‘Out of sheer desperation I contacted the director’: A widow’s distressing experience with Flogas

A widow described a deeply frustrating and emotionally draining encounter with Flogas, Ireland's largest energy supplier, while attempting to transfer an electricity account from her deceased husband’s name to hers. The incident unfolded over several weeks in early summer, culminating in a resolution after the company was contacted directly by Pricewatch, a consumer advocacy group. The woman, who spoke to The Irish Times under the pseudonym "our reader," reached out to Flogas via its customer service email on May 20, shortly after her husband’s sudden passing in the spring. She sought to update the account holder’s name on the existing electricity account rather than establish a new one. However, she encountered repeated obstacles during the process. Initially, she received no response to her initial email, prompting her to follow up five days later. Despite multiple exchanges, she was ultimately instructed to provide a final meter reading and to contact the sales team to initiate a new account setup. This contradicted her request, as she emphasized that she wished to retain the existing account under her name. Over the course of an hour, she engaged with Flogas' customer service, navigating through three different teams, repeating her story each time. She described the interaction as “harrowing,” noting that no staff member offered to return her call at a more convenient time. When the conversation concluded with no progress, she attempted to locate the managing director of Flogas. After considerable effort, she managed to send two emails to the director, requesting the implementation of a bereavement process to assist other customers facing similar challenges. Both messages went unanswered, with the director citing personal commitments such as holidays and an event. Compounding the issue, the woman noted that her late husband continued to receive bills and late charges from Flogas, despite her efforts to resolve the matter. These communications, dated after her initial contact with the company, created additional emotional strain. She highlighted that these bills were sent to her husband’s address, making it particularly distressing to discover that the company was unaware of his passing. Her frustration deepened when she was repeatedly asked to call the sales team, a task she refused to undertake due to the emotional toll. Eventually, she resorted to contacting a director directly, leading to an introduction with a senior customer service agent. Despite providing all necessary documentation, including a death certificate, she was once again requested to call the sales team. The agent claimed she had attempted to reach the number on file, which turned out to be her husband’s number, despite her having provided her own contact information multiple times. Following the publication of her story, Pricewatch intervened and contacted Flogas. Within hours, the situation was resolved, with the woman successfully transferring her name onto the original electricity account. She expressed relief that the issue had been addressed, emphasizing that the ordeal had been far more challenging than interactions with other financial institutions handling her husband’s estate. The case highlights the potential difficulties faced by bereaved individuals when dealing with utility companies, underscoring the need for clearer procedures to support customers in such circumstances. While the immediate issue has been resolved, the woman hopes that Flogas will implement a formal bereavement process to prevent others from experiencing similar hardships.