Stephen Buck

HeatingOil.co.uk have been delivering my oil for the past 10 years. I have just tried to order with HomeFuels Direct,but they tell me that they do not have any baby tankers in my area, so are unable to fulfil my order.

Have you not combined your tanker fleet with theirs? Seems strange to merge with another company and lose long-standing customers, as a result...

Pls advise?

Haycombe Farmhouse, Bath BA2 9DN

Hi - you've been delivering my oil for the past 10 years. I have just tried to order with HomeFuels Direct and they tell me that they do not have any baby tankers in my area, so are unable to fulfil my order.

Have you not combined your tanker fleet with theirs? Seems strange to merge with another company and lose long-standing customers, as a result...

Pls advise?

Thank you,

Stephen

Haycombe Farmhouse, Bath BA2 9DN

Switch back from Business to Residential Use.

When I joined Valda, they switched my account / Mpan number from a residential one to a business one, overnight.

Now, due to ill health, I have retired and wish to switch back to residential. I have asked them several times, since last January, but all to no avail.

The farm has also now been re-structured for tax purposes and my business accounts closed down. As a result, HMRC have stipulated that all utility bills for the farmhouse should be changed back to residential accounts and put into my and my 2 grow-up children's names, as they now live here and own the house jointly with me. Again, Valda have been unwilling to do this, despite requests.

They did ask me to submit a Council Tax bill, as proof of residential status, but I've had no response from them, since sending it.

I was offered an air source heat pump, to help with my health situation, but the company involved said they couldn't install it and put me on a relevant domestic tariff, while I still have a business MPAN number.

Meantime, I am left stuck with a business tariff, despite being a residential address, as no residential suppliers will allow me to switch to them until Valda change my status.

PS Have now waited 3 weeks for the follow-up from Valda, as promised on here, copied below, but have heard nothing...

I initially contacted them about this issue way back in January, but despite many follow-up messages and repeated assurances, still nothing has happened, nearly a year on.


Reply from Valda Energy, 10 Nov 2025

Good morning Stephen,

Thank you for your review. We understand your concerns regarding the account, and a member of our change of tenancy team will reach out to you directly to discuss.

We are committed to resolving the matter swiftly and ensuring a satisfactory outcome.

Kind regards,
Leanne, Customer Relations Team

The letter Your NRG sent me with a discount code doesn't work, and the email in the letter doesn't work, either, so I shan't be able to use them to order my oil.

I'm still looking for an oil delivery company that I can actually trust and whose website and contact details actually work!

The last few times my car has been in for service / repairs, I've had cause to regret it.

Two items I've had to ask 4 times to have attended to, and one still hasn't been done - I can't be bothered to go back for a 5th time.

Two other items I had to follow up again to try to have rectified - they charged me £57 for one, even tho it's been there since I bought the car and has been mentioned previously, and the other still hasn't been attended to.

I can’t be bothered wasting my time with them, any more - as a purchaser of 3 new VW cars and servicing of 20+ years, I'm afraid they've now lost my custom for good.

When I joined Valda, they switched my account / Mpan number from a residential one to a business one, overnight.

Now, due to ill health, I have retired and wish to switch back to residential. I have asked them several times, since last January, but all to no avail.

I was offered a free air source heat pump, to help with my health situation, but the company involved said they couldn't install it and put me on a relevant domestic tariff, while I still have a business MPAN number.

The farm has also now been re-structured for tax purposes and my business accounts closed down. As a result, HMRC have stipulated that all utility bills for the farmhouse should be changed back to residential accounts and put into my and my 2 grow-up children's names, as they now live here and own the house jointly with me. Again, Valda have been unwilling to do this, despite requests.

They did ask me to submit a Council Tax bill, as proof of residential status, but I've had no response from them, since sending it.

Meantime, I am left stuck with a business tariff, despite being a residential address, as no residential suppliers will allow me to switch to them until Valda change my status.

Dreadful customer service...


PS Have now waited over 2 weeks for the follow-up from Valda, as promised on here, but have heard nothing...

I initially contacted them about this issue way back in January, but despite many follow-up messages and repeated assurances, still nothing has happened, nearly a year on.

Really not good enough, Valda!

Very happy. I ordered a microsoft surface 3 laptop and it is in excellent conditioning- passing all the diagnostic tests very smoothly. I would highly recommend this company and would buy from them again.

Rosie Buck
Order number- 70359142

I joined Utilita in June and since then I've already been told I had to change my tariff twice and am about to need to for a third time - I started on pay as you go, then was told to set up a direct debit and that I'd receive monthly bills, and now I've been told I should no longer have a direct debit, but go back to pay as you go. Why so many changes in a couple of months?

Also, re my last bill, my final reading with British Gas on 6 June was 00302. The meter was, for some reason, then re-set to zero, presumably by Utilita, and the current reading on 10 Sep is 00004.

This reset to zero was done either when I moved to them, or when I set up a direct debit to switch my tariff to paying in arrears from paying in advance. Or, maybe on one of the appointments when the engineer was supposed to come and change the Smart Meter - if he indeed came?

My bill are still giving estimated readings, based on the old British Gas reading, even tho I have submitted the correct readings to you each month. I have kept photos of all the readings, as evidence.

I also wonder why the minimum amount for my direct debit had to be set at a minimum of £30 per month, when I only use a couple of units each month? This means that I am slowly accruing a large credit balance.

The way it is currently set up is more like a standing order, than a direct debit, which is strange... Can the direct debit amount not be changed to a much lower amount, or, like other suppliers who use direct debits, you take the exact amount owing on the bill each month?

Meantime, it seems I need to go back to the pay as you go tariff, without standing charge, but seem unable to do this anywhere...

Also, the meter reading situation needs resolving. I already had 2 no-show engineer visits booked, but I don't believe the faulty meter was ever changed or repaired...

I've tried to get answers to all these issues by phone, live chat and social media, but never get anywhere.

PS the complaints phone number, as copied below from the complaints page, just goes thru to the normal menu with the associated never-ending wait!!

How to make a complaint

1. Contact us
If you’re unhappy with our service you can notify us by phone, email or post:

(Please include your account number, name, contact number and full address so we can link it to your account).

Call our Customer Care Team on 01962 891 160

PS Catherine from Complaints sent me an email link to reply to her, but guess what - the link and email don't work... Utilita are sooo frustrating!

Here is the error message I receive when I try to contact her, as she requested:

Your message to Utilita couldn't be delivered. The group customerrelationsteam only accepts messages from people in its organization or on its allowed senders list, and your email address isn't on the list.

PPS Several months on, and still nothing has been resolved, despite assurances. The meter readings are still incorrect (still based on my last supplier's old readings), my promised refund hasn't been forthcoming, and I'm now waiting for my 4th meter exchange appointment (2 no-shows and one cancellation, so far). To add insult to injury, they have changed my tariff to a more expensive one, because my meter still hasn't been changed, due to them not turning up for their own appointments!

Pure incompetence...

I tried Heatingoil.co.uk recently for the first time for a couple of years, as previously, their deliveries either arrived late, or, on one occasion, not at all.

This time, it arrived within the 14 day window (just... and for which I gave them an extra star), but their tracking still does not work (orders from several years ago are still showing as "processing"), they still do not send advance notifications for when the delivery will arrive (unlike their competitors), and they still do not answer emails, or give out their phone number, all of which lead to stress and worry about running out.

They have one task, which is to deliver oil efficiently and within a 2-week slot, which is not exactly rocket science, yet they regularly seem to fail on several counts. P**s up and brewery spring to mind..!

I'll maybe try them again in another couple of years, to give them a chance and see if they have improved...

Yesterday, UK2.net apparently "migrated" my account - whatever that means - without warning or explanation.

I have since been unable to log in to my emails on Outlook. Their website gives me conflicting log in details, none of which actually work.

Can't speak to anyone, so have tried Chat, 4 times in 24 hours, but they are also unable to provide me with a solution, so am left in limbo.

Useless!!

PS I've already "reached out" on "client-escalations" but didn't get a response. And it's still not working properly...

Nearly 3 weeks since I ordered 800 litres, and no sign of my oil and no communication from the company.

Ordered via their Direct Oil website, but messages not replied to and calls not answered.

Need oil on the farm for Xmas, but will be running out soon.

Not good!

Nearly 3 weeks since I ordered 800 litres, and no sign of my oil and no communication from the company.

Ordered via their Direct Oil website, but messages not replied to.

Need oil on the farm for Xmas, but will be running out soon.

Not good!

They don't respond to booking enquiries... Have tried several times, via email, contact form and WhatsApp, all to no avail.

Pity, as their holidays sound good...

Ordering is fine, but they are part of Certas Group, with whom I often have delivery issues...

SB, 20/8/23

Oil was delivered promptly and a refund made for the surplus. Thanks.

When I send Sainsbury's a query or complaint via a message on Twitter, all I get each time is this standard and irrelevant response... Why??!

"For information on how we're helping to feed the nation, visit sainsburys.co.uk. This includes how we're helping elderly, vulnerable and disabled customers, delivery slot availability and how we're trying to keep our stores safe for colleagues and customers.

You'll find the latest information on stock availability by visiting help.sainsburys.co.uk and selecting Stock Checker."

I've had the Barclaycard App for well over 2 yrs, but it has never worked for contactless payments.

I've told them countless times and all they say is that they are working on it.

Well, it seems they need some new IT guys, if it takes over 2 yrs to fix something..!

Either that, or you're telling downright lies, Barclaycard..!

I'm on Vodafone Pro-Broadband. My speed is currently 5.2mbps.

One of the attractions on signing up was that i would always get straight thru to a specialist Pro-broadband adviser.

That's a pack of lies! Have been on Tobi for over an hour, so far, and on the phone for 50 mins and still on hold...

I've been on this package for over 2 yrs, and this is always the case.

Absolutely awful customer service and downright lies in the advertising literature..!

Grrrr.....!!!!

PS Been waiting for nearly 2 hours, now, being passed from pillar to post and / or left on hold, so am giving up!

PPS In response to your reply, below, I've been calling on and off for the past 2+ years, and you always say that you are busier than usual, so pls don't roll out that excuse again!

In your literature when I signed up, it stated that I would get straight thru to a Pro-Broadband specialist, each time I called, yet I never, ever do..!

Having also been on your regular broadband, for several years beforehand, that was one of the primary reasons I signed up. How wrong Ii was to believe you!

Whatever you do, don't buy an AEG Comfort-lift dishwasher!

The mechanism is cheap and tinny, even tho they charge a fortune for the product.

It persistently jams and gets stuck in the up / out position, to the extent that after less than 2 years, I can no longer use my machine.

Absolutely appalling... And so much for German quality engineering!

In the past 18 months, I have ordered from HeatingOil.co.uk, HomeFuelsDirect.co.uk and CertasEnergy.co.uk.

It transpires that they are all related, and are part of the DCC Group - they remind me of cowboy firms, who spring up under an assortment of different names, so as not to be recognised...

During this time, orders from all of them have arrived late, one didn't arrive at all, and I am currently awaiting one, which is also now overdue, with no delivery in sight...

Be very, very, wary of using any of these firms. They promise, but don't deliver, and more often than not, don’t answer the phone, emails, or social media messages, leaving us, their customers, high and dry... quite literally!

They are a prime example of how NOT to do customer service, and they appear to have no qualms about leaving families, with children and elderly relatives, without heating and hot water. Grrrrrr...!!!

PS please add Butler Fuels to the above Certas and co list. The driver said he gets complaints about them, wherever he goes..!