Certas Energy Review

Below is a review I left of Homefuels Direct, which is basically Certas, so I thought I'd share my experience for those considering going direct (spoiler alert - DON'T)

Price is good but that's where it ends. Having made a number of orders with them, all of them have taken the maximum amount of time estimated and never turned up on the day they notified it would. If your delivery is on a Friday forget it, you wont see them until the following week, that's happened to me twice now. They also don't respond to queries through the online form, you have to get their number online if you want to speak to someone.
Written in great frustration because, anticipating higher usage over Christmas and longer lead times I ordered oil before Christmas but it didn't turn up today as advised and I have run out of oil.

Reading some other reviews other seem to be having the same issue as me but struggle to contact them. They are part of Certas Energy and the number is 0345 600 4040

Update on 10/1/24

Still no oil! 6 days without heat or hot water. I have been speaking regularly with Certas Customer Services, who are very nice but as much use as an ash tray on a motorbike. They can't call the depots only email them or send a message through some internal written comms system, which I'm certain is completely ignored by the depots, who don't care because they know that they don't have to answer to anyone. They don't know where the depots are, although 30 seconds on the internet solved that one. They have absolutely no influence whatsoever over your delivery so can do nothing but tell you what the website can, they have no ability to offer any service whatsoever.
The excuse every day has been that the driver ran out of time, yet I was told this morning that I was the 10th delivery so should be with me mid-morning. Which is EXACTLY what I was told this evening when I rang to hear the same rubbish they've been spouting all week. I've probably got the truck that only does 9 deliveries!

I'm supplied by their Bristol Branch who clearly couldn't organise the proverbial in a brewery.

Also noted that their price comparison graph comparing them to BoilerJuice is extremely deceptive because in my area the aren't at the moment. I think they are probably picking their lowest price and BoilerJuice's highest, which is for an emergency delivery.

I responded to their message below (you cant see it in this post, but check other bad reviews to see it because it's boilerplate), which was followed up by 2 standard emails, the first saying that my query had been sent to the 'relevant dept' and the second, today, saying that my query hadn't been dealt with in the timeframe, but not to worry because they were still dealing with and would come back to me soon.

What a shower of muppets. The short story is they just don't care about service levels and are big enough that they don't care about your custom either, so have put a pointless customer service in place as a buffer to fob you off.

Stick to your local supplier and pay a bit more.

This company is appalling.
They say they will deliver and do not, not once but twice for the same order.
No communication to tell you and you have to call to find out that you are not getting your oil, that you’ve paid for.
This is the Theale branch at least - we will never ever be using Certas again and advise that you buy from anyone else.

Awful customer service! NEVER answer emails. Will occasionally answer the phone, but are rude, arrogant and incompetent at best........
Please avoid as the competition is much much better.

Avoid this company at all cost. They take your money but don’t deliver the goods. There is little to no communication and it is basically you chasing them for answers. False promises of call backs, deliveries and customer service.
They do not even prioritise the elderly and vulnerable.
Then try to complain, they don’t allow you.
Overall a very dissatisfied customer.

Will never use this company again. Never answer the phone despite ringing from early morning to late at night to chase oil delivery.

Pleasant and helpful telephone staff but if you don't haggle the price you can pay 30% more than other providers. Even if you have been a faithful customer for 30 years!!

Brilliant very helpful got me a great deal on cost of fuel oil kerosene. Drivers are polite and friendly

Our fuel is split between 2 tanks but yet every time we have ordered from Certas they seem unable to grasp this..

First time we've used Certas; this through our oil club. Very helpful and friendly delivery driver.

I've had 6 or so deliveries from Certas Energy ordering via The Oil Club. Though I'm told by Certas that they always inform customers of the delivery day in advance only once I have received notification (a text) in advance - about 10 minutes notice! For my latest order I received a text at 2.00pm saying "your fuel delivery is on its way. It is 3.5 miles way" - it never arrived. Now trying to call them and told it would be quicker to get the information I need via the website, so went there and had to register an account which I'm told would pair with my orders, so set up an account and once logged in the site says "no orders found!". Still waiting to see when the delivery is going to be..

I wish it was possible to post Zero Stars, but that's an issue with Google. All I'll say is, if you're disabled, don't trust or listen to these people. Ignorance costs lives, and they are extremely ignorant.

Reminding disabled people we're better off dead is not a good thing in a company - which your employee did by flagging false claims about my wellbeing. She's an evil person and the fact you employ her speaks volumes about corporate abuse.

I phoned CPL (CPL Petroleum is a trading name of Certas Energy UK Ltd) on 17th Feb. to order 1000L of heating oil to be delivered over a 7.5T bridge. They arranged delivery on Fri but failed and CertasUK texted it would be 24th. Another fail another text stating now the 25th. Another fail but no text this time. I phoned and their driver said they don't have a small enough lorry, but leave it with him. I cancelled order.

Steven helped me out loads with a flat tyre on a country road today. Amazing act of kindness!

Fast delivery and a really helpful delivery driver. Great experience!

I bought a quantity of heating oil in containers nearly a year ago from Wrexham. I paid by card at the time. I am still being hounded by demands for payment with threats of interest charges. When I phone I am told to ignore the letters. A chaotic company. Keep clear.

terrible clicky place to work. diabolical communication skills. total stitch up and waste of time.

driver (Former Employee) Midlands November 17, 2015

AVOID AVOID AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE !
This company has so many issues it is difficult to know where to begin. The work is fine with good long hours that can really bung up your pay. The only problem is that they don't like you to do all of your daily work, even if you are willing to do so. The transport side of things is badly run with little or zero interaction between routers and drivers. All communication is not done by phone but via little pieces of paper left in pigeon holes for the next day.
Drivers are slagged off behind their back and are hired and fired with no just cause. If you are a professional driver then DO NOT WORK FOR THIS COMPANY. There s no investment in authorised training and you are expected to work things out for yourself with new units that only a hand full of people know how to operate. One of the driver trainers doesn't even have a class 1 licence yet thinks that he can lecture a seasoned class 1 driver on his driving, it's a total joke. There are time limits to your day and you must be finished by a certain time as otherwise the phone will not stop ringing with planners moaning they want to go home.
Drivers are not allowed to know how to legally keep a record of their hours using manual entries on tacho as it is feared that false records will be entered onto time sheets and tachos.
Far too much clickiness and not enough investment in driver training makes this a company to be avoided at all costs.
With no common sense or initiative shown by planners in respect to the loading of vehicles in a time conscious manner i.e - taking an empty wagon out of a fuel storage depot in the black country and arranging for it to be loaded in Kingsbury at 08:00 not taking into account the aspect of rush hour and then having a go at the driver for being behind time being but one of a very long list of examples.

TO CONCLUDE -
A very clicky place with very clicky people.
If you have a sense of humour
DON'T WORK FOR THIS COMPANY
If you are professionally trained on tachos and road law
DON'T WORK FOR THIS COMPANY
If you don't mind working through your drop list and enjoy the work
DON'T WORK FOR THIS COMPANY
If you have an opinion on a certain aspect of the company and how it can be improved and would like to share it
DONT WORK FOR THIS COMPANY
If you are a winging moaning clock watcher who thinks that the whole world orbits around you, this is the company for you.
Anybody else who comes form general or specialist haulage and knows what they are talking about avoid like the plague !

I just like the nature of their work after reading and learning about them, and wish to be a part of their team. Thanks

After waiting 2 weeks for a oil and being told (once we rang them) that they had missed oil deliveries four times for us, we were then promised oil to arrive on Thursday morning. Nothing was received Thursday, leaving us over bank holiday, easter weekend with no heating or hot water!!!!

Drivers are good, but on planned delivery you always have to call to renegotiate the price or end up paying far more than competitors. They always change the price but it's wearing having to do it before every delivery when a regular plan is meant to save all that hassle.

Order heating oil via Boiler-Juice. Did not deliver as per scheduled or no notification for delay. Called next morning (Friday), apparently they had a vehicle breakdown so they couldn't deliver as per scheduled. They told me the delivery will be sometime next week. And asked me why I ordered so late, I explained we just moved into the house and the tank was empty. And they shouldn't take into consideration that to cover their delay. Very poor service I do not use CertasUK (used to be OJ williams) or Boiler juice any more as both companies couldn't rectify their delay fast enough. Very poor customer service.