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

bettz

Hengus wrote: »

When you say 'estimated' by how much? All meter readings given to the new supplier are subject to third-party review. Provided the opening reading on your new account agrees with the closing reading on your old account, you will not be out of pocket by very much.

If the difference is significant, then ask your new supplier to raise a readings dispute. The downside of this is that it can take some time for the dispute to be resolved.

Well the reading i gave FU was 03563 and they've put it as 04050

They've then gone and changed my opening reading to match there's!

Not happy and ive only been with them less than a month

System

bettz wrote: »

Well the reading i gave FU was 03563 and they've put it as 04050

They've then gone and changed my opening reading to match there's!

Not happy and ive only been with them less than a month

You have 2 options:

1. Ask the new supplier to raise a readings dispute. Wait for up to 12 weeks for this to be resolved.

2. Ask the new supplier to credit you with the difference in cost between FU and your old supplier for the disputed units. You will only pay FU standing charges until your meter passes the opening reading.

GWHITT

I switched energy providers on 14th March 2016. I received my final bill on 8th June 2016. On receipt of the email I called my current provider who checked on the government web site for the date of the switch and meter readings. They advised me that the First Utility have 6 weeks to provide a final bill, and perhaps I should contact First Utility. I did this they apologised for taking so long to generate the final bill and opened a query. A further call from them said they would give me a goodwill gesture of the cost of my phone call to them for my inconvenience. My grievance is not the 30 minutes approximately which I spent on the phone calls, but the fact that I budget for my bills and pay by direct debit. To receive a final bill so long after the switch has put me in a position of being in debt, something which is unacceptable. Such poor customer service. Should I take this up with OFGEN?

System

GWHITT wrote: »

I switched energy providers on 14th March 2016. I received my final bill on 8th June 2016. On receipt of the email I called my current provider who checked on the government web site for the date of the switch and meter readings. They advised me that the First Utility have 6 weeks to provide a final bill, and perhaps I should contact First Utility. I did this they apologised for taking so long to generate the final bill and opened a query. A further call from them said they would give me a goodwill gesture of the cost of my phone call to them for my inconvenience. My grievance is not the 30 minutes approximately which I spent on the phone calls, but the fact that I budget for my bills and pay by direct debit. To receive a final bill so long after the switch has put me in a position of being in debt, something which is unacceptable. Such poor customer service. Should I take this up with OFGEN?

Hi. There is no Government website as such: I think that they were referring to the database that holds details of meter numbers and suppliers. This is updated when a supply transfer goes through.

The losing supplier has to use its reasonable endeavours to provide you with a final bill within the prescribed period. It you feel that your old supplier has not met its obligations, then you must raise a complaint with that supplier. Once 8 weeks have elapsed, then you can refer the matter to The Energy Ombudsman for resolution. This can take many weeks. You cannot refer any specific complaints to OFGEM.

That said, if you feel that a supplier has breached its Supply obligations by not providing you with a final bill in a timely fashion, you can report the matter to:

consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk

They will acknowledge and file your concerns but they will not pay out compensation etc. This is a matter for the supplier and, if unresolved, The Energy Ombudsman.

GWHITT

Thank you for your advice.
Can you advise what the prescribed period is, I was under the impression they should supply a final bill within 6 weeks, is this correct?

System

GWHITT wrote: »

Thank you for your advice.
Can you advise what the prescribed period is, I was under the impression they should supply a final bill within 6 weeks, is this correct?

From Ofgem's website:


Both the Electricity Supply Licence and the Gas Supply Licence impose equivalent obligations on licensees in respect of the provision of final bills to domestic customers. Condition 27.17 of each licence requires a licensee to take all reasonable steps to send a final bill to a domestic customer within six weeks of a supplier transfer. Specifically, the condition states:
27.17 Where the responsibility for the supply of the electricity to a Domestic Customer transfers from the licensee to another...[Electricity/Gas]...Supplier or otherwise terminates, the licensee must take all reasonable steps to send a final Bill or statement of account of the Domestic Customer’s account within 6 weeks of the supplier transfer or termination of the Domestic Supply Contract.

SADLY, OFGEM does not define reasonable steps!!

wimbledonian

It really is time OFGEM did their job properly. If a supplier can't get a bill to the customer they are losing within 4 weeks of receiving the meter reading they should have to cancel the debt. And if they can't refund any credit owed to the customer within 4 weeks or within 4 days of sending the final account they should have to pay double. Simple.

There is NOTHING complicated about this switching process. I am still waiting for a reply from Sainsbury's Energy on why they took so long to refund credit to me. The Competition and Markets Authority has consulted on how to make energy switching easier for the customer. All their proposals look like making matters worse, not better.

GWHITT

I think I will contact First Utility to discuss payment terms, I'll see how long they are willing to allow me to pay off the final bill. I wonder if they they are prepared to wait as long as it took them to provide the bill in the first place. Many thanks for the advice, will keep you posted on progress.

SnakeDoctor_2

I'm just in the process of switching FROM First Utility. In the year that I've been with them I haven't had one accurate bill and the only thing that would work on my online account was the ability to download a wildly inaccurately estimated bill; even though I gave them my meter readings on the last day of each month.

SnakeDoctor_2

A saying about touching and barge-polls comes to mind.

When I first applied online they automatically cancelled my application and didn’t bother telling me. When I got them to find out why they told me that there was a problem with my Post Code on a national database. Then they couldn’t read my meters and I finally managed to get them to replace the electricity (definitely not) smart meter (they wouldn’t replace my gas meter) with a sensible and readable meter. Before they replaced the Electricity meter it started accumulating all my kWh used as night usage (the only good thing I can say about energy suppliers).
During my year with First Utility I COULD NOT: -
1. View my Electricity or Gas usage online
2. Submit the Electricity and Gas meter readings online, or by the automated telephone system
3. Change my tariff online
4. Get a bill based on the actual meter readings that I submitted (every time that I asked which day I should submit the reading I was told a different day)
5. Use the Android App

Sign-up with FU at your own peril.