Smart Energy Sense - Birmingham

Ross Skinner

On Friday 16th June 2023, 2 engineers come to fit my replacement boiler. To say they were unprofessional and useless. First of all they did not wear overshoes even though walking around my house. I did not mention anything at the time, as they were going be there for hours, I did not want to make things uncomfortable.

It was only after they left, I noticed the other issues. As it was a hot day, I went to water my front garden, I discovered they had left cigarette ends down the passageway between mine and my neighbour’s house. There were even more on my front lawn along with materials they had used. Those ends were not there before hand as I had watered it in the morning, and neither myself nor my neighbour smoke. Additionally, some ends were white which was the same type I witnessed one of them smoking.

Next, I noticed there was a black stain on my bed cover, which is silver, before I had the chance to take an image, I put the sheets into soak. Lucky enough the stain came out but the same could not be said about the hand towel which I had to throw away.

Later I noticed that they had installed a carbon monoxide detector, by screwing into my door frame. Not only did it look stupid, they did not even ask where I wanted it. It was clearly done as a rush so that they didn’t have to drill into my wall above the door frame. I have taken this down as it ruined the look of the door and had to fill the holes left.

I then had a look at the filter pipe they installed outside, to call the work shoddy was an understatement. They cut a square hole in the drainpipe to put in a round pipe.

I then got two of my friends who both work in the building trade come round. They were disgusted with the work to connect the filter to my drainpipe, they showed me a square hole had been cut to fit a round pipe and the installation foam to cover the pipe looked like a badly wrapped Christmas present. They have stated that the down pipe will need to be replaced as the rain would poor out and cause water damage. They stated that it should had been connected using a down pipe adapter see attached. Also, the cement they used round the pipe is 90% sand and is already crumbling.
They then sent someone out to fix the down pipe who did the best he could, but it still was not of a professional standard. In the end I had to get my friend to fix it which the company did pay him for.

Fast-forward to Monday 22 July 2024 due to a manufacture product recall notice, Ideal (boiler manufacture) came out to replace a part. Whilst replacing this part the engineer issues a Warning Notice for low gas pressure, due to the gas pipe being the incorrect size. He advised this should had been corrected at installation and has issues a do not use warning.

He contacted Smart Energy to advise them, that he had issued an invalid Gas Safety notice and a do not use warning. I had a call from Smart Energy to arrange for the part to be replaced, they arrange for an engineer to attend on Friday, but when they advised it was the original engineer, I refused and asked for someone else. I refused to have him attend due to him originally doing the installation wrong and signing a fraudulent safety notice and the unprofessional attitude when he originally attended. I was advised that they would call me back to arrange a different engineer to attend, I had to call them on the Wednesday to chase and was told I would get a call that day to arrange attendance. This call never happened, and I called again on the Thursday but had to leave a voicemail.

As of writing this I still not had a call from them, also I asked for a formal complaint to be raised which I have not been contacted about. Not only did they leave me unsafe boiler for a year, which for all I know could had been a fire hazard putting my life at risk. I am still without gas and have logged a complaint with the Gas Safety Register.

Howard Bacon

Smart Energy Sense are without doubt the worst company I've had the misfortune to endure.

The loft insulation and extractor fans (installed by nice lads) were the wrong specification and had to be replaced.
Due to Smart Energy Sense's project management being nonexistent this had to be redone while I, the tenant, wasn't at home (my landlord was present instead).

I was given contradictory/incorrect information about booking in the boiler installation date. As a result, to do them a favour (for their convenience, not mine), I agreed to let them fit the boiler while I was in Blackpool for the weekend (my landlord therefore had to be in attendance again). That was a colossal mistake on my part. Smart Energy Sense engineers were phoning me up while I was on Blackpool seafront, when they should have known to liaise with my landlord instead.

During the installation the engineers could not of made more mess. My landlord was powerless to do anything about it and spent 45 minutes picking up rubbish and cleaning up after them - and phoned me to warn me. Still, I returned home to a complete mess with dust and rubbish taking 2 hours to deep clean (I cleaned the house before the installation). The engineers had unplugged my fridge and freezer, which meant food and drink had to be thrown away (and two trips to shops to replace the food). Rubbish was in the backyard and a big cardboard box of rubbish fly-tipped outside my front door (see photo). Brand new, unused tea towels used as rags (see photo). Clean bath towel was soaking wet and thrown into my bath. A nice welcome back after I invited them into my home in my absence. Although the engineers did manage to take the old boiler away =£££.

I thought they must have been rogue subcontractors but they are actually Smart Energy Sense's own engineers.

I've emailed Smart Energy Sense twice and phoned several times. The ladies who answer the phones are very friendly and courteous. However they're powerless to get their manager to return my calls. This evidence tells me that the manager isn't remotely interested in the slightest. I gave up contacting them a month ago. My new boiler works fine to be fair, but in light of my experience, I will encourage anybody to look elsewhere for grants for new boiler installations. The process, expense and lack of customer care I received isn't worth the aggravation.

I've actually been very kind with this review because the reality is actually far worse. Zero stars is more appropriate

Stacey Kenny

Stay away

Where do i start...engineer was booked for the wednesday ,he cancelled on the tue said he come on the friday, 10am wednesday morn 4 men at door 2 do boiler! I had no warning, they had a look said they have 2 cut floor they was advised 2 cut it straight...they cut it in zigzag, couldnt speak good english,main part of having work done is comminication....there was none. Unfortunatly there was a black out on the street at 6pm so they had 2 go said someone be back early next morn 2 get boiler working, 12.30 next day after chasing up a man come, didnt hardly speak english, he messed about for an hour or 2 said he needed a part as boiler not working he be back shortly....never come back! Had 2 call office that day as live wires were left in old boiler cupbpard...they sent electrician he was nice, most decent person who works for company id say. I spoke 2 manager..he said he compensate for floor and if i needed electric heaters or electric 2 boil kettle for a wash! Never met anyone so fond of telling lies. He then sent someone else out that eve 2 look at boiler yet again couldnt get it working, friday morn was told register boiler and get the boiler company out as it wasnt their engineers fault it was fault with boiler. Man came out saturday i have not had heating or hot water at this point since wed morn, he took one look and said they fitted wrong pipes 2 thin for water and crossed other pipes. Then had 2 have people from smart energy sense out again in the afternoon, i said i wanted people i could communicate with, manager promised, english speaking....lies again as it was the first group of people who come. They read report from boiler company and only then did they know how 2 fix the problem.
I refused 2 sign letter about damage, they called manager..he said he sort it....has not answered calls since....this is over a week ago. The brick work left at side of house is laughable a 2 year old could do better! No respect for property or for me. I have bi polar and it really triggered me the manager could of not cared less.
Stay away..do not use...keep your eye out on company house as they prob just dissolve company and open a new one in new name as they have done previously. Shocking bunch of cowboys

Date of experience: 07 February 2024

Edit

Osman Khan

What a shambles of a company. They think they are clever with these botch up jobs etc. And then having there internal inspectors come and try and pass these jobs. Over a year of absolute turmoil. In the process of trying to find a solution. They keep phobbing you off to the contractors that they are using to pass the blame on them. 100 CALLS AND 100 MESSAGES LATER. STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THEY SEND ROOFERS TO DO RENDERING JOBS AND TELL THE RENDERERS TO DO THE ROOFERS JOBS SO THEY CAN SAVE MONEY. I have had external wall insualtion and it has been installed incorrectly. FRONT WINDOW WOULDNT OPEN. DOWN PIPES LEAKING. ROOF LEAKING. COLD SPOTS ON MY FRONT WINDOWS BECAUSE ADHESIVE WAS NOT USED IN CERTAIN SPOTS SO I HAVE COLD SPOTS IN MY HOUSE. WRONG SCREWS HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE DOWN PIPES. VENTS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. WINDOW SILLS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. THEY DID SEND A CONTRACTOR TO REDO THE WINDOW SILLS BUT THE NEW CONTRACTOR DONE A WORSER JOB THEN THE ORIGINAL ONE BECAUSE HE WAS A ROOFER...ABSOLUTE COWBOYS. I MEAN I CAN GO ON BUT THE TIME THAT I HAVE WASTED WITH THIS COMPANY AS WELL COMPENSATION DOESNT EVEN COME CLOSE TO COVER IT. I MEAN THE CRAP THAT I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH. CONTRACTORS WORKING ON YOUR PROPERTY WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE SO THEY CAN COVER UP BOTCH UP JOBS. WORKING ON YOUR BEDROOM WINDOWS WHILST UR ASLEEP. I MEAN TALK ABOUT CREEPY.
I have been asking proof of the evidence of pictures that have been taken from each phase but they cant seem to find evidence. Apparently it takes over a year to look through 20 odd pics. Makes me laugh that i was so gullable at the time.But they think I'm just going to go away quietly. I have reported them to trust mark and NCIEC. AND I WILL UPDATE MY OUTCOME ON HERE AT A LATER DATE. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. IF I COULD GIVE THIS COMPANY ZERO STARS THEN I WOULD.

kevin wilson

They are such a good company, we had internal wall and loft insulation done by this outfit and they worked fast but did an amazing job. Thank you to all the team I will be recommending your services to everyone ?

Sanu Kamali

I had exterior wall insulation done a week ago, the contractor in charge was a person named Fahad. I just want to say his extremely understandable person who knows his work very well. Not only that, if something gets done not to your liking and you mention it to him, he’ll always do his utmost to rectify it and do it to how you want. All in all, I would say he is an excellent person to have any job done.
Sanny(117)

Richard Hawkes

What an absolute joke this company is, their installation teams are cowboys who botch their jobs to claim money.

I have had nothing but issues with them and now have to sort out that state their boiler install engineers have left my outside wall.

They turned up really late and were still here at 7pm.

They have put stuff my wall without telling me, halfway up the bathroom wall.

The surveyor said they would fit a google nest and smart TVR's, as well as slip vents in the windows but guess what, they don't, they fit a piece of plastic that warps your window frame and a cheap radio controller for the boiler.

Really not happy and would not recommend, they obviously are far too used to either council or housing association residents to who they can just do what they want.

Do not deal with this set of cowboys.

Moynul Hoque

Do no use those people workers flooded my house company said they will resolve still haven't resolved anything and workers disappeared, I promise you there are other companies that are better too many workers that don't want to take responsibility.