Energy advisor wins compensation for Wrekin customer after three-year battle with supplier

When Eve Fullwood was referred to Wrekin’s energy advice service, she had spent three years trying to resolve a worrying issue with her electricity meter.

The meter had stopped working, but there was asbestos in the meter cupboard and every engineer sent out by the energy supplier said they weren’t trained to deal with it.

“It was a big worry because we weren’t paying anything for our electricity,” said Eve, 71. “I wanted to fix it – I didn’t want to just sit and wait for a big bill to come.”

Eve and her husband William felt they were being passed from pillar to post and getting nowhere – until the co-ordinator of their retirement living community in Leegomery, Telford, put them in touch with energy advisor Chloe Ramsay.

“They kept sending engineers who weren’t asbestos trained and passing the responsibility on to someone else,” said Chloe. “Sometimes they didn’t turn up at all. We tried to resolve it with the supplier, but they just insisted it was Eve’s responsibility, which wasn’t right.”

The delays caused huge stress for Eve, made even harder when William sadly passed away while the case was still ongoing.

“Honestly, nobody seemed interested,” said Eve. “But Chloe was really good. She tried to make them understand the problem and when nothing was changing, she said we’d take it to the Energy Ombudsman.”

Chloe put together the case and the Ombudsman ruled in Eve’s favour, ordering the supplier to resolve the problem and pay Eve £240 for the missed appointments and £175 as a gesture of goodwill.

Shortly afterwards, an asbestos-trained engineer was sent out and the faulty meter was finally replaced.

Eve said: “When they sent somebody who knew what they were doing, it was easy. The job was done in just a few hours.”

She added: “I am just happy it’s over now, and I’m very grateful for all of Chloe’s help.”

If you are struggling with energy issues, Wrekin’s energy advice service is here to help. Customers can self-refer by contacting 01952 217234, emailing energyadvice@wrekin.com or by contacting their housing executive.

The energy advice service is supported by the Cadent Foundation.

8th September 2025