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

kizzie_nikita

phil1_2_1 wrote: »

Rubbish MoneyPenny I have been with FU for 2 years now I had a few problems when i first switched Once i got the smart meter fitted it runs like a dream Pay for what you use as you use it Still one of the cheapest around and I get A large cheque in Jan for my duel fuel dicount which more than covers my December bill Very handy just after Chirtmas

No she? is correct, these ARE the worst company you will ever come across, no exceptions.

glantawe

Moved house 9th Nov 2012, informed F U. Meter reads given. Kept drawing cash from my account. Unable to contact F U by phone.Waiting sometimes I Hour on the line. If I made contact they were unable or unwilling to solve any issue. Feb 9th 2013 and the saga is still in progress. I have written to one of the top men a Mr D'Arcy. Still No Joy.. Do not touch F U.
F U may be their slogan. good luck dave davies.

CRISPIANNE3

I was going to change to them to get the cash bonus but have read so many poor reviews I changed my mind.

philwakely

The proverbial barge pole must not be allowed anywhere near this company!

Switched to them back in October 2012 on the promise of £40 cashback as well as being the lowest tariff available at the time. Received £10 just after Christmas and told that was all I was entitled to.

Worse still, I have not yet received a single bill nor had any money taken from my bank despite sending in readings on the 1st of each month. I have contacted their [so-called] Customer Service umpteen times and the excuses given each time were laughable [e.g 'Computer flooded' or 'you are one of a select few we've put on a new computer system and it is not yet working properly']. The best excuse to date was 'we have lost all of your details - despite quoting to me everything they knew about me at the beginning of the call! I wrote a formal complaint to them about four weeks ago and have not even received an acknowledgement.

Despite being on a fixed term contract, I have already started the process to switch away and will cite 'breach of contract' if they try to charge me a penalty.

As I said up-top - Do not touch with the proverbial barge pole!

Alex444

Phil, I've had similar problems, have now gone to OFGEM for resolution.

sammylou100

I've posted this elsewhere in the forum & then found this page & had to share it here too...

I HATE First Utility. I have been with them for 20 months, over which time my bills have been consistently wrong. When I tried to switch from them I was told I couldn't as I'd have to swap to another supplier who uses Smart Meters, but currently the only supplier just beginning to introduce them is British Gas and that's only in the early stages, meaning I am trapped with First Utility. I've been threatened with solicitors when they have owed ME money. Before Christmas they sent me a bill with a £50 credit, I called to query it & was told I'd overpaid through the year (impossible I thought, with a Smart Meter). I've now received a bill for £150 as I apparently underpaid last year...I've been trying to sort this out for a week & nobody even responds to my emails. The call centre tells you something different each time.

I'm now taking this to the Ombudsman as I've had enough. I even responded to one of Martin's tweets bigging up First Utility, asking how he could recommend them when their customer service was so awful, and he told me 'Stories like that with every energy supplier, that's the issue, their customer service ranking isn't any worse generally'...but looking at reviews on money supermarket etc this doesn't seem to be the case. I just can't wait to move so I don't have to deal with them any longer!

all_options

Well well well,
F U is the second cheapest deal offered - after Scottish Power came in a couple of quid cheaper per month.
These forums are important, I've scrolled down just half of this page and couldn't find any positive feedback from people that have had problems. It appears that bringing customers dissatisfaction to an agreeable resolution is not paramount on this company's priorities.
A big thank you to others that have posted on here. I will not be signing up and will avoid in the future if it is apparent there has been no change in satisfaction rates.

(second thought of the day - bring back the wage packet - cut out the banks)

vectra90

Still having problems with First Utility. Have been no help what so ever. Honestly avoid First Utility!!!!!! not worth the hassle.

philwakely

Further to my comments above.......

I telephoned them today to see if they could send me a bill based on readings I gave them on the 'phone as I want to just pay them up to date and switch away as soon as possible.

The response was jaw-droppingly hopeless (but then again, probably par for the course!).... Apparently, they can't send me a bill because their system does not recognise me!

Atidi

peacharcher wrote: »

I switched to FU August 12...biggest mistake I've ever made.

I had a fixed DD of £85 for gas and electricity which was higher, admittedly, than my previous supplier but I assumed this would ensure I didn't fall into arrears.

Despite my submitting meter readings regularly since August 12, all bills had been estimated until December 12 when they decided to use said meter readings and presented me with a huge bill of £700+ in December they increased my monthly DD to £270...an amount I simply cannot afford as I am living on a low income, so I've cancelled the DD and offered to pay £120 online each month instead to ensure I have enough cash in my bank account to pay rent and food costs for my daughter and I.

Attempted to make this payment today and there is no 'pay now' option on my online account as detailed in the help and advice section....spent 45 minutes on the phone in order to pay that way.

Still waiting for replies to my monthly queries regarding their failure to use meter readings I gave them and my recent queries as to how I could possibly have underpaid by £700+ in only 4 months whilst living in a 2 bed flat!

Absolute nightmare of a company, I've never had any problems with other suppliers, just simply wanted to save as much money as possible and now I'm in arrears for the first time in my life. Go figure.

I think you cancelling your DD mandate, effectively putting you in breach of the contract you willingly entered into with FU is perhaps the biggest mistake you've ever made;)

(that's if you not correctly using a comparison site, and entering a realistic annual consumption in kWh was not the biggest mistake)