Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

janninew

penrhyn wrote: »

You have the same approach as I do, if only I could convince my daughter!

The electricity meter reads directly in Kilowatt hours, however gas meters either readin hundreds of cubic feet, or cubic metres, this will be marked on the meter.
The gas company will then convert this to kilo watt hours for billing.

To work it out:-

• Multiply your units used by 2.83 to give you the number of cubic metres of gas used. (If you have a new meter measured in cubic metres you do not need to do this).
• Multiply by the temperature and pressure figure (1.02264).
• Multiply by colorific value (39.25)
• Divide by 3.6 to get the number of kilowatt hours (kWh)

Thanks for that info, just not sure now how i find out if i have a new meter?

janninew

Right i have just been back to Uswitch and entered my new correct figures (Thanks Penhyn!) I entered the same figure as previously for electric and entered the approx one given by Penhyn for gas (5221) and the result is now showing as EDF being cheaper by 126.00. BG don't appear in the top 10 at all now?!

1carminestocky

janninew wrote: »

Right Guys,

I've been busy this morning and would appreciate some help/suggestions.
I have dug out all my old UW bills and have (i think!) got my gas and electric figures for the past year. My gas figure is 169kw and my electric is 2513kw. I have entered these figures on Uswitch and the top deal is with BG saving me around 115.00 per year, around 9.00 per month - not a great saving!

Now obviously this isn't taking into account my cashback card. I have recently gotten cards for both my parents to use as they shop/fuel at Sainbugs every week. I spend approx 50.00 on shopping and 40.00 on fuel a week. My Mum and Dad spend approx 110.00 on shopping and 60.00 on fuel a week. So total spend using my card in Sainsbugs of approx 1040.00 per month. I am also going to buy a TV for my younger Brother which will cost approx 129.00 (obviously this isn't an every month expense!) Plus i do quite abit of shopping at Xmas using my card.

Now is there anyway i can get my bill reasonably cheaper with another company? If i could get significant savings i would change company, no hesiatation (would never use Npower though - v bad experience!) It would have to be more than a couple of quid a month though, as i do like how i pay for my gas and elctric (monthly-for my useage only).

If there is anything i have missed off, please ask and i will try to add more information.

Thanks
Janninew

Theres' no way on Earth that another company would be £52 a month cheaper than UW for G&E unless you lived Cardew's lifestyle :rolleyes:. That's what annoys the detractors - for some reason they just can't accept the fact (and it IS a fact) that people like you and I get a fantastic deal by shopping where we do and using the UW card - even though none of them appear to use a cash back card for their shopping. Even if they can't get Quentin's elusive UW-beating cash card (good luck asking for details, folks) there are cards like Amex which grant (albeit nowhere near 5% ongoing) cash back on spend. Which means these people who have the temerity to tell us where to shop and where to get our G&E from don't even walk the walk themselves.

Perelandra

janninew wrote: »

Now is there anyway i can get my bill reasonably cheaper with another company? If i could get significant savings i would change company, no hesiatation (would never use Npower though - v bad experience!) It would have to be more than a couple of quid a month though, as i do like how i pay for my gas and elctric (monthly-for my useage only).

With a monthly spend on your cashback card as high as yours, then you will almost certainly want to have a relationship with UW- as Carmine says.

However, you may be able to save a few bob by switching one of your utilities to another supplier. This way you can still get the full benefit of the cashback card, but you may be able to find a cheaper fuel proposition for either gas or elec from someone else.

You'd lose quite a bit of simplicity this way though (referring back to your reservations above).

1carminestocky

penrhyn wrote: »

Your gas figure seems a bit low, are you sure you are not quoting units?
169 units is around 5221Kwh, which is still pretty low which would cost £191.87 with Equigas.

A dummy postcode would help people as electricity prices vary area by area.

BTW you are currently using N-Power all be it indirectly.

Nice one and I agree. That's the main negative I have with UW - they get their fuel from IMO the very worst of the Big 6. Having said that, the saintly Ebico don't just get their fuel from the supplier that seems to have an annual slot on Watchdog but they also let them do their billing and CS. The energy industry is a worrysome beast even at the best of times...

janninew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Nice one and I agree. That's the main negative I have with UW - they get their fuel from IMO the very worst of the Big 6. Having said that, the saintly Ebico don't just get their fuel from the supplier that seems to have an annual slot on Watchdog but they also let them do their billing and CS. The energy industry is a worrysome beast even at the best of times...

I didn't realise that, so thanks for pointing out Penrhyn. I'm not really bothered who supplies the fuel to be honest, but i use to find Npower bills very comlicated and the customer service was terrible. Luckily i don't have these problems with UW.

keggs

What a proper balanced discussion - refreshing.

If you think you've got a better deal all round Janinenew with the UW then ignore the 'pleas' of the AUWF. They have an agenda other than saving you money I think.

No one from the group appears to have come up with any idea of who else could provide you with just one bill for all your services. That's what attracted me to the UW - nothing else. If I had to pay more (and I don't) for this very useful service then I would.

As for using npower, I agree with Carmine. I too have reservations but provided the company give me good service and what I consider to be value for money (and not what the AUWF think is value for money) then I will continue using them. Being an ID is a extra bonus- it isn't a pre-requisite.

Steve
UW Distributor & Very Happy Customer

mech_2

janninew wrote: »

You did say if you spend alot time on the phone your doing something wrong!

Yes, in moneysaving terms, if you're paying for it. Generally speaking. Especially if you haven't checked out the alternatives.

Has that opinion now changed? As much as i would love to see my family face to face, some of they live around 5 hours drive away, hence why i use the telephone!! And i don't pay anything to call them,

That's the point you still aren't managing to get. You do pay for them. In the form of more expensive electricity and gas.

i very rarely pay anything other than my set landline fee (which i believe is cheaper than BT?) I am happy to be corrected if BT are cheaper, but for bog standard line rental, with no extra's which is all i need, are UW not cheaper than BT?

I never mentioned BT.

The point I was originally trying to make (and which nobody seems interested in) is that if you use Utility Warehouse for telephone and broadband, there's no need to get electricity and gas from them to get the cashback card. Therefore even if one habitually shops at Sainsburys/Argos/etc anyway, any cashback doesn't give you cheaper gas and electricity because you could have got that cashback anyway. The only thing in that instance which offsets the expensive gas and electricity is the inclusive calls, and you would have to spend an awful lot of time on the phone.

The national average utililisation of a UK landline is 11.5 minutes per day and half of that is to mobiles so wouldn't qualify anyway. So either most people don't spend a lot of time on the phone every day, or those that do have found an alternative (internet phone etc).

keggs

Another load of drivel demonstrating a complete lack of understanding about the Utility Warehouse actually is and what it can offer its members.

janninew

mech wrote: »

Yes, in moneysaving terms, if you're paying for it. Generally speaking. Especially if you haven't checked out the alternatives.


That's the point you still aren't managing to get. You do pay for them. In the form of more expensive electricity and gas.

I never mentioned BT.

The point I was originally trying to make (and which nobody seems interested in) is that if you use Utility Warehouse for telephone and broadband, there's no need to get electricity and gas from them to get the cashback card. Therefore even if one habitually shops at Sainsburys/Argos/etc anyway, any cashback doesn't give you cheaper gas and electricity because you could have got that cashback anyway. The only thing in that instance which offsets the expensive gas and electricity is the inclusive calls, and you would have to spend an awful lot of time on the phone.

The national average utililisation of a UK landline is 11.5 minutes per day and half of that is to mobiles so wouldn't qualify anyway. So either most people don't spend a lot of time on the phone every day, or those that do have found an alternative (internet phone etc).

I really have no idea what you are on about - sorry!
Are you saying the average person spends 11.5 mins on the phone per day? I am definatly not average then, i spend well over 2 hours a night on the phone and not to mobiles.
Also why would i use for example BG and pay them when i've had negative bills with UW (so pay nothing!!) I'm really quite confused? I have inputted my information and the cheapest supplier is around 12.00 per month cheaper than UW, but with my spending habits i will receive a discount of approx 50.00 per month on my current UW bills.