Reliable Energy Retailer - How to evaluate

Reading the prior posts there are others considering the same ethical questions and some suggestions.

The same ethical questions are not unique to household electricity supply. The ‘green energy’ retailers rely on offsets (purchased credits) to fill gaps when renewables are not available to meet total customer demand. It’s a compromise.

Similar ethical questions to that of Shell, BP etc investing in low carbon businesses/opportunities can be asked of EV manufacturers who continue to manufacture petrol and diesel motor vehicles. Why purchase any type of EV from Toyota, Hyundai, Ford etc when they are still invested in the old technology?

Given we have the technology needed, one significant impediment to reducing GHG emissions has been a lack of adequate funding/investment. Any new or added investment can only accelerate the rate of change.

Many of us are unhappy about investments such as those made by Shell in PowerShop. It will be interesting to see where the profits of that sale wind up and whether they are used to a climate friendly outcome. Hopefully it is used wisely.

A greater ethical concern for our future generation needs?
The major components of Australia’s new renewable energy transition are mostly produced in China. Is it ethical to support the economy that is one of the two largest global emitters of green house gases? The recent events where production has been cut back due to a shortage in purchases/supply of fossil fuels in China highlights how dependant we are on fossil fuels to provide the technology needed to eliminate it. The other largest emitter is also a significant supplier of products to Australia. We seem ready to do business with them regardless?

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Capitalism is about profits and wealth, full stop. Being a business is there a single reason profits would not be used to fund dividends and executive bonuses as job 1?

On balance the multinationals that are flushed with cash could go on binges to buy more ethical green companies to expand their portfolios and thus survive into the future when all fossil fuels become as ‘popular’ as coal is today. There remain a few such as ExxonMobile whose boards are ‘fat and happy’ with the status quo and resistant to moving on citing their histories of strong dividends being their end-all, as well as the Shells of the industry that are trying to evolve within the economic system that enabled them to become what they are.

Another cynical observation is that most businesses run on percentages to quantify P/L over time, and percentages are used to declare bonuses and dividends. If customers pay a premium for green energy that additive amount could include a bigger margin that also funds more dividends and larger bonuses, Was that part of the expected outcome many consumers have?

A counterpoint, if ‘we’ do not do business with the devil where is the shop we patronise? Not many options as I see it. Startups are very costly and most have to partner with one or another ‘devil’ to bootstrap. There are not so many visionaries with the capital to roll their own.

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How would an annual subscription with Bill Hero work when over a year I pay $zero to the retailer and get a reasonable amount back due to my solar exports?

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For grid connected, it would be on your imports and exports. If they can get a better deal on one or the other, or both, there is still opportunity to benefit. If they achieve a better offer, it would mean your amount in credit each bill will increase. I wouldn’t be thinking that since you don’t have a bill to pay that you are necessarily on the best retail electricity offer.

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Anyone else having issues with Billhero. I signed up after seeing them promoted by Choice. They don’t answer emails or messages and no contact phone on their site. I paid for a subscription but am worried they’ve gone missing. Looking at comments on their FACEBOOK page, it seems a common problem

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Welcome to the Community @Amsadl

Since Choice promoted Billhero I am tapping @AndyKollmorgen and @BrendanMays to see if they have any information.

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Hi @Amsadl,

Sorry to hear you are having some trouble contacting them. If you send me a DM with your details, including phone number, I can follow it up for you

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I’m starting to wonder if I have done the right thing after being “encouraged” by Choice to sign up. I did so on 10/1/22 but have not heard a thing from them. I sent a follow up email a week ago but still nothing. It appears that there is no phone number to make contact either. If Choice wasn’t involved I would be thinking I’d been scammed good and proper. Can anyone throw some light on this for me please?

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Hi @drcool,

I merged your post into this existing one because you seem to be not the only person having worries about Bill Hero and @BrendanMays is on the job. If these experiences are endemic Choice might need to ‘encourage’ Bill Hero to get their act together or reconsider their reference.

I also crosslinked @Amsadl and your comments on

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Thank you PhilT, I will watch with interest.

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Similar experience to me. Paid them and heard nothing for 10 days or so. No response to emails and website messages. After complaining to choice and on their FB page I eventually got an email saying that they could find $0 savings for me!

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I was thinking that would be the case as I believe I have a pretty good deal already. Did you get your money back?

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Hi folks, I understand there’s been some difficulty contacting Bill Hero, apologies for any frustration this has caused. They are a relatively small company and unfortunately have been affected by some short term staffing shortages that has meant a delay in reply. We understand they are working through the backlog, and if you have any concern you can also send me a DM or email us at ausconsumer@choice.com.au and we will ensure that your message is received.

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Thank you @BrendanMays my only concern is whether they will give me my money back!!

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Yes, but you look at their website and they post rolling claims that they have just saved Mrs x $y and Mr A $B, at the same time as not responding to emails and website messages. No mention that response times are affected.

E.g.“We just found $1,259.72 savings for Hamish in Mount Osmond, 5064. How much will we save you?”

Not even an email to give some idea of when you’ll hear from them. It’s worrying when you see this and get not even an email. That is until you kick up a stink and then get a message saying they can save you $0

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Haven’t got my refund yet. I’ll give them a few more days

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I in fact got an email response from them very soon after I posted the previous comment. They apologised for the delay on the grounds of a staff shortage due to Covid, Soon after the apology email I got another with the details of retailers where I can save money on my current plans, for both electricity and gas!! I have taken them both up and will see how this eventuates. Fingers crossed.

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Hi @BrendanMays, even a fairly amateurish company might be expected to put up an auto reply stating ‘short staffed because of COVID. Apologies we are backlogged and hope to reply in X days, but if we don’t please accept we are trying’ as compared to apologising when they finally responded and their customers getting nervous.

Therein seems the problem that they appeared to be live in action at work yet were not really. Maybe they realise that in hindsight, or maybe you could tap them on the shoulder about it if they have a smilar situation in future.

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Exactly. Or ideally tell you that before taking your money, so you can decide whether to proceed or hold off. Looking at their FB page this has been an ongoing problem for some time, not just now

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A post was merged into an existing topic: Energy switching options - Bill Hero for CHOICE introduction