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I have no electric supply and vulnerable people in the property

  • 1 October 2020
  • 12 replies
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OK, I'm inclined to believe this is Boosts fault... Given over the last 5 days I've had 4 phone calls with hold times of over 5 hours, and then got zero help with my issues. Now it seems you have shut my supply off as I'm the only house in my street with no supply. Probably whilst trying to connect my useless IHD for me, that you've been trying to set up for a week 

 

I have disabled people living here, with electric supply support items... And a gas metre, powered by electric. So right now we have a very cold house, nothing works, and we can't use chair lifts or anything

ST5 area

 

Not happy, and fed up of waiting on your telephone hold music to get through to someone who will, based on past experiences, out me on hold again to tell me that seco d line teams are too busy and someone may call me back in 24 hours 

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Best answer by Ed_Boost 1 October 2020, 15:50

This is terrible, @psychoduck, I’m so sorry you’re in this situation.

 

Whilst I can appreciate you’ve already called a number of times this week, I’d recommend getting back on the phone and waiting for an advisor to pick up your call, as the callback feature shouldn’t really be used in emergencies such as this.

 

We’re busier than usual this week, but an advisor will pick up the call, and as you have smart meters, we’re typically able to resolve most issues remotely. Failing this, they’ll be able to get an engineer booked in for you.

 

We’d love to hear an update on this thread, so that we can see how the situation unfolds, as it’ll be really helpful for those in a similar situation.

 

Thanks,

Ed

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Fact 1. My home has disabled people living in it. You know this. 

Fact 2. It has a vulnerable child, who has health issues. You know this. 

Fact 3. You sent me an email to tell me I will move to your new PAYG Smart on November 16th, I don't like the new account as your IHD has never been accurate for me. You promised it will be. 

Fact 4. Since receiving a new IHD, I've had 5 calls with you. It is not working, and displays usage only for August 21st, that does not match my account. You claim this was fixed though.

Fact 5. You shut off all my gas and electric at 9am this morning (not a power cut, we had Western power out to confirm)

Fact 6. After waiting 4 hours for a call back, you confirmed that you cut me off because you'd moved me to the new account style and without telling me, there was no money in it. So I was off supply. You moved my money from my old account to to this new one... But then nothing worked. 

Fact 7. You tried to reboot my metre. It didn't work. 

Fact 8. You said an engineer might be needed, hold the line whilst you ask a manager... Then you hung up on me, and never called back. 

Fact 9. I'm in a very cold, old house. With a disabled person and a sick child, with no gas or electric, no way to cook food, no way to save our 300 pound monthly shop from going bad, no sign of any concern from you. No call back, and having been told your engineers go home at 4pm, it's not bloody likely I'm going to have anything by way of a solution tonight.

 

You have failed in your duty of care. This is disgusting behaviour, even if not done across a disabled household. It needs sorting now. 

 

Account number 13503. 

 

Ed_Boost
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This is terrible, @psychoduck, I’m so sorry you’re in this situation.

 

Whilst I can appreciate you’ve already called a number of times this week, I’d recommend getting back on the phone and waiting for an advisor to pick up your call, as the callback feature shouldn’t really be used in emergencies such as this.

 

We’re busier than usual this week, but an advisor will pick up the call, and as you have smart meters, we’re typically able to resolve most issues remotely. Failing this, they’ll be able to get an engineer booked in for you.

 

We’d love to hear an update on this thread, so that we can see how the situation unfolds, as it’ll be really helpful for those in a similar situation.

 

Thanks,

Ed

I'm shocking at energy puns...
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OK. Here's your update

 

Took 5 hours for a call back, and you hung up on me when I was on hold. 

 

Then I got another call back an hour later. You'd transferred my account to a new type for no reason, and not put across my available balance, so my account was at zero. So you cut me off without warning. Then you tried to change the account back, messed it up, and now I'm waiting for the second line team to try and fix it.... Or else it will require a 4 hour slot for an engineer appointment.

 

Again. Disabled people here. No way to cook food or heat anything. So far it's taken 6 hours, and no plans to have this resolved until at least 7 o clock tonight if an engineer is needed. 

 

All because some fool thought they'd swap my account to a different one 6 weeks earlier than you said you would, and screwed it up.

 

No apologies.

Ed_Boost
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Thanks for giving us an update on this one @psychoduck, although I’m sorry to hear the situation hasn’t been resolved yet.

 

Whilst I can completely appreciate your frustration, I’m glad to hear second line are helping with this one, as they have the technical knowledge to resolve most issues.

 

I’m confident they’ll be able to sort this out, but if not, getting an engineer to physically replace the meter will certainly get you back on supply.

 

Thanks,

Ed

I'm shocking at energy puns...
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Update: this was fixed at 7pm last night.

 

Apparently my metre malfunctioned and cut off supply, its smart mode decided that when it rebooted itself, it would change my account to the one we all have to move to in November.

Which meant it couldn't possibly supply me, because the account doesn't exist. 

In total I spoke to 5 people. 3 knew nothing. 1 hung up on me when I was on hold... And 1, I wish I knew her name, was amazing and did everything needed and got it all back how it should be so I could manually reset both metres at home. 

That makes 1 person who has been helpful in my last 9 phone calls. 20% success rate this time, is better than the 0% of my previous issue. So that's something. 

O

This really annoys me. I have had same issues where boost are not meant to cut off your supply and during this lockdown it has been a nightmare. Not just for me but others I encouraged to switch to boost. 3 days it took to get back on supply one time. I got mates that depend on oxygen and other medical appliances that use electricity

I am disgusted and as an emergency engineer should be available 24 hours to fix this urgently. It feels like you make a lot of promises that don't work or happen. 

This user should be compensated for this inconvieniance and gifted something as apology. All the disabled people that are meant to not be cut off due to medical, need to know you back up words and promises and not just full of hot air or excuses. 

This customer needs to be compensated asap and all problems fixed.

S
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Hello, thank you for putting your experience up on here. I am currently going through the same thing FORTUNATELY they have only cut my gas off. I have been waiting for a ‘phone back and not to loose place in queue’ for 6 hours, have tried this 3 times. I then decided to wait online, did so for 1:48 until someone actually phoned me back. I was then put back on hold while they investigated to be cut off 30 minutes later. I am in tears.

I have been with BOOST for 6 months and to be honest I’m done, I’ll be moving once I get my gas back on, it’s a joke. Now back on hold however in the last 30 minutes they have added what number in the queue you are… there is currently 308 people ahead of me?!?!

Sitting at home with my 2 children considering ordering a just eat and billing these jokers for it! 
 

Maybe after reading this someone will phone me back 🤣

S
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Actually got a response this morning from Facebook messenger. If like me have spent hours on hold or trying to get through, send a message they were quite efficient!

AztecUK
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What if you don’t use Facebook?

Tim_Boost
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What if you don’t use Facebook?

 

We are seeing very large call volumes, @AztecUK and therefore response times to emails and Facebook/Twitter are also effected. 

 

However to everyone here that’s posted, a call to our Support team remains the best option in an emergency (such as being off supply): 0330 102 7517.

 

Thanks to each and every one of you for bearing with us, as we adjust to the higher volumes and get back on track!

Y
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I have been waiting on a call

back for 4 hours. Woke up to no electricity. I have topped up by £30 and pressed relevant buttons still no electricity. I topped up by £40 just 8 days ago so this should not have happened today. I’m not sure what the issue is. But there is a pandemic going on. I have young children no heating no phone lines no means or ways of cooking food. I’m concerned now as I’m unable to contact anyone to resolve the fault? 

Tim_Boost
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Thanks for sharing this difficult experience, @Yasemin k - please note that if you have an electric ‘Secure Liberty’ smart meter, you may need to press, A, A, B, on the meter keypad to reconnect after going off supply and reconnecting. 

 

Please also be advised that our phone lines are open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, and 9-5pm on weekends, and we’re also trailing later closing hours for emergency support. 

 

If in doubt, please give us a call and unless it’s the middle of the night, we’re probably open!

 

Number here: 0330 102 7517     

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