The government estimates around four million smart meters are faulty – a statistic that comes as no surprise to us. This is another story of extreme stress and anxiety, one where English is not the client’s first language, final-demand bills were piling up, and they were too worried to use the heating even on the coldest days.
It’s also a story of a large utility company that frequently cut off our calls midway, didn’t call back or turn up when promised, and advised us to call back in several weeks when their deadlines had already passed.
For 11 months we were there at every step, making home visits to translate and support our client to make phone calls, regularly checking in and accessing £500 of Household Emergency Funds to reduce their debt – tirelessly pressing their right to decent customer service. Since our client’s first call it took more than 50 weeks to get a working SMET2 pre-payment meter installed.
Just one story, and one family. We celebrated the win, but there are many more people unable to get the service they are entitled to.
