I've only experienced the electrical utility guys and they have all been fabulously helpful, moreso in an emergency. There has only been 1 incident where they were less than helpful.
When I was S/E, I had an elderly lady whose power had failed. It was an external fault. this lady lived in a two-up-two-down in a poor area of Manchester, with a stairlift to the only toilet in the house.
I rang United Utilities, who eventually turned up. They said there was nothing they could do. Normally they would link up to a lamp standard for a temporary supply, but they said it was too far away. I asked if she could have a genny. No can do, they said. I rang the office to complain about an elderly lady left without heat or access to her only toilet but was told nothing could be done.
I stayed with her overnight and in the morning, a different UU team turned up. I told them of the previous night's saga and the chap told me that someone had pulled a fast one on me: they were in a smart suburb of Stockport at 2.00 that very morning, digging up the pavement to fix someone's supply.
Someone should have been shot for that...
