New Hampshire Electric Co-Op Review

If I could give zero stars I would. Found out today they disconnected power to the condo buildings I oversea as treasurer. Which in turn cut all the water off to the units. When I called they claimed they sent disconnection notices and calls. I have no notices in my account online, I received no phone calls as they were calling the number of a previous treasurer. They also said my account number doesn't match theirs. But they somehow found a way to cut the power and demanded $400 to reconnect...which I had to pay to get water back. The most poorly run and managed utility company I have ever had to deal with. Clearly, their records and mine do not match, but I would expect if you are going to cut power and water, that you at least alert one person living there. Rather than sneak in and do it.

I just got a disconnect notice and it is for an overdue balance. I have proof on my smarthub app that I paid 570 between the 28th and the 30th of October. It is a "security deposit" they want me to pay that is 2,300$. They also told me it is 65 and older for them not to shut off your electric during the winter. It says online on puc.NH.gov that you cannot be disconnected during the winter for non payment of a security deposit or portion of a security deposit. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. Unfortunately some of us don't have a choice and are told that we can "only use NHEC" for electric where I live.

A little storm and power is out for a week! Come on, get me out of this backwater. Oh that's right, I am only visiting...

Awful customer service, a poorly designed website, and a nightmare of a time managing your bills makes this electric company one of the worst in NH.

75 degrees , sunny with a breeze and the power goes out. Last time a squirrel walked on a line, and the power went out. What is next , a bird farts and the power will go out ?

I have dealt with NHEC for almost twenty years and in all those years the names have changed but the story remains the same. I particularly enjoyed the outage over thanksgiving a few years ago. Whether it's actual or imagined, they never seem prepared for when a massive outage hits (more often than not) and then they make it sound like they are doing us all a favor by restoring the utilities they are tasked to supply. I bet if someone passed legislation forcing all of the utility companies to reimburse their customers for delivery time lost there would be far fewer long term outages. Let's pass a law, they already collect fees in excess of 50 percent of my bill, maybe they should have to give some back when they can't do their job, and they only have one job....

Terrible service I lose power at a stiff breeze, 6 years of this now in Plainfield

whats funny about n.h. electric is in mass my electric bill using electricity every day is less than the member fee in n.h. time to get a generator.

I must say out of all the electric companies I have ever had to deal with this company is by far one of the worst.
I live on North Hemlock Road in Charlestown NH. This road is covered with limbs growing around powerlines. There doesn't seem to be any preventative measures before a storm comes or for that matter at all. There seems to be a "let's not fix anything until it breaks" way of thinking.
Being without power is a inconvenience for your customers(incase you didn't know)
You should feel very lucky that your customers are trapped with you as a provider.

It's hard for me to understand all of the extremely negative reviews - my personal experience is that they are fast to show up when called, took extra time to explain things to me (a new homeowner with many questions), and their call center folks are friendly and very helpful. Thank you NHEC!

Trying to switch power companies and the woman I dealt with twice now was rude . Called me a liar in different words. Required 1000.00 deposit bc I've never been with them before mind you this is for a rental property . And she was so condescending and refused to give me to a real manager. Said thwy were gone. It's almost worth the drove to Plymouth to go speak to a real person face to face. I'm sure the public utilities commission smwouldnt appreciate them.

This company is horrible, I was so happy to move and get back with eversource.

We suffered a terrible wind storm in October of 2017. As a result, three large pine trees uprooted and were hanging over the last utility pole that leads to my house. Meaning, if the trees were to come down they would take the utility pole down resulting in the lines directly to my house being ripped from the side of my home....a huge danger as my deck that my children and I enjoy three seasons out of the year is directly under the lines. I called NHEC immediately after the storm in 2017 and reported this hazard. The gentleman I spoke with said he d submit a work order. By October of 2018 the trees were still hanging over the utility pole. I called again and was told it would likely be 5 months before Asplundh could remove the trees, ridiculous as I had already waited a year. Finally, December 27th, 2018, Asplundh shows up and takes the trees down. They chipped the brush but left huge sections of the trees in a messy pile next to my driveway. Now after having waited a year to get the trees taken down I m expected to get rid of 3, 35ft pine trees at 10inch diameter. Completely unacceptable, I wish I could give zero stars!

I've never had an outage and I don't have a membership fee,im on disability and pay my bill every month in the third even though it's due by the 10th,and I only pay via the automated system with a debit card that hardly anyone accepts,its exactly what o expect no issues

Lost power yesterday afternoon...NH Coop was easily accessible and notified us that there was a tree on our lines and they had a crew working on it before we called!! Our power was restored within a few hours and we received a follow up call once it was done. We are so very appreciative to have an electric company that keeps us informed and follows up on service calls!! Such a refreshing change from PSNH that would leave us without power for days with NO communication!!

Thieves. The fees are outrageous. I pay more in fees than I do for electricity. How does the PUC allow this? They are just as much responsible.

I emailed the CO OP about about some tree limbs resting on my power line. We still had power and the line wasn't in any imminent danger of falling, but it was still a concern. Within 24 hours of my email, two trucks and crew came out and cut back the offending tree limbs. The guys did a great job on what had been a very busy storm response period for them. Job well done!

we love NHEC! Have had them for the last 11 years and always quick to respond! Thank you for all your support over the years!! We have rarely ever had outages!

This company is very fair and they work with you and everyone I have spoken too is kind and caring. The rates are much lower also then our previous electric company! I feel very lucky to have them!

They'd rather argue with you than give you what you're asking for. So dense that it's infuriating. I don't know how these people get through each day.

The most expensive electric company I have ever seen the fees are more then my electric usage. We have two people living in a very small house with all led lights and brand new efficient appliances and the bill is over $100 a month. Next town over doesn't have the NHEC and friends have a huge house with 6 people in it full time and the bill is about $50 a month. Wish I coulf give zero stars.

Terrible customer support. Stuck in the Stone age and they don't care about customers because they don't have to. They are our only option. We want choice!

These people are terrible to work with. They tell you what you want to hear and then do whatever they want. They act like they want to work with you but they don't. They have way too much power over the homeowner and they abuse it.

Lots of outages for no reason, and I'm extremely annoyed that there's a member fee. I will always have to pay at least $30 even if I don't use electricity. It's my only choice and that's a shame.

I am so disappointed that nhec is the only power provider in my area. Charging me over 700$ because my electronic transfer didn't go through. Bill has never been late..I understand a small fee if the charge doesn't go through but almost 800$?? Cant wait to move just to not have to deal with them! Horrible Policy

We lose power randomly for a few seconds at a time. Not good for the appliance and electronics. I just called in the most recent outage and they had my address wrong in the system. Not sure how that happens, they certainly have the address correct on the bill. I don't have any issues with their storm recovery time, its the random outages on a sunny day that bother me.

They don't care about people at all. Will shut your power off in November when its 20 degrees outside to make you pay and then charge you an extreme fee to come and turn it back on, on top of your bill. Pay us or freeze your house. Not to mention if you fart your power will go out. Horrible company... wish I had a choice... Zero stars if I could.

I've had NHEC for over 28 years. Every power company seems to have challenges ever since the ice storm of 2008. NHEC seems to restore power faster than most, at least for me. Notification system works well, alerting me to power being restored after reporting the outage. This 2017 storm, we lost power for ~30 hours. Lower electrical rate than any others, including the power generation companies competing with EverSource. No complaints for me in 28 years.

They have you by the Bxxxs, 50% of my bills are fees! 50%! I have lived all over the country and never seen anything like this. I have no options but to do business with them.

In Oct 2019, I signed up with NH Elec Co-op for electricity for my newly purchased lot in a 4-season RV campground. I needed power for lights & tv for a 27 ft. camper. (Propane fuel heat, hot water, stove, refrigeration). I planned to stay to spend time in my camper when weather permitted (Spring-Fall) and would keep power on at the lowest possible setting just to keep things from freezing during my absence.
Just to pay for the initial hook up in mid-October, I paid $180. My first bill was $230. So, for lights and tv alone, for one person in a very small space, I paid more than $400--for less than 2 months. I moved out of the camper a week before Christmas. I set the thermostat very low, as I had planned. Of course all lights were off, etc. I returned to NH, to my camper, the third week of March. From that point to April 20, my bill was $248. From April 20 to now, May 18 (when I received the bill), I am being charged $316.24! I am stunned and disgusted! For all the years I lived in Massachusetts, I NEVER was charged such exorbitant rates for electricity! A family of 7 in a 4-bedroom, 2-bath house with electric stove, multiple TVs, electric washer/drier and fridge, outside shed, swimming pool pump, etc--and our electric bill was LESS than what I pay now in a 27' camper--just one person! Really??

I'm stuck using this crap company because no other services are available in my area. I went through a hard time paying my bill due to loss of employment. They're solution, give me an additional $690.00 dollar "security deposit" fee because I'm a "credit risk" to the company! Electricity isn't a luxury, it's a necessity and these people only care about their bottom line!

It s not the price that bothers me. It s not the field guys. They are great. It s the Office folk who are rude and nasty and demeaning. Most always! Nasty people. Horrible. Evil.

I've been calling all morning and they don't even answer the phone!! Very unprofessional!!

Unable to get anyone to answer a phone during a power outage. I am elderly and need information to allow me to make arrangements for my safety and wellbeing.

Worst light company around very expensive and unproffesional. They hire some of the worst employees. Hopeing to get mine switched we are looking into it know.

Make sure the TOWN street light is not on your bill when buying a new house in Raymond! After 15 years and over $1800 in added expenses. Heck the light should have lighted MY property not the street.

I recently moved back to the Canaan N.H. area, and placed a phone call to New Hampshire Electric Coop, to switch the electric services into my name. I have over $1400 per month automotive loans, a mortgage, and more available credit than any self respecting American could use- and this company told me that because I have never had an account with them they require a $500.00 deposit- or "I can contact" my prior electric company and have them fax a letter of good standing! After 11 years renting and 5 years as a home owner I HAVE NEVER heard of this in my life. I have used numerous utility companies, and as any respectable business, they give you the benefit of the doubt. NH Electric Coop wouldn't even pull my credit to verify the fact that I currently have over a 700 score- nor would the transfer me to a member of the management team. The customer service representative, "Karen", was sarcastic and arrogant while answering my questions, and left me absolutely furious, and all together unable to do anything about it, as this disgusting excuse of a business is the ONLY way for me to get electricity short of installing solar panels.

We lose power when the it rains. 10 years of it and it has not got better

Still waiting for power 6 days later. All the neighbors r up and we ve been told twice that we r restored but have not been. 1200lbs of winter freezer food is trash and no one can even say when someone will b here. Maybe this weekend is the response. I do understand that folks r working very hard but being my lines r intact and neighbors off my feed r powered how has not one person even come to glance at this? I feel desperate and sad. We r having fun for the kids sakes (candle lite camping, anyone?) but this is embarrassing, or should b, for the co-op. How do so many lines go down for so long due to wind? We can t be better prepared with adiquate ploles? And we can t have a service list with time estimates per area/residence? Do better or just do anything.

Very expensive service fees and the worse thing is I'm forced to only use them.

The only reason I use NHEC is because it's the only one available where I live but if anybody has the choice between this company and another, DO NOT CHOOSE NHEC, they are useless and have constant problems and when it comes to fixing them, there "estimated " times are completely inaccurate. NHEC Will just aggravate you so don't waist your money. I wish they actually would listen to customers and do something about there issues. I'm glad others clearly have problems to.

A customer of 40+ years. I was recently disconnected without notice in the mail. Co-op states they sent notice but I never received it. I thought I had paid the bill, but apparently the VISA payment did not go through. I called Co-op and was not treated very well by one CS. I asked for a supervisor who called me. Her name was Pam and she was a superb CS. I explained my side and left it with, if there is anything that you can do, please do so. And she did modify things such that I am pleased with the resolution. Thank you Pam!

Awful customer service, website design is confusing, and managing payments is a disaster. If you have the option, DO NOT pick this electric provider.

Shut our power off before our bill was even due. When I called to discuss this issue with a representative, she was incredibly condescending and refused to connect me to her manager. When I disagreed with having to pay a reconnect fee because they chose to shut my power off prematurely, the representative told me that I would just have to deal with my power being shut off each bill cycle until I paid. Aside from the outrageous customer service the deposit fees are absolutely unacceptable. So sad that I am forced to give these people my money as there are no other options in my area.

just pleaded with nh electric cop's supervisor Scott to come and remove young trees and saplings chopped down and left on my road frontage property was told they are not responsible for removing until such time they might during maintenance some time in next few years this debris promotes a fire hazard along with an unsightly mess on a rate payers property very dishonorable and discourteous

Awful! No choice! Should be illegal. Outdated systems, always wretched customer support and ridiculously high fees. We need some competition to weed these kinds of loser companies out.

nhec is amazing! They have conducted tree and line work in my area over the past three years. Installed a high tech meter at my home which allows me to go online , login and see how much elec I'm using day by day, and even compare to previous years. What a great resource. Good company. I figure I need to be prepared for power outages...one hour, or for days by owning off grid devices that will provide a minimum of heat (kerosene heater) and light (power banks and 5w 300 lumens usb light bulb).

Can't use any other company SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. These guys suck but I'm forced to use only them.

I would give a zero if I could.... Horrible people to deal with, Shut my power off when it was 24 degrees outside with no notice while I was at work and charged me $260.00 on top of my bill to turn it back on before my house froze. Go Solar

There is nothing I would like more than to give the co-op 0 stars. They are criminals and can do and charge anything they want since they are the only game in town other than a generator or solar panels. My bill was jacked up by the deposit to the point of no chance of catching up. They shut my power off. I called to try to work something out with them and that went nowhere. Drove down to try to speak with someone in person and they were closed at 330 in the afternoon. I'm sitting in the parking lot collecting my thoughts trying to figure out how to come up with the money to get it turned back on plus the now $200 reconnect fee cause it's now past 4pm and a guy comes out and kicks me out of the parking lot. Not really sure why I'm leaving a bad review. It's not like they are going to loose any customers.... electricity is a necessity and they are the only option.....just very distraught

If there's one thing New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is reliable for it's losing power anytime the wind blows. Thank you CO-OP for not disappointing me today!

Always rude anytime I have to speak to them and they are ridiculously expensive but we are forced to use them.

In the dozen or so years we've been "forced" customers of NHEC (not our choice), the outages have seemingly been more frequent than the outages experienced by our neighbors who have PSNH or Unitil. The price is very competitive but when you have a pacemaker dependent upon reliable electric service, you literally take your life in your hands. The answer I received was "backup generators are very popular". It seems that with every storm, the power goes out and the frustration increases as you can see lights on the homes serviced by PSNH. Utterly ridiculous!

Less than professional.......not concerned with you when you are locked in.

Really wish there were other electric company options in the area! This company is AWFUL - fees, fines.... accidentally hit the wrong bank account when paying my bill (always in a timely manner) and they charged me $30 for a human error. They told me it was a bank fee which was a complete lie because I had my bank call them because my bank offered to pay the fee but ends up its really not a bank fee its just their own fee they just like to tell us that so they dont look so bad... but, they are bad!

Surprised to see all negative reviews. For 6 years I've experienced nothing but excellent service. My house is at the end of the power line deep in the woods. One night a tree came down cutting the power off. It was late Friday night in January, -15F with a blizzard. Somebody walked in snowshoes with a chainsaw a mile from the road, crossed the partially frozen river, cut down and stacked the tree. The power was back in less than 3 hrs. In the city I would have to wait until the end of the weekend at least.

Crazy fees and fines, horrible customer service, rediculously long and frequent power outages. Unexplained voltage drops, and every now and then a random surge might come through. It s a shame, I love the area but I m not renewing the lease, and literally the only reason is NHEC. Putting in complaints to the PUC and BBB

I recently had my service upgraded from 100 to 200 amps. The entire process was great. The line design technician Michelle, and Frank, the district representative were both fantastic to work with. They were quick to return any calls, and always kept me in the loop regarding schedule, etc. They were able to fit the project in sooner than expected which was a big plus. The installation crew came in and made the service upgrade quickly with minimal downtime. Thanks again!

This past week's storms brought another swath of power outages in the lakes region. As I understand it not just limbs but entire trees fell on utility poles breaking them off and pulling all the equipment to the ground.

You might think this was always the case, but not so. NHEC has allowed, due to neglect and pocketing the service fees charged, the growth of trees too close to the ROW's (right-of-way) where old-growth trees with rotted trunks and weakened root systems to cause havoc on the safe delivery of what we all require, as most of us don't read by candle-light anymore, dependable electricity.

You might think it is cheaper to repair utility poles than to clear ROW's of trees, right? Not so fast.....it might be cheaper for the utility, perhaps, but the unionized line workers make big money for overtime, and we ratepayers suffer.

I call on the Governor to put the NHEC members first and cause the books to be opened, find out how much the executives make and what the linemen contracts call for. Members, if one reads the coop laws, have no say, lest one can present at a board meeting at least one-hundred signatures asking for time on the agenda. Imagine that, they think that highly of us as they screw us with service fees and feed us the poorest service anywhere.

Here, in my town, tree crews have been active since labor day clearing ROW's but they are leaving the towering trees. Nothing will change but the NHEC executives can report to the NH Utility commission and Guv Sununu that they are working on it.

NHEC is indeed pathetic and the trees have to come down before they take down the equipment which invariably they will.

Poor line upkeep. Always losing power. Would kill to be able to switch power companies.
This company is terrible

The absolute worst power company that I've ever had to deal with. Recently, their auto pay system failed to charge my credit card for my monthly $40 bill. They then tried to charge me an exorbitant $150 late charge fee. Then their customer support had the balls to actually yell at me on the phone, accusing me of being late on my payment. Absolutely unacceptable behavior, avoid this power company at all costs.

We have had NHEC for 4 years. When we first purchased our home, we made use of the Coop's wonderful rebate program to make our home more energy efficient. This has saved us thousands of dollars; both in paying for the work and the savings from having the work done. We lose our power occasionally, but never for more than an hour. Recently in the extreme heat, our power went off in the middle if the night. We waited a few hours because it usually comes right back on. When it didn't come back, I reported the outage from my smart phone, and theor truck was here within an hour to get things back up and running!

They worked really hard this summer to clear growth back from lines out to my house and it made a huge diffence uptime this winter.

$100 electric bill doubles to $200 with all the fees. I wish someone would start a class action suit against them for gauging their customers who have no other option. The state needs to change their laws that allow monopolies like this and Comcast to take advantage of the public.

The worst electric company I have ever dealt with. I am afraid every time the wind blows, because more often than not, the power is gone, and for hours, sometimes days at a time. They don't give you any updates on when it will be restored, you just have to wait until they are good and ready to do it. The power blinks off frequently for no reason, which is bad for electronics and compressors, and I am constantly resetting clocks, etc because of it. Thank God for my generator, without it, living in rural NH would be unbearable.

Literally the worst company I ve ever had to deal with. Shut off s without notice, totally unwilling to work with single parents with REAL LIFE everyday struggles... NH needs to implement laws to stop huge companies like this from screwing people. Best part is; No other electric provider is available in my area

We have had them for 12 years , never once seen a dividend ! Power surges all the time . Crazy high bills . Not willing to work with people :(

The worst customer service, the worst rates and the worst reliability.

I have found the Co-op to be a responsive organization, the staff have always been pleasant and the line crews are super friendly, upbeat in even the worst of weather, and except when there is a terrible storm, the power is usually restored in two hours. We live in the woods and much of the power lines are not near roads so it is a challenge for the crew to get to the source of the trouble. I'd like to see a lower cost for the basic service, but electric power is still a bargain considering all that it does for us.

Appears to be a monopoly. It is very lame that when you lock up a condo/home and turn off all electricity and your meter stops spinning, they still charge like a 30 dollar a month fee. Greedy like Gordon Gekko.

Worst Power company!!! Avoid if at all possible. 50% of your bill is fees. I had just power to my camper at my land and my bill was over 100 a month... and we were only there on weekend!!! absolutely ridiculous.

Disappointed with the fact that I m required to pay a very high fee on top of my monthly bill. Even more disgusted that the fee is more than my bill. If I had a choice I would choose a different electric provider. Sadly I do not have this option.

NHEC is great at giving updates on power outages! As frustrating as it is when the power does go out, I know it won t be long before it s back on!

Forced to use them. Power goes out all the time and they never tell you what s going on or when to expect it to come back. Our power is out right now and it s a beautiful day. I would give them zero stars if I could. This company needs to be tossed in the trash can.

Terrible company. Mandatory member fee?!? It's the only provider, I have no other choice and the service is terrible.