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MSE News: First Utility faces customer backlash as complaints double
Former_MSE_Paloma
Posts: 531 Forumite
in Energy
First Utility is the latest energy company to face a backlash from disgruntled customers over unresolved complaints...
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First Utility faces customer backlash as complaints double
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First Utility faces customer backlash as complaints double
Click reply below to discuss. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.
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Comments
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I've only had to call them once.
Hold time was horrific (1 hour 20minutes).
The guy on the phone, however, was excellent.
He sorted out the DD issue there and then and the "online portal" reflected the agreed changes the next day.
They remind me a lot of EDF circa 3 years ago when they had a lot of customers switch to them and the billing system was midupgrade.
It's not "great" but i am giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.
Obviously that's based on a very low sample rate of having to interact with them above and beyond meter readings.0 -
I've been with them 2 months and also have had no problems.... yet.0
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I moved away from them at the start of April this year as my fix had ended. (Moved to OVO...oh dear!)
I hadn't had a bill since Nov. 13 and a year later still haven't! No final statement, nothing. I have no idea if I owe them money, or they owe me. Am putting it down to them changing my meter last winter. They decided that we all had to move to smart meters, but when they fitted it they got no line connection so had to take it away and install a new, but standard meter.
The only think that makes me slightly more relaxed is that with d/d the idea is to overpay during the warmer months to spread winter fuel bills, so I'm hoping that I got my money's worth, but guessing I'll never know for sure.0 -
... and just when FU probably thought their feedback couldn't get any worse.
Hang on, aren't these guys one of the firms that spoilt the MSE party on their collective switch tariff by coming out with an often even cheaper deal?
A collective switch that earned MSE many £100,000s??? Perhaps MSE would have earned more if there was no such competition?
Or maybe FU should try and get into bed with MSE next time?
Cost?
Well 60,000 switches at say £60 a time - that's just over £3.5 million
:cool:0 -
It seems like if the switch went smoothly and one does not have to contact them unless submitting meter readings, they are OK. Otherwise, you are up for a delay. They used to be quite prompt to respond on twitter though.
I've switch to them once again in April to fixed tariff till 2016 and paid for a few months with fixed DD, still no bill produced, thus I've changed to variable DD as no bill - no payment :-) though I might be for a bit of a shocker later especially during cold months. However I am OK with this as they have not debited my bank account since July. I do not mind to wait, eventually it will be solved and there is more than a year ahead.0 -
This company are shocking. I thought I had switched my gas and electricity to them, but then they decided I hadn't switched my gas. Thereafter for the past 3 months I have tried to get them to take my complaint seriously and get a manager to contact me, but you guessed it, I've never spoken to a manager!
To top it all off, they emailed me to tell me they had changed my log in details and when I used the details to log in they were for a completely different person! Again I tried to complain about this, and again no one contacted me!0 -
This company is an utter disgrace!
They took over my supply from EDF in April and have only successfully taken a direct debit payment once in that time. Despite me calling and emailing several times, they can never fix or explain the problem. I've had to manually make payments in the meantime.
I contacted the Ombudsman after First Utility did not answer my official complaint until exactly 8 weeks after I initially made it! After investigation, the Ombudsman have requested FU to enter the bank details again from scratch and add a credit of £50 to my account within 28 days. Believe it or not, but today was the 28th day, so I will be contacting the Ombudsman first thing.
I would not recommend this provider to anyone. They have no customer service and the systems they use are rubbish.0 -
I joined First Utility and it wasn't long before they said I wasn't paying enough on my standing order so they increased it from £98 to £107 per month. I now find I am in credit by over £400.0
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What is wrong with that? On a £100 monthly average I would certainly expect to be £400 in credit in November. This should soon be eaten up by your central heating.I joined First Utility and it wasn't long before they said I wasn't paying enough on my standing order so they increased it from £98 to £107 per month. I now find I am in credit by over £400.
You may have a more unusual flatter consumption pattern - but that is not their fault.0 -
I have been with First Utility for a few years now....had no problems until my meter was changed in August 2013 and since then have had no bill. I have emailed and phoned. I got no answer via email other than an automatic response. I phoned in December 2013 and was told I was over £1000 in credit,but in March when my fixed tariff came to an end I was told I was over £300 in debit. As I went onto a variable direct debit from March 2014, as the property is going on the market, they haven't taken any payments via DD I have had to manually pay each month so I don't fall into arrears.
I have emailed and called countless times requesting an estimated bill and had nothing. I phoned last week to find out what was going on and was told someone would be calling me in the next few days to talk about my account, which is now apparently in credit??
I wait with anticipation of that call now..............0
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