I moved into this property in August 2006 and these pre-payment meters for the gas and the electric were already there. As a single parent I thought this was ideal for my two boys and I. In September 2007 to my surprised I received a letter from Southern Electric saying I owe £491 + I ignored the letter as I knew that they had made a mistake. But in October I received another letter informing me that I had to pay the above amount or they would send BAILIFFS. I then decided to write to them after trying to call them and being sent from pillar to post. I wrote informing that they need to find out the month I moved in to the property and gave them my housing number so they could contact the council to confirm that they have made a mistake and if possible as I don't owe them a penny could they remove the meters and put in normal ones. I am still waiting to hear from them so I went to S.C.O.O. P Aid - these people help single parents. They made a phone call and months later a man came to read the meter, since that day every time I top up on Gas the amount increases i.e. if i top up with £10 up popped £25. Well I have had no contact with this company, they have not told me that they owe me money but I think they are trying to pull a fast one so I have enough and decided to go to the local c.a.b tomorrow morning as I want these meters out, and by hook or by crook when I get them out I will change companies as enough is enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This company is the absolute pits, have been in dispute with them for over 3months now am just about to send an 8 page letter off to them but quite frankly after reading these comments I don't think I stand much chance. Their customer services team are a disgrace, they lie and I cannot understand how they get away speaking and treating people like this, have now stopped my D. Debits perhaps this will get their attention. Shame their is not a minus star even giving them one star sticks in my throat, does anyone actually read these comments from Southern Electric.

I have spent 11 weeks badgering them to get a discounted tariff. I am on befits etc. After 10 weeks I had to give all my details again. I suspect I had annoyed someone and they threw them away. Needles to say I was refused as my meagre income is obviously regarded as too lavish to warrant a discount. Now where's that site that tells you who else is out there?

I phoned southern electric on Friday morn to ask why they had changed my unit cost from 12p a unit to 18.67, no wonder I used 60 pound in 8 days. 'Oh well you are no longer with us so I can't discuss it with you' was the reply I got. 'Ok so who am I with?' I said 'as I am using your key to buy my electric'. 'Yes we know but you changed to npower 3 months ago.' 'Oh no I did not' I replied. 'Sorry I can't discuss this with you as you are no longer a customer.' Great, I then spent 10 hours on and off the phone with npower only to find out that southern electric have all my money I have paid on the key this year in a holding account but they won't talk to me so how do I get it back? I have been grossly overcharged by them for months now I am disabled and have a brain tumor, the stress has made me ill and I can not afford to put my heating on because of the high rate I am being charged. I want some answers.

The price of this companies electric and gas is disgustingly high and I am trying my hardest to get my electric and gas off someone else.... maybe go to Iraq myself!

Door to Door sales man was very devious, compared their prices to another company we are currently at, but the prices of the other company included VAT and when he talked about SE prices he didn't include VAT. It turned out they were not actually cheaper than my current provider, therefor SE door to door sales people lie.

SE do not seem to have got their act together since the beginning of 07 as we were without gas for heating or hot water for seven days in Feb 08. We joined their Shield gas heating protection scheme in November 07 and waited in twice for an Engineer to call to service and check over the system as in the contract. Both times at last minute cancelled by their office. Boiler broke down and after lots of phone calls by us to chase the parts and an engineer it was finally repaired on the seventh day. As some of the other letters said excuses given were not enough parts (all parts there all the time) and no engineers would come to our area. One letter said that they would get an Engineer at the weekend. We were told the gas engineers don't work weekends. Funny for a breakdown service. We have been with SE for many years but are now thinking otherwise.

I find Southern Electric very good customer service and very good prices. I have been with them for 3 years in that 3 years I have had bills totaling about £2000 which for a family of 4 and heating on most of the time is very good. When I was with powergen, I had a bill for £1000 in 6 months crazy people... I had a problem with my meter and I rang the number that['s above and it states that the offices close at 2 pm on Saturday and open on Monday morning. My meter broke at 2.30pm Saturday, I thought I was gonna freeze the whole weekend but I rang the number and they gave me an emergency number and they sent some one to come within 4 hours, I was so relieved. A brill energy supplier!

Southern Electric are the worst company I have ever been with!! I have had nothing but problems with them and every time I ring up to sort them out I get passed from pillar to post with these idiots not knowing what the hell they are on about.

They need to learn customer service skills and the managers need to make sure their staff are trained properly as I have been told something different nearly every time I have phoned. Am sick to death of this company.

Truly shocking company! Salesman was a complete disgrace, almost barged into my house and duped my girlfriend into singing over to them! Lucky I got there in time to tell him to stick his rubbish and get out of my house. These people make me sick!

I changed over to Southern in July 2007, biggest mistake! On the 1st January 2008 my heating went off-no heat/hot water. Called them at 0600am on 2/01/2008. The guy promised me an engineer would call on Thursday, the 3rd to fix the problem. No-one came. Phoned at 1600hrs, sorry will come on Friday at 8.00am - 5.00pm. No-one came. Phoned at 1600hrs, the lady said she was sorry but arranged for eng. after 1700hrs. At 8.00pm phoned again, sorry the eng. has just refused the job as he's busy. Arranged for Saturday 8.00am-5.00pm. Just phoned to see if it's still on. NO, engs very busy, will try and come on Sunday? No heating/hot water for 4 days now. Packed 86years old Mum to friends house - she's not happy, we are using friends place for bath etc. It's wonderful, let's give the Chairman of SEC another £100.000 pay rise... any comments SEC????

I rang up for a simple query - I was put on hold for 10 minutes!! Not good enough.

It's Saturday night, my gas has run out, I put the card in only too tell me the battery is dead. Can i get anyone to fix it? NO! Every number I rang passed me off, then I find out I can't speak to anyone till Monday!

The door-to-door salesmen you may meet are all employed through a third party company and are almost always of non-UK citizenship. They are paid on commission to sign people up and therefore lie through their teeth. People have been duped into signing up their 5 bed detached house with 4 kids, a pool and 3 dogs for £25.00 p/mth direct debit on electric... this causes a deficit when your true meter readings are provided 6 to 12 months later, by this point too late. The company receives a complaint but the employee in question has usually moved on to commission pastures anew. N-Power are just as bad in my experience.

About 2 weeks ago a door to door salesman called and compared our old electricity bill with what Southern could do it for. He left hic name and mobile number. We have just been informed by our supplier that that Southern has transferred our account to them. At no time did we sign or say we wanted to go with them. This has been done in a underhanded manner by their salesman and we are contacting Trading Standards.

I have never received such poor customer service in my lifetime. Two weeks ago an engineer from Southern Electric called to see what was wrong with my central heating , he was very thorough and ordered the part I needed. I also joined the monthly subscription but was quite happy to pay the £144.50 quoted to fix the problem. The engineer told me to wait 48 hours and then phone to ask was the part in and when would it be done. This I did six times over the following week and every time they told me someone would call me back. Guess what, they never did! Eventually they said the part was available and told me an engineer would be out on Fri 3rd Nov 07. I took an unpaid day off work and waited in, at two thirty pm no one had been so I called to find out what was happening. The lady on the phone told me the job had been rejected by the engineer and she would phone me back in ten minutes. Guess what, she never did. At three thirty pm I phoned again and spoke to someone who was very helpful and did phone me back and told me the engineer would be out that same day after 4pm. Guess what, no one came. On Saturday the next day I phoned again and spoke to someone who promised me the engineer had the part and would be here on Mon the 5th Nov after 4pm. As a result of this I got up at 5 am to start work early at 6am so I could leave in time to let the engineer in. At 10 am that morning I received an answer phone message on my mobile to say the engineer could not come that day! I was absolutely appalled at this and immediately phoned to find out what happened. I spoke to someone who told me she would find out and get someone to phone me. Amazingly some one called and said the engineer would be out at 8am Tues the 6th Nov 07 after he had picked up the part. This is very strange as I was told on Fri that he had the part already. As it is the sixth tomorrow I wait with baited breath to see if an engineer calls as promised in the morning. However to be left for two weeks with no heating or hot water is completely unacceptable and I look forward to hearing from Southern Electric to see what they have to say in response to this matter.

There is no emergency number to contact and at the emergency numbers given no one ever lifts the phone. They need improve their emergency service.

Southern Electric has an excellent customer service. It is truly a British Company with our 7.5 Million Happy customers.

They seem to be a very good supplier. We have green tarrif electricity or RSPB energy which is where they put some of your bill money towards renewable electricity sources and they donate money to the RSPB every year (£10 or £15 I think). We have only been with them for about a year and a half but they sent us a customer loyalty letter and we chose a reward where they pay some money £15 I think to the British heart foundation great!