New Customer Looking For Best Deal

Claralou_2

Hello All,

I am due to move into a rented property on my own in the next few weeks. As I will be a brand new customer I was wondering how I find the best deal for my utilities when I have nothing to compare them to? In particular, Gas, Electric and Phone and Broadband packages.

Is there any good deals for new customers out there at the moment? Also are there any things to avoid so I don't get caught up in long contracts, changing rates etc? Or do I have to stick with the current tenants suppliers and switch further down the line?

Any advice will be most gratefully welcome.

Thank you.

scoobydores

Hi,

After searching for cheaper utility bills myself, I came across the Utility Warehouse and have been pleasantly surprised. They guarantee to be cheaper than British Gas for Gas, and always cheaper than your local electricity supplier for Electric. They also do home phone, mobiles and broadband. I have gas, electric and phone and get 1 bill a month, which is really simple to read (compared to the nightmare bills I got from Southern Electric!) and it's so much easier to keep track of!! I don't think they have a minimum contract, except probably the mobile.
I checked them out on the Which? website and they seem to come tops, which made me feel a bit safer!:j

Hope all goes well in your search

Scoobydores

jimexbox

scoobydores wrote: »

Hi,

After searching for cheaper utility bills myself, I came across the Utility Warehouse and have been pleasantly surprised. They guarantee to be cheaper than British Gas for Gas, and always cheaper than your local electricity supplier for Electric. They also do home phone, mobiles and broadband. I have gas, electric and phone and get 1 bill a month, which is really simple to read (compared to the nightmare bills I got from Southern Electric!) and it's so much easier to keep track of!! I don't think they have a minimum contract, except probably the mobile.
I checked them out on the Which? website and they seem to come tops, which made me feel a bit safer!:j

Hope all goes well in your search

Scoobydores

Do you have any connection with Utility Warehouse?

You post is full of misinformation, a polite way of saying bollox. If you are going to sing their praises, at least explain what hoops you have to jump through to get a discount.

scoobydores

Just a customer. Signed up on their website after looking at their tarrifs, then thought i'd check them out after having such a nightmare with my supplier.
What misinformation have I posted?? I don't get a discount, just their normal prices which involved no 'hoop' jumping whatsoever. Have u checked out the Which reports? I was under the impression thay carried some weight!!

jimexbox

scoobydores wrote: »

Just a customer. Signed up on their website after looking at their tarrifs, then thought i'd check them out after having such a nightmare with my supplier.
What misinformation have I posted?? I don't get a discount, just their normal prices which involved no 'hoop' jumping whatsoever. Have u checked out the Which reports? I was under the impression thay carried some weight!!

You fail to mention that they are discount club, which from what Ive read from other posters in other threads you have to shop in specific shops after putting money down on a prepayment card to achieve a discount. It is disingenuous to fail to mention this.

Ive just checked my tariff with Eon against Utility Warehouse on my postcode, using energyhelpline. UW were ranked 31st, and would cost me an extra 200 quid a year. UW are £300 more than the cheapest available tariff. Im wondering how UW apparently top the Which poll you mention?

penrhyn

The Which report, which as I recall was about broadband,would have more weight if it had been based on more than the 40 odd replies from UW users they had responding to their survey.
There is a specific thread for discussing UW matters here:-

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=387161

scoobydores

I don't have their pre-payment card and have no desire to have one as I dont shop at Sainsburys, just a normal bill as with any other supplier. Although you apparently can have one and get a little extra off your bill. I pay £1.76 a month to be a member, my phone line rental is £8.99 and I get free eve and weekend calls as I have 3 services with them. Their rates are cheap and guaranteed according to their information. Have you actually looked properly at their site??
As for the Which poll, I have just printed it out and can tell you that UW came top for 'Best Supplier' receiving 4* for Billing, 5* for Customer Service, 5* for telephone support, and 5* for value for money with a customer satisfaction score of 72% (against EON's 44%) and also on Home phone deals they also came top with a customer score of 80%
So I think I have researched them well. I am happy with them (thats without their discount card that I dont have to have) and would be happy to recommend them to anyone.

scoobydores

Having just read the UW thread mentioned above, it would seem that I have stirred up a hornets nest by even the mention of them!!
I would have assumed that Ofcom and Ofgem would not allow a company to trade if all their information was untrue, is that not what they're there for?
I am also slightly concerned that the Which reports seems to be worthless according to 'penrhyn' I was under the impression that they were an unbiassed organisation and always respected what they had to say. I think I may look into that a bit further...

Anyway, I was just replying to Claralous post with what I thought was some good advice as I thought this was a website for moneysaving tips!! I didn't know I was going have to defend myself!

Quentin

You have either been misinformed or brainwashed by a uw rep (possibly even one who is a friend of yours)

They do NOT guarantee to be cheaper than BG or your local electricity supplier. In fact they con people by using their worthless guarantee to make people believe they must be cheaper.

In fact they don't include the cheaper dual fuel tariffs/on line tariffs etc, nor do they include their monthly membership fee when saying they beat others.

And they don't even say that - all they say is they will remain "competitive" with the more expensive standard tariffs. Though no-one from uw has ever told us what they mean by being "competitive".

To see how big a mistake you made signing up with them, input your consumption into a comparison site, and see how much its costing you.

Claralou_2

Thanks for all the comments so far. Unfortunately none of them answer my original question! So can we move on from UW and can I ask if anyone has any other suggestions please?!?

scoobydores

Ah ha, the famous Quentin, was wondering when you would pop up!! (Have been checking out other posts on here)U scare me a little, so angry...

Claralou, I would check out one of Martins comparison sites....seems to be the best bet.
Good luck with your new home