Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

janninew

jimexbox wrote: »

If you shop at Sainsbury's (or you want to) and they have a fuel station, the key is to get your hands on a discount card as cheaply as possible, using a UW service that represents good value and you actually need it. I still contend that their energy is far too expensive, so I still question why anyone would choose to have their entire package. Unless they are addicted to the telephone, so require the requisite number to gain the entire free call package. Though how many of UW customers would this encompass?

I would contend the vast majority of folk would be happy with broadcall and the cheapest online energy tarrif.

I don't really agree that the energy is that expensive, the cheapest deal for me according to Uswitch would save me 9.00 per month, hardly a large amount. Plus after reading Cardews thread on Switching sites, i'm alittle dubious to believe there claims! Even if i wasn't getting negative bills at the moment i probably wouldn't switch for 9.00 per month due to the fact i like the 1 easy to understand bill, paying only for my useage and the fantastic customer service!

Decado23

jimexbox wrote: »

I would contend the vast majority of folk would be happy with broadcall and the cheapest online energy tarrif.

oh dear. and we'd been getting on so well..

While it makes sense to assume everybody would want to be on the cheapest tarriff it is an unfortunate fact that at any given time only a small % of people ever are.

There are, unfortunately, many people who have never switched, paying over the odds.

Many people who switched once, didn't see a great deal of benefit and haven't switched since. Still paying over the odds.

Some people who switch once every few years - probably spending at least a year knowing they ought to switch "when they get around to it". Getting better, but still not the cheapest.

A (relatively) few people keeping a close eye on the energy market (via sites like this one or comparison sites) and switch every time they feel it makes sense to do so. Best so far, still not always on the cheapest tarrif as it can take a few weeks to switch (by which time a diferent tarriff may be cheapest).

Still fewer people who, to a certain extent, would consider the tarriffs almost irrelevent as they switch as soon as they can for cashback. These guys would find it hard to always be on the cheapest tarriff as they want to avoid long tie ins and exit fees etc, still the cashback mostly makes up for this.


Now, the last two categories probably won't want UW energy if they are happy chasing the lowest tarriff and switching for cashback (which is precisely why I've mentioned in previous posts that the regulars here aren't really our target market). All the others may potentially prefer UWs modus operandi which, in simple terms would be: UW energy doesn't try to compete with new customer deals. Instead it offers fair pricing generally somewhere south of the middle of the table and a wide range of additional benefits and discounts, available to all their customers.

Now, I can accept that you may prefer keeping a close eye on tarrifs and regularly switching, in which case UW energy would not really be for you.

Can you accept that some people don't like keeping a close eye on tarriffs and switching regularly and therefore may prefer UWs way of doing things?


UW Distributor

1carminestocky

Speaking as a former cashback trouserer, the introduction of the exit fee has made it increasingly difficult to make it entirely worthwhile. The very best tariffs have exit fees these days, annual discounts paid 12 months in arrears or, as we have witnessed on here, in Eon's case a sneaky T&C that means their punters will ALWAYS pay an exit fee when they leave. We had a case in point the other day, when someone started a thread on SP and their offer of £80 for a dual fuel switch. Seemingly on the surface a no-brainer. But delve a little deeper and here's what emerged:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=23945407&postcount=22

Yes, Eon are sneaky with the way they don't grant discount on the final bill. It's a never-ending exit fee by another name. Be careful here. In my (Yorkshire) region the cheapest SP tariff without a cancellation fee* is (get this!) ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX POUNDS more expensive than EDFs Online V5 tariff based on average usage! EDF are giving £60 cash back for a dual fuel switch, btw.

* SP Online (no standing charge).

It since transpires that the cheap EDF tariff's T&C hints at you being charged the expensive standard rate if you switch away before June 2010. So, in effect, an exit fee but not called one. It's a bloody minefield out there. I'm happy where i am at the moment.

Perelandra

1carminestocky wrote: »

It since transpires that the cheap EDF tariff's T&C hints at you being charged the expensive standard rate if you switch away before June 2010. So, in effect, an exit fee but not called one. It's a bloody minefield out there. I'm happy where i am at the moment.

:eek:

So you sign up to one tariff, but if you switch early, they charge you for the whole time that you've been with them, but at the standard rate? So in effect you "catch up" on the tariff differential on your final bill?

Is my understanding of that right, Carmine?

1carminestocky

Perelandra wrote: »

:eek:

So you sign up to one tariff, but if you switch early, they charge you for the whole time that you've been with them, but at the standard rate? So in effect you "catch up" on the tariff differential on your final bill?

Is my understanding of that right, Carmine?

It's very ambiguously worded but that is the worst case scenario, yes. This is clearly an industry that needs a proper regulator. What keeps me on here (on the life of my wife and kids I am not a distributor like some have suggested) is the ridiculously and over the top criticism of UW from people who are only too happy to give their business to the Big 6. Seems to me UW are one of the good guys when it comes to this industry - no exit fees, no cancelling of discount on final bill, no min contract on phone/BB (just £50 to leave within the first 12 months), no subsidised culling of new customers, superb CS and billing etc. By no means the cheapest based on the 'bald' figures on the switching but they give you incentives to make that a complete irrelevance.

Edit: Another entry in my occasional series dedicated to people with the UW cash back and looking for a bargain to buy for maximum effect.

Comet are now offering the Emachines (*cough* Acer in disguise *cough*) EMG720-422G16 for a more than reasonable £299.99. The spec for £300 is really rather impressive:

17" LCD screen
2gb RAM
Pentiun Duo Core T4200 processor
Vista Home Basic
160GB HDD

etc.
We looked at this for my eldest when it was £330 but he felt it was too big for his needs due to the 17" screen so he went for the 15" version and he's made up with it. So maybe check it out in a Comet shop first?

The 3% discount code shown here supposedly ending 31/7/09 is still working so that brings it down to £291! Buy it through topcashback or cashbackkings and there's 3.5% cash back amounting to £10.20 plus of course buy it on the UW card and there's a tasty £14.55 to come off your UW bill. Great deal. 'Net' £265? You'd struggle to get one of those tiny netbooks for that money!

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/541575/EMACHINES-EMG720-422G16/tab/specification

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

Seems to me UW are one of the good guys when it comes to this industry - no exit fees, no cancelling of discount on final bill, no min contract on phone/BB (just £50 to leave within the first 12 months), no subsidised culling of new customers, superb CS and billing etc. By no means the cheapest based on the 'bald' figures on the switching but they give you incentives to make that a complete irrelevance.

Do me a favour, triple guarantee ring any bells. The most useless guarantee in the entire industry. Lets not get to carried away with UW caring sharing image.

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

Do me a favour, triple guarantee ring any bells. The most useless guarantee in the entire industry. Lets not get to carried away with UW caring sharing image.

One of my favourite songs, thanks for the heads up. (Note: NSFW or kids due to bit of bad language).


I know, the Big 6 are paragons of virtue in comparison, aren't they?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1892403

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Cardew has had a much more recent 'pop' at the switching sites. In fact, he even started a thread on it. Seems like he views them as very iffy unless he's commenting on them in this thread. Very strange.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1886895

Carmine, a 2 part question which I suspect you will avoid!

Your latest stance seems to be that Comparison websites results are unreliable. That being the case:

1. Why do you quote their results in great detail to make your points where it suits your purpose?

2. Do you accept that by entering in gas and electricity kWh into every comparison website places that UW is clearly shown to have just about the most expensive gas and electricity in UK?

Cardew

Just in case any newcomer is baffled by the last few pages of contributions from those with a strong vested interest in promoting UW, all you really need to know is that UW have just about the highest gas and electricity prices in UK, and if a a relative/friend tries to tell you otherwise - do not believe them.

If you want confirmation that this is an absolute fact go to any comparison website - see those recommended by Martin on MSE.

If you believe that the all comparison websites will give you an inaccurate result if you enter kWh(the line the UW vested interests are now taking) you can still work it out manually.

janninew

Cardew wrote: »

Just in case any newcomer is baffled by the last few pages of contributions from those with a strong vested interest in promoting UW, all you really need to know is that UW have just about the highest gas and electricity prices in UK, and if a a relative/friend tries to tell you otherwise - do not believe them.

If you want confirmation that this is an absolute fact go to any comparison website - see those recommended by Martin on MSE.

If you believe that the all comparison websites will give you an inaccurate result if you enter kWh(the line the UW vested interests are now taking) you can still work it out manually.

Gosh thats getting rather boring now - can't you think of something else to say? Or do you have this bumph saved on your PC somewhere so you can copy and paste at a later date?

In case any newcomer is wondering, i use UW and didn't have to pay for gas, electric or phone this month due to using my cashback card. If any other company can give me my utilities for free i would like to know who they are! I also have no vested interest in UW, if somebody could find me a way where i can pay less for my utilities i would gladly change tomorrow!

As Cardew has pointed out himself, the comparsion web-site will use any 'legal' means to get you to change supplier, he even started a thread on the subject recently titled - 'More Comparison Network 'tricks'