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Add your feedback on energy supplier Shell Energy (formerly First Utility)
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Just finished my first contract and started my second. No problems here. I think its best to use variable direct debits with this company - pay as you go. There seem to be fewer issues then. Cheap and cheerful so far. £40 a month over the spring/summer months was nice
Will go up to £100 a month through autumn winter though.
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Awful service.Even though I had paid up before I left I had terrible problems with bailiff letters saying I still owed them money.Would rather crawl over broken glass then join First Utility again0
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Just don't do it. Meter readings not taken into account for billing and subsequent accumulated over payments not returned despite promises - still waiting. Vote with your feet!0
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I have been with them over a year.
Very good website and easy to add meter readings.
They are good at replying to emails.- I have not tried to contact them by 'phone.0 -
I provide meter readings every month and when I was £270ish in credit a couple of months ago, I asked by e-mail for £150 back. Nothing.
I wrote on their complaint system and got a swift reply and the £150 was credited to my bank account shortly thereafter.
I think they are still in the "could do better" league.The mind of the bigot is like the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour upon it, the more it will contract.
Oliver Wendell Holmes0 -
Well, I joined them over 15 months ago. There were problems and they somehow created TWO account numbers for me. One account has been running pretty successfully to date, however the other ‘phantom’ account (on an older system) has caused me grief for the last year. Despite hours on the phone over the year they seem to be unable to shut it down despite all promises and they keep spuriously trying to double bill” me. A surprise DD of nearly £700 suddenly hit my bank account back in May with corresponding surprise invoice plus demands for payment. Never even a “sorry”. Hours on the phone always yield a story that this or that team is resolving the problem. Nothing happens, then another menacing demand hits for another spurious large bill. Both their email and phone follow up has been pretty abysmal. At any moment I’m expecting more money to be taken by DD.
This is STILL an on-going issue despite emails to their CEO and COO. Although my “good” account is running well, it’s evil twin phantom account is a nightmare and no-one is able to remove while I nervously await the next huge DD, demands with menaces and heaven knows what damage to the credit history. How inept can they be? Good luck to their ‘happy’ customers…0 -
For over two years now I have been hounded by FU for the final bill payment when I switched from them to another company. I have had phone calls, letters, texts all quoting different amounts and nonsensical data. After at least ten phone calls with them-many hours and a different person each time-they told me that the final bill was £49. This seemed about right, I paid it there and then on the phone and got them to verify that there was nothing else to pay. They sent me a letter saying the case was closed. Then earlier this year they started again!! Texts, letters, phone calls, still asking for the £49. Again I spent several phone calls attempting to convince them that they were wrong, not me. They suggested that I pay £20 for now and the rest as soon as possible. They couldn't find details of my case from last year. I suggested that they paid me £20 for my trouble! Eventually I had to scan the letter saying the case was closed, as they had no copy of it. This I did, and I was sent £20 as I'd suggested. Just recently, here we go again, my so called debt has been passed to a debt collecting company called Zinc, who are now hounding me with texts, phone calls and letters. I answered the phone to them once to explain what has happened, and they wanted me to go through it all with them as they have no details from FU. I'm feeling absolutely incandescent. It's not my problem, so I suggested that they contact FU themselves. I'm not answering the phone to them again, so we'll see how far they go to chase this non existent debt! I'm just wondering how many people have been taken in by similar demands and felt intimidated enough to pay their so called debts.0
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I switched to First Utility Feb last year. The switch went smoothly and All seemed fine.
Then I made the mistake of enquiring about a smart meter! That was installed although I suddenly realised it wasn't Economy 7. I contacted Customer Services to explain and was told it couldn't be Economy 7 as the Smart Meters can't cope with dual tariff (the irony)! I hadn't been told this and so they came and replaced the meter once again.
Unfortunately their billing platform went into meltdown over this and could not put me on the original tariff. After 7 months of constant phone calls they finally created a new account for me on the correct tariff. Again though the billing platform that this account was put on (apparently they have three of varying ages) couldn't get it right and now I cannot enter readings online or via their app. I cannot access my old account either so cannot get access to previous bills.
I did get some compensation for the trouble but as far as I can see this issue is not going to get fixed any time soon. As soon as I can leave without penalty I'm gone. Beware!0 -
Tip - download the bills /statements and keep them on your computer or print them out. You'll then have written evidence when it all goes awry and their computer or your account evaporates.Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large numbers0
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I'm not sure what went wrong but I'm not happy.
I helped my father in law (living alone in a one bedroom flat and saving energy as much as possible) to switch from Npower in October, 2015. There was an offer from https://thebigdeal.com/ which recommended First utility. Last week my father in law received his first bill from First utility for £90, whilst he was paying £82 in Npower and was always in credit so that so in their last letter Npower dropped his fee to £42! can somebody explain what went worng??? a rip off by The big deal!0
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