Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

OK so I have checked the rates:

The usual 3,300kWh electric, 20,500kWh gas - payment by DD

Firstly UW will cost £1,223.59

So let us consider people who went on to a BG internet tariff and stayed there and see what they would be paying now.

BG Click 1 = £1,139.84

BG Click 2 = £1,103.86

BG Click 3 = £1,103.86

BG Click 4 = £1,070.55

BG Click 5 = £1,095.32

BG Click 6 = £1,035.53

Websaver1 = £1,038.33

Websaver2 = £1,047.81


So you are completely incorrect when you state that "you will see that the superseded click versions will be much higher priced than the current version."

In fact 2 of the tariffs are actually cheaper than the current Websaver2 and all the other are less than £100 more expensive.

If you consider less than £100 to be "much more expensive" then UW being £175.78p more expensive than BG is 'even more expensive!!!!

The important point to note is that anyone who took any of the 'deals'(as you put it) and remained on that 'deal' will still be paying considerably less than UW.

Any sensible comments?

Do BG have a cashback card?

PS I note you were reading that really old thread I linked to elsewhere but I'm apparenty on your ignore list. Crikey, what a co-incidence. :rolleyes:

SwanJon

Firstly, I am not having a go at UW, I think we've seen that that gets us nowhere.
I am suprised that the new tariffs aren't available to th epublic as if I (or Carmine) signed up now the first price we'd pay would be the new one (doesn't matter so much with prices going down I suppose).
Seccondly, Vinny.

vinnyph wrote: »

Useful information

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Instructions

Step 1:
Avoid derogatory oral statements (libel). Making false statements about someone else to a third party that cause harm to that person's reputation is grounds for a deformation of character suit. Avoid saying anything untrue about anyone else to ensure you don't inadvertently cross the line.

Step 2:
Stay away from derogatory written statements (slander). Just like libel, making false written statements, or slander, against someone else in a way that causes them damage can be grounds for a defamation of character claim.

Excellent, let's have a look for some examples...

vinnyph wrote: »

British Gas, that famous British company owned by well the French/British with Indian customer support and a bit of Canadian thrown in.

Obviously you would thouroughly research this before posting it so you didn't open yourself up to slander. To save me the same rigourous research, who are these French & Canadian owners?
To the best of my knowledge British Gas is wholly owned by Centrica. Centrica is a British Company listed on the British Stock market.
It does have offices overseas, and sells energy under different brands in the US, Canada, Spain, Belgium & the Netherlands. (Small in Europe as not really opened up).

Vinny, just to reiterate, this is not a go at UW, and I don't have a problem with UW. My issue is with some of the methods their distributors use, and in your case, well glass houses?

Cardew

vinnyph wrote: »

actually the price with UW would be £1148.29 = 393.86 + 754.43 for the usage you have stated in seeboard region. Again that is considerably lower than the rates the price comparison site has given for UW. The online rates are not so good then. This is a fairer assessment and a case I always find. The new rates have not been updated for UW but they have for the other companies. The click saving isn't so much then. I also find that the price comparison site will wait until the new change date for the other companies if their prices are going to go up. You may find that the BG click prices go up after april 1st, we will see. With so many different tariffs in the country its difficult to keep up with them all.

I wasn't using Seeboard but Midlands.

However you have(again) evaded the issue. Your post was quite wrong.

The 'Deal', all eight of them, are and always have been, cheaper than UW.

You really are clutching at straws to suggest that BG are going to increase all versions of their internet deal prices next week when they decreased them all last month.

Is it so difficult to admit that UW have some of the most expensive tariffs available?

You have been proved wrong time and again and just won't admit it.

1carminestocky

SwanJon wrote: »

Firstly, I am not having a go at UW, I think we've seen that that gets us nowhere.
I am suprised that the new tariffs aren't available to th epublic as if I (or Carmine) signed up now the first price we'd pay would be the new one (doesn't matter so much with prices going down I suppose).
Seccondly, Vinny.


Excellent, let's have a look for some examples...

Obviously you would thouroughly research this before posting it so you didn't open yourself up to slander. To save me the same rigourous research, who are these French & Canadian owners?
To the best of my knowledge British Gas is wholly owned by Centrica. Centrica is a British Company listed on the British Stock market.
It does have offices overseas, and sells energy under different brands in the US, Canada, Spain, Belgium & the Netherlands. (Small in Europe as not really opened up).

Vinny, just to reiterate, this is not a go at UW, and I don't have a problem with UW. My issue is with some of the methods their distributors use, and in your case, well glass houses?

To be fair, SJ, Centrica (and for that matter, UW) are publicly-listed companies and ANYONE can buy their shares, so it's always entirely possible that major stakeholdings will be in the hands of those from other countries. I suppose the only difference is, by all accounts, the Wigoder family hold a huge tranche of shares in UW and, I believe, they are British born and bred. I would imagine Centrica shares are far more 'liquid' and consequently their ownership demographic would be much more geophraphically diverse. Maybe?

1carminestocky

Perhaps vinny would care to quote my 'challenge' post for Cardew as he pretends to ignore my posts. Would he concede that he can't get me a better deal? Is that too hard for him to admit, I wonder?

PS No proof whatsoever but I always get the impression Cardew shops at Sainsburys, lol...

SwanJon

vinnyph wrote: »

Centrica UK is a british FTSE listed company but where did the company start its operation. I was told it was started elsewhere, as in the parent company was started elsewhere and then bought BG the operations of which was then put in charge by a company called Centrica UK.

Centrica (Not Centrica UK) is a British Company, and always has been.
It was created when British Gas plc (the denationalised company) was split in two.
Centrica was the name give to the UK operations (mainly British Gas), and BG plc took the rest of world operations (and Transco). There used to be a 'family tree' at Britishgas.com, but it seems to have gone.
So, what you were told was incorrect. Everyone is in the same boat - you need to choose who to believe if you don't do any research to answer the question (and probably even then). I know I'm not immune and you can probably find quotes from me where I've been misinformed. Talking about slander & libel (repeatedly) won't help anyone.

Carmine - you're right about the shares, it crossed my mind whilst washing the pots after posting. I don't have a list of shareholders so can't prove anything. Pants.

Plushchris

1carminestocky wrote: »

The new prices are definitely not on their site, PC. The tariff rates I have quoted in my 'challenge' are the *current* (pre-decrease) rates. They don't change, apparently, until 1/4/09 so why would they quote them now?

The same reason the comparison sites have changed their prices for the other suppliers, because by the time you switch to them, you would be paying the prices post 1/4/09

Remember it does take 6 weeks or so to change suppliers, surely you of all people know that, wouldnt you want to know what prices you will be paying before starting a switch?

If it was a price rise that was on the horizon there would be outrage you could start a switch without knowing the prices you will be paying once switched, so why is it ok with a price decrease?

1carminestocky

Plushchris wrote: »

The same reason the comparison sites have changed their prices for the other suppliers, because by the time you switch to them, you would be paying the prices post 1/4/09

Remember it does take 6 weeks or so to change suppliers, surely you of all people know that, wouldnt you want to know what prices you will be paying before starting a switch?

If it was a price rise that was on the horizon there would be outrage you could start a switch without knowing the prices you will be paying once switched, so why is it ok with a price decrease?

I know what you are saying but it would be interesting to discover if the same procedure was followed with the various increases last year. BTW, I genuinely don't know so was only speculatively point-scoring Again, no idea of the answer but have BTs new rates wef 1/4/09 been reflected on the switching sites? Last time I looked, their own site was showing 'current' rates.

Plushchris

1carminestocky wrote: »

I know what you are saying but it would be interesting to discover if the same procedure was followed with the various increases last year. BTW, I genuinely don't know so was only speculatively point-scoring Again, no idea of the answer but have BTs new rates wef 1/4/09 been reflected on the switching sites? Last time I looked, their own site was showing 'current' rates.

Cant speak for the other companies as I didnt check them but I know Scottish Power's price rises appeared on the comparison sites shortly after they were announced and certainly before the day they were increased (I was checking)

SwanJon

It's not interesting, but I'm kinda imeresed in it.
I don't agree that the Click deals were set up only as short term plans - as Cardew has shown, they still represent a better deal than BG's standard deal, and could be desribed as 'competetive'? What has happened is that they have been superseded by better deals. As an employee, fewer tariffs would make my life easier, let alone for customers.
As for the comparison sites, the club membership fee is unique (I think) in the energy industry, and so would need to be treated differently to all other suppliers, but the ones I've seen to mention how it works in the blurb, even if they struggle to deal with it perfectly in the maths.
As for the sites not having UW's upcoming prices, I can only think that is down to UW not releasing them. As I said above, and mentioned by Chris, if I signed up through a comparison site I would be signing up having seen today's prices, but never would be able to pay them. As prices are dropping it's not as big an issue as it could be.