Help. Gas Meter Won't Top-up. Utilita Poor Customer Service.

thomas1983

Hello.

I have a massive problem with my Prepayment Gas Meter from Utilita. As some readers may not be familiar with Utilita Meters, I'll explain how they work before I go into detail about my problem. These meters works differently than other suppliers meters, as they're smart keypad meters. I have both Gas and Electricity from Utilita. The Electric Meter has a keypad for topping up, but the Gas Meter doesn't. There's a Dual Freedom Meter for Gas top-ups and for balance information. Lastly, a HUB is fitted to both meters, so Utilita can access meter readings - without visiting my property.

When I top-up, I have to key in the code from the shop receipt into the meter keypad, then it tops up. Well, this became rather annoying after a while. So, I decided to top-up online, as a top-up automatically credits the Gas meter within a few minutes.

Basically, the Gas Meter won't top-up at all. Its been like this now since the beginning of February. I think the Dual Freedom Unit has an issue that needs fixing or replacing. It won't automatically credit top-ups, so I've tried keying-in the long code. Doesn't top-up and the LCD screen displays "No Comms" Message. I tried replacing the batteries on the Freedom unit, no result. I can't even use Emergency Gas Credit.

So, now to my biggest problem... Utilita's customer service, or should I say, lack of it. My wife and I have made telephone-after-telephone, to the following numbers;

0845 450 4599 Emergency Line.
0845 450 4357 Customer Services Enquiries.

Unfortunately, Utilita just can't be bothered to answer their telephones. We've spent around £30.00 on calls to them since February, all for nothing, as we haven't been able to talk to anyone regarding this problem. Are longest call was around 2 hours waiting on their automated service for someone to answer

We decided to send them an Email explaining the problems we were experiencing. The website stated that it would take 5 working days for a reply, we wasn't very happy about that, but we thought "at least they would send an engineer out to us"

5 Days came and went, no response. In fact, it was a total of 3 weeks before we had an reply back from Utilita, and it wasn't the response we wanted. I've attracted the rather pitiful Email reply so you can get a sense of how bad there customer service really is:

Dear Mr Thomas.

Thank you for your email concerning your Freedom Unit. I am sorry that you have had such a negative experience with this piece of equipment.



I realise that you feel you have done everything possible to rectify the situation but I would like to ask you do one last thing before I raise this as a Fault. Please unplug your Freedom Unit and ensure that there are no batteries in it. Leave it without power for 5 mins before plugging back in. Please locate your Freedom Unit as close to your electricity meter as possible and wait a further 30 mins. If after 30 mins and you press 77 for the electricity balance and 88 for the gas balance, these are still incorrect, do let me know.



I can see your £40 gas top-up of 8 Feb which has created a 60-digit vend code. If you are entering this manually into the Freedom Unit, the code needs to be typed in as one long continuous code followed by the # key. If you no longer have your receipt for this top-up do let me know as I can email you the vend code to ensure that has gone onto your gas meter.



If after following these instructions, your Freedom Unit is still not working and you are still without gas, I can raise this as a Fault for an engineer to come out to you. I am bound to advise you that if the above advice has not been followed and the engineer arrives to find the problem could have been resolved by email/telephone, you may be liable for a call-out charge.



I look forward to hearing from you.


Kind regards,

Utilita Customer Service Advisor.

Well, we explained that we did everything they'd ask in the original Email we sent, but Utilita seem to think their customers are stupid. Of course, nothing that they suggested worked. So, we sent an Email back explaining this. Well, they never replied, and after almost 2 months of battling, we're ready to give-up.

We can't even have a bath in are own home due to no Gas. We can't Heat are home for the same reason. We both have to go to friends and family's houses for baths/showers, it really is hell.

Does anyone know what we can do about the Gas, and Utilita?

C_Mababejive

Change suppliers? They may well take notice then..

chanz4

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Change suppliers? They may well take notice then..

Not so easy as a lot of suppliers dont support these

thomas1983

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Change suppliers? They may well take notice then..

I really wish I could. We tried to leave last year. Utilita said - our property is tied for 2 years because we signed a contact, well, I wouldn't know anything about that. I thought the whole point of prepayment meters is they didn't need anyone to sign a contract?

thomas1983

Wouldn't surprise me. Also, these smart meters are expensive to run, as Utilita can increase their tariffs whenever they deem necessary. We don't use a lot of electricity, as we live in a 1 bedroom flat. But we've used-up £20 of credit in 4 days! versus £20 in 11 days the other week.

This is one of the main reasons we want to leave Utilita.

C_Mababejive

I didnt realise they had a two year tie in. These people seem to prey on social housing where i have seen a lot of them installed.

Wywth

C_Mababejive wrote: »

I didnt realise they had a two year tie in. These people seem to prey on social housing where i have seen a lot of them installed.

Domestic customers are usually only tied in for 12 months
http://www.utilita.co.uk/pages/terms-and-conditions/UYA_Ts&Cs_ONLY.pdf
There is a cancellation fee of £50 per fuel, plus a £12 administration fee, if the customer wishes to leave before the 12 months.
However, customers can leave within the year if Utilita raise their prices or the customer moves house.

Maybe the OP has agreed to a two year term?
However I doubt it if they have a PPM

ValHaller

Wywth wrote: »

.... There is a cancellation fee of £50 per fuel, plus a £12 administration fee, if the customer wishes to leave before the 12 months.

In this situation, the cancellation fee is irrelevant, as Utilita are not fulfilling the contract and have ignored thomas's last email.

OP should write to them with a copy by email and keep a copy for themselves. The letter should say that Utilita are in breach of contract for supply because since Februaury, the meter is not accepting credit - and give Utilita 7 days notice to rectify the problem - otherwise the contract will be rescinded without liability for any cancellation fees.

ValHaller

thomas1983 wrote: »

I can see your £40 gas top-up of 8 Feb which has created a 60-digit vend code. If you are entering this manually into the Freedom Unit, the code needs to be typed in as one long continuous code followed by the # key.

60 digit? Typed in manually? Unacceptable.

Wywth

ValHaller wrote: »

In this situation, the cancellation fee is irrelevant, as Utilita are not fulfilling the contract and have ignored thomas's last email...

Which term exactly has not been complied with?

And do the terms and conditions allow for a breach of such term to mean the customer no longer needs to pay the early exit and administration fees?

Or are you a wannabe Rumpole making it up as you go along?... :cool:

ValHaller

Wywth wrote: »

Which term exactly has not been complied with?

And do the terms and conditions allow for a breach of such term to mean the customer no longer needs to pay the early exit and administration fees?

Or are you a wannabe Rumpole making it up as you go along?... :cool:

No I am not a wannabe rumpole who makes anything up - your apology is accepted.

Now, consumer law is pretty clear on the fact that customers are entitled to receive the service for which they signed up, and contracts, however ensnaring, can be rescinded if either party breaches their promises.

source http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/mar/05/3-mobile-coverage

The supplier is not complying with the contract to supply gas which has been paid for. If there is a fixed term contract in place with penalties, then the penalties cannot be made to apply if what is supposed to be supplied is not being supplied.

OP has been without gas for a month. And deserves some help on getting his contract either fulfilled or rescinded without penalty ASAP. OP does not deserve a misleading list of cancellation fees from you which he should not have to pay. You must be fairly clueless if you cannot identify how the contract is being breached. (It is not necessarily an explicit term, but it is certainly an implied term which a court would recognise that the contract is for the supply of gas - which is not currently being supplied)