TOTO Energy reviews: customer service & complaints

When TOTO Energy ceased trading in October 2019, Ofgem decided EDF Energy was the most suitable supplier to take on its 134,000 customers. Did former TOTO Energy customers think the company was as bad as it ultimately turned out to be? And what can they expect with their new provider? We had a look at reviews for both providers to find out.

Since the closure of this supplier, information in this guide is no longer frequently updated. All information presented here was correct at time of original publication and is for reference purposes only. For more up to date information please contact the new supplier directly.

While customer review websites reveal that TOTO Energy customers were generally unsatisfied with the energy provider’s service, it appears that overall, customers are pleased with the newly appointed provider.

According to Citizens Advice, EDF Energy had almost double the approval rating of TOTO Energy during the first half of 2019. Since TOTO Energy closed, EDF has consistently performed well, and most recently ranked 8th out of 35 providers for customer service (last updated May 2021).

Data taken from most recent available for TOTO Energy, compared with the data for the same period from EDF.

We’ve broken down the reviews for both companies to reveal what TOTO Energy customers really had to say, as well as give insight as to what they have to look forward to with their new energy provider.

Customer service reviews

According to Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, “when a company is struggling, customer service is often the first thing to suffer.” We did some digging to see if TOTO Energy reviews regarding customer service foreshadowed the provider’s ultimate failure.

We found the majority of customers who left reviews reported having a negative experience when dealing with TOTO Energy’s customer service. Many customers complained it was extremely difficult to contact TOTO Energy. It appears that having to wait for long periods of time to get through to a representative and being promised callbacks that never happened were leading causes of frustration for former TOTO Energy customers.

“Quite simply the WORST customer service. On hold for hours, requested call back, waited weeks for said callback.”

According to Citizens Advice, the average wait time to speak to a customer service agent was 23 minutes. Former TOTO Energy customers who were patient enough to wait reported having mixed experiences with customer service representatives once they got through. Some reviews mention rude and unhelpful staff members, while others say the TOTO Energy agents were friendly and attentive.

We did notice a trend in the customer service reviews becoming increasingly negative during the months leading up to TOTO Energy closing. It’s likely the company didn’t have the adequately-sized customer service department to keep up with the increase in its customer base.

In late July 2019, just three months before going bust, TOTO Energy bought 43,000 customers from Solarplicity. Even when smaller and newer energy providers don’t buy thousands of customers from another company, it’s still common for the quality of their customer service to decline as the number of customers increases.

Can customers expect better customer service from their new provider?

Even though EDF Energy only received an average rating of three out of five stars for customer service from Which’s? annual customer satisfaction survey, most of the reviews on customer review sites reflect positive experiences.

Customers that were recently switched from TOTO Energy have generally reported the customer service to be very helpful.

“Having been through two smaller energy companies that both went into administration in 2019 and then transferred over to EDF, the service has been impeccable from them from the start. Customer service staff both on the phone and live chats have been excellent and supportive leading to really positive experiences which emphasise the importance of getting the energy company selection right. Thank you EDF, I'm relieved to be a new customer of yours and look forward to continued outstanding customer service! Thanks again!!”

While most former TOTO Energy customers appear to be pleased with their new provider’s customer service, some have still reported having difficulty when contacting their new supplier.

“Having had them forced upon me by the regulator following the demise of TOTO, it took a total of NINE attempts , several e.mails and waiting on the telephone for periods of up to 55 minutes before I got to speak to somebody.”

According to Which?, the average call wait time is three minute and two seconds. This is the quickest call response time out of the Big Six. If customers do find themselves on hold for a long period, we recommend contacting the supplier via its live chat. Which? found its live chat response time to be just one minute and 10 seconds. The reviews also show that customers are extremely impressed with this service.

“Contacted EDF via their live chat service recently. My query was dealt with extremely quickly and competently. Would definitely use again if necessary.”

Value for money reviews

In regards to value for money, we found TOTO Energy reviews to be generally negative. Even though the company’s tariffs were not the most expensive on the market, many customers reported they were unsatisfied with the service and didn’t believe their money had been well spent.

“The phrase “you get what you pay for” springs to mind. . . . As a company they are the worst I’ve ever dealt with, and not worth the pennies you save. Basically don’t waste your time.”

We noticed a trend in the reviews for both pay-as-you-go customers and customers who pay by direct debit. The reviews show that many customers switched to TOTO Energy because they believed it would save them money on their gas and electricity bills. Unfortunately, many of these customers reported feeling misled because they ended up having to pay more than they did before switching to TOTO Energy.

“Was promised it would be a cheaper tariff and I would save money but to be honest I've had to top up my meters all the time and I've used more money with this company. They are a scam so do not use them.”

“The company are a disgrace. Instead of saving me money, less than 6 months into this misleading contract, I'm paying double the amount I paid my old supplier.”

Can customers expect to get more value for their money with their new provider?

Which? gave EDF Energy only two out of five stars for value for money. British Gas, Npower and Scottish Power received the same rating. While we didn’t find many negative reviews concerning pricing, we do know that the provider’s out-of-contract tariffs are some of the most expensive on the market.

Luckily, the provider offers fixed-price tariffs for all customers, no matter if they pay via direct debit, billing or prepayment. The fixed-price energy tariffs are competitively priced. The cheapest ones don’t include access to the call center, but customers can still contact a representative via the live chat.

In contrast to the low score from Which?, the reviews show that customers are generally satisfied with what they are paying for gas and electricity.

“They are very competitively priced and their customer service is fantastic. Honestly - after dealing with some of their competitors over the years I recommend switching to EDF if you haven't already.”

If you are a former TOTO Energy customer that is now with EDF Energy, and you notice that your new unit rate is higher than it was with TOTO Energy, you are eligible for a rebate. Customers have until 27 April 2020 to request the credit from their new energy supplier. It will either be credited to your first bill or added to your prepayment key and card.

Billing and switching reviews

Billing seems to have been a major issue for former TOTO Energy customers. Citizens Advice gave the supplier just two out of five stars for bill accuracy, and three out of five stars for bill timeliness. This data is from the second quarter of 2019, just before TOTO Energy bought customers from Solarplicity. We imagine the issues became worse after TOTO Energy took on 43,000 more customers.

A trend we noticed in TOTO Energy reviews is that customers generally had a good first impression of the company. Many reviews praised TOTO Energy for how simple it was to switch over from a different electricity and gas supplier.

“Very very simple. 100% I have never had such a simple sign up!! Thanks TOTO”

Unfortunately, the reviews show that TOTO Energy often increased the monthly amount for direct debit customers even though the customers reported being in credit and having the same energy consumption.

“Not a company I would ever recommend. They kept taking money from us despite our account being in credit over £700. Now we have left we still waiting for a refund with promises broken and emails ignored. Avoid like the plague.”

It appears many customers decided to leave TOTO Energy before the company went bust because of such issues. Unfortunately for them, many reviews show customers continued to have issues with TOTO Energy when switching away.

“I've been with Toto for about 1 year. I've decided to change suppliers and when they closed my bill I was overcharged £679.64. I am literally fighting for more than 1 month to get my money back. I was told that the money will be on my account in 5 workings. this was told 15 working days ago.”

How do billing and switching reviews compare for the new provider?

Citizens Advice awarded five out of five stars to EDF Energy for its overall bill score. According to the charity, 98.1% of customers reported they received an accurate energy bill at least once a year, and 98.7% received their bills on time.

We think it’s safe to say that former TOTO Energy customers will be in much better hands when it comes to billing.

The only downside we see for customers coming from TOTO Energy is that smart meters may lose smart functionality. The meters would continue to work, but they would function like traditional meters and customers would need to provide meter readings to ensure they receive accurate bills.

The reviews show that some former TOTO Energy customers are not pleased with their meters losing the smart component. The company says it is working on the issue, but can’t give a timescale.

“Since my account became up and running, I received a message on my account and an email saying that SMET 1 Smart meters, which I have, are not compatible with them. . . . Yes I have energy. But I now have to submit 6 monthly meter readings which I know makes your bill less accurate than if I had daily smart meter readings.”

For former TOTO Energy customers who decide they do not want to stay with their new provider, it appears to be a much easier and less stressful switching process than it was with TOTO Energy when customers tried to leave.

“Although I recently left EDF energy for slightly better prices (I tend to switch every year) I must say they have been very easy to deal with. They have a very good online system and both joining and leaving them has been carried out without any fuss. They credited my account with my over payment in a timely manner and I would not hesitate in rejoining them next year if the price is right. . . .”

How did TOTO Energy handle complaints?

When customers make a complaint to their energy provider, they want it to be resolved as quickly and professionally as possible. Let’s have a look at TOTO Energy’s complaint data to see how efficiently they were able to resolve complaints. Unfortunately, the most recent data we were able to find is from 2018.

Most recent data available before the provider went bust in 2018

If you have an unresolved complaint with TOTO Energy, your new provider is unfortunately not required to take it on. If you opened a complaint with the Energy Ombudsman about TOTO Energy, you can expect to be contacted at some point in the future.

If you need to contact TOTO Energy about your unresolved complaint, you can call the EDF customer service team on 0333 210 7070.

How well does EDF Energy handle complaints?

For 2021, EDF Energy was awarded a complaint score of three out of five stars from both Citizens Advice and Which? We gathered data from Ofgem to see how quickly the company is able to resolve complaints.

Most recent data at the time of writing. Last updated: May 2021

We can see that the provider is reasonably consistent in its complaint handling process. If your complaint is not resolved by the next working day, it does appear the complaint resolution team makes an effort to solve all complaints within eight weeks, and a 93% ratio puts it among the best-performing large suppliers in this regard.

What is the new procedure for handling complaints?

EDF Energy explains its complaint process on its website. The company says its customer service representatives are trained to be professional and sensitive when dealing with complaints.

If you have a complaint, you should call 0333 200 5100. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturday from 8am to 2pm. You can send an email to [email protected], or write a letter addressed to FREEPOST: EDF Energy – Plymouth.

If you are not pleased with the resolution of the complaint, you can escalate it to the Complaint Resolution Team. A member of the team will conduct a full review of your issue and try to resolve it within ten working days.

You can contact the Complaint Resolution Team by calling 0333 200 5101. Complaint handlers are available from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also email the team at [email protected] or write a letter to FREEPOST: EDF Energy – Complaints Resolution.

If you are still unsatisfied with how your complaint was resolved, you can request a deadlock letter. This is written confirmation that the provider was unable to resolve the complaint. You are then able to refer the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. You can still refer the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman without a deadlock letter if it hasn’t been resolved within eight weeks.