WARNING : First Utility not so good at accurate billing

[bhm1712]

Hi all

just thought i would post a warning about energy company first utility who claim to have accurate and reliable smart metering, one of their selling points is that they are the first company to roll out smart meters ahead of the rest of the industry.

well thats all well and good,if it worked.

It is over 7 weeks now since i had smart meters installed and i still have not had a proper bill yet. The google power meter service is unavailable and i cannot view my usage online, which is another one of their claims.

I have had 2 months of estimated bills, even when i have supplied them with actual readings. I still am no closer to getting a proper bill, and getting the smart meters working.

They claim, that my electricity meter is not transmitting data, and so the gas meter isnt as well (gas reading is sent via the electricity meter)

after hours on the phone earlier today, they are claiming now that my meters are sending data but the serial numbers from the meter data does not match the ones supplied by the installed, and so they cannot bill me until its resolved. I offered to give them the serial numbers, and did just that. I was then told that they were infact the serial numbers supplied by the installer, and so the data must be somebody elses.

I have read online that I am NOT the only person with this problem, it seems there are hundreds of others in the same boat.

STAY AWAY if you want reliable and accurate energy bills without the hassle.

 

[ellal]

Did you choose to have a smart (or more accurately dumb) meter installed?

 

[bhm1712]

yes, and at the time, they were the cheapest supplier in my area. Im all for smart metering (if it worked) as i am of the mindset that if you can see what your using real time, you can adjust your consumption to save energy. if i had known about this, i would have bought one of those clamp on energy meters!!!

another insult to injury is, now their tariff is more exspensive!

 

[ellal]

bet they didn't tell you they can limit your supply or even cut it off via said meter...

 

[bhm1712]

yes they did actually! they made sure to tell me about all the things they might do if i dont pay!

 

[ellal]

no sympathy from me then...

 

[bhm1712]

I always pay though!
i want to pay properly, its them who wont let me!

I cant see any reason to be wary of them just because of that, because any company can cut you off if you dont pay!

i just want it sorted! if they were as good as they say this would not have happened. I have given them until the end of the month to sort it, otherwise im going to another company.

 

[geraint]

I always pay though!
i want to pay properly, its them who wont let me!

I cant see any reason to be wary of them just because of that, because any company can cut you off if you dont pay!

i just want it sorted! if they were as good as they say this would not have happened. I have given them until the end of the month to sort it, otherwise im going to another company.

and enjoy the same customer service....

 

[big-all]

is there a tie in clause

 

[Mw Roofline]

Slightly off-topic I was in a Newsagents lunchtime and this woman came in and 'bought some electricity'. Dunno what that was all about

 

[bhm1712]

probably a pre pay customer. You have to buy top up cards and put them in the meter.

No tie in clause, I have given them enough chances, thats why i will leave this time if its not fixed.

 

[Karinska]

Maybe you should register a complaint with Ofgem

 

[conny]

Yer can't beat the man with the big book and satchel who takes the shillings out yer meter, stacks them up on the table then gives you a load back!

Ah, the good old days!

 

[Mickymoody]

Slightly off-topic I was in a Newsagents lunchtime and this woman came in and 'bought some electricity'. Dunno what that was all about

A Toff in Brum? That doesn't understand card meters, in a thread about meters?

She bought the magical electricity, and stored it in a bag, on returning home, she touched it to the head of her firstborne, to give the energy to live, she then tried to inject some into her second borne, but the child was sick, and denied this injection of energy,

So she inserted the PAYG card into her electric meter, so that her electric could continue to work.

A similar tradesman took to purchase some tool, he saw the shiny goods, and produced his speil, I must take those shiny goods at once, but must pay by plastic at once for these goods.

The tradesman was unsure how the electricity worked, so he plugged the tool into a 3 phase mount.

My poetry isn't the best..but c'mon!

 

[joe-90]

Poetry? Sounds like the ramblings of a drunk to me.