Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

MillicentBystander

Have you seen just how much the shares have shot up since I sold mine a month or so ago? :eek: Sob. Oh well.

PS talking of the ASA, seems like BT are 'at it' as well

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/broadband/374137/asa-bts-broadband-not-unbeatable

Oh, and talktalk

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2012/1/TalkTalk-Telecom-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_171367.aspx

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2012/5/TalkTalk-Telecom-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_181384.aspx

Not forgetting plusnet:

http://asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2011/10/PlusNet-plc/SHP_ADJ_157471.aspx

Oh, and Virgin Media

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/25/virgin-media-broadband-ad-misleading

Bye eck, Sky as well

http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications/2012/2/British-Sky-Broadcasting-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_179447.aspx

clogger123

Apologies if this has been posted before but has anyone been involved with this compnay? I have had the details forwarded regarding becoming a distributor however they are wanting £100 up front fee.

Anyone got any views on this company?

CaptainHaddock_2

clogger123 wrote: »

Anyone got any views on this company?

Oh yes. These two threads have about 12,000 posts between them, and plenty of views expressed. If you do decide to read them, be prepared for lots of vitriol and hyperbole both from the supporters and detractors of UW.

First thread
Second thread (continued)

clogger123

Thanks for that. I will give them a look(maybe)!

natforsyth

The same thing just happened to me. Card refused at Sainsburys. Was definitely topped up. Called UW and was told that it's up to Sainsburys to sort out and that I should take the matter up with their store manager for reimbursement of cashback lost. Really?

They said it is not something UW take responsibility to notify customers about and, you're right, the customer services rep seem completely unconcerned.

Nothing helpful on their site for situations like this. Not impressed.

Did you manage to get any reimbursement in your situation?

[Deleted User]

natforsyth wrote: »

Did you manage to get any reimbursement in your situation?

I donlt think plainsong's in Kansas anymore....

catsstripeypjs

Can anyone please advise me re my problem with Economy 7?

I have lived in my house for 23 years and have had no previous problem with Economy 7. I had a clockwork meter which seemed to switch to E7 overnight, when my storage heaters and water heater would work. 2 months ago I noticed that my water was not heating up overnight and discovered that the clock on my meter had stopped and was stuck on daytime rate.

I rang my electricity company (Utility Warehouse) who eventually sent an engineer out to replace the meter. He installed a digital meter to record the daytime and low rate useage. Since that time the water heater and storage heaters seem to be working at all times of the day and night. I am frantic as this means that I lose the advantage of the Economy 7 rate.

I have phoned Utility Warehouse who say that their meter only records the electricity usage at the various times of the day and does not trigger the storage heaters and water heater to run overnight.

They say that I should have a timer somewhere to control the storage heaters and water heater (I am positive that I don't). Their suggestion is that I get an electrician to instal timers on all of the heaters, or manually switch the heaters on to use E7 overnight and then turn them off again in the morning.

Both of these suggestions seem ludicrous to me! Has Economy 7 changed since my system was installed (it is 25 years old)? Did the old meter somehow activate and deactivate the E7 circuit, whereas the new one keeps it permanently active? Utility Warehouse say that they cannot change the meter type.

Please, please help if you can - I am at my wits end!!!! :mad:

Cardew

There are, and always were, two configurations of Economy 7.

Some properties were wired so only the storage heaters and immersion heater switched to cheap rate for the 7 hours and all other electricity from sockets/lights etc was on daytime rates 24/7.

Most properties now are wired so they have all electricty consumed during the 7 hours off-peak at cheap rate and all at peak rate for the other 17 hours. I have such a system and my house is 24 years old.

It sounds as if you were wired to the first system described above - the 'white meter' was one of those systems - but the Electrician has wired your new meter for the second system(i.e. all electricty for 7 hours on cheap rate)

Provided you have timers on your storage heaters and immersion heater, the second system is much better as you can have appliances(washing machine/dishwasher/dryer etc) progrmmed to come on in the 7 hours; and depending where you live cheap rate is still available early in the morning.

jalexa

catsstripeypjs wrote: »

I have phoned Utility Warehouse who say that their meter only records the electricity usage at the various times of the day and does not trigger the storage heaters and water heater to run overnight.

The idiots have connected your restricted hours consumer unit to the unrestricted feed.

catsstripeypjs

jalexa wrote: »

The idiots have connected your restricted hours consumer unit to the unrestricted feed.

Thanks for that Jalexa. I'm not technical but from what you're saying it sounds like the meter could have been wired in wrongly. Certainly the engineer that visited didn't seem to be much of an expert at the time! I shall write a strongly worded letter to Utility Warehouse, but it's an uphill struggle getting through to them as their automatic assumption is that my equipment is at fault.

Thanks again