Utility Warehouse and Letting Agencies (please don't merge - different query)

dizziblonde

We rent a house privately through the large letting agency in the East Midlands area - we like the house, we like the area and we were wanting to carry on and renew the tenancy next year. Our energy supplier is E.On - oh works for them, we're happy with the deal and if there's anything needs sorting - he can get hold of the relevant department easy enough (added bonus: I can complain at him when the bill comes in and blame him for it all )

However tonight I get a phonecall from our letting agent telling us they were switching all their properties to Utility Warehouse - and when I challenge this the guy quickly backpedalled to the line of we'll change them when the properties change over... and when I challenged that one with a "we won't renew the tenancy" - he just started blethering about how they were awesome value for 95% of customers etc etc etc. I was rapidly smelling sales patter by this point and did some Googling when I got off the phone (MSE was down - grr) and basically it appears they've set themselves up as a distributor or whatever and are going to lock in all their tenants to buying their utilities off themselves in essence.

I'm not prepared to go down that route - they seemed slightly shocked when I pointed out that the bill was in our name, not theirs so they couldn't change it anyhow (and if they flipping well try I'm complaining it's an erroneous transfer - used to work for E.On myself for a bit so I know more than the average punter - couldn't take the coffee anymore so don't work there now!)... and he backpedalled and changed tack several times - in the end resorting to the "Which say we're great value and they're the independent arbiter of what companies are good value for money" line.

I'm actually sickened this is going on - the private rented sector get shafted enough with everything and anything - prepayment meters, admin charges, tenancy renewal charges, office cat catfood charges, etc etc - now this seems to be the latest line in sharp practice - removing tenants' abilities to shop around for their energy suppliers and save money. I'm going to drop a few emails to local MPs and the like, I'm going to fight them trying to do it to us - if it means we've got to move house instead of renewing here I'll be absolutely devastated but we'll have no choice - either join their gravy train and make some more money - or be out on our ear.

Not nice and I'm pretty upset about the whole thing (and I never thought I'd be fighting to stay with, and defend a big energy company!).

theartfullodger

You can choose your supplier but, I would suggest, should out of good-relations let the agent & Landlord know.



In your shoes I would write (repeat, write) to the Agent, copy Landlord, recorded-signed-for advising them politely & calmly not to change utility supplier on your behalf & that you will be making your own decisions.

The OFT would regard any clause in your tenancy about the subject as "unfair" and thus invalid & to be treated as not-really-there.

If the Landlord gives you notice-2-quit because of this he is a K***h**d and you will be well-shot (albeit inconvenienced). I suspect the Agent thinks he has found another trough to stick his nose into, and the Landlord may well know nothing about it.
As you have discovered, there is a company - that I wouldn't touch with a very long barge-pole, and would advise anyone else to avoid them as well - called Utility Warehouse.



As I said, I wouldnae touch them with a very long barge-pole. UW have been cropping up at Landlord events promising introduction commission (a more common colloquial term may spring to mind) to Agents & Landlords as a way of making extra money from Tenants who alledgedly will be signing up (Aye, right, as the Scots say).



There are several long posts relating to UW in this sub-board with differing views (some in favour, many against UW). IMHO the most vociferous and increasingly panicking posters are, oddly, "distributors" for UW. These distributors/senior managers or whatever they call themselves operate in a manner many fair-minded people would find reminiscent of a Pyramid scheme. However UW tell me it is not a Pyramid scheme so I accept their statement that it is not a Pyramid scheme.


Cheers!

Lodger

PS As I said, clearly not a Pyramid Scheme.

itswinter

I am too with said letting agency - they called me yesterday asking me to come in to their office to sign the paperwork to change us over asap. I asked (in an irritated tone) if i had a choice, so she backpeddaled and said it was up to us if we wanted to change from our current supplier (also Eon). She was very civil about it, and that was that.

If you tell them you're not interested enough times then i'm sure they'll get the message!

On another note, the 20 odd quid they charge to renew your contract, although fairly standard with letting agents, really irritates me!

Gerrard_8_lfc

If they have became UW distributers It just means they will earn even more money off the back of you and even worse you may find eon to be far cheaper for gas and elec than them.

On my slim experiance with UW there rates are very uncompetitive and there rates also have a seperate standing charge. e.g. the standing charge is not included in the rates they charge which most of the big 6 do already have there standing charge in the rates.

I am a British Gas employee and any views I have on UW are not shared by the company

kippen_noedel

I own some properties which are rented, not through an agent, the majority of which are on prepayment meters.

All prepayment BG for Electric & Ebico for Gas, billls in my name. After a lot of research this was the best value.

For credit meters the tenants can decide as long as I get notified, bills in their name. All on paperless billing so I know if any change is being made. Easy to deal with. When the bills come in I just forward a copy to them so I always know if payments are late as well.

However agents are NOT landlords, they have NO right whatsoever to force anyone to do anything that wasn't in the original lease. Speak directly to your landlord, tell them what is going on. If the landlord doesn't listen, you know what to do.

The ONLY reason any agent would do this is for financial reward. It does not make the job easier, regardless of what they might say.