Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

MillicentBystander

Cardew wrote: »

New readers - ignore the bickering, this cannot be disputed:

Anyone contemplating joining UW, or current UW customers, should concentrate on UW prices.

The average UK customer uses 20,500kWh gas and 3,300kWh electricity pa. Using energyhelpline for my area(Midlands) they list 80 tariffs available in order of cost. UW have 3 tariffs and are ranked in 67th, 68th & 78th position.

The cheapest tariff for the above consumption is £944. The cheapest UW tariff costs £1,190. So UW costs £246(26%) more than the cheapest available tariff.

Just a word to the wise - wef 17/1/11 you're going to have to modify this oft-copied and pasted word file to reflect the apparent fact that OFGEM have now decided that the new 'average' gas consumption is actually 16500. Electricity remains unchanged at 3300. HTH.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2938682

Meeper

TwittersPVFC wrote: »

EDF Energy told me exactly how much I'd pay for my gas and electric on their various tariffs when I entered my gas and electric usage for the last 12 months.

UW didn't give me that option and only told me I could save £4 based on my postcode. That of course is a complete lie.

EDF told you how much you would pay on their tariffs? Well, why didn't you say so? That's obviously a comparison tool........ Oh wait.

It only told you that you could save £4? Well, it must be wrong then, beause potentially you coud save 100% of your bills by using a combination of services and cashback card! And now, I'll stop being facetious!

The UW savings calculations could be improved, certainly, to be a little more clear. I will make that recommendation to the website team at HQ.

M.

Cardew

I'd love Cardew and Quentin to provide their yearly usage figures, but somehow think they'd be too embarassed to display them here.

Meeper wrote: »

YOu have no chance of getting those, and even if you did, they would only spin made-up numbers that were doctored to show UW in the worst possible light.

If you care to ask MillicentBystander/carespress/operastar/1carminestocky/a.n.other he will no doubt look up his data and find I have posted my consumption figures several times over the years on MSE.

To save you the trouble, last year I used approx 6,200kWh electric and 40,200kWh gas. We also have a cottage used as an annex that uses very little.

This year I fear my consumption will be considerably higher as we have had an extention built(the servant's wing;))

Again, as the multi-named poster will tell you, I was on (the much missed)BG's fixed until April 2010 tariff on both accounts.

I am now with EON for the main house(on their fixed tariff expiring this summer) and Scottish Power for the cottage.

Using last year's consumption as a guide to price currently available tariffs it would appear that EON are still cheapest at £1,710.

UW are much more competitive than previous years and are only £473(27.6%) more expensive at £2183.

MillicentBystander

Don't forget to time your move away from EON well or, on THAT usage, you could be in a very unwelcome surprise on your final bill.

Edit: what SP tariff are you on for the cottage? I'll see if there's a better deal out there if you like. Just give us the annual consumption and Robert's yer mother's brother.

TwittersPVFC

Meeper wrote: »

EDF told you how much you would pay on their tariffs? Well, why didn't you say so? That's obviously a comparison tool........ Oh wait.

It only told you that you could save £4? Well, it must be wrong then, beause potentially you coud save 100% of your bills by using a combination of services and cashback card! And now, I'll stop being facetious!

The UW savings calculations could be improved, certainly, to be a little more clear. I will make that recommendation to the website team at HQ.

M.

I never said it was a comparison tool on EDF's website.

What I was doing was highlighting that if you go on EDF, you know exactly what you will spend if you don't change your usage (so long as you know your exact usage). It's up to you to see if they are the cheapest by shopping around.

However, UW don't give you that option and claim they could save you £4 a year based on your postcode alone. That is a lie because they are guessing my usage and comparing their prices to the standard prices of the big six but they do not say that.

Their savings tool is very misleading and needs changing. That was my point.

Meeper

Potentially you could save more than 100%!!

But yes, it isn't terribly clear. You could indeed get up the tariffs and work it out for yourself, but you are quite correct that a helpful calculator would be beneficial.

NigeWick

TwittersPVFC wrote: »

EDF Energy told me exactly how much I'd pay for my gas and electric on their various tariffs when I entered my gas and electric usage for the last 12 months.

UW didn't give me that option and only told me I could save £4 based on my postcode. That of course is a complete lie.

Balderdash. Utility Warehouse web site has all the unit costs for all the regions. Comparison sites are just an indication of possible savings, not the be all and end all. They make their money by persuading gullibles like Quentin believe that savings are possible no matter which company one is currently with. Unless one is prepared to check the actual figures, there will be no completely accurate comparison. Most people can't be bothered. In fact most people, as has already been stated, are on the most expensive tariffs because they do not have internet access or are "alright as I am." Every now and again I check my unit costs for electricity & gas and add in phone, broadband etc and my pre payment card spend just to make sure I am still getting the best deal for me in my circumstances. I last had a look when I got my November bill and I am still content with £87 for electricity, gas, two landlines, broadband and two mobiles. But then, I'm not "average" like all the money savers that the detractors claim will never save money by being with Utility Warehouse.

I am an independent partner with Utility Warehouse and the views I express may not be shared by the company.

MillicentBystander

According to this article 60% of households are on standard tariffs. Am I right in saying that's approaching 15 million households?

TwittersPVFC

Sorry Nige but that is nonsense. At least your fellow UW rep had the decency to admit that the website could be clearer. The compare prices tool on the UW warehouse is rubbish and inaccurate, while the unit prices guide doesn't say how to find out which region you are in or what the low, medium and high boundaries are. With my annual usage it took me two minutes to find out what EDFs prices for me were. For UW, I have no idea.

Take this back to your bosses as CONSTRUCTIVE criticism.

MillicentBystander

And tell them to take Asda off the cash back card list as it totally messed up Twitter's post the other night. j/k.