Paul Fullarton-Cooke

Review of Bristol Energy

I am a terminally ill 56 old man who is generally ...

I am a terminally ill 56 old man who is generally courteous and polite. I live in a timber framed chalet on the coast. I am poor. I am very cold! The Govt. kindly provided me with night storage heaters to help. Bristol Energy quoted quite a large (to me) amount of money to fit an appropriate meter to allow me access to Economy 7 electricity. I told them I could not afford the quotation. They offered to install a 2nd generation smart meter which, they said, would allow me access to Economy 7 rates. The meter was fitted at the beginning of August. It still isnt working. I have had to telephone Bristol Energy every week for the past 5 weeks whereupon they tell me it will definitely, without fail, be put right within 7 days..guaranteed. 100%. No problem.

Problem. It still doesnt work and I still dont have access to the appropriate tarriff. I have in every single phone call, despite my increasing frustration and anger, been courteous, polite, patient and understanding. Fat lot of good that's done me. Yesterday I telephoned Bristol Energy to raise a formal complaint...still polite of course. They agreed it was unacceptable, were surprised that I had discovered that they had fitted a 1st generation smart meter rather than the 2nd generation, were terribly sorry for how badly the problem had been dealt with thus far, but not to worry, they were fully committed to solving the issues and would definitely, without fail, absolutely guaranteed, 100% ensure I got a call back from someone at managerial level to sort it once and for all within 24 hours at the very latest. Really sorry, but onto it now. 100%.

No phone call. Apparently the staff member I spoke with when I called today disliked being sworn at. Quite right. Terribly sorry. 100% sorry. Still, if you treat people like me with such utter contempt and duplicity, what on earth do you expect?

Socially responsible Bristol Energy? Part of the community? All great for drawing people in undoubtedly but be honest, your business is a shambolic example of how to run a company so badly that normally polite and corteous people like me, who ought to be doing other things with the time left to them, spend valuable time lambasting you in review in one last ditch attempt to shame you into doing a job that should be routine for you.

For shame Bristol Energy, for shame.