First Utility

Smiling_Ducky

Hello everyone.
Having recently bought our first home, my partner and I are attempting to set up our utilities.
Having compared on all the usual websites, First Utility are coming up by far the cheapest. (Based on house & household as we don't know what kwph we will be using yet)
Has any one had any dealings with this company? (I've never heard of them!)
Thanks in advance
x

HappyMJ

Smiling_Ducky wrote: »

Hello everyone.
Having recently bought our first home, my partner and I are attempting to set up our utilities.
Having compared on all the usual websites, First Utility are coming up by far the cheapest. (Based on house & household as we don't know what kwph we will be using yet)
Has any one had any dealings with this company? (I've never heard of them!)
Thanks in advance
x

Read the fine print. Understand the fine print and think again.

There is a HUGE deferred discount which you will lose if a direct debit fails for ANY reason. So add the deferred discount to the final price it's given you and compare to the second one. Npower SOL will probably be the second one and it also has a deferred discount so keep doing the same to the tariffs in the list until you get the cheapest real tariff unless you can 100% rely on having the money in your bank account and the DD will not fail and you are willing to gamble on a variable contract for 1 year. I wouldn't recommend that on a variable rate. A fixed rate would be OK.

Smiling_Ducky

Thanks for your reply.
Have just been trawling past posts on here and it seems a lot of people have had an absolute night mare with them.
Will probably think again!!

double_dee

I am also considering going with First Utility - but not for their discounts or prices.

I am after one of their Smart Meters for environmental reasons. I'm happy switching as soon as they've installed and pay (what seems to be) a £30 cancellation fee. However, can anyone tell me if First Utility Smart Meters can be used by any other company, or are they exclusive to FU (given some of the comments around the web that seems an appropriate abbreviation!)

HappyMJ

double_dee wrote: »

I am also considering going with First Utility - but not for their discounts or prices.

I am after one of their Smart Meters for environmental reasons. I'm happy switching as soon as they've installed and pay (what seems to be) a £30 cancellation fee. However, can anyone tell me if First Utility Smart Meters can be used by any other company, or are they exclusive to FU (given some of the comments around the web that seems an appropriate abbreviation!)

Smart meters do not save the environment....

All they do is allow the supplier to give you an accurate monthly bill rather than a quarterly bill estimated on annual meter reads.

They allow you to use online tools to see in which 15 minute period of the day you use electricity. Once you have used it a few times you will soon bore of it and ignore it. They have privacy concerns as the data from it can show what time you got up, what time you left home, what time you got home and what time you went to bed.

If you want to save the environment then do an audit of all your electrical equipment and turn it all off.

If you wish to further save the environment then switch to a GREEN tariff in which all the energy is generated from renewable resources.

Don't bother with these tariffs and smart meters.

double_dee

HappyMJ wrote: »

Smart meters do not save the environment....

Of course, I do understand that.But a better awareness of consumption can. The issues you raise on privacy are interesting, i'd like to think that data is encrypted...

macman

There is as yet no agreed technical standard for Smart Meters between the Big Six. So a meter usable by one may well revert to being a dumb meter when you switch to another.

soxxxxy

I switched to First Utility nearly 2 years ago and i have to say i am quite happy with them .After being with them for about a year they contacted me to see if i wanted a smart meter and i accepted.Everything was done as arranged and i can honestly say they are one of the best utility companies i have dealt with.Bills are emailed on time,payments taken on time and discounts rewarded without having to chase them up for it. I originally switched to them when Martin Lewis mentioned that they were one of the cheapest at the time.If you have any questions just give them a ring they have always been helpful when i have rung them.

double_dee

soxxxxy wrote: »

f you have any questions just give them a ring they have always been helpful when i have rung them.

I have tried but they're pretty long queues.

Have you ever tried to switch after having your smart meter? Do the other companies have the facility to use the readings from the smart meter?

macman

Smart meters are not interchangeable.The supplier will probably use it as a 'dumb' meter.