First Utility - NEVER AGAIN

paulfoel

As soon as something goes slightly wrong these lot are completely useless.

OK, it was my fault to start with. I look after MILs account and inadvertently put our meter readings in (Im with FU too).

So they sent here a bill for £3000. Shes a pensioner who lives alone and spends £50 a month. OK so no-one noticed.

So I phone them, explain and give a correct reading. Got to wait a month for them to re-bill.

Eventually, bill is on website and shes overpaid £300. Great so I phone them. OK put you through to dept for refunds.

Guy gets funny - this account is £3000 in debit and you need to pay now of we're going to take action. Umm, no its not Im looking at the bill on your website and its all been sorted. He cant see the latest bill it transpires. Nice.

In the meantime, we get a letter, monthly payment going up to £250 based on usage. So I phone them. Explain about the billing error thing - ah ok, £51 a month. Sorted.

So eventually, phone back days later, yes we'll send you £300 but it takes 7-10 working days.

10 days comes and goes. I phone them. Ah. We didnt send the £300 because you had an estimated bill for this month for £290 so we paid that.

Aaarrrggghhh! You've done as estimate based on this error again!!!!

So its been over two months now. Im beginning to think the only way to get a refund is to leave FU.

Im waiting for them to get back to me but so far:-

1) FU are refused to explain why exactly they did not send the £300 and left us waiting for the payment.
2) Why on earth they are still producing estimates based on wrong readings.

To be honest, I think they are just completely useless and their systems allow no flex at all. And the customer service people just dont care.

Never again.

Catman7

Never used first utility but only good thing about them is they sponsor the super league lol massive rugby league fan

live_love_laugh

They really are shocking. I've been waiting for a refund since jan 1st , had trouble since I've been with them , I've switched so hopefully new company take over in march so I'll have to pay some sort of fine for leaving early to FU but I don't care.never again will I use them

lvf

Granted it was your mistake to begin with, but FU have really been shocking since. When I did the CS for an Energy company, I saw literally hundreds of cases just like yours, so you are far from alone in mixing up reads! Really, really simple to resolve, it was a matter of getting the dud reading removed.

Why FU have made this so difficult is a real headscratcher. I think a little trip down the complaints route may be required. While the refund may no longer be due, you and your Mother in Law should at least have an accurate breakdown of your account.

Get a complaint opened and request someone from their complaints department issues you with an accurate statement of the account.

Hoof_Hearted

The good thing about them is that they are not Scottish Power.

sillygoose

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

The good thing about them is that they are not Scottish Power.

Hmm... I have just switched from Scottish Power (who I had perfect service from) to First Utility. Between a rock and hard place then.

Lesson learnt from this thread.. I need to be very careful to but the right numbers in then!

[Deleted User]

I m surprised that you actually got through to them so often, reports on here say that they are both virtually unavailable by phone or email. Well done for at least getting to grips with some contracted call centre employee who does work for different employers from a script

paulfoel

sillygoose wrote: »

Hmm... I have just switched from Scottish Power (who I had perfect service from) to First Utility. Between a rock and hard place then.

Lesson learnt from this thread.. I need to be very careful to but the right numbers in then!

Oh yes. Create a slightly different issue for them and you're screwed.

paulfoel

sacsquacco wrote: »

I m surprised that you actually got through to them so often, reports on here say that they are both virtually unavailable by phone or email. Well done for at least getting to grips with some contracted call centre employee who does work for different employers from a script

Twitter/facebook. They all hate being criticised on there.

paulfoel

The incompetence of FU knows no bounds !!!!

They tweeted me yesterday to tell me the complaints team were ready to discuss my complaint (if you remember it was on behalf of my MIL).

So I tell them, email or phone me please. Do not phone my MIL, she won't understand and gets confused.

So what do they do? Phone her today, make up some crap, confuse her and close the complaint down!

Easy way to resolve complaints I suppose. Appalling company.

footyguy

paulfoel wrote: »

The incompetence of FU knows no bounds !!!!

They tweeted me yesterday to tell me the complaints team were ready to discuss my complaint (if you remember it was on behalf of my MIL).

So I tell them, email or phone me please. Do not phone my MIL, she won't understand and gets confused.

So what do they do? Phone her today, make up some crap, confuse her and close the complaint down!

Easy way to resolve complaints I suppose. Appalling company.

Unless your MIL has given express prior permission to the supplier for you to handle the account, then the supplier is not permitted to discuss in detail her account with you.