Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

rsitch

Having read loads on various websites about the UW, and being a keen money saver myself, I spent an arduous couple of hours last night comparing the the UW offer against that of the best utility deals being offered at the moment from other various suppliers energyhelpline and moneysavingexpert] for comparison detail)

Therefore the following results relate to my own personal circumstances within a 4 bedroomed bungalow, where internet usage is heavy and needs to be fast (20 mb + speed). Mobile usage is moderate, and utility consumption is higher than the average.
I obviously cannot comment on how my results will compare to other peoples, but it is worth the time to work it all out.

Essentially if I bought all my gas, electric, broadband/landline and one mobile from the UW , I would be spending £2018 pa in total (this includes a monthly club membership of £1.50, £10 for the discount card purchase, and excludes any cash-back benefits from using the card - see more below). UW were more expensive on gas, electric, and broadband/home phone bundle. Mobile was about the same.

If I bought all my utilities from the suppliers offering the best deals at the current moment, my annual cost would be £1803 - a difference of £215 cheaper than the UW.

By analysing the benefit of using the discount card, I calculated that the benefit to me may cover the £215 difference - but probably not. The reason was that whilst 3% at Asda and Sainsburys would probably be well used for our weekly food and petrol shop, the other retailers paying 5% are more expensive places to buy from anyway. For example, whilst Halfords and Argos are handy places to shop, they are rarely the cheapest if you use online comparison sites.
Also, my credit card gives me 1% cash back anyway, so that negates some of the benefit. It also allows me credit, whereas the UW card is a pre-pay (where you pay 35p each time you top up with cash).

UW do offer a double-the difference cash back scheme - but this is paid at the end of 12 months usage, and I am wary of the small print that often accompanies these offers. I would however be very interested to hear from any forum member who has taken advantage of this.

Disadvantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) I prefer to deal with multiple suppliers, as if you have a problem with one, it does not affect your other suppliers.
2) I prefer credit to prepay - I pay off all my credit card bills every month religiously.
3) They are more expensive
4) Some of the charges are difficult to find on the web site (£1 per month for the discount card after month 6 - couldn't see that one anywhere - found out through a customer)

Advantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) All utilities on one bill - convenient
2) Customer service are pretty good (according to a mate who uses them)
3) Double the difference payments (but see my comment above)

So there you have it, my feedback based purely on numbers and research for my own circumstance. You may have different results for your own situation and opinions, but my advice is....
1) Do the maths !
and
2) Fully interpret the benefits from every supplier to your own buying habits.

HappyMJ

rsitch wrote: »

UW do offer a double-the difference cash back scheme - but this is paid at the end of 12 months usage, and I am wary of the small print that often accompanies these offers. I would however be very interested to hear from any forum member who has taken advantage of this.

I was looking to take advantage of this. As has been said many times UW can be up to 25% more expensive than the cheapest possible online deals (in your case 4.2% more expensive) and double the difference refund would be quite a big saving but....the fine print does not allow me to take advantage.

Condition 5b - for the avoidance of doubt, online tariffs are not considered to be Standard Tariffs for the purpose of this Price Promise.

oldharryrocks

HappyMJ wrote: »

Condition 5b - for the avoidance of doubt, online tariffs are not considered to be Standard Tariffs for the purpose of this Price Promise.

Not only Online,also Fixed, Capped, Prepayment, or any other non-standard or promotional tariff with their current supplier(s).


https://www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/home/Benefits/Double_the_Difference.taf

Meeper

rsitch wrote: »

Having read loads on various websites about the UW, and being a keen money saver myself, I spent an arduous couple of hours last night comparing the the UW offer against that of the best utility deals being offered at the moment from other various suppliers energyhelpline and moneysavingexpert] for comparison detail)

Therefore the following results relate to my own personal circumstances within a 4 bedroomed bungalow, where internet usage is heavy and needs to be fast (20 mb + speed). Mobile usage is moderate, and utility consumption is higher than the average.
I obviously cannot comment on how my results will compare to other peoples, but it is worth the time to work it all out.

Essentially if I bought all my gas, electric, broadband/landline and one mobile from the UW , I would be spending £2018 pa in total (this includes a monthly club membership of £1.50, £10 for the discount card purchase, and excludes any cash-back benefits from using the card - see more below). UW were more expensive on gas, electric, and broadband/home phone bundle. Mobile was about the same.

If I bought all my utilities from the suppliers offering the best deals at the current moment, my annual cost would be £1803 - a difference of £215 cheaper than the UW.

By analysing the benefit of using the discount card, I calculated that the benefit to me may cover the £215 difference - but probably not. The reason was that whilst 3% at Asda and Sainsburys would probably be well used for our weekly food and petrol shop, the other retailers paying 5% are more expensive places to buy from anyway. For example, whilst Halfords and Argos are handy places to shop, they are rarely the cheapest if you use online comparison sites.
Also, my credit card gives me 1% cash back anyway, so that negates some of the benefit. It also allows me credit, whereas the UW card is a pre-pay (where you pay 35p each time you top up with cash).

UW do offer a double-the difference cash back scheme - but this is paid at the end of 12 months usage, and I am wary of the small print that often accompanies these offers. I would however be very interested to hear from any forum member who has taken advantage of this.

Disadvantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) I prefer to deal with multiple suppliers, as if you have a problem with one, it does not affect your other suppliers.
2) I prefer credit to prepay - I pay off all my credit card bills every month religiously.
3) They are more expensive
4) Some of the charges are difficult to find on the web site (£1 per month for the discount card after month 6 - couldn't see that one anywhere - found out through a customer)

Advantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) All utilities on one bill - convenient
2) Customer service are pretty good (according to a mate who uses them)
3) Double the difference payments (but see my comment above)

So there you have it, my feedback based purely on numbers and research for my own circumstance. You may have different results for your own situation and opinions, but my advice is....
1) Do the maths !
and
2) Fully interpret the benefits from every supplier to your own buying habits.

Good post. As has always been maintained - it's not right for everyone, but it is in a lot of cases.

For the record, you didn't mention the 10% rebate after 12 months on your energy bills as a potential saving there.

Also, you mention the shopping - using online comparison sites and doing a load more work rather than going to a cashback card partner store. I wonder - is this Quentin's definition of a "busy fool"? Seems like a lot more work to me. Then again, he had nothing to back up his use of the word "risky", so I guess "busy fool" will have to be placed on the shelf right next to it under the heading "pointless buzzwords designed to mislead".

Quentin

Meeper wrote: »

he had nothing to back up his use of the word "risky"......

You know that it was not me who first pointed out the card carries risks but the UW itself.

There is of course back up regarding this, from the UW itself (though their reps here deny it, and never accept the card carries risks)

The UW ts + cs for the card point out it does carry risks and makes members agree they understand accept them in the opening paragraph of the card conditions:

By activating your Card you accept these Terms and Conditions and confirm you understand and accept the risks highlighted in clauses 2(b) and 18(d) of this Agreement.

https://www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/home/Misc/tacs/Utility%20Warehouse%20prepaid%20MasterCard%20Ts%20and%20Cs.pdf

Quentin

HappyMJ wrote: »

....the fine print does not allow me to take advantage.

Condition 5b - for the avoidance of doubt, online tariffs are not considered to be Standard Tariffs for the purpose of this Price Promise.

This double the difference promise has all the trademarks of the worthless guarantee. Just a marketing tool. No-one will be able to benefit from it thanks to the "clever" ts + cs.

eg. They will only compare against your former supplier - so who would go to the extra expense (not included in the "promise") of having to pay their club membership fee each month AND leave their previous cheaper supplier (as well as have to take 3 more services from them), all for at least 12 months!

Though we have seen the way that UW reps will use the "double the difference" catchphrase when selling the UW. Note the blase way Meeper (UW rep) happily misinforms us on how it works:

Meeper wrote: »

For customers taking 4 services or more from us, they qualify for our Unique Price Promise, which is as above. If they are able to find standard gas, standard electricity or standard dual fuel from any other supplier, they will get double the difference back.

MillicentBystander

rsitch wrote: »

Having read loads on various websites about the UW, and being a keen money saver myself, I spent an arduous couple of hours last night comparing the the UW offer against that of the best utility deals being offered at the moment from other various suppliers energyhelpline and moneysavingexpert] for comparison detail)

Therefore the following results relate to my own personal circumstances within a 4 bedroomed bungalow, where internet usage is heavy and needs to be fast (20 mb + speed). Mobile usage is moderate, and utility consumption is higher than the average.
I obviously cannot comment on how my results will compare to other peoples, but it is worth the time to work it all out.

Essentially if I bought all my gas, electric, broadband/landline and one mobile from the UW , I would be spending £2018 pa in total (this includes a monthly club membership of £1.50, £10 for the discount card purchase, and excludes any cash-back benefits from using the card - see more below). UW were more expensive on gas, electric, and broadband/home phone bundle. Mobile was about the same.

If I bought all my utilities from the suppliers offering the best deals at the current moment, my annual cost would be £1803 - a difference of £215 cheaper than the UW.

By analysing the benefit of using the discount card, I calculated that the benefit to me may cover the £215 difference - but probably not. The reason was that whilst 3% at Asda and Sainsburys would probably be well used for our weekly food and petrol shop, the other retailers paying 5% are more expensive places to buy from anyway. For example, whilst Halfords and Argos are handy places to shop, they are rarely the cheapest if you use online comparison sites.
Also, my credit card gives me 1% cash back anyway, so that negates some of the benefit. It also allows me credit, whereas the UW card is a pre-pay (where you pay 35p each time you top up with cash).

UW do offer a double-the difference cash back scheme - but this is paid at the end of 12 months usage, and I am wary of the small print that often accompanies these offers. I would however be very interested to hear from any forum member who has taken advantage of this.

Disadvantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) I prefer to deal with multiple suppliers, as if you have a problem with one, it does not affect your other suppliers.
2) I prefer credit to prepay - I pay off all my credit card bills every month religiously.
3) They are more expensive
4) Some of the charges are difficult to find on the web site (£1 per month for the discount card after month 6 - couldn't see that one anywhere - found out through a customer)

Advantages with soley dealing with UW - my opinion
1) All utilities on one bill - convenient
2) Customer service are pretty good (according to a mate who uses them)
3) Double the difference payments (but see my comment above)

So there you have it, my feedback based purely on numbers and research for my own circumstance. You may have different results for your own situation and opinions, but my advice is....
1) Do the maths !
and
2) Fully interpret the benefits from every supplier to your own buying habits.

Nice post and well researched. Just a couple of things you seem to have missed, though. As Meeper said, are you including the 10% rebate on gas and electricity in the first year? And are you really comparing like for like? For instance, exit fees/minimum contracts etc? AFAIK neither the phone/broadband deals have a minmum term contract attached (many others now have a mimimum term of up to 18 months). Similarly the gas and electric have no exit fees (though i accept you would lose the 10% annual discount that you didn't seem to be taking into account anyway ) If the mobile you talk about is the new SIM only deal, then that is just a 30 day rolling contract (you will struggle to beat this anywhere else even if you commit for 12 months).

PS I don't personally take UWs gas and electric (although I may be adding gas to qualify for 24/7 landline calls as there's not much in it for me compared to the absolute cheapest gas deal out there. the UW electricity is out of the question for us on our consumption). I have broadcall (phone and BB) and £10/mth mobile SIM (x2) so at the moment get included calls evenings and weekends. I then use the cashback card to reduce this by approx half each month (coming up to Xmas this may reduce to a minus figure). Now, can Quentin justifiably call ME a busy fool? he obviously never divulges his own choices for fear of getting the treatment he dishes out but I can tell you this - he's paying more for his phone/broadband/mobile than i am per month. Who's the busy fool of the 2 of us?

PS the customer service is in my experience (extensive, sadly, including the dreaded foreign call centres) is simply incomparable. And people who say CS is not important, price is really should sign up to EDF and come back in a month or two and see if they've changed their mind :eek:

Meeper

So, wait a minute MBS - are you telling me that your bill for phone, broadband and two mobiles might be zero for December? If that's the definition of being a "busy fool", then I'll happily take that label. If being foolish is getting your services for free, call me an idiot all day long!

Cardew

Meeper wrote: »

call me an idiot all day long!

At times you qualify!

Especially when you and the multi-named troll(MNT) attempt to set up a Laurel and Hardy double act! – “Really Stanley – you do surprise me that UW are so good” French and Saunders must be green with envy at being upstaged!

The MNT(in his various guises) when not praising UW to the hilt, makes valid points criticising the confusion marketing that is rife in the Energy market. Indeed the purported ‘simple’ tariff structure of UW is often put forward by UW salesmen as a great advantage.

So I suggest you re-read the post of MNT, that you think is of great merit, for a study in complexity. Doubtless another contributor to this forum could point out all the inconsistencies, ‘small print’ and restrictions that make the various offers on tariff and the much vaunted card a lot less attractive. However I won’t name him lest we be accused of a double act.;)

The understandable emphasis in future is to simplify tariffs. So let us start with a nice simple example of gas and electricity prices that the layman can understand.
Gas and Electricity for UK average annual consumption of 16,500kWh gas and 3,300kW electricity – Midlands region. Figures from EnergyHelpline.
The cheapest tariff costs £1,034.
UW - in 65th position – costs £1,210 and has this explanation of the tariff:

There are a number of non-standard pricing arrangements with Utility Warehouse tariffs which you should be aware of:
1. For the application process you will be charged £10 which will be netted off your first bill

2. The dual fuel discount is only paid at the end of each year and is subject to a clawback if you leave within the next 3 months.

3. You will be charged an annual membership fee of about £18 per year to use their services (included in the projected spend on the results table) .

4. All standing charges are charged monthly upfront and then unit rates are charged monthly in arrears - most suppliers charge for all things monthly or quarterly in arrears.

Customers signing up to this tariff will receive paperless billing, however for an extra charge of £12 a year there is an option to receive a regular paper bill instead (not included in your savings figures).

So UW costs £176 more than the cheapest tariff – that is 17.02%

Perhaps that information will help toward simplifying tariffs!

Meeper

After the first 12 months you get 10% of your energy spend back, therefore £1210 - £121 = £1089, which is only £55 per year more than your "cheapest" tariff listed. Then take off the savings able to be made with the cashback card, good cheap phone & broadband and super-cheap mobiles, and actually, you'll find that there are big savings to be made.

So, please take your sensationalist 17.02% (not 17%, oh no! This is 17.02%!!!),take a leaf out of your buddy Q's book and look at the T&C's (not that he bothers, because he regularly posts items from a UW distributor-only website when the T&C's of that expressly forbid such reproduction).

Are you trying to tell me that UW's dual fuel energy in that region being £55 (5.32% more (omg!!)) is a horrendous deal and won't save people money?