Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

janninew

TwittersPVFC wrote: »

The only problem with my research is that EDF are yet to put their standard prices up so the figures are distorted. Am I also right in saying UW react to there's after all the others have changed their prices?

I do think though for non-Internet users or very heavy shoppers (£1000 a month at Sainsburys or Asda) then UW are quite competitive. However, for medium and high end users who do have high net access and don't do major amounts of shopping, UW should be avoided.

I could be wrong (and I'm sure I will be corrected!) but didn't UW put there prices up in November last year, I seem to remember it being mentioned on here.

Careful Twitters, after that post, you may well be accused of having an "interest" in UW!

MillicentBystander

UWs gas prices have already gone up but not sure about their electricity. And, like janninew says, Twitters, take care being even slightly positive about any aspect of UW, Cardew will be accusing you of being someone else and having a vested interest. I've met some paranoid people in my time but......

Cardew

janninew wrote: »

Cardew,

Are you saying Twitters research is wrong them and they have lied about their findings?

Or can we only discuss "Mr Average" on here? Not everybody is a high user and clearly UW can be an option for some.

And no, I have no "vested" interest in UW what so ever.

Read what Twitters wrote - you make it sound like a recommendation for UW which it wasn't.

For non-internet users, with a low consumption, UW (shock horror) came close to the top - not the cheapest mind and you must pay by Direct debit. So if all those restrictive conditions apply apparently you should get UW because it is not much more expensive than cheaper tariffs - one hell of a recommendation!

All this advice, for non-internet users, on an internet forum;)

However for the average user the fact that UW still have just about the most expensive gas and electricity tariffs in UK still applies.

P.S.
Still not convinced about the multiple named troll?

MillicentBystander

Cardew wrote:

For non-internet users, with a low consumption, UW (shock horror) came close to the top

Nice one! :beer:

PS In your Midlands area based on the 'average' user there are at least 20 tariffs more expensive than UWs. Rather loose interpretation of 'just about', don't you think?

janninew

Cardew wrote: »

Read what Twitters wrote - you make it sound like a recommendation for UW which it wasn't.

For non-internet users, with a low consumption, UW (shock horror) came close to the top - not the cheapest mind and you must pay by Direct debit. So if all those restrictive conditions apply apparently you should get UW because it is not much more expensive than cheaper tariffs - one hell of a recommendation!

All this advice, for non-internet users, on an internet forum;)

However for the average user the fact that UW still have just about the most expensive gas and electricity tariffs in UK still applies.

P.S.
Still not convinced about the multiple named troll?

Should that sentence not be bolded as well, or do we not give advice to low users on here?

And yes it may be an internet forum, but people may read this forum and pass advice on, I know I certainly do.

MillicentBystander

My in laws actually have net access...but have always refused point blank to have an online gas/elec account! I actually got them onto an online account and i administer it for them (I do it for a couple of other relatives as well but I can't take on any more because it can get very time consuming). My point is even some households with net access don't want anything to do with online tariffs, so the 8 million non-net households I have frequently quoted who can't get online accounts could be actually much higher if you take into account those households actually on the net who don't want an online account. In any case, there are still approx 15 million households (i.e the majority) in the UK who don't have online accounts for one reason or another.

janninew

MillicentBystander wrote: »

My in laws actually have net access...but have always refused point blank to have an online gas/elec account! I actually got them onto an online account and i administer it for them (I do it for a couple of other relatives as well but I can't take on any more because it can get very time consuming). My point is even some households with net access don't want anything to do with online tariffs, so the 8 million non-net households I have frequently quoted who can't get online accounts could be actually much higher if you take into account those households actually on the net who don't want an online account. In any case, there are still approx 15 million households (i.e the majority) in the UK who don't have online accounts for one reason or another.

My parents are the same, they have been on the same BG tariff for as long as I can remember, they would never sign up to an online tariff. They don't pay by direct debit (don't trust them!!) and pay for their bills when they receive them. There must be millions of people in the same position, so why if they are a lowish user and like the paper bill every month, with no contract, would UW not be a good choice for them?

MillicentBystander

Funnily enough, based on OFGEM's low consumption figs (11000 gas, 2100 electricity) and pay on receipt way of paying in the Midlands area UW come in at £1 per annum less than British Gas's standard tariff. Remember UWs price includes 12 paper bills per year which I'm sure would help with budgeting. They could then also get the £10.75/mth phone line rental and qualify for free calls evenings and weekends to 01, 02, 03, 0870 and some international numbers - plus 24/7 free landline calls to you! Not forgetting free calls to UW and free £10,000 accidental death insurance. Obviously no idea of their usage or even their location but it's just an illustration...

MillicentBystander

uptomyeyeballs wrote: »

Had the same argument a few months ago. My own personal usage (low) would make UW reasonably competitive for me if I couldn't/wouldn't take an online tariff (and I know many people like that). I was told my usage was 'unrepresentative'.

Hmmm....let me guess who said that...is it the poster who tells people to do what he is not prepared to do himself and has ridiculously high annual usage?

TwittersPVFC

One of the arguments I had with a UW rep (Nige) on here was that the website wasn't very helpful in trying to work out which tariff I'd come under. It took me ages to find any idea of what the rates were that the UW website talks about, and the best I could find was this:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/Compl/Consumption/Documents1/Decsion%20letter%20Consumption%20review%20FINAL.pdf

My usage between September 2009 and August 2010 was 12174.7kWh for Gas and 2697.2kWh for Electric. Now I have no idea if that classes me as a Low or Medium user. During that time I was a British Gas Standard user with paper bills. Had I been with UW, I'd have saved £70 if they classed me as a low user and saved £2.24 if they'd classed me as a standard/medium user.

It's irrelevant for me now because I'm moving to an Online tariff so I can save £150 on what UW would charge me. Plus, if you take the £100 welcome bonus and £80 from Quidco into account, I'm saving £330 this year. So unless I spent £900 a month on a cashback card (which I don't even spend at all), then UW isn't for me.

So I think that the only way to sum up UW's tariff's would be as follows:
If you have internet access and don't do a huge amount of shopping at Asda or Sainsburys, then UW are one of the most expensive providers of Gas and Electricity.
However, if you do a large amount of shopping (more than £800 a month) at said stores, OR you are a low user OR you are a user with no internet access, then UW may be able to save you some money on your gas and electric.

I think though this opens up the wider question though of why do the big 6 discriminate against people who don't have internet access by charging them much higher rates? If they didn't, then companies like UW, Ebico etc would also drop their prices.

That is what the industry needs to be asking, and it needs someone to take on the companies about this. I don't see why I should get to pay £150 a year less than someone who doesn't have net access or doesn't want to do their gas and electric online.

Rant over.