Utility compensation discussion

Former_MSE_Rose

Hi all, we've added a new section on utility compensation to the Delivery Rights guide to help you get compensation if you've had problems with your gas, electricity or water supplier or distributor.

If you've tried the techniques mentioned in the guide, were you successful? Did you manage to get compensation, and if so, how much? Is there anything you'd add, or if you work for a utility company, have you any insider tips?

Thanks for your help!

MSE Rose

arcon5

I think this would be better as its own article rather than part of the 'Failed Delivery' article.

sulacorbet

Hi,
Having read the advice on MSE re. failed delivery/appointments, I pursued a claim with Scottish Power. I had been trying to get a prepay gas meter changed and had FOUR missed appointments before it was completed successfully. Each slot was for 8 hours as they say they cannot be more precise for this job which is farmed out to the owners of the meter (National Grid). Negotiations were conducted by phone with their customer complaints department (I planned to follow this with a written demand if I was unsuccessful). They happily paid the £20 per missed appointment but intially balked at paying consequential losses for paying somebody to sit in and wait. I informed them I was paying £10 an hour to my tenants as I am a teacher and my husband had no leave left. I informed them I was aware that the legal position was that I was entitled to consequential losses and as I was out of pocket by £240 I required at least that in compensation or I would be pursueing the matter further. They intially offered me an additional £50 but I stuck to my guns and held out for more. They referred it to a higher management level but caved in pretty rapidly. I didn't have to prove my loss (but could have) nor put anything in writing. I eventually received the £240 but they also sent me three additional cheques for the standard £20 (in error I think - I cashed them! :rotfl:) and I then received an additional unsolicited £50 from National Grid who had been responsible for at least one of the errors. Total compensation £350!! :beer:

hayden....

Hi all, I've had similar experiences on the 2 occasions I've shopped online with Debenhams. Initially a suit was of such poor quality, despite being described as superior, that I returned it & I'm still awaiting a partial refund months later. Secondly, & definitely my last, resulted in the company cancelling the order of an expensive 40th Birthday present within hours of the expected delivery day. Warning you all that despite the website stating expected uk delivery within 3 days the consumer services department quotes 4-5. Also there isn't a designate complaints department, any sense of customer care or apology & offered compensation. USE HOUSE OF FRASER OR JOHN LEWIS AS THE SERVICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAULTLESS!

hayden....

Have had to cancel an overtime shift for tomorrow but have reserved a better quality watch at a cheaper price with GOLDSMITHS who have reserved the item for collection. Thankfully my brother will now be getting his 40th Birthday present on Saturday! Thanks for the great service GOLDSMITHS couldn't have helped more & I can now relax!!!!

arcon5

Interesting... (?) but what has this got to do with utility companies :huh:

anmarj

We had to complain to NPower recently, they had mucked up the meter readings and only discovered this in January, they told us it could take a long time to sort out. When the bill came in after a meter reading it still had not been sorted so we fired off a letter by email to them, but I read their own customer service charter to see what their time scales were etc and where we could go if the issue had not been resolved. I think it helped when we sent the letter quoting parts of their charter ie they attempt to resolve things in 8 weeks, yet we were waiting 6 months later for them to sort things out, and we were aware that we could take things to the ombusman if it was not sorted. They soon got things sorted, they initally did not offer us compensation, but we pushed that as well, again quoting the ombusman, they initally offered us £25, but we felt that was a joke as the service from the start (not including the meter mix up, they had also issued us a bill for a prepayment meter and not a credit meter, which we had to chase), when we rejected it, they asked us to mention a figure of what we would be looking at, so we went back and said £100, which they accepted without a fight:). It also helped that we kept correspondence to emails, mainly as my late father in law was in the last stages of his illness and we did not know if we would be around for any phone calls, but I also wanted a paper trail if things went further.

RWG67

Hi

I see discussion here re gas, electricity & water companies.

Yesterday I stayed in for my 5 hour slot waiting for the BT engineer and they did not come.

Particularly frustrating since they have all my contact telephone numbers.

When I ring you get an automated response saying that it is delayed but no option to speak to a human.

Has anyone had any luck claiming compensation against BT?