Add your feedback on energy supplier Shell Energy (formerly First Utility)

ScrimpingMum_2

Seriously, the worst company I have ever had to deal with. They just don't seem to be able to submit readings correctly!! Useless customer service and I have a case with the energy ombudsman. I am going back to British Gas. They may be more expensive but sometimes you get what you pay for.

Don't bother!

Sophem31

Wouldn't advise anyone to use. They tell you what your payments are going to be then increase them without notification. They do not disclose your account or allow access to it. Contacting them is a joke. beware. Over charged and we can't get our money back customer service is a joke!!!

gerryf

As promised, the CS rep called me back on the day after my call. Went through everything with me and confirmed that FU were my suppliers for both electric and gas. I called edf who admitted that they were at fault and promised to terminate my account with them.
It's early days with FU but at the moment they are doing everything very well. No complaints so far.

Re previous post from sophem31, as far as I know if you pay by direct debit a supplier cannot increase the amount without notifying you first. If they do, invoke the direct debit guarantee with your bank, who should refund the extra immediately and reclaim it from the supplier.

geetar

My advice is - avoid them like the plague. They are often quoted as a cheap supplier but what you save in energy charges you will spend in phone calls, writing emails, blood, sweat and tears.

My experience:
Switched to them in late 2012. All went smoothly at first. Was able to manage account online for a few months, submit readings through website etc.

From May 2013 to the point I switched away from them (Nov 2013) their website wouldn't accept meter readings. I had to send them via a "special" email link. In the meantime I was given assurances that they were working on an "excellent new customer experience". The same message for 6 months.

Contacting them was difficult and fruitless. On the phone I'd often be placed in the high 20's 30's or 40's in a queue. On the rare occasions I got through, the person on the other end would appear friendly, competent and able to resolve any issues. However, later phone calls would show that there was no record of the last one and no action had been taken. Do not be taken in by them.

Emails - I'd sometimes get a reply. Mostly copied and pasted platitudes about the improvements they're going to make. Not much relevant information and no action ever taken.

After I switched away from them they didn't send me a final bill, but they did repeatedly hassle me to pay them a random amount of money (I had the foresight to cancel my DD after switching. If I hadn't I imagine they'd still be taking my monthly payment now). I contacted them numerous times over 3 months to ask for a final bill but I never received one. They continued to demand money from me anyway until they passed the account on to debt collectors.

I complained to the Energy Ombudsman who set out a resolution. First Utility ignored it.

They are the most incompetent, infuriating company I have ever dealt with

olb123

Do not go with the First Utility (aka "FU") - they might be slightly cheaper but, in terms of customer service they are awful. You'll spend hours on the phone, which is surely not worth the meagre sum you'll save next to the other cheap tariff merchants who seem to run their customer service operations more professionally.


I just had the worst experience with FU. I like to call them FU for short. I moved into my flat in April last year. At first, I wasn't too worried about receiving bills for the last tenant who hadn't paid, and I rung a couple of times last summer to get the electricity put into my name. Didn't get through to their customer service line as there were like 30 or 40 people in the queue typically, and once, when I did get through, I was cut off, I think deliberately by the call centre person. I kept getting bills in the previous tenant's name.


By about November, I was getting electricity and a bit worried that I hadn't been able to get through and give them my details. I rung and held on for about 20 minutes until I spoke to someone. They took my details, but I received no notification. I called again in January. Again, holding for at least twenty minutes. Dude took my name again. Nothing to confirm from FU in response.


I sent an online email - you will notice how you can only contact FU electronically via a web form - you can't generally email them because it is more difficult for you to prove that you gave them notice which might support your case somehow. It seems setup so that you can only telephone them. Very sneaky, that.


I called again in March. Holding forever. Customer service dude called Mohammed couldn't find my details and didn't seem to want to help. He sounded rather out of it anyway, like he'd lost the will to live. This is FU for you. I called again at the end of March. Usual long hold. Spoke to Maggie. Actually she tried in her beleaguered fashion to be very helpful and we figured out after about 1/2 hour that the January customer services dude misspelled my name. I wanted to pay, which by now was near on £400. I asked for some time to pay given the problems they had caused. She assured me that I could get in touch with their credit control, and we would work something out.


I rung again at the end of April. Super long hold time. I paid £100 by debit card and asked to spread the payments given all the problems they had caused. Sure, said the guy, no problem. Nada. The bill was now down to £286. Since then only weekly demands to pay, no responses to my entreaties to get a little more time to pay.


Today: Demand from FU to pay balance of £286 or court action in 7 days.


So here's the news, FU. I have just switched my electricity to Ovo. I will pay you the sum you demand after I write this post, and pay a few pennies more with the new supplier, but I will no longer be your customer, FU.


I think the FU management think they have got some kind of cool FU 'Ryanair' thing going on, i.e. "we can treat customers really badly, but as long as we're cheapest, and touted by the likes of MSE, we'll get bums on seats and be a success." I've got news for you, FU. Supplying electricity ain't like flying planes. We have to put with you for years, but it's only 2-3 hours with Ryanair.


My experience is so bad, that I beg others not to be tempted by the few pennies you can save, and please, please, please: AVOID FIRST UTILITY COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE. Stay away from FU!


I now have one more thing to say the executives at FU. I paraphrase King Edward I when I say "When a man rids himself of First Utility, he does good business!"

tomrob

I'd like to add my voice to those who are suggesting that this compoany be avoided at all costs.

I switched to FU in April of last year. Several months later I called E.On irately asking them why they were still billing me, I had to back down when I discovered that FU had cocked up the switch and only transferred the electricity so E.On were still my gas supplier. By that time I knew I was going to move shortly so I let it lie.
I moved out at the end of August and provided my closing meter read with a request to close the account. I lost count of the number of times and the hours on hold waiting to speak to someone who could resolve the errors and delays in providing a closing bill/statement.
I finally got a response by sending an email to Ed Kamm, copied to Ian McCaig, pointing out how far short of the mark their team were falling. The person that took ownership produced a manual calculation since they were still unable to produce a bill for me. The calculation was wrong but it was close enough and I was frustrated enough for me to accept it and move on.
Four weeks later the credit hit my bank account and I vowed never to think of them again.
Fast forward to today and I note that I'm overdrawn unexpectedly. The reason? FU have reactivated my direct debit and started taking £342 per month for electricity supply to a bungalow that I moved out of 9 months ago.

Sheer and utter incompetence.

In fainess this time, by using the consumer affairs 0800 number which I'd got hold of through that complaint to the executive team, I did get through pretty quickly on the phone and the young lady on the line confessed the error (although if I wanted an explanation as to why it had happened that would take a long time apparently) and promised to raise the refund straight away, I hope she is able to.

Just don't go there. The loyalty bonus will come at the expense of your own sanity.

tomrob

Refreshingly I received email confirmation from Hannah of First Utility before lunch on the same day the matter was raised confirming that they would be issuing a credit.
Somewhat more predictably the amount of credit is now in dispute as on 14th March this year, 6 months after I closed the account, they finally managed to produce a final bill for me and she has used the details from this to calculate the balance from last year. Unfortunately they have used an estimated meter reading which significantly differs from the meter reading that I gave them when I closed the account.
I've just switched to Extra Energy at my new place, here's hoping they're not as incompetent as FU.

big_ched

MY latest FU bill as come in at a whopping £660 for a month like all of the above posts I try to contact them by phone and am left hanging on for at least an hour, when they get round to answering my e-mails I cant understand them, how on earth do they get away with such diabolical customer service. with so many customer complaints against them why are the energy regulators not looking at their poor performance!

tomrob

This morning's message from FU:
"Ian McCaig, our Chief Executive Officer, and Ed Kamm, Our Chief Marketing Officer, would like to thank you for taking the time to make him aware of your service experience with First Utility. He has asked me to oversee the handling of your case and report back to him with our findings. Firstly, may I offer you my personal apologies for the poor level of service that you have described in your email. Your case has been assigned to myself, Hxxxxx Mxxxxx, and a full investigation into this matter has commenced. I will be contacting yourself within the next 7 to 10 working days to address the points that you have made."

SuiDreams

Anyone trying to call First Utility have you tried calling between 12 and 1, I have called to today and got through quickly (even though there was a huge queue at 8am) and the same last week.