Utilities ADR – Anyone else experienced total silence / no acknowledgement? (

ABurns_2

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some insights or recent experiences regarding Utilities ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution).

I submitted a comprehensive complaint package to them via post, which was delivered on 28th August 2026. I have the proof of delivery, but since then, it has been absolute radio silence. I haven't received a reference number, a basic automated email, or a written acknowledgement to confirm they have actually opened or logged the case.

For those who have used Utilities ADR recently, how long did it take for them to acknowledge your case? Is a month of total silence normal for them right now, or should I be actively chasing them up?

Context of the Complaint: To give some background, this is a severe deadlock escalation against E.ON Next regarding a Solar PV and Lithium-ion battery system installed in September 2025.

E.ON has already issued a final response and formally admitted to major installation and service failures in writing, including:

• Signing off the system without a mandatory DC Isolation Switch (leaving the system permanently energised with no way to isolate the panels).
• Melting DC cables and connectors caused by installation stress and a loose connection, creating a severe, active fire hazard right next to a 10kW battery.
• Complete failure of their internal triage and support teams to recognise the urgency of an active fire risk, leaving my family living alongside a dangerous fault for months.
• 56 days of total system downtime during peak spring/summer generation months, and our garden being restricted by scaffolding for weeks.

E.ON offered a £500 settlement (£200 energy loss / £300 goodwill), which I rejected as wholly inadequate given the loss of energy over an unseasonably bright spring and summer, the gravity of the safety breaches and corporate negligence. I am seeking a more proportionate compensation.

Because E.ON's admissions are so clear-cut, the dispute is purely about the adequacy of the financial redress. I expected the ADR route to be relatively straightforward, but this initial lack of communication is making me uneasy.

• Has anyone else encountered this level of delay just getting a case acknowledged?
• At what point should I bypass the silence and consider the Small Claims Court instead?

Any advice or timelines from your own experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

silverwhistle

Jeez, no DC Isolation switch, how did they manage that?! And the rest..

Has your home insurer been involved at all? Can't help on the potential delays front, but in terms of incompetence your install takes the biscuit. Have you tried writing to one of the newspapers as your story is certainly one they could get their teeth into?

Woodstok2000

Their terms here seem to indicate you will hear within 3 weeks of submission only if your complaint cannot be accepted.

For future, you would have been better submitting the complaint online so you can view the complaint status easily on your account page.

https://www.utilitiesadr.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/UtilitiesADR-Scheme-Rules-November-2021.pdf

Step 1 (Initial Assessment)

4.2.The complaint is reviewed and a decision made if the complaint falls within scope, in

accordance with 1.1. of the Scheme Rules

4.3. In the event that a complaint cannot be accepted, the Consumer will be notified of this

within three weeks.

Woodstok2000

Following that assessment, the complaint goes to EON and they have 28 days to respond.

MattMattMattUK

You have a right to have the installation rectified/recover the cost of any rectification work carried out by other contractors, as well as a your cost in lost grid exports covered. You do not have a right to "compensation" for what might have happened.

ABurns_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82148387#Comment_82148387

Thanks Silverwhistle, not sure I want to go down the publicity route as it is a double edged sword.

I haven't spoken to our home insurer but it's another angle I hadn't considered.

ABurns_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82148455#Comment_82148455

Thanks, I tried to do it online initially but E.ON are not one of the companies available on the drop down menu. Although it was E.ON who told me I could use Utilities ADR to make the complaint.

Therefore I thought a letter with evidence and proof of delivery might be sufficient. I will try emailing them and see what they say.

ABurns_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82149230#Comment_82149230

Thanks Matt, I entirely agree, I'm not seeking compensation for the loss of my house etc but rather something that better reflects the loss of paid holidays from work waiting for contractors, the multiple emails written, the hours on the phone and the general runaround experienced daily over a 3 month period. Also the loss of energy calculation was done in such a way as to significantly benefit E.ON.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152789#Comment_82152789

EON are definitely covered by Utilities ADR online. Their logo is on the front page and they are on the drop down list when you click through to start a complaint.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82152793#Comment_82152793

There is not remedy process for day off of work or time expended.

If you think that the methodology is inaccurate (note inaccurate, not just not what you want it to be), then challenge it's inaccuracy.