First Utility - Anybody else had problems?

penny_money

Moved to them from EDF in October after seeing the fixed rate on MSE, everything seemed OK, got emails of progress, account set up etc. Then change over day came email read submit readings online, tried that - system down - please phone them to us. Rang them, they answered within 5 minutes and said they would enter them when system was back on.
EDF final bill came, nearly £500 (was expecting £200-£300), the gas reading states actual and the electric is estimated!
Looked at the meter readings and both are wrong for that day.
First Utility online account also has wrong readings. Since then 4 phone calls of over 20 minutes and only got through once and the man said your account starts with the wrong 2 numbers for me to deal with you. And 3 emails, still waiting for a reply 12 days later and they say will reply in 6 days. And EDF say only First Utility can update the readings to them now. It is First Utility that are down money wise, I've lost a bit by paying EDF rates. 6 weeks on and my electric reading is still less then what FU have for start. Next time I will look a bit more before leaping.

robbsafc

I changed to first utility about 5-6 months ago. They have not yet billed me. I did try to change to their fixed tariff back in October. The following month I could not see that the transfer to the fixed tariff had gone through. I contacted customer services who advised me to check my bill to see which tariff I was on, even though I had not received a bill. Just shows the intelligence of the staff/system. Contacted customer services again and got ignored this time.

Rob.

neo3670

I have been with F.U for nearly 4 years without cause to contact them, it was easy to submit reads monthly, and every december i would get a cashback bonus, so then we moved in july this year, and i wanted to transfer my account to the new address, thats when it all went to pot! I could close my account down online, but it wouldnt let me move it to a new address, the telephone helpline when you do find a contact number is alwys busy, cut a long story short it is still unresolved, they havnt replied to my emails, and the telephone number now says its not taking calls at this time! Anyone know if they've gone to the wall, or is this just a glitch? Yours frustratedley! :mad:

TurnaroundTim

I switched from E.On to First Utility about 2 months ago, didn't have any problems and I'm now switched over and everything seems fine.

glantawe

I'm like many of you, moved house in November but still paying the Gas/electricity for that property .On the rare occasion I got thro on the phone I failed to get them to rectify the situation.They agree with everthing you say but do nothing about it..The saga continues. dai the spy .Merthyr.

melb01

melb01 wrote: »

We switched in July 2012 from npower, but still no bills from First Utility. We contacted Customer Service by email in October 2012, and two weeks later got a reply blaming a new computer. As of today, 15th December 2012, still no bills.

Furthermore in October, we requested on-line a change to the v4 Fixed until March 2014 - I think we can forget that one, because they can't get a basic bill out.

I thought about stopping the Direct Debit, but then reading other folks posts, this might be more hassle than its worth.

So, we'll give it another 5 months and see what happens!

george1939 wrote: »

Try phoning I changed same time as you I got my £100 discount from Npower with final bill soon after Every month First Utility ask me to send in the read .A full detailed bill is produced on their site 5 days later showing all credits I have had 4 bills so far I can readily access these bills anytime.Another one due 5th January approx Always phone them never Email if you have a problem prompted response same with Npower

I did ring them in early December 2012 ( note: I'm starting to use the year ) and a very helpful lady took the call. However, she said their computer system was down, she couldn't access my account and they'd ring me back - of course, no call back. So, we've reached January 2013, and it's now 6 months without any bill.

frembrit

Been having issues here too. (this is for my mum)

Seems that they failed to send over the final meter reading for the electric to British Gas for the 21st Nov 2012 (gas is ok and paid for). So BG done an estimate, to which I've not paid.

I contacted FU via their website and got a very quick response from someone by email asking for the reading again, promising to enter it in the system. This was at the beginning of December 2012. I kept logging on to the website and checking for the reading to show but it never did, meanwhile I was still getting emails from them saying that I hadn't been forgotten.

We then got a reminder from BG on the 21st or 22nd December 2012, to which I called them and explained that the final meter reading was incorrect and they said I needed to speak to FU, and once they had the actual reading they would send a corrected bill.
Thinking that FU was still processing it, I left it.

Anyway, during the Christmas break I called FU as it was still not showing on the website, spoke to a nice enough lady and she took the reading for the 21st Nov and 31st Dec, but had to get someone to help her because she didn't know how to use the new system....Hmmm...she said it was done and sure enough it was showing on the website after a few hours. (why couldn't be done like this before??!) she said that BG would get the reading in a few days.

Today, 4th January 2013, we got a letter for a debt recovery agent...great! :mad:
I called BG to see if they got the correct reading and after a 20 min call..they had not. They tried to convince me that the final reading was taken on the 6th Nov, but the chap did not understand that the final day was the 21st (despite looking at a copy of the same bill, apparently) They offered a discount on the final bill and would settle if I paid now, but it meant I was still over paying, and FU have a lower reading to bill me from so I would get charged twice! I said I'd wait for the correct bill.
I then called the debt recovery agent and explained what was going on, they were quite good about it and have put it on hold for two weeks.

We'll see what happens.

Getting stressed now.

stagey_2

Hmm - I change to FU also from Eon on the advice of a comparison site (was it this one!?) and had similar problems - eventually I got asked for a gas reading Dec 24th ish - and as up till then the gas account (dual fuel) was not showing, from September, I was relieved that at least all now seemed to be in order. Elec meter readings and gas emailed over on 31/12 - I log in today but no bill to view! There was a long round robin email from their CEO back in Dec saying they had been overwhelmed etc and all is now well - but I am wondering whether it is, it seems not. Is there a rep on here from FU as I see there is from other utility co's. My concern is that the longer it takes to all come to fruition, if there are any issues, there is usually a nightmare to unravel it!! I have to say Eon were not bad on the changeover and our credit cheque was repaid within a month. Perhaps I should have stayed.

mikeassured

I am in the same position as you stagey.

I moved from EON in November, and received my credit refund promptly. I submitted my meter readings on 28th December and like you have not received a bill to date.

Sue

philwakely

Well, it is just over a month since I started this thread and I still have not received confirmation of receipt of my meter readings - let alone a bill!

However, this morning I received a reply to an email I sent just after starting this thread - so 4 weeks to reply! The email said that FU were unable to enter anything into my account because......"we have lost all of your details. Please can I supply them with my name, address, email address and bank details again"!!

What is more, the email they sent me contained everything they were asking me for except bank details!

I 'phoned them about this and two further things struck me about their appalling service..... firstly, their telephone message was still talking about office closures over the Christmas and New Year period, but secondly and rather more irritating is that they now claim not to have received my written complaint of 7th December that was sent by Recorded Delivery snail mail [and I have a copy of the signature!]

I start my switch away later this evening - but I doubt even that will go smoothly