... to complain to Ofgem? 5 months to get a final elec bill post sale of deceased relative's home

[NPowerShitShower]

Exactly that. DF sadly passed last year. His home was sold in the Spring and all final meter readings were given to the various utilities companies. It has taken almost five months for the electricity company to send us the final bill/account statement, thus delaying the estate being settled by the same amount of time. All other companies sent us final bills within a week or two, the banks etc did their bits, it's just this one bill that has caused everything else to be left hanging. To add insult to injury, the account is/was also significantly in credit and we can't do anything else until that refund has been received... Hopefully once we have this, probate can be finalised and the estate settled. It's like some kind of neverending farce.

I can't get any explanation from the company about what has happened, I haven't had an apology and no one can explain to me what has taken so long. I don't want compensation or anything like that, I just want an apology and explanation, as well as for no one else to get caught up in the same kind of Freudian mess.

AIBU to take this to Ofgem?

[LegoCaltrops]

You need to follow their complaints process first, right to the end. It may be that they'll prioritise your case. I'd recommend you keep a log of absolutely every contact you have with them - note time, date & contact name of all phone calls, keep all emails etc. If, after you have exhausted their complaints process, you aren't happy with their response, definitely go to OFGEM.

[LegoCaltrops]

Another thought - have you submitted a formal complaint? You should get a complaint reference number. Ensure you quote this in all correspondence. It puts the pressure on that bit more.

I bet it was British Gas

[FuzzyOwl]

Ofgem won't do anything. You need to complete the company's internal complaints procedure and if you still aren't satisfied, go to Ombudsman Services: Energy.

[NPowerShitShower]

Trust me, I have tried! Online chat with them is a joke, goes round and round in circles and I've been told they don't have the account details on more than once occasion. Since I received the final bill today, they obviously did have them! I have records of all calls but letters go ignored and no one calls back when they say they will. I wouldn't have believed it possible if I hadn't experienced such incompetence personally. I just hate that this incompetence has delayed settling the estate and hence part of the grieving process for myself and wider family. It's so so insulting.

[NPowerShitShower]

Not BG, the clue is in my username, btw!

[LegoCaltrops]

Doh, missed that!

You can still submit a formal complaint. Do it in writing, preferably by email (as many utility companies will send an automated acknowledgement email) so you can prove they received it. Include a copy if any previous correspondence & insist they refer it to the complaints team immediately. Also put * FORMAL COMPLAINT ** at the top of the email in a really big, red font. They may still ignore you but at least then you can demonstrate that you've tried your best to be clear that you're annoyed, & can refer it to the ombudsman yourself when their time is up to investigate it in-house.