No heat or hot water following Electric Ireland Gas Boiler "service"

vstanley

We had our gas boiler "serviced" by E.I. on Monday, November 5 and were told we may need a new PCB board but that we "should be fine". Following this assessment, we returned home to find our previously functional boiler would not light, leaving us with no heat or hot water. We contacted E.I. to request this new PCB board which was subsequently installed on Wednesday and we were told this had solved the problem. Once again, we returned home to find we had neither heat nor hot water. We contacted E.I. on Thursday and were told no one was available to come back until Friday. After some insistence on our part someone came out on Thursday evening and concluded that we had a very unusual problem and they would have to contact the manufacturer of the boiler. When I contacted E.I. on Friday for an update I was told they were unable to reach the manufacturer so it would have to wait until Monday. I called on Monday and was told I'd get a call back with an update. That call never came. I received 3 texts today advising that an engineer was on his way; when I called this morning to confirm this I was told "that was a technical error". I was also told we needed 2 new parts (in addition to the ineffectual new PCB board) which have to come from the U.K. and would "hopefully" arrive Thursday. When I enquired why it would take so long, the answer was "I don't know". This is a recurring theme with E.I., and there is no willingness on their side to put the customer into contact with someone who is in the know, nor to find out the answers to our questions. Callbacks are not forthcoming and responses to emails take days. We are now on day 9 of no heat or hot water with no end in sight.
In the middle of all of this we are being harassed by phone call and letter about paying a security deposit - hard to believe considering we are in week 2 of no service.
I would appreciate if this matter could be dealt with as a matter of urgency as I simply can't waste any more time getting the run around on the phone from your call center.

EI: Una

Hi VStanley,

Sorry to read you're experiencing such a difficult situation.

Can you private message me your name, address and telephone number?

I will have it looked into immediately once I have those details.

Regards,
Una

vstanley

Before I put my post on Boards.ie, I had spoken to Seth who assured me his manager James would ring me yesterday evening to discuss the possibility of a rebate on our bill to compensate for being without service. Not surprisingly, that call never came. I had also been told by Rodney last Friday night night that he would ring me first thing Monday with an update. Again, this didn't happen.

Following my post I received a message from Una and then a call from Frank who seemed shocked that this had gone on so long and asked whether we had been offerred portable heaters (we had not - we had thus far not even been offerred an apology, never mind an alternative solution). He also assured me he was following up to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible and would update me first thing this morning. Although it was nice to speak to someone civil it is nearly lunchtime and no word so far. So, the nightmare continues...

EI: Una

Hi VStanley,

I investigated this for you and was advised it is most certainly still being looked after. Apologies for the delay with the telephone call, but you will be contacted.

Regards,
Una

vstanley

After 4 visits and 4 or 5 (I have lost track) new parts for our boiler, we are still without heat or hot water. We've been told that the same "engineer" whose first visit resulted in us being without service is to come back yet again to fit an immersion as a temporary alternative solution. Firstly, where was this alternative solution over the last 2 weeks? I asked repeatedly if something could be done in the meantime and was told no. I was also told by Rodney that if there was something that could be done, E.I "would have told you about it by now". A smart remark, but evidently not true. It was just yet another tactic to get me, the customer, off the phone without offerring any help.
Secondly, why send back the same guy 5 times when it is clear he has not been adequately trained to deal with the situation?
The heaters that Frank told us are "normally offerred" in these situations have still not made an appearance and we are looking at another cold weekend. So although he has been polite and understanding, he has not made a difference to our situation in any way.
We have been told repeatedly that we have a "complex and unusual" problem but every time E.I comes to our home they find yet another problem, so that seems to just be the line they use when they don't really know what the problem is. Our boiler doesn't come from Mars so surely it should not be that complicated for "engineers". And we can't forget that, prior to first letting E.I. into our home, we had both heat and hot water.
So although our situation does seem ususual (at least I hope so), we can only warn of the perils of being an Electric Ireland customer and will be sure to never engage their services again.

EI: Una

Hi VStanley,

We are extremely sorry for the issues you have been experiencing with the boiler, and we are treating the matter as urgent. The Home Services department is in regular contact with me and have advised they are contacting you regularly. I have forwarded them your latest update here.

If you would like to speak with us by private message, I am finishing up at 1.30 today but available until then, and my colleague David will be here until this evening. There is also a private message inbox that we both have access to (see my signature).

Regards,
Una

vstanley

Hi Una,

The Home Services team has been in contact with me following my initial post on Boards; up to then communication was not forthcoming at all.

Although they have been in touch I still have no answers as to why it has taken 2 weeks for an alternative solution to be offerred despite my repeated requests, and the subject of compensation has still not been broached.

After all this time I would appreciate some answers.

Thanks and regards,

Vanessa

EI: Una

Hi again VStanley,

We understand and appreciate your frustration - I have forwarded the above update by you to Home Services. I can assure you they are continuously investigating this as high priority and taking the matter very seriously, and will update you/me asap.

Edit: Customer advised of latest update by private message.

Regards,
Una

vstanley

Hi Una,

I have just returned home from a week's holidays and it seems things are still not as they should be. We do have heat and hot water but when we turn the heat on an enormous roar comes out if the gas boiler that is very worrying. It sounds like there is a blockage or air lock of some kind. We also still can't get two hot showers in a row despite having the heat on for over 3 hours.
We received a text when we were away to confirm everything is working as it should but this is obviously not the case.
We have also not been contacted in the meantime regarding compensation or a rebate for our ordeal.
Can E.I. please urgently look into these remaining issues?
Thanks,

Vanessa

EI: Una

Hi VStanley,

I have forwarded this query to the Home Energy Services department and will advise ASAP.

Sending you a private message now.

Regards,
Una

vstanley

Hi Una,

It's now time to escalate this situation to higher level management and to your complaints department. We are at the end of week 4 with no heat or hot water after 7 visits and the replacement of numerous parts by E.I. After the 5th visit by E.I. and the partial restoration of heat and hot water we were assured by Frank that our boiler was safe and functioning but a very loud and unusual noise appeared after this 5th visit and our gas fireplace no longer works. Frank came out himself to hear the noise but insisted it was not unusual. He did however get a "technical expert" to come out yesterday who deemed that the boiler was in fact not safe and subsequently disconnected it. We have today been informed we need a new boiler. We have no idea when this will be available or installed, nor do we have any confidence, after our recent experience, that it will be done competently. Can you please escalate this to the highest level of management as this level of negligence is totally unacceptable and we are, as E.I. customers, beyond dissatisfied with the service received thus far. We are looking at another weekend and most likely a 5th week of no service and E.I has neither offerred not provided any alternative for us. Please do not get Frank to contact me as it is clear he is not equipped to move this forward.

Thanks,

Vanessa

vstanley

One more thing - since the last E.I. visit the artificial coals on our gas fireplace are now broken - we expect these to be replaced.

Thanks,

Vanessa

Electric Ireland: David

Hi vstanley,

Again, we're very sorry to hear about this unfortunate situation. I will record this complaint for you in detail and you will be contacted as soon as possible.

Regards,

David

vstanley

Hi David,

I've heard nothing since my last post and I am still without heat or hot water. Our previous contact, who assured us we could contact him "any time" has become unresponsive and we have had no updates since last week. Does Electric Ireland consider this acceptable? We are now in our second month without service. As I have had no response from your complaints department, am I to refer this to the Commission for Energy Regulation?

Regards,

Vanessa

EI: Una

Hi Vanessa,

Sending you a private message now.

Regards,
Una