dealt with (by a country mile)
HORRIFIC customer service, hours
( one call lasted 1 hr 45 mins )
inflated “estimated bills” – We’ll, you think the solution would be submit a accurate reading right ? … Wrong ! Even that is impossible for them. Transferred to South Africa – then promised a “call back” … Ill leave it to your imagination as to whether they called back. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
SSE switched my electricity supply without my consent from my existing energy supplier. Started sending bills, and threatening letters to someone else with a different name to my address. After I contacted them to complain they simply switched the erroneous electricity account to my name and failed to address the Breach of OFGEM Erroneous Transfer Customer Charter. In regards to this SSE have acted with impunity, zero accountability and total disregard to OFGEM standards and customer service of which I have had no response from at all despite numerous attempts to contact them and raise a complaint. All I have had are more bills, threatening letters and threats of court action for providing a service to me that I never authorised and they effectively stole from my authorised energy supplier.
My experience with SSE has been nothing but abysmal and extremely stressful. I strongly advise everyone to steer well clear and get your energy supply from elsewhere.
Terrible company. I’ve spent an hour now just wanting to correct a mistake in my bills. The support of the company is located somewhere in India, the operators switch me from one to the other in a circle. No result.
Horrible company! Very unhelpful 5 call backs missed, no one turned up for smart meter install after talking to the guy in the morning he didn’t want to come at the time scheduled so just didn’t bother. Multiple days booked off for their appointments that they never turn up for. Can’t get a straight answer out of anyone. Spent hours on hold to never get anything out of them. Closed complaints without resolving!!! Horrendous service!
The worst company I have ever been supplyid by. U possible to get hrough to them and if you do they hang up on you in the middle of the call.