Great North Energy

Everything was fine at first then my quarterly bills seemed to jump especially electric, I鈥檓 dumbfounded on how a single person in a 2 bedroom house only using basic white goods and a tv has apparently used over 拢650 on electric in 3 months absolutely ridiculous One bill being as high as 拢911 you try contacting them and they just run round in circles saying the same things and not being helpful what so ever! In the process of switching somewhere else never again will I go back to these

RIP off company can not calculate bills harass vulnerable customers no compassion avoid like the plague

Why can I not give zero stars?
Great North Energy is the most incompetent company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. They make mistake after mistake. In my case I transferred my house gas and electricity to them in October 2018. In error they took over the house gas supply and an electric supply from a small workshop. This was quickly pointed out to them. Time and again spokespersons said the situation was corrected – when it never was. They mixed up account numbers. Took payments by direct debits but did not realise they had taken them. Password resets failed to work time and again. It is now March 2019. Still a complete shambles. AVOID!! AVOID!! AVOID!!

My account problems were finally sorted out in April 2019. (Thank you Letitia at GNE.) Phew!!! Peace at last.

Then on 8th January 2020 I get an email. It is headed "Great North Energy in association with SMS plc". It is about smart meter installation. It is signed "Great North Energy Customer Services Team". The letter says I will get a call from SMS regarding installing these meters, and explains how useful the new meters are. The call duly comes. I explain that we are dual fuel. I am asked to check to colour of the lever on the gas meter, (is it red or yellow?). The installation date is fixed for 15th January. The big day arrives. The engineer 'phones at 9.30am. He's not far away and will soon be with me. "It is just the electric meter isn't it?" I explain that it is gas as well. "No problem, I'll get on to the company and get the order changed". Fifteen minutes later he 'phones again. They have checked with Great North Energy and I am down as electric only! (Why should I be surprised?). He can only fit the electric meter and would have to clarify the situation about the gas. I say not to bother fitting just the one meter.
I contact Customer Services at Great North Energy. They do confirm that I am down as dual fuel, (they got that right at least). The lady "Aisha", says they have not sent an email to me and are not associated with SMS plc. A long discussion follows and she eventually back-tracks on this. She offered to book me in for meter replacement on 5th February. I end up with a "complaints supervisor", called "Paula". I am told that GNE is quite separate from SMS plc and they have nothing to do with any meter installation issue – despite the original email being signed "Great North Energy Customer Services Team". I am told I must just deal with SMS.

There is nothing like being Piggy-in-the-Middle. I eventually got the engineer on my mobile phone, Paula on the landline phone and put them together. Now surely matters would be sorted. Not a bit of it. They just agreed between themselves that it was tough luck for the customer.

I requested to be put through to Letitia, (who had managed to sort out the previous problems). Refused – "she is in another department". I asked to speak to Paula's line manager. Refused.

No matter what their fuel prices are, I find it tough being a customer of Great North Energy.

For the first month they charged me what a neighbour had used, as they got the accounts mixed up. It took several phone calls and emails before they switched the gas over to my meter by which time the accounts were totally out of synch and I was treated like two separate customers. I eventually got them to put both accounts under one customer name but the gas account expires five weeks after the electricity, meaning that it's difficult to switch a dual fuel account. Also they don't seem to have any intention of supplying smart meters. I'll be glad to leave them, but where do you go? Reading the reviews, all the companies are equally as bad.

Very bad customer service. They are trying to get to pay a bill they know and admit is incorrect by about 拢50. Despite repeated requests, have not put it right. When it is, if ever, the corrected bill will be paid.