Utilities warehouse

NigeWick

jimexbox wrote: »

Every person in the UK have different circumstances

THAT is what Cardew and Quentin refuse to accept by stating that Utility Warehouse is among the most expensive. Carmine has shown that they are best value for him. I have shown they are best for my circumstances. You state they are expensive for your needs. That's fine by me. But apparently, the main detractors can not understand that Utility Warehouse will suit many people.

I am an Independent Distributor with Utility Warehouse and any opinions expressed here are my own and may not be shared by the company.

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

Had a sherbet or two? You quite correct it is your challenge which frankly has turned into a spamfest with you alleged savings appearing again again.

Every person in the UK have different circumstances, so you test is pointless. Unless are are alleging that UW never take the time to learn what a potential customers may need, and simply sell them the entire UW package regardless of circumstance or need. I fear many UW salesmen just push the package which will give the largest future returns.

The undoubted fact is that UW gas and electric prices are 14% higher than my current tariff. Does that specific fact harm my credibility? Well, if you wish deny their higher prices, putting your faith in their discredited 'triple guarantee' Your own credibility may well be in question.

As I have ALWAYS stated, I put NO FAITH IN ANY ENERGY COMPANY'S GUARANTEE - UW OR ANY OTHER. The bottom line is price I pay. I have even been known to let what IME are the worst company I have ever dealt with (BG) darken my inbox with their e-bills because they paid me £80 for the privilege.

Again, you are completely missing the point (I'm hoping this is intentional or I'm not sure what to make of you ). All I'm stating is, for me, the deal I can get with UW appears to be the best financially, not even including the discount I will get by using the cashback card. Whilst I would sincerely love to believe I'm unique, the fact is I'm not, so I'm entirely convinced that there will be millions of others who would be better off as well. All I was doing is asking you 'experts' to get me a better deal for my circumstances. You've failed miserably. In your case, you've come up with a phone line/Bb package that doesn't even included ANY free/inclusive calls, let alone international and 0845/0870 but which is £5/mth MORE than the phone line/BB/24/7 calls element of my package! Then explain this away by stating you don't use the landline much, you use your mobile on a deal that appears no longer available etc. What about 0845/0870/international calls, I'm sincerely hoping you don't call these on your mobile. :eek:

TBH, I'm not really interested in your deal (plus you aint asking for help, lol) but I would very much like you to help me get a better deal for me, using your undoubted and self-proclaimed knowledge in this area. Is that too much to ask? If you can't, I'm not entirely sure what you are doing in this thread.

PS Are you happy with your supplier, E.on, at the moment? No, you clearly aren't, as has been documented by you on this forum. Why stay with them then?

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

PS Are you happy with your supplier, E.on, at the moment? No, you clearly aren't, as has been documented by you on this forum. Why stay with them then?

Im very happy with their prices, especially compared to UW which as stated are 14% higher. Their customers service is pretty good, friendly and dont try and sell you products you dont need. Ive been less impressed by their deliberate use of 'confusion' price cuts to press and public.

They are still the cheapest for me, therefore I stay. I could move to UW and pay more, but hey Ive got a brain that works.

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

Im very happy with their prices, especially compared to UW which as stated are 14% higher. Their customers service is pretty good, friendly and dont try and sell you products you dont need. Ive been less impressed by their deliberate use of 'confusion' price cuts to press and public.

They are still the cheapest for me, therefore I stay. I could move to UW and pay more, but hey Ive got a brain that works.

Precisely! You stay for price and are not too fussed about the company and their 'tactics'. Don't you feel ever so slightly hypocritical now, given your stance on how you perceive UW do business? :rolleyes: UW are the CHEAPEST for me. End of story.

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

Precisely! You stay for price and are not too fussed about the company and their 'tactics'. Don't you feel ever so slightly hypocritical now, given your stance on how you perceive UW do business? :rolleyes: UW are the CHEAPEST for me. End of story.

No I dont feel hypicritical at all. Eon are quite up front with my percentage reduction for each bill. 16.1% where as UW give you naff all, do they not? Then claim in their triple guarantee that they are the cheapest, which is a lie. Which you seem happy to swallow, fair enough.

NigeWick

jimexbox wrote: »

claim in their triple guarantee that they are the cheapest, which is a lie.

Incorrect. The idea is that Utility Warehouse will be cheaper than the prices a lot of people pay but not cheaper than the best deals of the moment. If those more expensive providers drop their prices, Utility Warehouse will charge the customer less too. You have stated that "Every person in the UK have different circumstances" and therefore your circumstances will not be relevant to others. The Utility Warehouse offer is good value for many but not all. That's called choice. As I have previously said, by using the pre payment card I get my utilities cheaper than with even the best deals quoted by a forum member.

The thing reads:-

Our unique "Triple Value" guarantee will give you peace of mind.

• For your gas, we guarantee our prices will always be lower than British Gas, wherever you live in the UK.
• For your electricity, we guarantee our prices will always be cheaper than the prices charged by your regional electricity supplier for the area where you live.
• And for your complete peace of mind, we guarantee our prices will always remain competitive compared with the cheapest tariffs available from the "Big 6" suppliers*

Then the small print:-

“Big 6” means the six major energy companies who currently supply over 98% of UK households, comprising: British Gas, E.ON, npower, EDF (London Electricity, Seeboard and SWEB), Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy.

Guarantees and price comparisons are based on the standard domestic usage profiles for low, medium and high users on a like-for-like basis and exclude Club membership fee, surcharge for gas customers using an Independent Gas Transporter, Dual-Fuel discounts and online tariffs. Only applies to direct debit customers. During periods when retail prices are changing, we typically announce our new prices after most of the “Big 6” have set their new prices in order to ensure our new prices are competitive and in line with our “Triple Value” guarantee. Therefore when energy prices are falling, there may be a short period before our new prices take effect when our prices may be higher than those available from certain other suppliers. The reverse will however generally be true during periods when energy prices are rising.

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

No I dont feel hypicritical at all. Eon are quite up front with my percentage reduction for each bill. 16.1% where as UW give you naff all, do they not? Then claim in their triple guarantee that they are the cheapest, which is a lie. Which you seem happy to swallow, fair enough.

Did they ring you and tell you that you'd be better coming off Econony 7?

Like I have already stated (although I note you only seem to read the parts of my posts you feel you can adequately respond to. Happens a lot. :rolleyes:) that I don't take notice of ANY company's guarantees and/or claims, what interests me is the price I will be paying. For instance, Direct Line are offering me 12 months insurance for the price of 10 months. Whoopee! Err, no, I can STILL get it far cheaper elsewhere (even paying for the whole 12 months, lol). Bottom line is the amount at the bottom of the bill, what happens further up is of no real consequence...

Anyway, back to your telecoms and a question you've ignored. Who do you use to ring 0845/0870 numbers?

PS Am I right to assume you CAN'T get me a better deal? :p

And here's what you said about Eon just a few short weeks ago, which is the reason for my incredulity at the way you have attacked the way UW do business and interract with their customers:

Posted by jimexbox on 25/3/09: Im going to give it a few weeks to let all the new 'price reductions' take effect, then leave Eon. As an Eon customer for many years Im very disappointed by their deceptive skewed price reductions. What do they take us for? Obviously complete muppets.

Im paying well over a grand a year to be treated with utter contempt. As to 'caps', forget capping their profit, although Eon certainly know how to 'cap' their price reduction. How? By giving me a generous 18% cut on my primary units, capped at first 900 kWhs. Then a frankly pathetic 1% cut on any secondary units I use. If they had applied the much vaunted 9% cut across both I would be better off, but thats to clear and simple for folk to understand. Far better to use a little smoke, a mirror here and there to create a little confusion amongst the punters.

Vote with your feet and leave..........

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=20060963&postcount=25

Mike_by_the_Sea

Is this the new UW thread?

If not, shouldn't it be moved across to the "proper" one?

L&K

Mike

Cardew

NigeWick wrote: »

Incorrect. The idea is that Utility Warehouse will be cheaper than the prices a lot of people pay but not cheaper than the best deals of the moment. If those more expensive providers drop their prices, Utility Warehouse will charge the customer less too. You have stated that "Every person in the UK have different circumstances" and therefore your circumstances will not be relevant to others. The Utility Warehouse offer is good value for many but not all. That's called choice. As I have previously said, by using the pre payment card I get my utilities cheaper than with even the best deals quoted by a forum member.

The thing reads:-

Our unique "Triple Value" guarantee will give you peace of mind.

• For your gas, we guarantee our prices will always be lower than British Gas, wherever you live in the UK.
• For your electricity, we guarantee our prices will always be cheaper than the prices charged by your regional electricity supplier for the area where you live.
• And for your complete peace of mind, we guarantee our prices will always remain competitive compared with the cheapest tariffs available from the "Big 6" suppliers*

Then the small print:-

“Big 6” means the six major energy companies who currently supply over 98% of UK households, comprising: British Gas, E.ON, npower, EDF (London Electricity, Seeboard and SWEB), Scottish Power and Scottish & Southern Energy.

Guarantees and price comparisons are based on the standard domestic usage profiles for low, medium and high users on a like-for-like basis and exclude Club membership fee, surcharge for gas customers using an Independent Gas Transporter, Dual-Fuel discounts and online tariffs. Only applies to direct debit customers. During periods when retail prices are changing, we typically announce our new prices after most of the “Big 6” have set their new prices in order to ensure our new prices are competitive and in line with our “Triple Value” guarantee. Therefore when energy prices are falling, there may be a short period before our new prices take effect when our prices may be higher than those available from certain other suppliers. The reverse will however generally be true during periods when energy prices are rising.

I am quite certain that UW lawyers have cleared the wording of the Triple Value Guarantee(TVG). However IMO it is a most disingenuous statement that is specifically designed to mislead people into thinking their product is cheap when - as all the comparison sites show - UW Gas and Electricity is amongst the most expensive you can buy.

What it means is they take just about the most expensive gas and electricity tariffs available in UK(BG Standard and the regional electricity supplier) for comparison and then to add insult to injury exclude discounts and the UW membership fee.

A better way of wording the guarantee is to state that every one of the BIG 6 will have much cheaper Gas and Electricity tariffs than UW.

The TVG is disgraceful.

Cardew

jimexbox,

You should learn the tactics. Everyone of your posts since joining MSE will be examined to see if they can be quoted.

The discussion will be turned away from UW to EON, (or perhaps you have posted in the financial/technical/any where else forums) to sort out a line of attack.

Obfuscation rules!!