A report by Tynwald Commissioner for Administration Paul Beckett has found the Manx Utilities Authority at fault in its handling of a customer complaint regarding disputed electricity bills.
The investigation followed concerns raised by the customer about unexplained usage increases and poor communication.
The complainant first contacted MUA in June 2023 after noticing discrepancies.
They emphasised that their concern focused on unit usage rather than pricing and contested MUA’s position that periods of vacancy would not significantly affect consumption.
Failures
The TCA’s report identified several procedural failures. Notably, MUA destroyed the complainant’s original electricity meter without testing it for faults, despite the ongoing dispute.
The authority maintained that retaining old meters was impractical during its large-scale replacement program.
Another issue centered on MUA’s complaints process, which required submissions through an online form limited to 100 words.
The TCA deemed this requirement unnecessarily restrictive, particularly as the complainant had already engaged in detailed email correspondence about the matter.
Allegations of discourteous conduct by MUA staff could not be fully investigated due to missing call recordings.
The complainant described one interaction where they felt a staff member became rude and ended the call abruptly, while MUA maintained the customer had terminated the conversation.
In its response, MUA acknowledged shortcomings in this instance while noting the successful rollout of its smart metering program across 25,000 properties.
The TCA ultimately characterised MUA’s handling of the complaint as demonstrating complacency and dismissiveness.
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