Beware of First Utility

sephiroth

mikey111 wrote: »

I subscribed last year to First Utility i Save dual fuel package which was competitive and offered a worthwhile discount after a one year contract. 6 months later they increased the gas standing charge by 67% and Electricity standing charge by 20% as well as a sizeable increase in unit price.

They then advertised a new version of the same plan (version 5) at much much lower prices. When I asked to move to the newer version I was told I could not do so before one year without losing the accrued discount.

This is a snide scheme to lock people in at what appear to be competitive prices then raise the price to ensure that any discount is worthless and at the same time introduce a new version of the same thing at much much lower prices to snare the next batch of unsuspecting consumers.

Potential new First Utility customers.... BEWARE !!

Lol, too true - its a scam!

I joined in Dec 09 and got the shock of 67% increase in August 10. I checked their site recently and saw prices were down to near the price when I joined them but again would not transfer me to the new tariff without forgoing my discount of £120.

I'm not a person to take this lying down - I've checked their T&C's - nothing, website says you are eligible for the discount if you are on one of their tariffs (iSave) receiving gas and electricity supplies for a year - it does not say that you have to remai on the same tariff.

I've written to them today stating my case clear, reported them to consumer advice for their tactics and watchdog for the hell of it. It's honestly a p*** poor stance from a company when most families are facing crippling bills and struggling to make ends meet.

Sure I'm gonna move as soon as I can, but in the meantime I AM gonna get my pound of flesh from this unscrupulous organisation.

MONEYPENNY

sephiroth wrote: »

Lol, too true - its a scam!

I joined in Dec 09 and got the shock of 67% increase in August 10. I checked their site recently and saw prices were down to near the price when I joined them but again would not transfer me to the new tariff without forgoing my discount of £120.

I'm not a person to take this lying down - I've checked their T&C's - nothing, website says you are eligible for the discount if you are on one of their tariffs (iSave) receiving gas and electricity supplies for a year - it does not say that you have to remai on the same tariff.

I've written to them today stating my case clear, reported them to consumer advice for their tactics and watchdog for the hell of it. It's honestly a p*** poor stance from a company when most families are facing crippling bills and struggling to make ends meet.

Sure I'm gonna move as soon as I can, but in the meantime I AM gonna get my pound of flesh from this unscrupulous organisation.

I hope you get your pound of flesh and I hope I also get mine as I was told by the ombudsman a few days ago that she has also run out of patience with these cowboys and will now be reporting to OFGEM that First Utility have breached their licensing conditions in the case I have against them.
I hope it costs them a fortune as I think they are allowed to be fined up to 10% of their annual profits if considered serious enough or repeatedly breached often enough .
Let us hope that more cases are brought against them and hopefully they will go bust and put the lot of them on the dole where they belong and struggling to pay their utility bills .:)

Brizzwold

There is a possibility you have been a bit hasty here, because FU charge each month for what you use rather than averaging it out over the year on a standing order. I used to pay £100 per month and then switched to FU. Our winter month bills are large, but our summer ones are tiny and it all averages out to, in my opinion, a saving overall.