First Utility refusal to update account.

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

So today I got told I was a liar who didn't know what she was talking about! Took 2 calls to get a "senior advisor" to take a complaint. He was condescending considering I was called a liar! He has confirmed that the bill is still wrong and they will basically not be sending an updated one. I have refused to pay a penny and am now seeking compensation for this catastrophic "service!"

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

*UPDATE*

Still no emails or bills.

Called up to Julie who couldn't help in the slightest, or confirm anything due to "not being able to see it!" but she did, interestingly enough, admit that my account hadn't "tagged me correctly in emails!"

I have no idea what that means but am now concerned that these emails have gone elsewhere. Amazingly once I had confirmed the email address (you know.. the one I emailed them on) the "bill" came through!

This is however a copy of a bill dated 27/09/17 which shows the exit fee being reversed then added again.. always fun!

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

***UPDATE***

So Narinder called me today, she has applied to have the gas exit fees refunded today, what the hell has she been doing for the last 15 days?!?
She is "pleased to tell me" that my balance now is £196.94 including the £100 payment that I have made, not bad as I owed £236.94 on the 6th July and I made a £50 payment since then!

She has then told me that I owe this much because my gas read was incorrect (input as 210) and they have recalculated it to 190, so I pay more because the read is less??

Now, forgive me if I am wrong but this is illegal is it not? That is like being charged £400 by Tesco for a £250 shop, but the excess is because you spent it at Asda!

I have told them I totally dispute this amount, how can I owe them more for using less?? She admits she has no idea what is going on, not bad as I was having an accurate bill by 27th October!!

The scary thing is, this is the CEO's office!!

So my beagley darlings... whaddo I do now?

[Amethyst]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

Eh ? lol

so you originally 'owed' £236.94, have paid £150 and they say you owe them £196.94 - and you should owe 46.94 ?

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

sorry that post was a little vague.

My new job is frying my brain slightly!

ok here's the breakdown.

Original (disputed) balance 26/6/17= £346.49
Elec read 15806 (deemed)
Gas read 210 (actual)
Included £60 exit fees.

They produced the same bill 2 days later saying the electric read (the same one) was an actual! There is no yellow sticker on my meter to prove the read, hence my Ombudsman complaint.

27/6/17 paid £50 and was advised I wouldn't pay exit fees due to the bad service.

actual balance at that time was £236.46

27/7/17 paid £50 and was told my balance was £246.94 - disputed that as I still hadn't had the exit fees refunded.

paid £50

Actual balance 186.46

Bill produced in Sept

total due £227 (how?!?!)

only difference is that my actual gas read was 190 (so lower).

According to FU that means I pay more because I might have still used gas with them, except my account closed due to leaving them!

No idea what is going on, except that from this lady Narinder I am paying more for using less ??

[Amethyst]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

And they wonder why people don't like switching suppliers ! ( I'm still lost !)

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

so the update promised by 15th Nov 2017 is still pending, they have 2 telephone numbers, written authority to speak to The Bloke and both my normal and author email addresses.. and I am still as much in the dark as I was before I started!!

Ovo on the other hand *ray of light moment!*

Apparently they need to speak to Ovo and work out exactly what my meter reading was when I left them..

IT. IS. A. SMART. METER!!!!!!!!

Useless doesn't even begin to describe it!

[Phaeton]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

I can sympathise with you, I have been dealing with Npower since February, left hand, right hand doesn't come close

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

Hope all is well and thank you for your email.

Firstly, I apologise for the delays to resolve the issues for you of what had been raised but I felt it was really important to address the underlining issues of when your case was with the Ombudsman team.

I have reviewed this all with my line managers support and we had identified that when a manual calculation was completed on your account previously, it was confirmed as the incorrect outstanding balance.

In June it was confirmed the balance was remaining as the £296.94. This included the gesture of goodwill at the time and all other payments confirmed by Paul your case handler.

Then later one more payment was made by you on he 27th July 2017 which then took your balance down to £246.94.

After this period you had then notified us that we had applied £60.00 exit fees on to the energy account which should not have. This then should have taken your balance down to the £186.94 with them removed.

We understand that there has been allot of back and forth with this case with regards to the balance and I understand that frustrations have risen due to this matter.

Due to the shortfalls of service, my line manager and I have agreed to reduce the balance down to £140.00 from the current £197.18 outstanding at this time. This would mean we would apply a further gesture of goodwill for the amount of £57.18 on our end. This would leave your remaining total balance down to £140.00 only to be paid to close the account.

You then have the option to make a one off payment but please advise me if you feel it may be necessary to have a payment plan which I will be happy to arrange.

I am available on the below contact details if you would like to discuss this matter further with me in detail.

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies for the unnecessary inconvenience caused.



HUH?
How the hell can I owe £197 when she is saying in the next breath that I owe £186??

[slainte caragh]

Re: First Utility refusal to update account.

my response

I do not believe this would be an appropriate amount of compensation given the fact I have been waiting for over 4 months for First Utility to rectify it's own mistakes and now dispute I owe First Utility any funds as I believe the service to have been so unacceptable I cannot trust any figures given to me by First Utility.

How I can owe you £197 when you have advised me that my actual costs were by your own admission I owed £186.94?


I am at more of a loss now then I was before you recalculated the account!


I fail to understand how one company can make so many mistakes, particularly in forcing a customer to wait this long for the corrected balance and then send conflicting information in a "resolution" email.


May I remind you that OFGEM regulations state you must be transparent and consistant, however you seem to have no idea of the actual amounts owing yourselves!


Please forgive an abridged copy and paste of the email that you have sent me so you can adequately compensate me for the multiple issues and frustration caused by this, and adequate compensation for the time I have wasted on attempting to do the job of multiple agents.


May I also remind you that the cost of a litigant in person is judged to be £19 per hour.


I will be speaking to my legal advisor with regards to the legality of your company's actions.


Yours in disgust


J Rose