UK energy suppliers' customer service: a tragedy (and a farce) in three acts

A Tragic Farce: Energy Firms Leave Customers in the Lurch

In a shocking tale of incompetence and arrogance, British Gas, Ovo, and another supplier have left customers in dire situations. The saga unfolds across three acts, each more harrowing than the last.

Act I: A Council House Left to Struggle

At Stafford, 80-year-old Margaret KM lives alone in a council house with a smart prepayment meter. She was lured by British Gas's promise of "preferential rates," only to see her electricity supply cut out repeatedly due to faulty metering. With no heating, she faces financial ruin.

KM recounts the excruciating experience: every time she calls for help, agents give contradictory advice – instructing her to climb a ladder or use an outdated top-up card. Eighteen days after switching suppliers, KM is left in darkness, unable to pay bills or check her consumption records.

Act II: A Seven-Year Saga of Errors

RW, a Glasgow resident, has spent seven years battling enormous energy bills resulting from his supplier's inaccurate meter readings. Initially with Bulb and then Octopus Energy, both companies acknowledged the issue but failed to resolve it. RW was left with a four-figure debt after direct debits kept exceeding his bill.

A recent switch to Octopus Energy revealed that RW had overpaid by more than £8,000 due to incorrect meter readings. The supplier corrected this, refunding him nearly £12,000 in the process – including interest and compensation.

Act III: Threats and Empty Words

In Dorset, a teenage schoolgirl was threatened with a ruined credit rating for an energy debt she didn't incur. Ovo insisted that GS, the account holder during her parents' tenancy, owed them £20, despite no logical connection to her own financial situation. The company's response: cancelling the debt and dispatching luxury lotions as a "token of apology."

As these cases reveal, British energy suppliers often fail to prioritize customer welfare or correct systemic flaws that leave customers vulnerable. It is time for regulators to scrutinize these practices more closely and ensure consumers receive fair treatment.

With every tale of woe, our society's vulnerability becomes starkly apparent – leaving us questioning how we've become so complicit in the failures of big businesses.

Can you believe these energy companies think they can just mess with people's lives like that? I mean, 80-year-old Margaret is literally left to struggle without heat and her bills are piling up... it's just not right . And what's worse is the lack of communication and support - she's getting contradictory advice from British Gas agents every time she tries to get help .

And then there's RW, who's been dealing with this issue for SEVEN YEARS . Seven years! Can you imagine having to live like that? It's just unacceptable that companies can't even get their own meters right, let alone treat customers fairly .

The fact that Ovo is trying to cancel a debt without any connection and then sends luxury lotions as an "apology" is just laughable . I mean, who do they think they are? It's not about the company, it's about people's lives and well-being . Regulators need to step in and make sure these energy companies are held accountable for their actions .

ummm... this is soooo shocking ... energy firms just leave people like Margaret & RW in total darkness literally ... and they have no heating ... how can they not prioritize customer welfare? it's just basic human decency, you know? ...

i mean think about it... if i was in their shoes, i'd be super stressed out too ... no heat = no life basically... and all the suppliers are doing is making excuses & giving contradictory advice ... it's like they're playing a game of "energy roulette" where customers are just pawns ...

and what really gets my goat is when companies promise one thing but deliver another ... like, British Gas promised Margaret preferential rates but delivered faulty metering instead ... this just shows how out of touch these firms are with their customers' needs ...

anywayz... it's time for the regulators to step in & make sure these companies are held accountable ... customers deserve better than being treated like pawns or ignored altogether ...

I'm low-key shocked by this energy firm nonsense . It's not just about the customers being left in dark (literally and financially), it's about the systemic issues that need to be addressed. I mean, who gets treated like crap by their energy supplier? This is just a reminder that we need better regulations in place to protect our vulnerable citizens, especially seniors like Margaret KM . These companies are making bank off people's struggles, and it's not right . We need some serious accountability here .

Ugh, can't believe energy firms like British Gas are just leaving people high and dry like this . Eighty-year-old Margaret's story is literally heartbreakin' - faulty metering and contradictory advice from customer service? What kind of company does that? And it's not just her, plenty of other people are goin through similar struggles with Bulb, Octopus Energy... all these companies just seem to be more concerned with makin a quick buck than lookin out for their customers' best interests . Regulators gotta step in and sort this mess out ASAP - can't let energy suppliers just take advantage of people's vulnerability like this

I'm low-key fuming about this energy supplier debacle . Like, can't they see that their 'preferential rates' are just a fancy way of saying "we'll take your money without giving you decent service"? 80-year-old Margaret's situation is pure heartbreak – she's been left in the dark (literally) because of faulty metering and dodgy customer service. Eighteen days after switching suppliers, she's still struggling to get help? That's just a huge fail .

And what's with all these companies playing games with people's finances? RW's seven-year saga of errors is just ridiculous – he's been overpaying by thousands and then having it rectified, only for them to refund him interest and compensation. Sounds like they're trying to butter him up so he won't leave and take his business elsewhere .

I think the regulators need to step in ASAP and make these energy suppliers walk the walk (not just talk the talk). It's time to prioritize customer welfare over profits . We deserve better than this!

OMG these energy firms are literally leaving customers high and dry like they're just disposable. Can't believe British Gas is trying to pawn off faulty metering on their customers - it's not like Margaret KM was expecting a smart prepayment meter that would just magically work all the time .

And RW's story is just so frustrating seven years of dealing with incorrect meter readings and now he's been overcharged by thousands? That's just not fair. I mean, I get that mistakes happen but come on, energy firms need to step up their game .

The fact that Ovo was threatening a schoolgirl for an energy debt she didn't even owe is just shocking like they're trying to take advantage of innocent people who are already struggling. It's time for the regulators to get serious about holding these companies accountable and making sure customers aren't getting taken advantage of.

I mean come on , can't these energy firms get their acts together? I'm sitting here with my own smart meter and it's been working flawlessly for years. But when I see cases like this, where people are being left high and dry (literally ), it just makes me want to shake my head.

These companies are raking in the profits but seemingly don't care about their customers' well-being. It's all about the money, apparently . And regulators just letting them get away with it? Unacceptable .

We need some serious change here. I'm not asking for much - just a fair deal and transparency from these energy firms. Is that too much to ask?

Ugh , can't believe these energy firms are treating their customers like that! Eighty-year-old Margaret is literally living in the dark and struggling to pay her bills because of faulty metering... what kind of company does that? And it's not just her - there's this one guy RW who had to deal with huge energy bills for SEVEN YEARS due to incorrect meter readings. That's mental! And then there's this schoolgirl who got threatened with a ruined credit rating for an energy debt she didn't even incur... what is wrong with these people? It's like they're more interested in making money than helping their customers. Regulators need to step up and hold them accountable, ASAP!

I'm so worried about people like Margaret KM and RW They're being taken advantage of by energy firms who are more concerned with profits than people. It's not right that they have to go through such a traumatic experience just because of faulty metering or incorrect billing. What if these companies were dealing with their own family members? Would they be treated so harshly?

I think we need better regulations in place to protect customers from these types of situations. It's not enough for energy firms to just promise to fix the problems – they need to take concrete steps to ensure that customers are treated fairly and with respect.

And what's with the luxury lotions as a "token of apology" ? That just feels like a slap in the face, don't you think? It's not going to make up for the financial ruin and stress that people have endured. We need real change here, not empty words or gestures.

Energy firms are literally making me want to switch to candlelight at home. Like what even is the point of 'preferential rates' if they just gonna leave you stuck with faulty metering? I mean, can't they see these customers are literally struggling? It's not like it's rocket science – fix the meters or stop charging people for something that ain't theirs! The fact that some suppliers think threatening a credit rating is an "apology" gift is just low.

Ugh , can't believe some energy firms are so clueless . I mean, have they ever even thought about how their mistakes affect people's lives? Like Margaret at Stafford, poor thing is struggling to pay bills and heat her home . And seven years with Bulb and Octopus Energy?! That's just ridiculous . RW deserves a huge apology and compensation for that massive debt error . The regulator needs to step in ASAP and make sure these companies are held accountable . Can't we trust our energy suppliers to do the right thing?

omg 1 star out of 5 these energy firms r literally taking advantage of vulnerable people like margaret & rw. faulty metering & incorrect bills is not just a joke, it's ppl losing their homes & livelihoods and ovo even tries to threaten a schoolgirl with a ruined credit rating what kinda business practices r these? regulators need 2 step in ASAP & give customers some actual protection

Ugh, this is just wild ! I'm literally shaking my head over here... Like, can't these energy firms get their acts together?! British Gas, Ovo, and the other one are basically playing a cruel farce with customers' lives. Margaret's story broke my heart - 80 years old and struggling to heat her home due to faulty metering? What kind of company does that?! And RW's seven-year saga is just... wow. How much more human error can one person deal with before they lose their mind?! The regulator needs to step in ASAP and make these companies answer for this negligence. It's time for some accountability, fam!

I'm just so angry about this energy firm debacle . It's like they're playing a cruel joke on innocent customers. 80-year-old Margaret's situation is absolutely heart-wrenching - she can't even heat her own home due to faulty metering and the suppliers just seem to be making things worse.

And RW, poor guy has been dealing with huge energy bills for SEVEN YEARS ! It's like they're intentionally trying to rip him off. And what really takes the biscuit is that Ovo sent him luxury lotions as an "apology" after finding out he'd overpaid by £8,000 .

Regulators need to step up and make sure these companies are held accountable for their actions . It's not just about money, it's about people's basic human rights - access to heat, food, and safety. We can't keep turning a blind eye to this sort of nonsense.

man this is just ridiculous energy companies are literally leaving people in the dark (literally) and it's not like they're doing anything to help. I mean, 80-year-old Margaret has been struggling with faulty metering for ages and every time she calls for help, the agents give her conflicting advice? it's like they want her to fail

and what about RW in Glasgow who's been paying way too much for his energy bills because of inaccurate readings? that's just not right. I mean, come on, companies should be able to get their act together and stop overcharging people.

and have you seen the response from Ovo when they threatened a schoolgirl with a ruined credit rating over a debt she didn't even incur? cancelling the debt and sending her luxury lotions as an apology? what a joke . it's time for regulators to step in and hold these energy companies accountable. we need fair treatment, not this farce

omg this is so messed up! energy suppliers are literally leaving people to suffer just because they're trying to save a buck or two i mean, 80-year-old margaret struggling to get help from british gas and having her electricity cut out repeatedly is just cruel we need to hold these companies accountable for their actions and make sure they prioritize customer welfare over profits

OMG, this energy crisis is just getting outta hand . I mean, who expects to be left in the dark (literally ) because of faulty metering? 80-year-old Margaret KM sounds like she's going through a nightmare up there . And those suppliers are just, like, so clueless . Seven years? That's ages! RW's story is, like, whoa... £8,000 overpaid and nearly £12,000 in refunds? Talk about a dodgy meter reading situation .

It's time for regulators to step in and make sure these energy firms are being more customer-friendly . I don't get why they can't just sort out their systems and stop leaving people in the lurch . This is, like, so not cool . Can we please just have some fair treatment for all customers?

I think the whole thing is a total joke These energy firms are just trying to make a quick buck off people who are already struggling. I mean, who needs accurate meter readings when you can just charge them whatever you feel like? And don't even get me started on the "preferential rates" - sounds like marketing jargon to me! They're all just playing games with customers' lives and it's about time someone called them out for it. Regulators need to step up their game, but I've got a feeling they'll just let these companies off the hook again

The show must go on... but at what cost?
Systemic flaws that leave customers vulnerable is something we can't ignore.
Regulators need to step up and ensure fair treatment for consumers, not just a token gesture