For UK consumers researching Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), it can be really confusing to encounter non-regulated and regulated utility complaints.
What makes a utility complaint non-regulated? What’s the difference between a regulated and non-regulated complaint?
The truth is that the answer is not clear, and it’s often easiest to just reach out to your utility provider (or an ADR provider, like us at UtilitiesADR!) for clarification on whether your utility complaint is regulated or not.
However, in an attempt to de-mystify non-regulated utility complaints, we’ve put together this article of common examples to help you understand the logic behind them and – hopefully – be able to identify what may make a complaint non-regulated for yourself.
Let’s get into it!
Have you got a non-regulated utility complaint?
UtilitiesADR offers a FREE, independent route to a resolution – approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to settle non-regulated utility disputes across the UK, whether you’re an individual consumer or a business with over 10 employees.
Recap: what is a non-regulated utility complaint?
Although we already have a comprehensive article covering this, here’s a brief summary:
A non-regulated utility complaint is a complaint about a service or industry that is not overseen by the industry regulators. For the utilities sector, these regulators would be Ofgem and Ofwat.
In simple terms, this means that the trader providing that non-regulated utility service is not obligated to allow consumers to escalate their complaints via an ADR process.
However, in practice, many utility providers voluntarily choose to partake in ADR, as they recognise the benefits of being able to resolve non-regulated utility complaints out of court; this is the case with UtilitiesADR, as we currently have over 180 Participating Member utility providers who have agreed to be legally bound by our decisions!
To learn more about what makes a utility complaint regulated or non-regulated, please see our dedicated article on the topic:
> Regulated VS Non-Regulated Utility Complaints: What’s the Difference?
5 common examples of non-regulated utility complaints
1. Boiler installation and servicing problems
One common non-regulated utility complaint topic we at UtilitiesADR can handle is boiler servicings and installations.
For example:
- A boiler that stops working shortly after installation
- Poor-quality workmanship, or a faulty boiler installation
- A boiler installation that doesn’t meet the agreed specification
- Missed engineer appointments, or repeated delays in completing the work
- Boiler repairs that fail to resolve the original problem
- Disagreements about the work carried out
Since boiler installations and servicing are generally considered private contract work (and separate from your regular gas or electricity supply), complaints about them generally fall into the non-regulated category.
What can you do?
As with any issue with a product or service, you’ll first need to directly contact the utility provider responsible for the boiler issue, and file a formal complaint with them.
For boiler installations, it can be particularly helpful to keep copies of invoices, service reports, photographs, and any other correspondence.
If they do not respond, or they don’t provide a satisfactory resolution to your complaint, within 8 weeks, you can then escalate matters with an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider.
At UtilitiesADR, we specialise in non-regulated utility complaints – and we allow consumers to use our scheme for FREE!
2. Plumbing and drainage disputes
Another common area of non-regulated utility complaints we handle is plumbing and drainage. Again, since plumbing/drainage is generally considered private contract work, these complaints tend to fall into the non-regulated category.
These can include:
- Leaks that return after a repair
- Poor-quality plumbing installations
- Blocked drains that haven’t been cleared effectively
- Work left unfinished, or completed later than agreed
- Disputes over the cost of repairs or additional work
- Damage allegedly caused by a plumber’s work
It’s worth noting that complaints about plumbing or drainage are different from complaints about a water company’s regulated services!
If your issue concerns your mains water supply, wastewater service or water company billing, UtilitiesADR cannot process your complaint.
Complaints about your water supply must go to the Consumer Council for Water.
What can you do?
Gather your quote, invoice, photographs and any written agreement about the plumbing/drainage work. If further damage has occurred as a result of it, document this!
Once you have your evidence, contact the utility provider directly to file a formal complaint.
If they do not respond, or they don’t provide a satisfactory resolution to your complaint, within 8 weeks, you can then escalate matters with an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider.
At UtilitiesADR, we specialise in non-regulated utility complaints – and we allow consumers to use our scheme for FREE!
3. Renewable energy products & installation issues
Since this one’s a bit of a word-salad, let’s break it down: when we say renewable energy products and installation, we mean things like solar panels or cavity wall insulation (i.e. products/services intended to make your utility usage more eco-friendly).
Examples include:
- Solar panels that don’t perform as promised
- Installation work that is incomplete or defective
- Insulation that doesn’t meet the agreed specification
- Delays in completing an installation
- Disputes about product warranties or aftercare
- Disagreements about the information provided before purchase
4. Utility switching service complaints
Comparison websites and switching services are services that help customers explore and compare the deals on offer from different utility providers. Complaints about switching services and comparison sites fall into the non-regulated category!
For more information, see our dedicated article on comparison sites below:
> Can you complain about a Comparison Website?
For example:
- Incorrect information about an advertised product or tariff
- Disagreements about the terms or conditions presented during a comparison
- Concerns about information supplied during the switching process
- Disputes about fees, or other charges associated with the switching service
5. LPG and heating fuel supply or billing disputes
Not every home relies on mains gas for heating. Some households and businesses use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) instead, which is normally stored in bulk in a tank outside your property.
This differentiates it from the standard mains gas supply many UK homes have, which runs underground and is a regulated service.
LPG complaints fall into the non-regulated utility complaints category.
Examples include:
- An LPG fuel delivery that doesn’t arrive as agreed
- Disagreements about the quantity of fuel supplied
- Incorrect or disputed invoices
- Concerns about LPG delivery charges or other fees
- Problems with supply arrangements or agreed terms
What if your utility complaint is regulated?
Firstly, the above 5 examples are not an exhaustive list of non-regulated utility complaints – and even if your complaint wasn’t covered in this article, it may still be non-regulated.
In order to see a more comprehensive list of non-regulated complaints that UtilitiesADR may be able to accept, please see the following webpage:
However, it is still important to remember that not every utility complaint is non-regulated, and thus not every complaint can be handled by UtilitiesADR.
In general, complaints about household gas and electricity bills, or your energy supply, fall within the regulated utility complaints framework.
Regulated complaints should be submitted to other ADR providers who specialise in them, such as the Energy Ombudsman.
Water and wastewater complaints should go to the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
If you’re unsure whether your complaint is regulated or not, feel free to submit your complaint to us for free anyway – we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction if your complaint is out of scope!
How can UtilitiesADR help with a non-regulated utility complaint?
UtilitiesADR is a free-to-use independent Alternative Dispute Resolution scheme that considers non-regulated complaints between consumers and participating utility providers. We’ll review the information and evidence provided by both parties before reaching an impartial decision… All within 60 Days of declaring a Complete Complaint File!
We offer 3 ways for you to submit your complaint to us, all of which are completely FREE:
Not sure what the difference between regulated and non-regulated utility complaints is? Please see our dedicated article on this:
> Regulated VS Non-Regulated Utility Complaints: What’s the Difference?
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