Utility Warehouse. Why did I switch?

1carminestocky

Nigel, a quick question. Is there actually a potential 3% gross referral discount available per customer referred by an existing customer? What I mean is there are actually 6 products available, gas, electric, phone, broadband, mobile and cashback card. If a customer referred a friend who took all 6 services, would the discount equate to 3%? TIA.

Quentin

NigeWick wrote: »

They may not be the cheapest when just prices are looked at, but, because of the pre payment card, I save money.

It all sounds very convoluted.

You signed up for your services even though knowing and admitting the uw was not the cheapest.

But thanks to the introduction of their pre-pay cash card (which was just towards the end of last year) you say you now save money?? (To "save" you must first buy your services from uw, then spend your money in their designated stores to build up some discount so you can get your expensive bill down).

Note that if you use the card in any but a designated uw shop (of which there are only around 25), due to the charges and lost interest on your money paid in advance, any purchases you make end up costing you more than paying in cash.

For moneysaving, why not sign up with the cheapest suppliers, then get a proper cashback card, where you will be given money every time you use it, anywhere - not a toy one where you:

pay uw your cash in advance for your groceries etc,

pay uw charges for the privilege of giving them your money to play with till you spend it

pay uw ongoing monthly charges just for having the card

pay uw if you want to get your own (unspent) money back off the card

have none of the usual protection for card purchases, and risk uw going bust whilst your money is still unspent

etc etc

1carminestocky

I think Quentin should spill the beans and tell us the reason behind his hatred for this company. Something MUST have happened here because this level of hatred/obsession (because it IS hatred/obsession) for a small-ish niche market energy company is just not in any way natural. Totally and utterly baffling.

1carminestocky

Quentin: It all sounds very convoluted.

Much like what you (and I) do, i.e. switching regularly for cashback

You signed up for your services even though knowing and admitting the uw was not the cheapest.

Much like cardew signed up with BT phone/broadband knowing it wasn't the cheapest. People use services/companies for a myriad of reasons. If they didn't EVERYONE would currently be on the absolute cheapest online tariff. They're not, though, in fact I suspect most people remain on their comapny's standard tariff, where they get a paper bill. Some peopel have to work for a living and don't neceassrily have the time to study the minutiae of detail when it comes to their utilities.

But thanks to the introduction of their pre-pay cash card (which was just towards the end of last year) you say you now save money?? (To "save" you must first buy your services from uw, then spend your money in their designated stores to build up some discount so you can get your expensive bill down).


Why wouldn't he? If you regularly shopped in sainsburys it would financially benefit you to join UW. Crikey, can you just imagine that one. :eek: :rotfl:

Note that if you use the card in any but a designated uw shop (of which there are only around 25), due to the charges and lost interest on your money paid in advance, any purchases you make end up costing you more than paying in cash.

Why would you use it any of the non-designated stores, though? No reason to.

For moneysaving, why not sign up with the cheapest suppliers, then get a proper cashback card, where you will be given money every time you use it, anywhere - not a toy one where you:


Give me a link to this 'proper' cashback card that pays an ongoing 5% cashback and I'll definitely condider it.

pay uw your cash in advance for your groceries etc,

pay uw charges for the privilege of giving them your money to play with till you spend it

What do you think they are going to do with it...run off with it? :rotfl:

pay uw ongoing monthly charges just for having the card

pay uw if you want to get your own (unspent) money back off the card

Conversely, never have the risk of spending more than you can afford to pay off in full with a credit card and incur ridiculous interest charges. Plus the possibility of the credit card being stolen and YOUR TOTAL CREDIT BALANCE being spent. Pros and cons, Quentin.

]have none of the usual protection for card purchases, and risk uw going bust whilst your money is still unspent

Aye, OK….

pirate66

Quentin wrote: »

You seem to be saying you like them because their bills are cheap.

But if you are interested in saving money, then why not input your useage into a comparison site and see how much you could save by using a cheaper on line tariff (or dual fuel tariff) elsewhere. The comparison sites will show you how far down the list the uw comes!

And you seem to be wrong in the figures you give us. You tell us your max. bill for all 4 services is £98. Then tell us your last bill for energy alone was £81.19.

As the cheapest charge for bb/phone is £20, (provided you have LLU, otherwise its £27), plus you have to pay your membership fee, then this makes that bill in excess of £100!

I like them because I get a paper bill every month and have had no problem with them ever.

As for my figures, the £98 average is what I pay every month by DD. Obviously my individual months are far cheaper from March to October when the CH is turned off. I don't have LLU.

Quentin

If you don't have LLU, then the bill you detailed for us would have been well over the "under £100" you told us you pay.

Your post didn't mention a "£98 average" at all - in fact you gave £98 as the maximum you have paid in a month!

pirate66 wrote: »

pay a little under £100 pm for gas/electic/telephone/broadband. Bill varys from £90-98.

Your liking for getting one paper bill a month is of course your personal preference, but you are paying for this by way of expensive products and membership fees, compared with on line tariffs for energy, and getting combined or separate bb and phone would be much cheaper elsewhere than the minimum £27 they charge.

pirate66

Quentin wrote: »

If you don't have LLU, then the bill you detailed for us would have been well over the "under £100" you told us you pay.

Your post didn't mention a "£98 average" at all - in fact you gave £98 as the maximum you have paid in a month!



Your liking for getting one paper bill a month is of course your personal preference, but you are paying for this by way of expensive products and membership fees, compared with on line tariffs for energy, and getting combined or separate bb and phone would be much cheaper elsewhere than the minimum £27 they charge.

Right, let me explain. I pay around £95 a month ON AVERAGE, this will flucuate a little depending on the telephone call element each month. I just did a comparison test and only 2 , yes TWO companiy's charges were less. £16 and £52 a year, however I am more than happy with UW due to the phone and internet service. For example, if I need to call their internet service it isn't a premium rate number, unlike others.
Hope this helps

pirate66

I've even had telephone reps. put the phone down when I tell them I'm with UW...:)

pirate66

Have been with them for 4 years and pay a little under £100 pm for gas/electic/telephone/broadband. Bill varys from £90-98.

And how is the not to be seen as an averge????????????

I'm taking about what I PAY, not what I'm charged (which is higher in Winter than in Summer)

Cardew

pirate66 wrote: »

I just did a comparison test and only 2 , yes TWO companiy's charges were less. £16 and £52 a year,

Every check I have done for gas and electricity puts UW near the bottom for gas and electricity - all the big 6 have cheaper tariffs.

If you care to give us the annual kWh usage you used for gas and electricity?(and the area where you live) we will see if we can save you more money.;)