1,452 Customer Reviews over 37 pages
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- Location
- Rochester
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-11-19
- Comments
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Really impressed so far, no hassle setting up and really fast speed considering it's only standard package
- Location
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- Location
- London
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-11-12
- Comments
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Anyone who is looking to switch to first utility broadband please don't they are the worst internet provider ever. I have been having problems from day one and still have.I wish i read reviews before i joined, but its too late now.
- Location
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- Location
- ossett
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-11-05
- Comments
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moved from plus net no broadband for 7 days I was told it was my socket and line in house, funny how it all worked with PlusNet. the ip not valid router issue was told Openreach would look into but it router issue not line fault,
so will leave go back to plusnet
- Location
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- Location
- Bedford
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-10-18
- Comments
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Have been with First Utility for Gas and Electricity for around 4 years and never had a problem so was happy to take their Broadband. Get close to 80Mb on fibre at a great price. I have been with them for nearly 2 years now and service still great and price still the same, haven't seen a big price rise at end of first 18 months. Would thoroughly recommend.
- Location
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- Location
- Cornwall
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-10-13
- Comments
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Was very dubious joining this company for broadband after reading the reviews. But I went ahead anyway and well. What can I say. Faster speed than I had with sky. Reliability is brilliant. Online gaming has become fluent and no disruption at all. I highly recommend first utility !
- Location
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- Location
- Kent
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-10-08
- Comments
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I guess it was policy to restart my contract with the company when I moved address so I shouldn't really hold that against them. But it has only gone downhill since then. The person who administered the move told me that it would be a new, 15-month contract (which ill come back to).
Internet was intermittent for months at my new address. It should have been around 25-30mbps but was more like 3mbps. After months of complaint and finally threat that I would leave, they finally pulled their socks up and started asking OpenReach to come over and sort out the issues.
They agreed to recompensate me for the really poor service for I think what was around 4-5 months with a month-and-a-half refund. OK not the happiest, but I accepted it was all they were willing to offer. 2 months later, I start to get emails that I was behind on payments due to the 1.5 months that I had not paid. I was a little tired of this so I asked the person on the phone how long I had left on my contract and was surprised that it worked out that I was an 18-month contract since moving and not a 15.
I asked them to investigate the conversation I had with the person who arranged for the internet to be set up at my new residence (because all calls are recorded for training purposes) and 3 phone calls later they apologise for not having followed the issue up earlier will be raising the issue and (promising this time) they will be letting me know of the outcome of their investigation. My internet speed has improved I guess so I shouldn't really complain.
Oh! I shouldn't leave out that for the period it was really bad and I threatened to leave (for the 3rd time) I couldn't receive a WhatsApp message on the wifi without it affecting another service in the house using the internet.
- Location
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- Location
- Malvern
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-10-07
- Comments
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Very slow broadband and First Utility are not interested in improving their broadband speeds. They tie you into an 18 month contract and they know that there is nothing you can do until your contract expires. They have no interest in improving their download speeds because of their long contracts
- Location
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- Location
- Devon
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-10-06
- Comments
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The biggest issues with the company that I've experienced are a rubbish router and poor customer service. I was paying BT a fortune so decided it was time to change providers, the second I switched to FU (how ironic) the performance dropped to zero. I'm supposed to be on the 35Mbps product, but I couldn't even get a stable connection to Netflix servers let alone actually watch a programme or film from start to finish.
I raised the complaint immediately and it took them a couple of weeks to even respond. It's clear they allocate your message to a new advisor each time you respond, as it's like you're starting again from scratch. About two months into trying to resolve and getting nowhere, I got an email from one first-class complaints advisor who stated "there is no issue". Okay mate, nice one. Another advisor stated "we can send someone around to check your hardware, but you'll probably have to pay for it". Not happening.
So this morning, granted my TV and phone are both WiFi and will have been potentially doing their own thing in the background, but I'm trying to load a webpage on my laptop and it's like dial-up over a modem in the 90s. So I run a speedcheck through a website and it gives me 0.32Mbps, absolutely laughable. I live in a 1 bed flat and the router has to be in the kitchen because that's where the master socket is, so I went and sat on the kitchen floor and to be fair, it did then manage a lightning fast 7Mbps (of the 35 that I'm paying for). I turned my TV and phone off, and ran a wired connection into my laptop, and did finally manage to get 32Mpbs out of it. Unplugged the cable and again, sat a foot from the router and with no other devices switched on except a fridge, the speed dropped to 12Mbps.
In conclusion, the router is dog-poop - this is despite the fact that the one half decent thing one of their advisors has done is send me an "upgraded" router. If this is the best they can manage, I'd a) factor the price of your own router into the deal you're looking at, or b) just go elsewhere. I considered looking up the settings and then trying to get my BT router set up to connect to their network instead, but their website is unsurprisingly rubbish and I absolutely dread the prospect of phoning them up and having to speak to them, given the experience so far. I certainly won't be staying with them beyond the end of this contract.
- Location
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- Location
- Peterborough
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-26
- Comments
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I love the energy supply with first utility and moved from Sky broadband to first utility as I was told that it would be the same service as Sky but cheaper.. massive mistake as the speed is half the speed of Sky and keeps dropping out . Will move as soon as my contract is up. Complained the customer service and was told to read the contract
- Location
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- Location
- gateshead
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-24
- Comments
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been with them for 12 months and almost no issues, the router supplied is not the best (this is same for most routers supplied by ISP's) after 2 weeks I contacted them for details as purchased my own ASUS AC68 Wifi Router, tech agent went thru and supplied PPPoA username and password (user name is simply landline numer@first-utility.com) the guy even stayed on the line until router had connected.
anyone who wishes to use own router just go thru to tech and they will assist
- Location
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- Location
- Blackburn
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-24
- Comments
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Terrible broadband connection low speed or no speed. Terrible customer service with watertight contract they will rip your pans off if you leave them
- Location
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- Location
- Sheffield
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-22
- Comments
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Horrible service! They overcharge you for no reason. If you decide to leave after contract, they will blackmail you by fabricating some conditions which never appear in the initial contract. Don’t waste your time/money and get into trouble by joining them.
- Location
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- Location
- Rushden
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-19
- Comments
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Have happily been with them for years for power and recently went to them for Broadband. At first my speed on my desktop upstairs was dreadful but got a very helpful Customer Services assistant delegated to me who gave enormous help and always rang when he said he would and in the end the problem was sorted with the help of power line adapters and now have really fast connection upstairs and down. It was a pleasure to get such good customer service and I am now a very happy customer. Great service
- Location
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- Location
- London
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-11
- Location
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- Location
- Kent
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-07
- Comments
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They actually charge you £15 now to leave! Outside of your contract! Section 5.11 in their t&c's. They say it is to cover the admin. cost of the transfer! Also tried to say that this is 'standard', it bloody isn't! Despicable! Avoid them at all costs!
- Location
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- Location
- Cornwall
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-09-07
- Comments
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4 days in and no connection, poor customer service, an engineer booked who didn't arrive, don't even know when we are going to connected. Cool off period is a joke as it ends before the contract starts. Offcomm need to take them to task.
- Location
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- Location
- Coventry
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-20
- Comments
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1.8mb/s internet Speed. Contract will be cancelled asap
- Location
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- Location
- hartlepool
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-17
- Comments
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was excellent when i first got my broadband in now if im connecting to it im constantly doing so most of the day or night. pile of ***** should of stayed were i was
- Location
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- Location
- LARGS
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-11
- Comments
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Had this broadband package about a month now had no problems at all in fact I would say it is better than my BT package that I had before as with BT everything would buffer and that was with superfast fibre with first utility I just have the basic cheapest package and so far its great. I think its just your luck and where you live to be honest.
- Location
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- Location
- North tyneside
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-10
- Location
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- Location
- Mordor
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-10
- Location
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- Location
- Cannock
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-06
- Comments
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Quite possibly.the worst thing you can do is change to first utility broadband, chat to them about problems & they say we will update you...they never get back to you.if you prone to let them know of a problem.... You're charged for the call.a new provider with.i guess,no infrastructure& no experience,launched before everything was in place.
- Location
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- Location
- derby
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-08-03
- Comments
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AVOID THIS HORRIFIC COMPANY!!!!! by a mile the most incompetent,rude and underhanded company i have ever dealt with. where to start?? i was told i wouldn't pay an installation fee with my broadband i was charged 60 pounds anyway without even telling me 3 months later i still haven't been refunded even though they swear blind they've done it. they changed my gas meter readings and charged me £150 gas just for march tried ringing up no help whatsoever basically told theirs nothing they can do. i live in a 1 bed flat its impossible to use that much gas.my electricity tariff was a fixed term of 52 pounds a months for a year they then after around three months start charging me very high random amounts once again with no notification. i phoned to complain and opened a sales investigation a fortnight later i phoned as i still didnt hear anything they told me the sales investigation had been closed because quote " the sales team will just try to get a sale your actual agreement we send to you by email" which as you might of guessed i never received. To sum it all up first utility really are scumbags they will do anything to squeeze every penny they can out of you for the worst service you can imagine if you value your money and your sanity steer well clear of these cockroaches
- Location
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- Location
- Bishop Auckland
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-27
- Comments
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Complete and utter rubbish. No one wants to help, they then promise to ring back and never ever do. We have not had internet for over 5 weeks now
- Location
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- Location
- Central Scotland
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-25
- Comments
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(First are just a TalkTalk reseller by the way). The ISP that doesn't supply you with the password for your own broadband. The PPPoA password is preinstalled on the router and hidden from you, ok. Want to change from their cheap, disfunctional router? You'll need the password, obviously. Try emailing customer service and they will systematically ignore repeated requests to supply you with your own password. To the extent that it is now being taken to an ADR. Quite surreal.
- Location
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- Location
- Newmarket
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-22
- Comments
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No customer account on website, very low quality customer service, they will never answer your phone call when you want to report broadband issue. Very bad broadband reliability - I have many internet connection cut outs every day, and still company is doing with that, and of course - they are taking money for that pathetic service.
- Location
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- Location
- Reading
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-21
- Location
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- Location
- Durham
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-17
- Comments
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This BROADBAND IS NOT FIT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN! AVOID!! This is because there are no parental controls.
I was told that internationals calls were free and unlimited. But it was not so. There is no account for the customers and hence the customer would not know the usage and billing on the website. The phone does not show incoming numbers. The broadband will be activated after the cooling period and you will be tied to this nonsense broadband for 18 months.
- Location
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- Location
- East Kilbride
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-10
- Comments
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What can I say except that it's the best and cheapest I have ever been with. I love it!
- Location
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- Location
- york
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-09
- Comments
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If you go with this company for Broadband you will pay for something they can't deliver and YOU'll BE SORRY, AVOID this company and its broadband.
- Location
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- Location
- Bridgend
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-09
- Comments
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Closed my account within an hour of opening due to reviews. Now I'm getting emails saying I owe different amounts. 5 calls 5 different locations put through to no one wishes to help. Totally appauling stay clear!
- Location
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- Location
- Finsbury park
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-06
- Location
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- Location
- durham
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-07-04
- Comments
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IMPORTANT : Read this before taking this broadband. Please note that the customer service is very poor. Also, the broadband does not provide any security especially when you have children at home. The company does not have any account for broadband customers.
- Location
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- Location
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-28
- Comments
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Never ever again - I've never had so many problems with broadband in that short period of time (about 2 weeks) in my whole life.
Avoid at all cost.
- Location
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- Location
- Tickencote
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-28
- Comments
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Very very very bad quality broadband. Can't even watch smoothly any movie longer than 2 minutes on YT. Internet keeps dropping randomly.
Tried to contact with their customer service. After 2 hours on hold, been hanged out!
- Location
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- Location
- Bothwell
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-28
- Comments
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An utterly horrendous company to deal with - they are only interested in getting as much money out of customers as possible. They screwed up the initial contract charging me hundreds of pounds for phone calls when I had requested an 'anytime' call package. I left them and they kept sending me bills when I had a new ISP. A nightmare to get sorted - a nightmare company to be avouided AT ANY COST. You have been warned !!!!!
- Location
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- Location
- Colchester
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-23
- Comments
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Cant believe we were sucked in to signing up for broadband with First Utility. We were told we were getting like for like deal that we had with EE and that the price we pay would never go up. Guess what?? The deal didn't include calls to mobiles like EE and the price went up straight away. And the actual connection is shockingly bad. Speed fluctuates so much and almost daily the connection disappears. DO NOT SIGN UP WITB FIRST UTILITY. So I tried phoning customer services and guess what? Couldn't get through, just got put on hold for ages. EE customer service was 2nd to none. And to leave I'm probably going to have to pay a fee. Absolutely gutted.
- Location
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- Location
- Northampton
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-21
- Comments
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Do not move to this company for broadband. We were energy customers of First Utility & thought we’d save money by moving to them from BT. Nothing has worked since. We have had 2 routers & a BT engineer out. The line is fine & the old BT Wi-fi worked perfectly. The Wi-fi doesn’t work, the kids can’t play on the PS4, And we’ve used all our 3G allowances on phone as a result. This has been nothing but grief. We have refused to pay so far & they now want to charge us over £200 for an early termination fee on the contract, for a service they haven’t provided. The customer service just passes you around the houses & any decent company would have the good grace to allow us to move on. The manager is not available to speak and apparently will call us back in 48hrs. The representative told me that she’d tell me the same thing though. Avoid this provider unless you want stress & grief. Worst provider of any service I’ve dealt with. Will also be cancelling my gas & electric with them as a result of this.
- Location
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- Location
- Thetford
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-18
- Comments
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Avoid if you don't want to be stressed!
Overall satisfaction - I would like to give them 0 stars, because the only thing I have after 1 month of using their broadband is massive stress.
Customer service - don't try to call their call center, because you'll spend about 30-60 minutes on waiting, sometimes you'll be hanged out by clever call center employee. 2 stars, because at least someone's pretending to solve your problem on online chat. But that's not enough to actually solve it.
The only way to contact with them is the online chat - but not all the times you'll be able to be connected with any agent, and second problem - in case of no internet connection, online chat will be useless for you.
Broadband speed - 5 start, because speed and only SPEED is FINE. But that means nothing, if I can't use full speed because of ISP gateway reliability problems.
Broadband reliability - is a JOKE. There's no any reliability! I have about 40-50 connection timeouts EVERY DAY. Checked any single phone socket, wires and even BT service socket - problem source is outside my flat, in ISP gateway. I've had an engineer appointment for today (18.06) - no one showed up, no one knows in call center what's going on, and I still have the same problem with connection timeouts.
More than 2 weeks and problem hasn't been solved.
I've never had any problems with BT Infinity 2 service, but I just wanted to save some money on internet bill, so I've decided to try First Utility.
That's my punishment I think - for being too greedy.
- Location
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- Location
- London
- Reviewing
- Shell Energy
- Date
- 2018-06-12
- Comments
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Switched from talk talk as they kept upping my bill and I already have duel fuel with first utility no problems very smooth switch no problems encountered happy
- Location
The reviews published on this page are those of the individual authors who have warrantied that they abide by our review guidelines. Reviews are not the opinion of Broadband.co.uk.
Shell Energy are not affiliated with Broadband.co.uk. This page does not constitute any affiliation between Broadband.co.uk and Shell Energy.