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Do I have grounds for a complaint to? UTILITA
Lettyspaghetti
Posts: 15 Forumite
in Energy
Hello!
This is a long one so sorry! lol
Im looking for advice regarding a complaint I want to make against utilita. Im not really sure what to say to them as I never usually complain about anything I'm usually of the view mistakes happen but last week really left me quite angry.
I have smart meters with utilita and a week ago today I had 75p of my emergency credit left. I went onto the website before it ran out to top up using my bank card. There was a warning up saying that they were having problems with prepayment top ups and a number to call if it didn't work and a link to tell you how to fix it if you had a receipt. Anyway... I topped up £11 online and thought nothing else of it. Went to my work on Monday morning and got home just after 8 at night to see that my gas had cut out. Their customer service department was closed so I called their emergency line and tried to get through for about an hour and a half to no avail. I gave up, came off the phone, put an extra couple of pairs of pyjamas on and went to bed. Went to work the next day unable to have a proper wash (I only have a bath no shower) and got home on the Tuesday at about 10 to 5. I then phoned them again was holding on the line for an hour and a half and spoke to an advisor, he told me that as I had recently decided to switch supplier (due to change on the 25th February) he would have to put me through to a specialist advisor. He transferred me through to another department where I held for another half an hour before being cut off. I then called back the original number held for about another hour, spoke to the SAME advisor as I had the first time, explained I had been cut off when he put me through to the other number and he put me through again. After holding for about another hour, in tears because I was so cold and frustrated I decided to leave my house and go to my boyfriends where at least it would be warm, I would be able to cook something to eat and have a wash. I still held on the line though and drove to his house. Just as I arrived, about an hour and 25 minutes after holding AGAIN, I spoke to an advisor who told me that due to system issues it didn't seem like my top up had went through. She advised me that I was in a minus above my emergency credit of £6.55 and that she would give me a loan of this to be paid back at 90% on my next top up. I asked why I was being given a loan as if my top up had went through correctly I wouldn't have had to borrow from them, she told me this was the only way she would be able to get my supply back on and it had to be done so I agreed. On arriving back at my house the next day after work, the £6.55 and original £11 had been put back on and my supply was back on.
I just don't really know how to go about complaining about this experience. I don't feel it was fair for me to be without gas for 2 days due to their error, being unable to wash or cook and then having to drive else where for the night so I didn't freeze to death! It was minus 3 and snowing both days so its not like it was the height of summer! A friend told me that when you complain to an energy company they usually offer you £30 to basically shut you up. Without being greedy I just don't feel like that would be enough for the hassle and distress it caused due to their error. I have the link to complain to but am unsure how to word it and if I am able to refuse the first amount or if it would come across as I'm trying to money grab!
Any advice would be great!
This is a long one so sorry! lol
Im looking for advice regarding a complaint I want to make against utilita. Im not really sure what to say to them as I never usually complain about anything I'm usually of the view mistakes happen but last week really left me quite angry.
I have smart meters with utilita and a week ago today I had 75p of my emergency credit left. I went onto the website before it ran out to top up using my bank card. There was a warning up saying that they were having problems with prepayment top ups and a number to call if it didn't work and a link to tell you how to fix it if you had a receipt. Anyway... I topped up £11 online and thought nothing else of it. Went to my work on Monday morning and got home just after 8 at night to see that my gas had cut out. Their customer service department was closed so I called their emergency line and tried to get through for about an hour and a half to no avail. I gave up, came off the phone, put an extra couple of pairs of pyjamas on and went to bed. Went to work the next day unable to have a proper wash (I only have a bath no shower) and got home on the Tuesday at about 10 to 5. I then phoned them again was holding on the line for an hour and a half and spoke to an advisor, he told me that as I had recently decided to switch supplier (due to change on the 25th February) he would have to put me through to a specialist advisor. He transferred me through to another department where I held for another half an hour before being cut off. I then called back the original number held for about another hour, spoke to the SAME advisor as I had the first time, explained I had been cut off when he put me through to the other number and he put me through again. After holding for about another hour, in tears because I was so cold and frustrated I decided to leave my house and go to my boyfriends where at least it would be warm, I would be able to cook something to eat and have a wash. I still held on the line though and drove to his house. Just as I arrived, about an hour and 25 minutes after holding AGAIN, I spoke to an advisor who told me that due to system issues it didn't seem like my top up had went through. She advised me that I was in a minus above my emergency credit of £6.55 and that she would give me a loan of this to be paid back at 90% on my next top up. I asked why I was being given a loan as if my top up had went through correctly I wouldn't have had to borrow from them, she told me this was the only way she would be able to get my supply back on and it had to be done so I agreed. On arriving back at my house the next day after work, the £6.55 and original £11 had been put back on and my supply was back on.
I just don't really know how to go about complaining about this experience. I don't feel it was fair for me to be without gas for 2 days due to their error, being unable to wash or cook and then having to drive else where for the night so I didn't freeze to death! It was minus 3 and snowing both days so its not like it was the height of summer! A friend told me that when you complain to an energy company they usually offer you £30 to basically shut you up. Without being greedy I just don't feel like that would be enough for the hassle and distress it caused due to their error. I have the link to complain to but am unsure how to word it and if I am able to refuse the first amount or if it would come across as I'm trying to money grab!
Any advice would be great!
0
Comments
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There was a warning up saying that they were having problems with prepayment top ups and a number to call if it didn't work and a link to tell you how to fix it if you had a receipt. Anyway... I topped up £11 online and thought nothing else of it.
So how is everything else after this UTILITA's fault?0 -
Well the thing that caused the problem was there fault as is the hours I spent trying to speak to someone.
Helpful comment though. Thanks!0 -
Write to Utilita heading "Complaint" send it by Signed For 2nd Class and outline the basis of the complaint and what outcome you require from them.
Even if you are switching they should have been able to sort out the disconnection through the top up failing a lot quicker.0 -
Lettyspaghetti wrote: »A friend told me that when you complain to an energy company they usually offer you £30 to basically shut you up. Without being greedy I just don't feel like that would be enough for the hassle and distress it caused due to their error.
Any advice would be great!Well the thing that caused the problem was there fault as is the hours I spent trying to speak to someone.
Your friend is essentially correct. Unless you can show a financial loss you are unlikely to get anything more than a 'goodwill' payment of, say, £25 to £50.
Even if you spend hours more and complain to the Ombudsman you won't get compensation for the time you spent pursuing the issue.0
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