First Utility - Any users or reviews

george1939

Jape wrote: »

As with other reviews here, I was with First Utility for just over a year. I wish I'd never switched to them.

Hopeless billing system which resulted in my Direct Debit repeatedly being set up, then rejected...EVERY MONTH for the entire year. Despite numerous phone calls, every month, waiting in the mind-numbing, endless telephone queue, they failed to identify the problem. It eventually turned out that they were setting up the direct debit with my name, but another customers bank account details. So it would be set up, and then rejected when payment was applied for. Apparently it's a common problem with their system?!! Sounds like one for the Data Protection Registrar...

When the problem was eventually sorted, they then emailed me to say that my monthly payments would be increasing by...wait for it...400%!! Muppets.

I've ended up having to pay the best part of £1500 in one go, just to get rid of them.

All that aside, the meter read submission every month is a pain, and the customer service is flaky at best. Their systems just aren't up to the job. Unacceptable.

I've just switched back to Scottish Power (who I was with before) and it's a breath of fresh air. Turns out they are even cheaper than FirstUtility on my tarriff!!

In summary, if you enjoy not knowing what you're going to be paying every month, getting threatening letters every month (saying you owe them money despite having a DD in place), spending hours on the phone waiting for a 'customer service advisor' or submitting meter reads every few weeks, then FirstUtility are for you!

I for one over the past 12 months have had very good customer care from first utility and they are easy to contact via phone and their monthly, visual on line bills are regular and clear, and my £212 credit was returned within days in the summer. A very good year with first utility and there is always a reminder to send in the gas and electricity monthly reads to keep the account up to date. I cannot fault them, I say well done first utility.

Strebor

scaredofdebt wrote: »

I change supplier every year or so to get the best deal - they're all bloody useless in my experience! At least I am getting a cheap useless experience though!

FU, BG, EDF, EON, tried them all.

Scottish Power were probably just about OK.

See this is what I am finding...... and nothing seems to be done about it.

I have decided to set up an e-petition to see whether the specifics of them getting it wrong can better be addressed than the largely non response people report.

This is the petition, so if you have had any of the billing errors and non response then please sign or pass on.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/56280

My experience of First Utility after transferring from appalling service from NPower was at least First Utility swiftly corrected the problem. They however have not been able to correct the bill properly and their automated DDebit system kept OTT high amount as it was based on the error and they failed to correct that. I had no choice but to cancel DD.

chocoholic_chick

I have found FU a complete nightmare. They never accept my meter readings, even ones I entered 6 months ago are just down as processing when I log into my account. Sometimes I can go 4 or 5 months before getting a bill, then they'll issue them a couple of months in a row, then nothing for ages again. Every time I get a bill it says sorry we made a mistake on your previous bill and there's line after line of credits applied back and adjustments done so I've no idea how much I'm actually spending on energy over the year. Forget about emailing them as well to try to get an explanation, I'm yet to receive any response to any email I've sent over the months.

Completely and utterly useless! Just looking forward to when my contracts up so I can move away, I'd rather pay more if it means I'm actually getting a decent service.

Alex444

Alex444 wrote: »

They wanted to put me on a fixed DD based on the average power use for a 4 bedroom house. I knew what my consumption was the previous year and worked out how much I should be paying, they were incapable of changing the figures. As I live in a Victorian house that does not have the insulation of a modern build I know I have to pay a premium for my heating, FU don't understand that.
My case with the Ombudsman has progressed with compensation now at £300, some further questions regarding tariffs and Cashback to be queried.

Well, still I wait on the letter of apology and the cheque for £300, another months meter readings supplied on line, back to OFGEM me thinks.

blisteringblue

Been with them 14 months now and never had a single issue. I love the fact you supply your meter readings and your bill reflects what you have used that month. No building massive credits with them. Admittedly everything set up automatically and I manage everything online but it all works as it should.

Alex444

Alex444 wrote: »

Well, still I wait on the letter of apology and the cheque for £300, another months meter readings supplied on line, back to OFGEM me thinks.

Still waiting, obviously no template letter for this one, 19 months without paying them one round bean.

marcosdjcm

Ok here goes.

I'm biting the bullet here to assess this company independently. Have been with SSE for ~5 years, they've never really dropped the ball. These guys promise to be cheaper, so let's see how they handle it. I will report here anything that goes wrong.

I found all the 1 & 2 post-count users leaving very negative reviews a bit suspect so hopefully I can provide better feedback/review. I'm on the "fixed until August 2015 plan"

kiridoh

I know the internet is full of complaints about a lot of providers, but trust me, First Utility are the absolute worst of all. Their customer service is almost invariably unavailable unless you are happy to wait 30/45mins and they DO NOT REPLY TO EMAILS (I know it sounds an absurdity but it’s the truth). If you are with First Utility I would strongly recommend to change provider sooner rather than later (read: before they take their licence to operate in this country) and triple check your final bills as THEY WILL try to guesstimate your consumption even if you have provided them with meter reads every month. Just to give you an idea, in the last 6 months of operation the complaints to the Ombudsman went from 6k to 20k!
FIRST UTILTY AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.

ELLIE_G_2

I just finished a contract with First Utility 31st March. There is still £285 owing back to me, and then in May they took another £170 from my account (despite me cancelling DD). I've just called them (again) and it may take up to 15 days to return the amount!! Throughout the contract, they kept increasing my DD - I was actually paying more on a monthly basis than I was before, despite cheaper rate....so watch out is all I would say. Shame there is no-one from the company reading and replying to this thread to alleviate any fears!! Perhaps that says it all?

tomrob

They're still sending me payment reminders despite stopping being their customer last August. It took me until last month to get them to repay a credit balance, the majority of which had built up from incorrect DD's taken this year despite the account supposedly being closed months beforehand.
Please save yourselves the expense and hassle of resolving their inevitable !!!!-ups, don't sign up with them in the first place.