Luton man out of pocket after mistakes by energy supplier and ombudsman over smart meter installation

A partially sighted man from Luton says he has been left out of pocket after his energy company failed to install a smart meter to his solar panels and continually sent him emails he couldn't read.

And to add insult to injury when he complained to the ombudsman – which ruled in his favour – he says his claim was accidentally closed before he could get compensation.

Amar Singh, who lives in Limbury, had renewable energy panels added to his roof last year and was due to have a meter added to record how much energy he was generating and using. But contractors working on behalf of So Energy, Mr Singh’s now former energy supplier, could not install the smart meter – meaning for months he was sending energy back to the grid without getting paid.

And despite asking for his correspondence to be sent in large print via email or in the post, So Energy continued to send him emails he could not read.

He said: “I'd have to get strangers in my neighbourhood to read the emails out to me. They could have made things a lot easier for me, but they didn't, they made it a lot harder for me because I was partially sighted. The people that I've been talking to [at So Energy] would treat me as if I'm stupid because I haven't been able to read the email.”

In an email seen by Luton News, the company assured Mr Singh that the matter "has not been taken lightly" and added that it would be looking at training and improving processes to make sure the needs of customers with impaired vision were being met.

A So Energy spokesperson: “It’s clear that our high standards fell short on this occasion and we apologise for this. The independent Ombudsman reviewed the case and recommended a £100 goodwill payment to resolve the issue. We went over and above this and are offering a goodwill payment totalling £400. On the issue of exchanging his meter, Mr Singh has now switched away from So Energy so will need to contact his new supplier to do this.”

The energy ombudsman, an organisation which deals with disputes between energy providers and customers, ruled in Mr Singh’s favour and found that the energy provider should have installed the smart meter. Over the phone, Mr Singh accepted the decision and was awarded £100 in compensation. However, he says that in November, after a mistake by the ombudsman, the case was closed. Two months on, and Mr Singh still has no smart meter.

An ombudsman spokesperson said: “We’ve chased the supplier on several occasions and can confirm Mr Singh’s £100 refund will be available within the next three to five days. Our customer relations team will also be in direct contact with him to discuss his case.”

Sarah Owen MP also weighed in on the dispute. She said: "I have been working with Mr Singh on his case with So Energy, and want to see them do the right thing by Mr Singh to rectify the situation quickly.

“At a time when prices keep rising and the cost of living crisis escalates, energy companies have a duty to act in a fair, honest and compassionate manner towards their customers.

“Too often, I speak to people in Luton who are struggling with sky-high energy prices and have to deal with poor and unhelpful customer service, while the companies are making record profits. We need a new, publicly owned energy company that is accountable directly to the British people, rather than private shareholders."