General Chat

Today i got a result regarding my electricity but not without 3 months of wasted tel calls and emails.

When I moved in, the landlord/council had set up electricity accounts with Utilita a company i have never heard of. But they advised me if i wanted to change that to something else i could. I have been with SSE for 29 years and was quite happy as i have a package with my landline and internet t as well.

A few days after i moved in, I decided to read the meter except this wasnt a meter i was familiar with. My sofa man even had a look for me but couldnt work it out either but he said, I think this is one of those new Smart meters!

So I tel SSE to get it switched over. They opened a new account, set up a D/D and then the problems began.

They had my address down incorrectly to begin with.They arranged for someone to come & read the meter but they never showed up.I found the monitor for the meter but they couldnt get any readings from it.

I spent hours trying to get through only to be cut off and & transfered far too many times.

In the end I tel Utilita and got through within a few minutes, explained the problem and they said, you still have an account with us because SSE has not requested a switch!! So I got it sorted and set up another D/D. I paid for the electricity i had used up to date and that was that.

I then emailed a letter of complaint listing all the calls etc and told them to cancel my D/D and close the account. Quite simple to follow that you would think.

It transpired that because I share a postcode with another property which shares my house number but not the street number, they insisted i had lived here since 1996 and the meter belonged to SSE.
Outrageous I said this house was only completed in Apr 2021.
So I took a picture of the meter and emailed it back.

Several days later, I got a reply, a full apology, £80 in compensation and 2x £70 D/Ds refunded.
They are sending me a cheque which i am awaiting and then the account can be closed.

I know I am not working so you could say have all day to make tel calls etc but it is exhausting when you have to repeat yourself over & over.
The biggest bug bear is being in a queue for 45 minutes and then get cut off!!

They say that moving house is stressful, but in reality the only stress I had was getting a new tel number and a supply of electric.

So thats the end of my house move sagas and thank goodness and I really dont think, i could take any more.

Florence in the hebrides

I know the Feeling, Florence :-(
My 'bugbear' was with Scottish Power - who actually fitted the 'Smart' meter into this house - I had no handset, but knew they should receive the readings.
What did they do? They estimated - no, over estimated - every bl**dy reading!!!

Apparently something went wrong with all smartmeters.
If that was the case, why didn't they either ask me to send a reading, or send a meter reader around? In the end, I sent them unwanted readings.
As it is, I've changed provider - and I have to send a reading anyway.
So much for 'smart' meters!!!!

I'm having problems with SSE, regarding my late Mum's account. I told them in April that she had died, no problem they said, we'll flag the account and send you a final bill when all is settled. A long story, but they have still sent meter read requests in my Mum's name, at the same time sending me (as executor) a 'final' bill for over £600, based on, very erroneous, estimated readings :-S

They don't seem to realise that probate is taking for ever at the moment, and I can't complete the sale of the flat until then.

£600 seems incredibly steep!
I would read the meter, if you can, and demand a 'proper' bill.
Scottish Power over estimated my bills by £157 over 3 months.

They had been sent the correct readings, and I have again phoned their 'bereavement line' and given them again, so am hoping for a new bill...

Their excuse for the meter reader not showing up was because of Covid and they were not allowed inside the premises but they went ahead and made the appointment knowing this to start with grrrr.
Although I have received the cheque today in the post,an hour later,I received a text saying"it's time to give us a meter reading". You couldn't make it up could you!!

Florence in the hebrides