First Utility - Any users or reviews

digp

They come 2nd for some areas. Having read this post though not going to go with them.

NonGeographicalMan

digp wrote: »

They come 2nd for some areas. Having read this post though not going to go with them.

From my conversation with their MD Mark Daeche it did seem to me that his company was genuinely committed to having pretty lowish prices in the areas they currently operate in as they know that otherwise customers will be unhappy and kick up a fuss given the current non portability of the smart metering and the 2 year penalty lock in. However they clearly are a new force in the utility industry and there is therefore bound to be some risk they may pull out of the energy area again (their core area historically is telecoms) thus leaving you with a smart meter than can only now provide conventional meter readings. However if that happened then I would have thought any penalty clauses about leaving them early should be null and void due to their having broken their side of the contract.

Cardew

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

From my conversation with their MD Mark Daeche it did seem to me that his company was genuinely committed to having pretty lowish prices in the areas they currently operate in as they know that otherwise customers will be unhappy and kick up a fuss given the current non portability of the smart metering and the 2 year penalty lock in. However they clearly are a new force in the utility industry and there is therefore bound to be some risk they may pull out of the energy area again (their core area historically is telecoms) thus leaving you with a smart meter than can only now provide conventional meter readings. However if that happened then I would have thought any penalty clauses about leaving them early should be null and void due to their having broken their side of the contract.

I would think the bigger risk from a customer's perspective is the company massively hike their prices if they are in danger of going broke..

So they haven't broken their contract and you are faced with paying very high prices or the penalty for leaving.

1carminestocky

Have to agree with Cardew (it's a weird night, he's agreed with me and now I've agreed with him :eek::D), the 2 year tie in is scary scary indeed. Anyone know how they source their fuel? Are they definitely 'going it alone' and buying on the wholesale market or do they use a Big 6 partner like Ebico and Utility Warehouse do?

NonGeographicalMan

But at the end of the day the penalty for leaving early is only £100 and this is no worse than the year long lock in that Npower and various other companies now impose in order for you to ger their advertised low energy rate.

Most of us are paying at least £600 to £700 per annum or more for our gas and electricity so if the tariff was hiked to a bad enough level people would just pay the penalty and leave. Its actually no more drastic a penalty than the likes of BT and TalkTalk impose these days if you try to leave them before the end of your 12 or 18 month contract period.

1carminestocky

Sort of agree - but I would never go with any of the companies you list, anyway. Why would anyone sign their life away for 18 months with a company like BT or talktalk? :eek:

NonGeographicalMan

1carminestocky wrote: »

Sort of agree - but I would never go with any of the companies you list, anyway. Why would anyone sign their life away for 18 months with a company like BT or talktalk? :eek:

Perhaps only because the main shysters in the telecoms industry have now formed a near cartel on these long lock ins (thanks to Ofcom who do nothing to make them illegal) and the only ones who do not try to lock you in for at least 12 months for the privilege of bringing a second hand phone line to them are Post Office Homephone (only 14 days notice required which is in any case the minimum transfer time that is physically possible) and www.thephone.coop (3 months notice and then 1 months notice after 3 months).

hippey

Also all of the comparison sites cannot compare FU's 3 rate tariff, no one else does it.

Gambler

NonGeographicalMan wrote: »

He told me they were also considering launching a conventional meter tariff that would be one of the lowest in the marketplace both in order to cope with any customers who came on board where smart meter install was delayed for whatever reasons and also to expand the appeal of the First Utility product to customers other than those who want a Smart Meter.

My switch from SP to EON will be finalised in the next week or so. Just checked the comparision sites and first utility are showing over £100 saving for the Manweb area.

NonGeographicalMan

Gambler wrote: »

My switch from SP to EON will be finalised in the next week or so. Just checked the comparision sites and first utility are showing over £100 saving for the Manweb area.

This will presumably be their new non smart meter based tariff that uses traditional meters and is simply meant to be competitive with the big boys.

First Utility are keen to expand quickly in the gas and electricity sector and they seem to think that the various technical obstacles associated with smart meter rollout may mean that not also having a cheap conventional energy tariff may put them at a serious disadvantage.