First Utility - Any users or reviews

Plushchris

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

You might just have been concerned the opening times of customer services were short in case you needed to contact them in the future.

Can I ask what your experience of dealing with Ovo customer service is like?

NonGeographicalMan

Plushchris wrote: »

Can I ask what your experience of dealing with Ovo customer service is like?

Can I ask if you also work for Ovo Energy as well as being a customer. You do seem very keen to spring to their defence.

I only reported what other customers had said. I have been a customer of six other energy companies but have not so far been a customer of Ovo Energy or First Utility. The reason for that is due to the negative feedback I saw from other customers about both those companies.

Plushchris

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

Can I ask if you also work for Ovo Energy as well as being a customer. You do seem very keen to spring to their defence.

I only reported what other customers had said. I have been a customer of six other energy companies but have not so far been a customer of Ovo Energy or First Utility. The reason for that is due to the negative feedback I saw from other customers about both those companies.

I dont work for Ovo, I'm just telling it as it is from my personal experience, unlike some I dont believe everything I read on the internet and make my own mind up.

I've seen a lot more negative feedback about all of the other suppliers yet you say you have been with all of them? Puzzling.

Personally I dont think any of the energy companies are really any better than others, but as I say, in my own experience Ovo have been ok so far, that may well not last I just dont know, but I thought I would add my comment on it and not make broad generalisations about something I have no experience of.

jonech

Signe'd up over a year ago and it took emails (most not replied to) and phone calls (promised things which did not happen) then after about 9 months I wrote a letter. Guess what no reply! I even gave my meter readings, asked my account to be made up and what about these digital meters you promised. So no replacement meters and estimated bills (wildly over the top I imagine). Finally after about a year I get a call from them and they agree to install the digital meter's. Then on the day of the event, but oh Sir, you have a semi concealed Gas Meter (as if it's rare, (in brown box outside house)), did we not tell you, we can only fit an attachment to that for connection to a replacement and for that we need you to give us lots more wonga!

They did after pressing, promise to give me some paltry compensation. Then a number of calls later with the gas the only outstanding prob they promise to call me for the readings towards the end of the month. Guess what no call. I call back in May and the person who seemed as if she had been sorting things out in a friendly manner has now suddenly transfered to another dept!!! I now get an argumentative customer representative, and still no bringing up of my account and no way forward. Then some strange emails from them which were never explained.

In total it seems to me that the company use every trick in the book to avoid satisfying their customers. I have no way forward with my gas and no confidence in the company. It took them over a month to get a compensation cheque to me (only two people in the whole company can sign them apparently and they are rarely in the office)!!!

Customer service is an important part of any business, so even if they are the cheapest (which they are not) pay a little extra and get a company that values their customers, then you can avoid the constant headaches this standard (or lack of) can bring. I see some people refer to them not as FT but as FU, sounds appropriate.

A final point, billing is per KWH, no meter reading for you to check.

hippey

Ive been an FU Electric customer for the last 18 months, the first 6 months were they were useless! After that I have had no problems but the last 3 months my bills just randomly get produced, it might be on the 15th or the 19th or the 14th !!!! And then they want the money in 3 days! To be honest the money isn't a problem, the bill is normally about the same so not really a surprise its just the random date of the bill!

I also called up about moving to another tariff and the answer I got didn't really make sense, they weren't sure if I could and then they don't offer existing customers new tariffs, then they might, then they are not sure, so in reality come the 27th Dec (contract end) I'm off!

Get your customer service right and I aint got a problem, get it wrong then I'm off.

Little_RAY

My partner & I are with First Utility for electricity only (no gas here!) and our bills seem exorbitant... We have a 'smart' meter.

We live in an 'affordable' house. So we have a special system outside that uses the heat from the ground (too clever for me to try to explain) to help heat the house... underfloor heating and excellent insulation. Our winter fuel bills should be therefore be cheaper than a normal house (I use to live in a Victorian terraced house with no room for cavity wall insulation or the recommended depth of loft insulation, so I have that as a comparison).

However we are looking at electricity bills each month of £80 - £100. We run the house in a usual way. We use all the basic things that most people use; energy saving light bulbs, fridge/freezer, TV, Sky, Lap-tops, digital clocks etc... We don't leave anything on standby except for the Sky box (this is plugged into an energy saving type thing) and turn all lights off when not in use. Our heating is currently off and we have now put our water heater on timed intervals to see if this will help reduce costs. So far, not much difference.

I don't understand why our electricity bills are so high. I have put our averaged energy consumption details into comparison websites and they have come back with a 'warning' message saying something like "Are you sure? This seems very high."

Am I missing something here, being unrealistic, or could there be some sort of glitch in the smart meter system? Anybody else had a similar experience?

samba

jonech wrote: »

Then on the day of the event, but oh Sir, you have a semi concealed Gas Meter (as if it's rare, (in brown box outside house)), did we not tell you, we can only fit an attachment to that for connection to a replacement and for that we need you to give us lots more wonga!

I haven't had a bill from them for 6 months since when they came and did my electric meter, but gave me the whole 'semi-concealed' !!!!!!!!. The engineer wanted to put a top box on it like my neighbours have for their pre-payment meter, but he didn't have one in the van so arranged to come back a few days later. In the meantime FU cancelled the installation until they had 'authorised' it, and I haven't heard anything since.

Completely useless.

pinkpink_2

Please for the love of man do not switch to this company. i have tried unsucsessfully since december 2009 to get a bill with the correct meter readings on it. calls emails etc never responded too, still waiting on a call back for 2/3/10.. they are not that much cheaper and are a whole lot worse than any other service provider.

i resorted to violence by changing supplier and miraculously 4 days after official switch over i get a bill pfft. so rung them and said i was aware there was a balance and would pay in full on reciept of final bill and today i get a letter from a debt recovery company who when i contaacted were less than surprised about the whole situation poor girl must be demented with raging FU customers shouting at them. she has promised to get a bill for me and i at least have some faith in her so to say my blood is boiling is a slight under statement,

Oh and dont expect your bill if there is a bank holiday in the month as there system cant comprehend this and it defaults to the following month and god help you if there is a run of bank holidays you have NO chance of seeing a bill.

i am astounded in this day and age of technology and even worse fuel poverty that this company are allowed to continue trading they are in real danger of cauisng some people serious problems.

ok sorry rant over

NonGeographicalMan

pinkpink wrote: »

i am astounded in this day and age of technology and even worse fuel poverty that this company are allowed to continue trading they are in real danger of cauisng some people serious problems.

I totally agree with you but sadly the so called energy regulator - Ofgem - is every bit as useless as First Utility so hence why they continue to get away with it.

For instance why does Ofgem still think it is totally acceptable to take up to 8 weeks to change energy supplier when all that is involved is a change of meter reading supply from one company to another. Porting a mobile phone number (which involves real physical change on the network) can be done in only a couple of days.

And of course useless Ofgem has allowed all these horrible unethical contracts with penalties leaving early to also be brought in to place.:eek::mad:

Cardew

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

And of course useless Ofgem has allowed all these horrible unethical contracts with penalties leaving early to also be brought in to place.:eek::mad:

If they didn't have penalties for leaving early, and the ability to switch in days rather than weeks, then the 'switching tarts' would be switching every week for cashback/champagne etc.

I really don't see what is unethical about having a contract with a penalty for breaking that contract.

Phones, Internet, Mobile phones, Bank saving Accounts, Mortgages, etc etc all offer inducements in return for signing a contract that has penalty clauses.

P.S.
Of course if the parasitic comparison websites/quidco etc(who are an unnecessary overhead for whom we all pay a premium in higher prices) were banned from offering cash for switching, that would solve the problem of 'switching tarts'.