Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Talldave

stephhoughton said:

So when I first joined Utility warehouse I was paying £120 for gas and electric. Now I’ve had a smart meter put in they are trying to state I’ve used £383 in one month, I wouldn’t mind if I lived in a mansion but it’s a 4 bed semi detached house with 2 adults 2 children! I’ve left and my daily average is now £3 a day! 

Why did you join Utility Warehouse? It can't be because they were cheaper than your previous supplier.  What were standing charges & unit rates with your previous supplier and what are they with Utility Warehouse? 

Warriorsith

Hello, I just want to know peoples thoughts of UW, I have a friend who is a rep and he seems to do well off it however, I'm not convinced. 
So I need honest opinions please.

Robin9

Have you read the earlier posts ?  Some 3,600

dogshome

Warriorsith -  You are right to be sceptical and as Robnl9 has pointed out this is a massive thread with both Fors & Againsts, but somewhat tainted by contributions from the likes of your friend who "do well off it"

My take is that large wealthy family households with enough spending power to regularly spend money at the stores giving UW discounts it could be a saving, but with UW's energy prices being very much at the high end, it's a total waste of money for the ordinary working family    

AmTheMan87

I have been skeptical about UW in the past and decided recently to sign up and see for myself what it is all about. I took a few services (maybe a few pounds per month saved) and joined as an authorised distributor.

Having read a number of forums and spoken to many people about this in the past, I was unsure what to think - from a customer perspective as well as from a UW partner prospective.

My take on it - yes some people can save (the more services people take, the more discount they receive), that coupled with a cashback card and free LED lightbulbs etc. and can work out a good saving each month, however, that's not for everybody and sometimes, it may work out roughly the same as what you are paying just now, or even a bit more - in such instances, my advice is don't switch!

As you can earn an income (commission and residual income), many partners are what you would deem typical sales people... sell, sell, sell - regardless of the customers situation and whether or not they would benefit from switching. This also leads to numerous negative postings (granted, not all) on forums etc.

Income wise, the more services customers take, the more money you make - there is a payment per services taken and residual income is roughly a couple of pounds usually from each customer and paid monthly However, if customers take a 'full' package (all services). you can earn around 60mths or so commission upfront and some really good money can be made here.

My overall take - yes you can make a second income from UW, however, it should be done right. Yes, go through the services and products with potential customers and compare it against current costs and other options - if there is a saving to be made, and customer benefits from the services etc, yes, it can be good. 

However, don't pressure people into a sale just so you can make a fast buck or two of the sale and sell them something they don't really need or that will cost them more.

Looking at what I knew in the past and what I now know, there seems to have been quite a few changes over the years, from products and services for customers as well as for partners and it does look positive so far - however, only time will tell.

RobM99

The title says it all!   Any experience with them?

dogshome

There are huge threads about UW on this forum - Put UW into the search engine at the top of the page to see.

Keep in mind that whoever is suggesting to you that UW is a good idea, will be making a commission if you sign up

slenderkitten

hi.................

KingL2

I was thinking of jumping on their fixed rate energy tariff before the price-hikes next month, but apparently fixed-rates are only available to people also taking broadband and mobile (which I can't do). 

Just some FYI market information.   There don't seem to be many fixes around.

Nagdevi

I had this problem with Utility Warehouse  too. I'd been with them for ten years on the old meter with no problems. From the day they fitted my smart meter my consumption trebled and I found my storage heating was running day and night. When I told them this they refused to believe me and gaslighted me for two months, telling me not to worry and assuring me everything was fine. After many sleepless nights I sent them pictures of smart meter readings, room thermostats, open windows and whatever I could to show what was happening and they eventually refunded me months later. I then had further problems with them - my day rate had, apparently, quadrupled after the smart meter was fitted but they refused to believe I was not using more electricity, though I'd have needed to be mining bitcoins or running a marijuana farm to use that much. They also cancelled my budget plan and took over £300 out of my account without informing me a month after they established I was a vulnerable person. Eventually I went to the Ombudsman who found against them but could not work out what was happening with the meter so could only order an apology and nominal compensation. I then changed to Octopus who within a week informed me that UW had 'mislabelled' my day and night readings but they'd been charged correctly. I don't really understand that but I am just glad to be shot of UW who surely over three years of complaints should have noticed this themselves. My advice would be to take them to the Ombudsman if they owe you money, and then shift to a new company.