The Anonymous Widower

Crazy Utility Suppliers

My new house has four different suppliers for gas, electricity, telvision/broadband/phones and water, as is fairly typical in the UK.

I’ve now got them sorted, but sometimes you wonder what sort of muppets designed their systems.

1. One supplier needs me to sign a contract, but they don’t have any means to send the contract to an address other than that of the property.  And as the property has had tenants in it, good knows where the contract went to!  I would vote for the rubbish, if my previous experience with tenants is anything to go by.
2. One wanted me to sign on on-line for good reasons, but after two hours I gave up, as they kept asking who was my previous supplier, when obviously there wasn’t one. They also said I should phone a particular number, which had a fault. After I’d finished, they asked me to fill in an on-line survey, which I did truthfully.  As it didn’t ask for my name, phone number or e-mail address, I doubt I’ll get an apology for the time I wasted.
3. The water company were OK, but tried to sell me things I’ve never needed before.
4. On a first call, nPower were short and to the point, so after I’d given up on the other energy company, I phoned them back.  I did a combined gas and electricity deal, which may not be the cheapest, but it took me just ten minutes on the phone with a salesman who seemed much more competent than the rest combined..  He also informed me that my new house had a prepayment meter  and arranged a suitable date for its removal.

It just goes to show that you can win some and lose some.

It would certainly help if some companies had properly designed systems.

December 1, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | World | Design, Internet, Television, Water