Can't start service for Liberty Utilities (gas)

Submitted by Likonium t3_ydc9fo in newhampshire

Hello, I'm moving to New Hampshire next month as I have purchased a new home in the Manchester area and will be closing on Thursday. All the planets are aligned for my move except one thing and that's Liberty Utilities for my gas service. When I've tried starting service through their site, it tells me it's unable to process my request. When I tried emailing them, I got no reply after waiting a week. Whenever I try to call their customer service, every time the automated voice says they're currently experiencing unusually high call volume and to call back later. I was wondering if anyone else has had to deal with this and if there's any other way to actually reach a human in order to actually start my service so I can have hot water.

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nothinglefttouse t1_itrb2de wrote

It may be because the current owner still has service at that address. Perhaps your real estate agent could help you find out if/when they are due to have their service at that address shut off?

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Likonium OP t1_itre4yo wrote

Replying to nothinglefttouse (#224,363)

Yeah, that's probably it come to think of it. I'll ask, but I was able to get the electricity set up for Thursday on my own while on the other hand, according to the City Waterworks they already turned over the water and sewer billing to me without any input on my end.

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ccoyote1 t1_its5wae wrote

In any functioning society liberty utilities would be considered criminally negligent for 200 things a day. Unfortunately we....

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fncw t1_itsh6ji wrote

Ignore the "unusually high call volume", it's their default message. Just stay on the line and you'll get someone.

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ryboto t1_itsssra wrote

Replying to fncw (#229,041)

I had to wait on hold 2.5 hours to be sent to an answering service. They tool my number and said I'd get a call back within 24 hours. I never received a call.

Went to the local office, saw a sign that said "customer entrance". Walked to the doors to find a paper notice that said the office is not open to the public.

Terrible utility.

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Likonium OP t1_itsxfaj wrote

Replying to fncw (#229,041)

I would do that, but it then says they're gonna forward me to their gas emergency line. I hung up before that point because my assumption is that if I asked the poor sap on the line about starting service, they wouldn't even know first thing about what to do.

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Lords_of_Lands t1_itsyua2 wrote

Replying to ryboto (#230,427)

Agreed. They changed their website recently and it's horrible. Not only does it lag on every key input, you can no longer combine bills. Previously if you had two or more accounts you could pay all of them at the same time. Now you have to pay each individually meaning you pay multiple 'convenience fees' instead of one.

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Likonium OP t1_itt305j wrote

Replying to Lords_of_Lands (#231,142)

Wow, it seems they're universally hated, the reviews of them on getHuman seem to also be across the board pretty bad. Given I have the option, I might just opt to install an electric water heater. The gas heat is only for the water anyway.

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eaemilia t1_ituai23 wrote

They're currently converting their system to a new one, so that's probably a part of the problem. Your best bet is probably just to stay on the phone until someone answers.

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ReferenceAny4836 t1_itvq1uu wrote

It took those morons five months to send me my first bill, so I wonder how long it'd take them to bother turning off the gas service if you never manage to get a hold of them.

I've heard anecdotes of people moving into homes and never getting a bill from the utility for many years. Even when they call up the utility in good faith and try to get billing going, to avoid any appearance of scamming.

My point is, closing is a nightmare of kafkaesque bureaucracies and chances are very low that your gas will be off when you get the keys, so don't worry too much about it. If it is off, congrats, you now have a gas emergency! You'll probably have better luck next week after their systems upgrade or whatever the hell those dumb fucks are doing right now.

Ask the seller if they were able to stop service. Decent chance their new system has some incredibly donkey-brained bug where two workflows block each other (ie. a deadlock).

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Mandy220 t1_itzc70m wrote

Did you work with a real estate agent for the purchase? Maybe they have some advice based on other clients facing issues with Liberty. Good luck!

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dilznoofus t1_iu0y95k wrote

yeah friend I want to tell you that you should 1.) don't let anyone turn anything off and 2.) keep on them about getting set up for service

we bought a house in june, I called in May prior to closing to set up transfer of billing, didn't get my first bill from them until September - and that's after threatening to go after them with the public utilities commission and involving some legal help.

it's unbelievably ridiculous, but not something I can change, other than it's more motivation to pursue solar so I can essentially fire them

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Lords_of_Lands t1_iu2z87i wrote

Replying to Likonium (#231,633)

If that's your only gas appliance I would switch to electric. That's one less bill you'll have to deal with and less chance of your house exploding. It also means you no longer need your roof exhaust which increases the possibility for solar panels.

The downside is if there's an extended power outage you won't be able to rely on your hot water for heat. I assume electric hot water costs a little more too.

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