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

atmartins

Moved to First:Utility in August 2015 (2 months ago), all went well until about 10 days ago since when emails & phone call trying to persuade me to 'fix' my costs for 3 years.
I couldn't be bothered to read or enquire what conditions would be involved.
I declined because their eagerness to get me to fix implied the deal was good for them, not me, and also I intend to check every year if they remain competitive.
Anyone else had this? Any other comments?

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atmartins wrote: »

Anyone else had this? Any other comments?

Yes, only take them up on it if it is cheaper than your current tariff

modsandmockers

On my advice, my daughter has switched from Co-opEnergy to FirstUtility and, so far, all is well. The switch took place 3 days after the cooling-off period, as promised, and so far nothing else has happened.

First Utility offer an option to pay a monthly 'actual' bill, based on the previous month's 'actual' consumption. And they charge no extra for the 'privilege' - all you have to do is provide a monthly meter reading. Wow - what a breakthrough! No more fixed monthly payment plans with ever-changing monthly payments, and no more accumulation of massive debit or credit balances on the account.

Can it really be that simple?

gatita

I have been with FU for 5 years, and I always have a monthly bill based on my submitted usage. I have found it excellent, I never pay for more than I have used, I pay by variable direct debit. Couldn't ask for more, they are the cheapest for me also.

poppellerant

Very surprised this hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet, but FU have appeared on Watchdog:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/59m06xhNgzzRFvC3nPFFyBl/company-response

First Utility said:
Firstly, we sincerely apologise to the customers in your report for their experience with us, and to any other customers who have had issues.

First Utility's aim has always been to offer our customers the best possible deal - not just the cheapest energy but also the best customer service. We have grown rapidly as a result and because of this we have sometimes failed to live up to the standards we set ourselves.

We would like to reassure customers and viewers that we are committed to delivering low-priced energy and great customer service. We have invested £25m in customer service, with a new dedicated UK call centre, with over 700 UK-based customer service advisors and enhancements to our training and development programmes.

However, even one complaint is one too many and we do acknowledge that there have been occasions where we have simply got things wrong, taken too long to resolve issues or not kept customers informed properly.

When it comes to complaint-handling, we are human and sometimes make mistakes. This is a complex industry, but we are passionate about customer service and every instance where we have let a customer down is taken personally.

We regard ourselves as very different to the Big Six and remain dedicated to offering a genuine alternative, shown by our customers saving an average of £269 a year when switching to First Utility. Industry-leading customer service is key to this alongside consistently lower prices and tools to help people waste less energy and save more money.

Although we are not perfect, as shown by the customer problems you have covered here, we are making significant progress. Trustpilot scores us 4 out of 5 stars for customer satisfaction and uSwitch awarded us second place in its most recent survey of energy company customer satisfaction.

None of this excuses the challenges faced by the customers featured in the programme. We know we can still improve, but we would like to reassure everyone that we are focussed on getting things right and becoming the best for customer service as well as offering great value energy tariffs.

MONEYPENNY

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

Rubbish eh, then why were they featured on Watchdog last night for exactly the same problems I had, plus they were still rolling out the same old excuses.
The Ombudsman must also be sick of hearing the same thing over again.
You have just been lucky.
Wait till you try to switch

MABLE

In my own personal experience I have come to the conclusion these small operators are just more trouble than they are worth. For the sake of saving a few pounds its just not worth it for the aggravation.

I use to be with Extra Energy and left them a year ago and could not believe it they sent a meter reader to read the gas last week even though the account was closed and I ceased being a customer of them over 12 months ago.

Wanderer08

I joined First Utility in April 2015 and have just got my first bill (October 2015) which has all sorts of erroneous entries and also some details that are missing e.g. meter readings. Their Customer Service is a joke. I have attempted on many occasions to get a bill or to sort out other issues but none have been resolved because a) they don't seem to understand my query and b) they have multiple departments who don't talk to one another. Avoid them if you don't want any billing issues.

rob879

[FONT=&quot]Normally, when I post on any forum, it is to complain. However, I just want to post some positive feedback about my experience with First Utility!

I am a regular energy supply switcher. I have used all the major energy suppliers over the years - and have had problems with all of them. I switched to First Utility in September 2014 because they offered a very competitive fixed price, dual fuel deal. I was apprehensive about switching at the time, as I was aware of their poor customer service reputation - but the switch went smoothly.

One of the features I like about the First Utility website is the ability to compare my current tariff with all their available tariffs – and allow me to switch to a new tariff. I have switched tariff 5 times since 2014 – saving money each time. The switch takes 5 days to implement and has been trouble free (so far!).[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Before I switch, I always double check via Cheap Energy Club that I genuinely will save money – and that there is not a significantly cheaper offer from another supplier. When I checked today, only GB Energy Supply has a cheaper deal than First Utility but the annual saving is less than my exit fees, so it not worth changing suppliers.
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[FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]So I’ve managed to avoid, the hassle, delays and penalties incurred when switching suppliers for over 2 years. If First Utility does become uncompetitive, I will obviously need to switch – but I’m not there yet.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]I have not needed to speak to their Call Centre – so I can’t comment on their service in that regard.[/FONT]
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rob879 wrote: »

I have not needed to speak to their Call Centre – so I can’t comment on their service in that regard.

I just hope for your own sake it stays that way