First Utility - HELP!

laurenmcd

Hi Guys,

I am new to this and wondering if anyone out there has had a similar problem or can lend me their advice on where i stand:


When I got the keys to my new house in January 2015 First Utility were the provider. I submitted the meter reading on the day we got the keys and gave them all my details for them to set up an account with them, they said this would take 6 weeks.
After 8 weeks of hearing nothing back I contacted them and again gave them my details, they said this would take another 6 weeks to transfer across as they had a glitch on their system.

They then sent my first bill in June 2015. When I phoned them up to pay it they said I wasn’t able to do so as my account was still not set up. I tried again a number of times to pay the bill but they simply would not let me.
They then started sending me demand letters for a bill they would not let me pay. At this point I had enough and got the Ombudsman involved. With their help I got a £50 goodwill gesture from First Utility and because the arrears had built up to over £400 they offered a payment plan where if I was to pay £80 per month that would cover my ongoing energy cost and clear my arrears within 12 months (they put this in writing).

12 months down the line my arrears are now over £850 and the £80 I have been paying hasn’t even been touching my monthly energy cost. They have admitted they put me on one of their more expensive tariffs without informing me.

I am having to get the Ombudsman involved again as I have been going backwards and forwards with them on this separate complaint for over 8 weeks.
First Utility told me if I paid £80 per month I would be debt free within 12 months and this is what I expect! I have been paying that money in good faith I was reducing my arrears.

They have said that my forecast that was supplied by them was incorrect and that’s why my arrears have doubled… my monthly bills in February, March, April are in excess of £160p/m which is so extortionate for a 3 bedroom semidetached home, which is accommodated by 2 people who are out of the house 10 hours a day! They say it does seem high but can’t prove that it is wrong, but they will knock a measly £100 off my £800 bill which I have rejected!

I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall with them, they would rather pass me through to another department than help me! I’ve even CC’d the CEO into my emails but that hasn’t got me very far.

I would strongly advise people to avoid First Utility at all costs, even !!!! Turpin wore a mask!

dogshome

So many problems it's difficult to know where to begin, but as the OP refers 'meter' and not 'meters' I'm assuming this is an All-electric household

It's a long shot, but as the problems started with FU's inability to set up the account, which should have been as easy as falling off a log as they were the incumbant supplier, it's worth checking the veracity of the meter details as it's possible there has been a meter change that FU failed to record.

CHECK that the meter number shown on the bills matches that on the actual meter, and even if it does, also check Regional Data base for the meter they have recorded as being at your address - You do this by googling 'Who supplies my Electricity' which gives you the phone number of the Data Base for your area

Ectophile

laurenmcd wrote: »

Hi Guys,

They have admitted they put me on one of their more expensive tariffs without informing me.

All suppliers have a standard variable rate. Unless you contact them asking to be switched to a different tariff, then that's the one you are automatically put on as a new customer.

It is, of course, the most expensive rate.

It's up to you, as a customer, to shop around for the best deal - either by switching between tariffs offered by one supplier, or by switching suppliers.

laurenmcd

Sorry I should mention that I am on a dual fuel tariff with smart meters. The data supplied for the meter readings in Feb, March, April are sky high. I've looked into this data day by day, hour by hour. And when I know fine well there is no one in the house (and we make sure every appliance is switched off before we leave) the meter is running sky high!!
They said they cant prove I didnt use that energy, their words being 'for all we know you could have had 6 electric meters blasting through the house all day'. We didnt.
We've even check out where our cables were going as it crossed our minds someone was stealing our electricity!
I took my story to the Daily Mail who contacted FU. They called me Friday saying they had been contacted by the DM and wanted to sort this out. They admit that they miscalculated last year and the £80 payment plan shouldnt have been set by them as it was never going to be enough to pay my energy bill & arrears.... this is my first house and i had no reason to believe £80 wouldnt cover my costs.
They now say they'll fit a check meter to my smart meter in the next couple of weeks and see if there is any issues. But i know i'll be back to square one, they'll say they still can't prove i didn't use the energy and i still owe them £850!
From there incompetence set out from day one they've managed to really screw up my finances!

dogshome

In a way you are lucky they are going to fit a 'Check Meter' for free, the usual form is that they will fit a check meter, but if no meter fault is found they charge for fitting the check meter.

It seems that your D/D's were set way below a level for you to pay for what you use - The debt can be paid off by a negotiated monthly payment.
BUT, get the agreement in WRITING. - The industry has a record of agreeing to such arrangements and then still passing on the debt to Debt Collectors