First Utility - Any users or reviews

TrustMe

bluestick wrote: »

Just got an email from FU today with the normal 'submit your readings' but also with a 'price update' link. Clicked the link as I foolishly thought there might be a price drop ..... Oh no, everything went up by about 15-40% with my gas standing charge going from 31.5p/d to 70.9p/d an amazing 125% increase - !!!!!!!

Noticed this increase ties in with having just completed the 'no price rise in the first 3 month guarantee' - coincidental?

Has anyone else experienced this kind of price rise - especially when they are advertising much lower rates on their website. Phoned Customer Services and was informed that this was across the board for all iSave Dual Fuel V2 customers.

Bluestick, you are not alone, and no it is not because you have been with FU for 3 months - I have been with them for almost a year and have received the same information. I believe you can save money by switching away even if you are still within the contract period.

Calculations for my v2 tariff, and this is similar to the other tariffs I have checked, and is without taking the gas/electric fuel increase into account.

Standing change was:

Electric - 24p per day, Gas - 32p per day
Total of £204.40 per year

The standing charge is now (and backdated to July 1st - so it will appear on your bill next week):
Electric - 33.52p per day, Gas - 77.18p per day
Total of £404.06 per year

So without taking the gas and electricity price increase into account, I and probably the rest of FU customers will be paying around an extra £199.66 in standing charges.

So even if you end up paying £50 for each meter by switching away, you still end up £99.66 better off on standing charges alone.

Another thing that wasn't highlighted in their email but can be seen from their website is that they have reduced their dual-fuel discount from 12.5% to 10% - they have tried to cover this by offering a one off 7.5% loyalty bonus paid at the end of next year (which might make you an extra £40 to £50 next year, but there is no guarantee they won't pull this trick again in the meantime).

I have found this company appalling in every aspect since I joined them - from customer services (or lack of) to missed appointments and bills.

I am now off to switch away and save myself some money.

vickiepowell

It's a joke what they've done with the standing charges

An extra £20 a month will make them £200 plus more expensive than the best regional online offers

Why on earth will anyone stay or move to them?

They were only ever marginally cheaper than the best online offers from the big 6 suppliers in my region - I only moved to them as I thought they would bring some competition in

I don't get my 12.5% back until September's bill so I'll have to stick with them for another 3 months

Looks like no-one can compete with the big six for too long

First OVO and now FU have bumped up their prices

gatita

I am FURIOUS, how DARE they up their prices by this outrageous amount. Needless to say I will be leaving them ASAP

I would be so very grateful if anyone could help me choosing a new provider, as it honestly seems a terribly difficult task. I do have all my meter reading for the past 9 months if anyone could help. I know I can go to one of the comparison sites, but its the things they DON'T tell you about (i.e. outrageous standing charges¬!)that tricks you into signing up.

KimYeovil

The standing charges are not outrageous. (And comparison sites do tell you about them.) They may not be suitable for your consumption.

Ovo have a smaller number of tariffs than other suppliers. Their costs are not magically lower. As they do not have swathes of sitting mugs on standard tariffs to subsidise top-of-the-table tariffs inevitably their prices seem more expensive.

There is no honour amongst money-savers - otherwise you would all be praising the supplier's fairness.

samba

KimYeovil wrote: »

There is no honour amongst money-savers - otherwise you would all be praising the supplier's fairness.

Fairness?? You must be joking! My SC is going up even tho they never got orund to fitting a smart gas meter. They never paid compensation for missing several appointments back in January, although they said they had credited it to my account, they have bumped me onto a different tariff (which they are now increasing retrospectively) to the one I signed up to, they said in their t&c's that I would be informed of any increases within 10 days of it being applied, but it is now 28 days later, and to top it all off, new customers only pay 47p/day SC for gas and 18/day for electric, yet they claim they are passing on industry charges and have no other choice??

I am now looking to to move at least my gas supply away from them, but considering they have broken their own t&c's with this increase I believe that if they were fair they would let me transfer both my services away from them without any penalty charges - however I wouldn't be surprised if, even after agreeing to let me go without charge, they then put termination fees on the final bill.

KimYeovil

Oops - I'm confusing First Utility and Ovo. Reading comprehension thrown by the last line of post #125.

But the irony of post #126 by Gatita still stands - there is someone who speaks up for the elderly and disabled but they then protest at a restructuring that is to the benefit of such customers. There is no pleasing some people.

samba

Maybe I'm missing something, but I fail to see how increasing the SC by such a huge amount is to the benefit of elderly and disabled customers?

Anyway, I did a quick comparison and I can 'apparently' save over £300 by moving away from FU, which means I'm better off even if they do charge me the full termination fees. Even if I moved to their current tariff (which I can't as it's "new customers only") I would save £140, so they are definitely ripping us off.

KimYeovil

(Because elderly and disabled customers are more likely to have (and where they do have they need) much higher consumptions. Why should able-bodied frugal miserly scum like me get our bills subsidised by them? Surely it is fairer if everyone pays a decent whack towards the base costs of the supply?)

aelitaman

If you click through and read the attached flyer for the new tariffs then it is written in black and white that the new tariffs we are being put on have no contractual tie in period. 28 days notice and you are free to leave with no charge at all.

The only good news. I am off from F.U (I very apt acronym for the way they treat there customers but perhaps F.O would be better as that is what 80% of there existing customers will be doing) as soon as 1 day has passed for my discount.

I have attached the new tariff T&C's.

http://www.first-utility.com/sites/default/files/tariffs/Midlands_2.pdf

samba

aelitaman wrote: »

If you click through and read the attached flyer for the new tariffs then it is written in black and white that the new tariffs we are being put on have no contractual tie in period. 28 days notice and you are free to leave with no charge at all.

The only good news. I am off from F.U (I very apt acronym for the way they treat there customers but perhaps F.O would be better as that is what 80% of there existing customers will be doing) as soon as 1 day has passed for my discount.

I have attached the new tariff T&C's.

http://www.first-utility.com/sites/default/files/tariffs/Midlands_2.pdf

That's good to know. I have just phoned them and informed them of my decision to leave and they have confirmed that there will be no termination fees. If you read their t&c's, clause 15.1(a) allows you to leave if they raise their prices, while clause 15.12 confirms there will be no termination fees if you leaveunder clause 15.1(a). Clause 2.3 isn't relevent in this case, as that is only for changes to prices due to regulator/government imposed charges such as climate change levy, or a change in the rate of VAT.

As regards my dual fuel bonus, seeing as they haven't charged me for gas since January I am only expecting around £30-£40, which is cancelled out by how much more I will have to pay on their new rates, so I'm off.