First Utility - Any users or reviews

firejuggler

http://www.first-utility.com/ I heard about these on BBC1 Watchdog tonight, the info looks good, the live billing system looks brilliant but I can not find any user reviews online.

I currently by both from Southern Electric, I am happy with them A1 service ok pricing no trouble but there is always room to shop around.

Any help or info would be gratefully recieved.

Cardew

Yes it has come up several times on MSE. Including the boss of the company trying to 'advertise his system.

He has certainly got the media interested as it was on another TV programme.

Great billing system.

Dreadful prices

They try to claim they can reduce your bills by 15%.

When you look at their claim it is simply that if you know how much you are using you will cut down your consumption.

It is like claiming that the computer on my car that displays instant MPG reduces my fuel consumption by 15%.

The very very worst type of misleading advertising IMO.

If they brought their prices in line with other suppliers then the meter would be useful(no more than useful) but until they do stay clear from a money-saving perspective.

edit.
see

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1138441&page=2

steven_cardwell

Judging from what i could find on their website, the tariff prices look cheaper than Scottish Power (from looking at my last bill), but i find trying to work out energy usage and pricing etc, a lot more complicated than the likes of changing phone provider, where the pricing is so much more in your face.

When looking at comparison sites, with companies all having similar pricing, i can't figure out where the "save you £200 a year" comes from.

Perhaps, i am missing out some vital information, but i would have thought, that if pricing was of a similar nature, that the savings, would be nominal.

Looking at the prices from the First website, and from my SP bill, taking the like for like over 12 months, i would save £20 over the year, this doesn't take into account, if my gas price would be different for not being "dual" or the online/dual discounts given by SP either.

The one interesting thing, is obviously the pay for what you use, rather than the monthly payment plan idea, i take monthly readings for SP, my DD was £86, and my last months usage (with the higher new prices) was £90, this was with the heating on, as the other half only works early mornings, so is in the house all day, so the £90 usage will be typical of what usage we use in the winter, i am in credit by £74, but SP wanted to up my DD to £100, even though between what i was paying and my credit, should have been more than enough to cover my winter period, so only paying for what power i use, would be something that could merit a better look at.

1carminestocky

Cardew is talking his usual rubbish, I see. I have a trip computer on my car and, I have noticed, if I have it permanently showing a readout of the actual fuel I am using my mpg mysteriously increases. OF COURSE the device itself can't save you fuel but for those who WANT to save fuel (and why wouldn't anyone with half a brain? Plus as he keeps informing people this IS a moneysaving site) then the fact the usage figure is in your face all the time definitely concentrates your mind to adjust your habits)

savemoney

I assume the smart meter only measures electric, are there any smart meters for gas?

I noticed in my area Northern there prices (I assume the new prices) are comparable with British gas on essentials tariff, although to be fair prices on BG havent dropped yet

The only extra costs seems to be the fees which I assume pays for the meter

British gas essentials traffic
Electric tariff Tier 1(up to 225 kWh) 16.120p kWh
Electric tariff Tier 2(above 225 kWh) 10.329p kWh

......................Standing Charge...................... Daytime .............................Night time
............................p/day............................... 7.30am-12.30am............... 12.30am-7.30am
Single rate............12.60.........................................10.09....................................10.09
Two rate............. 12.86........................................ 10.61.................................... 6.06

......................Standing Charge....................Day....................Peak................Evening
..........................p/day...............................6am-4pm.............4pm-8pm............8pm-.6am
Three rate...........12.60................................ 9.69.................... 12.22................. 8.01


To work out your energy price, find the tariff that you are on and follow the row across.
The standing charge is shown in pence per day and your usage rate in pence per kWh.
Note: Times are shown in GMT and all prices shown include VAT.
On registration a connection fee of £49 applies and there is a cancellation fee of £50 if your contract is terminated within the initial
contract period of 24 months. These charges cover the cost of the smart meter and its installation.
Any instances under our terms & conditions where we are required to impose default rates on residential tariffs will be reflected by
a 20% increase being applied to the standing charge and unit rates. *Subject to regional variations

Cardew

jayvee5 wrote: »

If you saw the Independent on Sunday (should be online too) they interviewed a couple who have the first:utility service and are saving £10-£15 per month from using the smart meter service - that is £120 - £180 per year. Sounds pretty good - especially when the new first utility tariffs are now pitched as the cheapest standard electricity prices in over 80% of UK households (Cardew - new rates as of this week are on the website - assume you will be signing up now!).

I also have to say this shows that providing data really does mean people can act. Just like I always have my mpg showing on the car display so I can adjust the car speed to optimum now that diesel prices are so high.

Also good to see an energy company dropping prices as wholesale prices fall - rather than just talking about it.

Firstly for those who are not aware this poster(Jayvee5) is a company employee. To be fair in the other thread on this company he did declare he was involved in the launch - but did not state his position in the company.

Secondly you sound like a UW salesman with your reference to your prices being pitched as the cheapest standard electricity prices in over 80% of UK households.

Of course the the operative word is 'standard' tariff. Anyone who who seeks value in energy prices would never be on a standard tariff.(even The Troll preaches that lesson - except for UW)

You ask, no doubt TIC, will I be signing up?

Well I get all my tier 2 electricity for 7.157p(including VAT and have discounts off that total) and will do until April 30 2010. So err no!

However let us assume that I wasn't on my present tariff.

At your newly reduced prices First Utility would cost me £680.80 p.a.*

BG Click 6 would cost me £593.49 p.a. then I would have a dual fuel discount of £40 and a further £15 for payment by DD. So First Utility would be £143.31 more expensive than BG Click 6.

You rightly claim credit for reducing your retail prices in response to dropping wholesale prices instead of just "talking about it" .

Well it seems pretty certain that Government pressure if nothing else will force the Utility companies into reducing their prices.

So let me ask you a question.

When/if the Big 6 reduce their prices, will you make a committment to reduce yours by the average amount that they reduce their tariffs?

For me your newly reduced tariff is already 26.4% more expensive than I would pay at current BG Click 6 rates. Assuming that their prices reduce soon, that differential would increase unless you lower your prices.

So apart from your metering system, please give any reader - remember this is a Money Saving website - any reason why they should change to First Utility? and tie themselves into you for 24 months. - and pay £49 for that privilege!

But most important - what will happen at First Utility if the Big 6 reduce prices?

* Please feel free to correct me if I have missed something on your tariffs - Midlands - 6,000kWh pa. I have used 9.48p daily charge and 10.77p/kWh

BG click 6 is 19.368p for the first 500 kWh then 9.030p/kWh.

Cardew

So just a point of clarification, I take it you do not dispute that with your newly reduced prices your service would still cost me 26.4% more than if I signed for BG Click 6?

Your speculation about future price trends in the industry is interesting - and may well have merit; who knows?

However why on earth would anyone pay to join your company now, and pay extra for every kWh, on the chance that price differentials might close in the future?

1carminestocky

jayvee5 wrote: »

Hi all - just to confirm (as this is a different thread) that I am in the first:utility camp although I am absolutely heart broken to be accused of being in sales

Still..I will plough on regardless.

Smart Meters for Gas - yes they do exist although what actually happens is that the gas smart meter sends a radio signal to the electricity smart meter - which acts as the hub and sends the reads for both elec and gas to HQ. You will see these in the market in 2009 and can be simply added to an existing electricity smart meter.

Someone also asked if the electricity smart meter is industry standard. Absolutely - they come from the global manufacturers who will supply the big six when they ever get round to it (2-12 years time).

Online tariffs. Be aware that the regulators are looking into getting rid of these. Key reasons - big six use them for acquisition (negative margin) at the cost of higher tariffs for non-switching customers (exploitation) - then withdraw them at will - raise prices dramatically at the end etc.. Not everyone can get them - even their own customers!

first:utility offer is for everyone nationwide - a true "standard tariff". That is where we want to compete. If prices continue to fall - our tariffs will fall further.

Big Six price cuts - those in the know tell me they will do everything possible to hang on to April 1st 2009 at the earliest - even though they are giving the government "possibly, maybe" messages. Sweep stake in the office is hotting up.

Have I answered everything?

(by the way - even if we aren't cheap enough for the most dedicated of you online savers - thanks for the positive comments on the service itself and about trying to change a really poor industry for consumers)

100% agree with this! There's lots of glib recommendations for online tariffs on here, particularly for BGs Click by people who claim not to be in the employ of the company. Problem is, they conveniently forget to mention what happens if you don't keep up to date with all of it - fact is, within a few months you will end up on a distinctly uncompetitive tariff as BG supersede their existing Click tariff with a shiny new, cheaper click tariff in a cynical attempt to get to the top of the switching sites - a new tariff that's effectively subsidised by the poor b*ggers who have been recruited a few months previously and who are left on the existing, more expensive tariff. I personally really DO hope OFGEM put their dentures and fixadent in and sort this disgusting practice out.

firejuggler

WOW thanks for all the feedback, I have now decided to stick to southern electric, we had out last bill in. Over the last two years we have made many energy and environmental changes in our home and this seems to have paid off. Southern Electric has just refunded £85.00 back our account as we over paid Vs our use.

We are on a much lower DD, than the one we had with British Gas 2 years ago ! so we are doing something correct. :jbetter the devil you know I guess.

derrylynne

I have joined first utility and to be honest am very unimpressed. Reason. After two months I still do not have working smart meters - and estimated bills are well overestimated. So much for their platform of accurate billing. On top of this how do you understand an estimated gas meter reading that does not show you an estimated reading from the dial - but how many kilowatts they think you have used.
Until they get their act together I would not recommend them. In my case if my smart meter is not working within a few days - I shall be moving supplier as they are not living up to their promise of accurate billing through a smart meter..I really will be better off with another supplier where at least I can understand their billing system.

1carminestocky

One of the myriad of reasons to try and avoid getting yourself locked in with an energy company - always be free to get the hell outta there penalty-free would be my mantra. If a company have to impose a financial penalty for 'allowing' you to leave them, what does it say about the lack of confidence they have in providing a good service? A lot would be my assertion.