I joined first utility about 4 years ago and had nothing but problems from the start, even writing about it makes me feel stressed but wanted to let other know my experience.
First issue they opened two accounts so money was was going into one account and they couldn’t find it, I tried to get them to close the other account that took nearly a year to sort out and many hours on the telephone, wrote emails to there complaints department but it went on and on as I had to keep explaining the issue it was so frustrating and annoying .
Agreed to pay by DD a certain amount every month and they tried to take 300 plus out of my account, I had to cancel DD and make the payment over the phone I left them as Elec provider and they continued to bill me! Finally left them for Gas and they Continued to bill. Me and then received letters from debt collectors managed to sort that out and. 2 years later!! Another debt collector contacted me about same issue unbelievable, I had kept all previous emails from issue and was. Able to deal with it. I would. Advise anyone to keep all correspondence up to five years.
First utility customer service just felt like no one knew What they where doing, I did speak to a few very helpful advisor but on a whole very poor customer service,
I am appalled at the experience I went through and did not realise it’s so hard to pay your bills.
I’m with a new provider I have not had any of those issues and never had any Issue before.
First utility maybe cheaper but It Certainly not worth the headache and costs of trying to Call them.
They may have improved now but I would not recommend them.

Just over 4 years ago the energy provider FU (First Utility) made a small mistake with my final bill when I left a rented property. FU apologised for the mistake and stated that they had cleared and closed my account so I thought the matter was closed. However, what followed next was 4 years of stress and frustration trying to get FU to engage with me and correct their mistake and call off the Debt Collection Storm Troopers that they unleased on me without any consultation what so ever.

FU have used all the tricks at their disposal to avoid actually having to engage with me to resolve the consequences of their billing mistake. I have spent hours trying to engage with FU and most of this time is spent repeating myself again and again as I never speak with the same person more than once, even when the issue was supposedly escalated to the highest customer relations team.

Unfortunately, the sheer incompetence and arrogance of FU is mind blowing. Even when they have an opportunity to get closure via a goodwill gesture they even manage to mess this up multiple times by breaking their promise and not actually sending out the goodwill gesture.

As for getting them to explain their actions you might be better asking a baboon to explain quantum physics. Without any consultation FU unleashed their pet Debt Collection Storm Troopers to hound and threaten me. I know from various company review sites that there is a history of Energy providers, including FU, using Debt Collection dogs to intimidate innocent customers into submission and they use these parasites without notifying the customer.

I am convinced that FU actively blocked the email address associated with my account to frustrate my attempts to resolve the issue. When I tried to circumvent this by using a different email address FU rejected my email stating that I must use the email address associated with my FU account. When I asked FU about blocking my email account surprise, surprise they denied that this was being done even though I pointed out to them that their own automated reply system did not work when an email was being blocked. Unfortunately, FU treat customers with contempt and think they are stupid. Oh, and shock horror shortly after this conversation my email account suddenly started working. Go figure.

FU have offered goodwill gestures of £35 and then £50. However, both of these were never sent so I had to chase them each time and on the last occasion I rejected the £50 offer, but they then had the audacity to say you can't reject it as it had already been accepted. A so called Senior complaints manager informed me that FU considered the £50 goodwill gesture (Relates to £12.50 for every year) was the final offer and was in FU's opinion a reasonable offer for the 4 years of grief they had subjected me to. I explained that the only option I was left with was to post my experience onto various Social Media platforms, which is what I proceeded to do.

Throughout this sorry saga FU have never once contacted me to try and resolve the issue. However, once I posted my experience on one of the Company Review sites it solicited an immediate response from FU. FU actually contacted me (now there is a real FIRST), but yet again I had to explain the history to a different person all over again. FU then came back and offered to increase the goodwill gesture to £75 (£18.75 for every year), which I rejected and said that I would accept £250. First Utility rejected this and said that £75 was their New final offer.

Shortly after FU contacted me again (someone different of course) and they wanted to know if the £250 I asked for would resolve the issue to which I replied that it would. They dangled this carrot then immediately took it away by saying that they would not pay this, but were prepared to increase the old final offer to a New final offer of £100. After dangling the carrot and taking it away this was the final slap in the face so I rejected their latest Final offer.

After 4 years, 4 Final goodwill gestures I have now received a Deadlock letter and advise to seek a resolution with the Ombudsman. However, the Ombudsman is swamped with complaints about the energy companies and is powerless to reign them in. The only option left to customers is to let their feet do the talking and share their experience via the various social media and review sites so that others can make an informed decision before going with these rogue companies.

In my opinion First Utility has to be the most incompetent and obnoxious company I have ever had the misfortune to come into contact with. The broken promises, belligerence, stone walling and use of Debt Collection agencies as their personal Storm troopers to silence or bully innocent customers into submission is totally unacceptable and I hope that one day the authorities revoke their license to operate.

Switched to this energy company in May after using the energy club facility on money saving expert and calculating there would be a significant saving. Problems began immediately when it transpired the tariffs I'd been quoted were only available for customers paying by direct debit, something I've always been loath to do. I complained and despite huge reservations agreed to set up a direct debit of £30 per month (I live in a 1 bedroom flat).
I was careful to monitor my actual usage and I'd calculated I was using between £28-£35 a month and so a small adjustment to my monthly payment was probably necessary. Yesterday to my astonishment I received notice that from next month my payment was to increase to £77, no explanation, nothing. I spent an hour and a half last night trying to get through to somebody, repeatedly having to listen to scumbag Chief Operations Officer Phil Gripton recorded message about how he'd like to get my feedback and he'll even hold my place in the queue and get someone to call me back. Twice I opted for the callback and twice nobody bothered to ring me back. When I eventually got through, no apology, and no explanation for the sudden increase other than the computer had predicted what I might be using in 8 months time when my current tariff ends ... yeah right, like I wouldn't be instantly switching if my tariff suddenly doubled in cost.
I've now cancelled the direct debit and am back paying the higher tariff but at least I'm only paying for what I use. Icing on the cake is that if I wish to now switch away from this scumbag company I'll have to fork out £30 for the privilege. This company is lower than a snakes belly. Avoid.

Half an hour of my life wasted this morning on the phone to First Utility and 20 of those waiting for someone to answer my call!
12 minutes to get through, then she told me she'd have to transfer me to the correct department and said I'd get straight through....another 8 minutes later someone finally answered, then I speak with an imbecile!
They ignore emails (which I have used so I don't have to hang on the phone for an age) they take forever to answer the phone and they are pretty useless when they finally do. I certainly don't recommend First Utility. They might be cheaper than other utilities but if you have a problem.... nightmare!

First utility is the worst ever energy provider company. They have been harassing me for more than a year for the amount of money that I have settled 8 months ago and in fact they were for the previous owner. Despite receiving confirmation in writing from them that everything is settled, I still receive various letters of harassment and threats each letter claims different amount of money.
Moreover, you will get their CEO has left a voice message when you call them stressing how interested he is in the customers' feedback. So I though here we are, am going to call him to let me know. I was told that I have to email him and he will return my call. I emailed him but never received any calls and when I phoned I was told that it is not possible to speak to him... hmmm I thought he is interested in customers'e experience.
It is highly unrecommended to use them as a provider.

They are a scam they estimate your bills and when you put your own in and it is a lot less they bully you with deby collectors even if your reading means they owe you money. Please do not use this so called Energy company, customer service rubbish they just iie to get you off the phone. The DD set up I did to include the small amount left owing said I had to pay in full after paying them £240.00 estimated again. Bad service and they bully you with debt collects for £20.00.

So unprofessional if you try to sort a problem out you may as well forget it .
They say they will call you back but never do and you are passed from pillar to post .
The worst mistake i ever made going with this company .
I suggest you don't go there.

Not sure what to rate this supplier First Utility, they charge me 374 pounds for gas and electric for 1month and 28 days.
Electric rate 234 pounds for electric and rest for GAS.
1,517000 kwh of electricity burned in 1 month and half. it seems pretty steep.
Got to suck it up and pay 🙁

Charges are like 16.pence per unit burned.

I inherited this supplier from my landlords, I should have know at the outset and went with my instinct to switch straight away!
28th August 2014 moved in, November they sent a bill adreesed to Mr Owner Occupier for £98.18 this was paid....they lost the money! After a lot of phone calls (on hold 40+mins at a time) and letters in January 2015 they opened a new account in my name with the meter readings from the start and started billing me, i made payments. The old account I was told had been closed and the readings started afresh on the new account....September 2016 (yes you read that correctly) I received a debt collectors letter addressed to the Legal Owner trying to collect £309 for the supposedly closed account number!!
I have to say I switched my gas in November 2015 and my Electricity in March 2016 as I could not trust First Utility, I never gave them Direct Debit facilities as after they lost my first payment I knew it would be a bad thing to do!
Trying to communicate with them is a nightmare, you would be better off explaining the problem to a chimpanzee.
And after 7 months without any warning at all thay sent my final bill....not to me but to a debt collector...and so it rumbles on YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED DONT DO IT SWITCH to anyone..I mean anyone else.. NOT First Utility

I've been with First Utility since January 2013, and yes I've had a couple of very small issues with them but I've never had trouble getting through to speak to a representative and I've always found them understanding and courteous. I use their online account and send in my own readings every month and also keep a monthly record using excel. May sound a bit nerdy, but hey!!!! I enjoy it. I do check every year for a better price. First Utility aren't the cheapest, but for a few pounds more I feel safer with a company I can trust to produce correct bills and are easy to deal with.

Sorry to hear other people have had problems but I'll be sticking with them for another year.