Utilities complaint letters (pack)

Compatible region(s): Northern Ireland England Wales

This pack provides templates for dealing with issues with the supplier of your water, gas, electricity or telephone services in the event of a fault or a failure to meet expected standards. See the individual information associated with each document in this pack for a full description of their use.

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Complaint to a telephone company about a bill (Guidance Notes)
This letter can be used to reject a landline or mobile phone telephone bill that is incorrect or excessive. You can use this letter when you have been incorrectly charged for calls or texts you did not make or that are duplicated, for services you did not request or receive, or for data you did not use. It can also be used if the bill has been miscalculated, agreed discounts have not been applied, you have been charged a handling fee, or a different tariff has been applied. This document is suitable for use in the United Kingdom.
Complaint about a high meter reading to a utility company (Guidance Notes)
If you believe that your gas, electricity or water meter is registering inaccurately, you can use this document to send a complaint to your utility company. Before sending this letter, you must have switched off the equipment for at least two hours and seen that the meter was still registering units.
Complaint to electricity distributor for failure to meet standards (Guidance Notes)

Use this letter to seek compensation from an electricity distribution company (EDC) following an interruption to your supply. An EDC owns the electricity wires and cables that supply electricity to your premises. If you are unsure who your EDC is, contact your supplier.

If your electricity supply has been interrupted and not reconnected within 18 or 24 hours (depending on how many customers were affected) of the EDC becoming aware of it, the EDC must make a minimum payment under the 'Guaranteed Standards of Performance' set by the industry regulators, Ofgem (England, Wales and Scotland) and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (NIAUR).

For one-off incidents you must make a claim within 3 months of your electricity supply being restored. For persistent interruptions of 3 hours or more (i.e. 4 or more incidents in a 12-month period from 1 April to 31 March) you must make a claim within 3 months of the end of the 12-month period.

This document is suitable for businesses and consumers in the UK only.

Complaint to gas transporter for failure to meet standards (Guidance Notes)
If the gas supply to your premises has been interrupted, it must be restored within the period specified under the Guaranteed Standards set by Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets). If they are not restored within this period then you are entitled to compensation and can use this letter to make a request for it. You can also use this document if the gas transporter has completed work on your property but has not restored your property to its original condition. Please note that this document can only be used in England, Wales and Scotland.
Complaint to water company for failure to meet standards (Guidance Notes)
This letter can be used to demand compensation if your water company has interrupted or stopped your water supply and failed to restore it within 48 hours where emergency works to the strategic main supply pipe are required, or within 12 hours if emergency works are required for any other reason; where planned works have not been completed by a notified time; or where there has been flooding from a sewer pipe. The letter allows you to tell the water company if you did not receive notice of the works. Payment must normally be made automatically under the Ofwat Guaranteed Standards Scheme, but if you have not received this you must make a claim for it within 3 months of the incident. This document is suitable for businesses and consumers in England and Wales only.
Request to official bodies to investigate a complaint about water quality (Guidance Notes)
Use this document to request an official body to investigate a complaint you made to your water company in which you were unsatisfied with the response. To use this document, you should have already complained to the water company seeking compensation due to the fact that there was bacteria present, a serious discolouration of the water and/or because there were harmful chemicals and pollutants in the water. You should also have paid to have the water analysed as evidence and attached a copy of this report with your letter. Please note that you cannot use this document in Northern Ireland.

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