Hidroelectrica customers in the Facebook group have created a guide that describes the advantages and disadvantages of concluding an energy supply contract with this company. The initiative came about, they say, after they noticed a recurring question in this group about whether to become a Hidroelectrica customer.

The guide begins with a disclaimer from the person who initiated the publication:

“I note that I am NOT an employee of Hidroelectrica or another economic operator that competes with Hidroelectrica, and the advantages and disadvantages presented below are strictly based on my point of view as a customer of Hidroelectrica, but as an administrator of this group that is NOT owned by Hidroelectrica or any to any other operator on the Romanian energy market”.

Below are the conclusions of the group members based on their own experience:

Advantages:

• very good price compared to other competitors, especially for those with high consumption (over 300 kWh).
• you don’t need to pay a daily subscription;
• the actual maturity date is 45 days for paying the bill;
• a guarantee that you have a large company that is not an apartment firm as a supplier and that you will not disappear from the market when you are absorbed by suppliers of last resort (FUI);
• the conclusion of the contract can be easily done online in just a few minutes, but it can also be done by mail or physically at any Hidroelectrica branch;
• there is an online account called iHidro available on both Android and iOS. In this online account we can see the history of invoices and payments, the index can be sent, but at the moment it does not offer the ability to pay HE invoices;
• the index can be easily submitted using the HE web platform, phone or online iHidro account;
• many payment methods, both online and physical. There are no cashiers in Hydroelectric branches;
• 100% green energy.

Disadvantages:

• although there is a newer online account (iHidro), the information displayed on the account is not accurate for all customers and contains all kinds of errors (invoices cannot be downloaded by those with Android 13 and iOS, the last index provided is not sent by the client, and the one delivered by HE, which also contains an estimate for the last days of the month, etc.);
• iHidro online account does not have a history of index transfers, and no confirmation e-mail is received for index transfer, as is the case on the HE web platform;
• unfortunately, Hidroelectrica bills cannot currently be paid in iHidro;
• iHidro’s online account doesn’t offer many features compared to competing apps;
• difficult communication with Hidroelectrica both from the point of view of the call center department and the very small number of TE departments. In addition, the schedule in these departments is very reduced, usually only one hour per day from Monday to Friday;
• currently billing is monthly, sometime after the 25th of the month, but there are still plenty of fellows who haven’t been billed in months, months, maybe even years, but I’d consider them exceptions. We have colleagues in the group who claim they have not received invoices since 2022. However, I wanted to clarify this as it is a sad reality that can be resolved with either those from HE or, lastly, ANPC and ANRE;
• no online payment processor;
• the customer service department leaves much to be desired, both from the side of written complaints and from the side of the call center;
• there is no extensive network of contacts with the population, as other electricity suppliers have. Not every district has a work station. Working hours are unjustifiably reduced in branches. We hope to increase this work program and also to open more HE branches in the country;
• late invoicing to customers who are also consumers. For this category of customers, quite long delays in issuing invoices are observed;
• there are no cashiers in Hidroelectrica branches, you can pay in cash only at selfpoint points or multi-functional BCR ATMs;
• being a state-owned company that has not invested in digitization or in creating clear and efficient procedures in time, there is a rather obvious rigidity and slowness in dealing with customers, which even becomes frustrating for customers. However, little progress has been made compared to a year ago.

Other customers added:

• Thank you. The price is important to me, we will handle the rest!
• I want to let you know that on iOS you can download/save the invoice to your phone.
• More workstations or longer schedule for existing ones = higher costs for personnel/physical premises and related services, leading to higher prices. All private competitors have closed most of their outlets in recent years to maximize their profits, thus reducing costs.
• Online card payment = an acceptance fee to be paid by the supplier (not the payer) of 1% of the amount collected through this payment channel, which will also be reflected later in the prices.
• Cash payments through multiple channels – service providers and ATMs, other than commercial banks where the company has open accounts, usually have higher fees than those that accept card payments. So we return to the conclusion from the point above about accepting card payments.
• I would not consider the lack of cashiers in VO branches to be a disadvantage. Over the years, most traditional electricity and/or natural gas providers have abandoned point-of-sale collection activities. Given the multitude of payment methods available to all categories of customers, the promotion did not have a negative impact on customers. Those who are used to paying in cash have reoriented themselves to alternative payment channels and adapted. Why does a supplier, relatively new to the energy market, resort to long-established practices?
• No bill since August 2023 but I am waiting as I have time.
• I have a contract with Hidroelectrica from October 2022. I have not received a bill in all this time. I filed a complaint with consumer protection, and surprise. I don’t actually have a contract with them. I would like to note that this is the first contract with an electricity supplier. Romania, the country of all possibilities. (The customer publishes a response from Hidroelectrica dated January 2024, in which the company informs that it did not register the contract “due to a robot error” and asks to resubmit the documents).

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