First Utility - Any users or reviews

MGSteve

Not_So_Naff wrote: »

Hi MGSteve

I am trying ascertain how my experience compares with others with respect to the First:Utility Energy Usage Charts, yours and other F:U Customers views would be most welcome.

In my case just about every other day there is a glitch with the system with data being unavailable for a day or even up to three days before coming back on line. The Gas Usage Chart was the worst offender failing to materialise for a couple of weeks after the Electricity Usage Chart became functional.
Currently the Gas data has not been available for more than a week although the Electricity data flow has improved.
As this long break is spanning the end of the month it is particularly galling.

Customer Service has improved markedly of late but they seem powerless to spur the Technical Department into reacting to consumer concerns.
The selling point regarding allowing customers to tune their usage by having a the data needed to hand is woefully off track.

Like you I have witnessed changes to Tariffs and T & Cs without notification. In fairness it has not all been bad news, the Smart Meters were originally going to cost me money for the installation but were fitted FOC [subject to 24 months F:U Billing of course].

With half hourly readings there should, by my reckoning, be 1,440 readings in a 30 day month. Importing the data, for November, into an Excel Spreadsheet from the Electricity Usage Chart Grid View only shows readings amounting to 1395 rows. Of the five columns available 3 could be encapsulated in a header. Do they really need to tell you 1395 times that your Account = X, Register ID = Y and Serial Number = Z?

Add to this the fact that, on a 'lucky' day, I read the freshly updated Usage Charts at a few minutes past midnight, and the Gas Usage for the day just beginning was ##.## cubic metres [##.## being the expected usage for a full day]. At this point I begin to get really concerned as to where F:U are heading.

Thus far the F:U experience is certainly something to be missed.

Well, I thought I'd give you all an update. We've been having the elecric readings now since the last post and to be honest, its superb to be able to view the data consumption so accurately. Just a shame their website is such utter rubbish when it comes to viewing it. You can't compare one date range against another. You can only view a month, week or day at a whole. No way to really analyse the data at all.

Its odd that the main text on their website proclaims 'NO MORE ESTIMATED BILLS'. Because since it was connected, we've had nothing but estimated bills for our gas. Why? God knows, the smart meter was installed and I've asked customer services to fix it on about 4 occasions over the last 6 months and it still isn't solved.

The query over the gas standing charge is still outstanding. They basically say that the rate has never been what I've said it was. Odd how on their own tariff sheet dated Jan 09 its 3.9p (I think), certainly not the 31p I'm being charged.

Still waiting for a in-home display unit, they're awaiting delivery from the supplier apparently. They've been waiting for that since around Oct last year.

If it wasn't for the fact we WANTED smart meters, we'd have told them where to go by now. I want to be able to monitor usage and have accurate bills. However, it appears their customer service just isn't fit for use.

I really wouldn't recommend anyone join First Utility at all based upon my experience.

I'm now trying to get the email address of their MD so I can complain to someone who actually might give a sh....

Not_So_Naff

Perhaps visiting:

http://first-utility.com/residential-energy/complaints

will help. Instead of Customer Services insert CEO, NonGeographicalMan posted recently:

I note that neither their Chief Executive, Mark Daeche, or any of his subordinates at First Utility ever seem to post in this thread to try and offer any form of explanation as to what is going on.

so that avenue is probably looking bleak. F:U seem to use the 'First Name' DOT 'Surname' @first-utility.com so you could try inserting the relevant details?

I will look up the Tariff downloaded when I was signing up last spring to early summer and get back to you.

Here is the Tariff I downloaded May 2009:




I do not think it is mentioned in the Tariff but this is ONLY available in the East Midlands now.


EDIT: I have removed the 2009 Tariff as it alludes to 'Saver' Tariff rather than 'Smart' Tariff although it was downloaded by following the 'Smart' Tariff links.
Also there is now a new 2010 Tariff and again following the links from the 'Smart' Tariff page it also states in it's title 'Saver' Tariff.

I have also retracted the statement about a Single Tariff as allegedly it is possible to have the original 3 Tier Choice [doubtless at new rates] as described above.
I say allegedly as MGSteve is saying he has been told the only way to get this is to leave FU and then rejoin.

NonGeographicalMan

Not_So_Naff wrote: »

so that avenue is probably looking bleak. F:U seem to use the 'First Name' DOT 'Surname' @first-utility.com so you could try inserting the relevant details?

But their Chief Executive, Mark Daeche, has an email address of firstname.lastname@m2i.com.

If anyone wants Mr Daeche's direct mobile number just do a https://www.whois.co.uk enquiry for the domain name m2i.com as its currently listed in the contact details shown there.

Not_So_Naff

Until a few hours ago the eMail Addresses that I had been using to contact F:U were dead or acting dead. Then a very brave lady, from F:U, called Stacey re-advertised her eMail Address in another Forum. If I had to guess I imagine this is the person who would end up with any calls to senior executives of F:U. Hopefully someone can prove me wrong.

Please tell us if you have had any joy with contacting F:U hierarchy.

It would be interesting to learn of experiences contacting e.g. Consumer Direct.

Given the F:U blurb reference 'No more Estimated Bills', when customers in receipt of Actual Bills for several month are suddenly reverted to Estimated Bills there is obviously a case to answer. Not sure if MGSteve falls into that category? In my situation having had Actual Bills for both Utilities it seems I am sliding toward an Estimated Gas Bill due to the Gas Meter Module failing. Rectification is taking so long it could be construed as deliberate. I have never been undercharged for Utility consumption via an Estimated Bill. Companies could grow fat on other peoples money?

Does anyone know how many customers F:U have?

EDIT: One source says FU have 30,000 Customers but it is not qualified by a date. Consumer Direct refer to FU as a 'Small Supplier'.

MGSteve

I really wish I had never heard of First Utility now. They are absolutely useless.

There is now an entry for my gas meter in the my account section of their website, but no usage data available.

They then work out what the difference was between the estimated and actual usage and add it onto my January bill, meaning the bill jumps from around £130 a month to £212.

Oddly, I notice that they round up charges and round down credits. Rounding I was taught in school was anything .5 and above is rounded up to a whole. i.e. 12.505 rounded to 12.51. However, they seem to round up if there is any fraction - i.e. 12.501 would round up to 12:51. However, they rounded the credit down instead of up.

I don't know how common this is, but sadly it sums up First Utility.

I saw on their website that the new Smart meter tariffs would save us about £25 a month, so I asked to change and was told - 'The only way to change would be to leave us and then rejoin us'. The system they use doesn't allow customers to migrate between tariffs.

Thankfully the prices we pay aren't too bad, if we could get onto their new tariff, it would be the cheapest dual fuel deal we could get anyway, so we're only £25 a month worse off.

But as it stands, we still have no gas smart metering and we have no in house display unit.

And their customer support is useless. They say you can leave your number when you're on hold and they'll call you back. No they won't! The operator even admitted that due to the incoming call volume, they don't get the chance to call out very often.

Today, I rang to speak to the credit control department to try and get them to spread the difference between the estimated and actual usage over the next 3 months. The customer services girl said, "ooh, I'll give your their direct number as it'll bypass the queue, which is currently 40 mins".

Even with the direct number, I was in a queue for a good 20 mins!

Unless you're desperate to have a smart meter, I would avoid them like the plague.

Not_So_Naff

As I anticipated, above, it was back to an Estimated Gas Bill for last month.

Reading MGSteve's report above seems to indicate that there are some FU Customers fair less well than me. I thought the service I am getting is the pits but FU are obviously capable of handing out much worse treatment.

This link my be useful to get some of your points sorted MGSteve:

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/community/forums/t/firstutility-35018.aspx?PageIndex=3

Then page down about 10 Posts.

timthumb

ive just had my first estimate from fu and it was approx 4 x what i normally pay...........
when i rang they said it was for 2 months as they havent billed me yet .ok
there estimate isnt far wrong from the actual reading i took so im shocked that it is nearly 2x what i normally pay admitedly spread over a year dd payments..im just concerned they are going to be really expensive

oh im not in the smart meter tarrifs and i only went with them because they came top of the list in a comparison site

should i be regretting changing to them ????
tim

NonGeographicalMan

timthumb wrote: »

im shocked that it is nearly 2x what i normally pay admitedly spread over a year dd payments..im just concerned they are going to be really expensive

oh im not in the smart meter tarrifs and i only went with them because they came top of the list in a comparison site

should i be regretting changing to them ????

Why not switch away from them and pay whatever penalties are required to leave them early as its probably bound to work out cheaper in the long run.

NonGeographicalMan

Not_So_Naff wrote: »

Reading MGSteve's report above seems to indicate that there are some FU Customers fair less well than me. I thought the service I am getting is the pits but FU are obviously capable of handing out much worse treatment.

OVO Energy have indicated a commitment to make smart meters available to any of their customers who want one by the end of 2010.

It may be worth considering switching there as they seem to generally have much less negative feedback as a company than First Utility.

See https://www.ovoenergy.com/saving-energy/smart-meters.html

How do I get one?

In May 2009, the government announced its intention to roll out smart meters to all UK homes. That means about 23 million gas meters and 27 million electricity meters. How this will work in practice is still being finalised and, until this is decided, smart meters will be more expensive than normal meters. We hope to be able to offer all our customers smart meters during 2010

Doc_N

timthumb wrote: »

ive just had my first estimate from fu and it was approx 4 x what i normally pay...........
when i rang they said it was for 2 months as they havent billed me yet .ok
there estimate isnt far wrong from the actual reading i took so im shocked that it is nearly 2x what i normally pay admitedly spread over a year dd payments..im just concerned they are going to be really expensive

oh im not in the smart meter tarrifs and i only went with them because they came top of the list in a comparison site

should i be regretting changing to them ????
tim

If you're looking for any kind of customer service - yes.

Maybe they're trying to bolster their cashflow............now why would they need to be doing that, I wonder? :idea: