Utility Warehouse - any good?

Cardew

penrhyn wrote: »

For the last few years I have used Ebico for both services, however their electricity tariff became uncompetitive being about £70 dearer for me than BG Click Energy 6.
With some trepidation I decided to move back to BG.
I must confess I was pleasantly surprised with the service.
The call centre at Cardiff handled the application efficiently, and I got regular updates via text message and the post. I had an issue regarding the final meter reading which was resolved with one email and a follow up phone call from BG.
The website is up to date with both my electricity and service accounts.
BTW Never had any problem with SE(Ebico) customer service, just the cost.
I did check out UW as its being promoted by my (GEC) pension provider, but for dual fuel for me, a low user (2000KwH electricity, 8500KwH gas), according to Energy Helpline would be around 25% more expensive.

You mustn't say nice things about BG on this forum - it is frowned upon;)

Ebico electricity is stupidly expensive, but their gas for lowish users is pretty competitive.
However dual fuel and Direct debit discounts can make quite a difference to the overall bills.

UW are totally uncompetitive for most gas and electricity customers - the exception being if you are on an Economy 7 Tariff with a very high percentage of electricity used in the 7 hours night rate.

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

You mustn't say nice things about BG on this forum - it is frowned upon;)

Ebico electricity is stupidly expensive, but their gas for lowish users is pretty competitive.
However dual fuel and Direct debit discounts can make quite a difference to the overall bills.

UW are totally uncompetitive for most gas and electricity customers - the exception being if you are on an Economy 7 Tariff with a very high percentage of electricity used in the 7 hours night rate.

Even notorious BG huggers have, in the past, been totally exasperated by BGs service (especially their site)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=543279&highlight=British+Gas

penrhyn

I'll get me coat:rotfl:

Taxi for Penrhyn!

Quentin

phil140701 wrote: »

this number is not a backdoor it's an official number ...........

You keep posting about this 0800 number - but if it is the official number you say it is, then explain why they tell their (bronze) members to use an 0844 number, (and use "free calls" to help sell the more expensive silver and gold membership) - yet it was you told us you take advantage of this as part of your membership??

phil140701 wrote: »

i pay around £2 a month for silver membership which gives me free calls to their customer services

This is from the uw web site:

Calls to Member Services are charged at 5p per minute using our Home Phone or BroadCall services (free to Silver and Gold members)

And it is noted that you have no response to the points made after you posted (without telling us why) the misleading uw triple "guarantee" (in full - though without the important small print which renders it worthless).

Mike_by_the_Sea

Hi Quentin and phil140701

Just to clarify the "0800 number"

This is the number given to "Community Fundraisers" for potential customers to phone. The objective being that a charity or local group can avoid the administration overhead cost associated with being a "distributor" and the team at head office deal with the potential customer on their behalf.

jhp

Cardew wrote: »

Yes agreed you pay for them in your bundle;(nothing is 'free' perhaps 'included' would be a better choice of word!) but I gave a price of £35 for the bundle(not including the 3 months discounts)

However the point I was making is that we are comparing the BT bundle with the UW bundle and the 0870/0845 numbers are included with BT but you pay for them with UW.

I agree with you included or even inclusive ! would be better.:D

Whilst 0845/0870 have just been included in BT,s inclusive minutes. BT have also just announced numerous price increases.
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/dynamicmodules/pagecontentfooter/pageContentFooterPopup.jsp?pagecontentfooter_popupid=23771&s_cid=con_FURL_calls_callchanges

Quentin

You say you have "scanned" the thread, yet break the rules by just coming here to advertise your link.

You say:

They promise in writing to be one of the cheapest suppliers of energy but because the big six are allways playing footsie with the prices there may be occassions when they are temporaily not the cheapest

Just nonsense.

You say you have no contract for gas and electricity - look again at your 29 pages of ts + cs - 6 of them devoted to gas and electricity.

Amongst the contract conditions (which you claim don't exist) is one where any credits built up when a customere's monthly dd is too high cannot be returned (unless the customer quits)! Don't suppose you pointed that out to your friends who think it's "too good to be true".

Tell them to have a read on here to learn the truth!

As well as this, you further bring uw into disrepute by quoting Which, which is against the Which rules, and all uw staff must be aware of this.

Cardew

Ricgardc wrote: »

I noticed a few inaccuracies as I was scanning the thread,

Which magazine have rated our customer services as having the highest customer satisfaction rating 94% (I think)



They promise in writing to be one of the cheapest suppliers of energy but because the big six are allways playing footsie with the prices there may be occassions when they are temporaily not the cheapest.

Then perhaps you shouldn't add to the tally of inaccuracies by putting them in your post.

Firstly Which didn't 'rate' UW. They held a reader's poll. This quote sums it up.

According to UW’s own site they have 208,444 customers including those who do not take gas and electricity from UW.

They have 16,600 independent distributors.

I think you would agree that is an unusually high percentage of ‘employees’ for such a small customer base. Indeed it is approx the same as British Gas.

Given the UW sales technique of recruiting family and friends, statistically the chance of these 16,600(plus family and friends) participating in the Which poll is way way in excess of the employees of any other utility company.

Even the most naïve would concede that any UW ‘employee’(or family member) has a vested interest in ensuring that UW fare well in the poll.

To a certain extent that is confirmed by the proportionally high number of UW 'customers' participating in the poll.

In the Eurovision song contest Cyprus always votes for Greece having the best song. Biased?

Secondly without doubt UW are one of the most expensive suppliers of Gas and Electricity. Look on any comparison website - they simply do not compete and their triple guarantee is absolutely meaningless.

You might just lose some of your friends you recruit when they discover the true facts!

1carminestocky

I wonder how much this thread is costing UK employers.

Plushchris

Ricgardc wrote: »

The biggest problem I have is selling to friends who think its too good to be true.

By the way the phone number on the website rings out in my house so no midnight calls please


I have been with them for three years never had a problem


Richard

Maybe because it IS too good to be true?

and no offence but I wouldnt take my gas and electric supply from a company thats phone number just rings in some random guys house.