Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

jimexbox

AvengerSeawolf wrote: »

I think you've missed Vern's point, especially since you state the 'cheapest available tariff'. In what I consider to be a good, balanced post he concedes that UW are not the cheapest - so there is no need for your 'challenge'.

Eh?

Vern claims that you cannot rely on comparison sites, I say back it up. I can, will he?

NigeWick

jimexbox wrote: »

using Ofgems official standard user definition 20500 kWh gas and 3300 kWh electricity, paying monthly direct debit.

You miss my point once again. There are very few "standard" users. We are all different. As on numerous previous occasions, I am happy to admit that Utility Warehouse may not be for everybody, but, it will be a perfect fit for a lot of people.

As to your earlier question, yes, I do now doubt your veracity.

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

jimexbox

NigeWick wrote: »

As to your earlier question, yes, I do now doubt your veracity

Thank you for being honest. So you can now appreciate why I've not bothered posting my own kWh figures. I could supply any variation I wish, you don't trust me, so anything I post will be treated with suspicion. Although you seem to accept carmines 'one in a billion' requirements as fact, strange.

AvengerSeawolf

jimexbox wrote: »

Eh?

Vern claims that you cannot rely on comparison sites, I say back it up. I can, will he?

Sorry, I meant that he concedes that UW aren't the cheapest, not that 'you can't rely on comparison sites'.

It's better that ID's don't try to discredit comparison sites, clearly a controversial point. I think it's probably better to say that they show price alone and don't reflect the other money saving benefits available to a Club Member.

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

Vern190374,

2 questions if I may.

I assume you are still a UW ID? and How long ago did you become Distributer?

Sticking to the gas and electricity side. I accept that years ago UW were quite competitive and £5 a month extra with UW is perfectly feasible.

Indeed even today many people will not pay much more than £5 a month extra when joining UW.

However I would certainly dispute that you will find today "4 of the companies I compared with were actually more expensive... by a long shot."

Or perhaps you will name them?

1. The average annual UK gas and electricity bill is £1300 and as quoted in the Which report out today, UW are around 20% more expensive than the cheapest. So around £250 is a ball park figure and all of the comparison websites confirm a figure in that region. So £20 a month is more realistic when discussing potential savings.

On fixed line Telephony BT charge £11 line rental and £4.95 for all UK and 0870/0845 Non-geographic numbers 24/7. They also have caller ID and voice mail free.

International calls cost very little these days - if you really make loads of international calls you can get unlimited 24/7 to 40 odd countries for £8 a month. However you would need to be on the phone for several hours each month to justify such an expense.

I have little knowledge of Mobile phone tariffs, but during discussions on that subject, IIRC even UW IDs were of of the opinion that UW's mobile deals were pretty poor - perhaps others can comment? If you are to save a 'hell of a lot' on PAYG surely a contract becomes an option.

2. No dispute that the cashcard is the jewel in the UW crown.

1. If that figure is true, and given that in my region the 'average' consumer can get their gas and electric for just over £900 per year, this sort of illustrates the point Vern was making - millions of people are paying much more than they would even with UWs 'bare' prices and their continued apathy drives the Big 6s profits. They can effectively leave these apathetic souls alone, safe in the knowledge that their apathy will help fund the company's quest to get to the top of the switching site for a week or so by launching a subsidised web tariff. Effectively subsidised by the apathetics. It's a winner.

2. At least we agree on one point. Nice to see you even acknowledging its existence again. in the absence of Quentin's link, if you look elsewhere for alternative cashcards you realise that the UW card is an absolute monster deal. It even allows me to effectively match the gas and electric prices you would pay on my usage on your 4 and a half year old fixed deal. This is fact. It's happening already. And buying the stuff I would normally buy but substituting one payment card for another. Convoluted, as some people have claimed? Really? Take the BT cashback credit card, for example. Spend money on it and reduce your BT bill (like UWs bare utility prices, BTs prices are by no means the cheapest on the market so a scheme to reduce the cost is welcome indeed). Only problem being the rate of cashback offered is actually 0.8% as opposed to UWs 5%! Granted, it doesn't have the restriction of where to shop that the UW card does, but come on, 625% MORE cashback discount with the UW card! To get my level of discount I get with the UW card on my projected £9,000 annual spend, you would need to spend £48,000 annually with the BT card! :eek:

1carminestocky

Here's an example of how vigilant you need to be if chasing the best deal. In my region (Yorkshire) the very cheapest deal without an exit fee is EDF Online 5 at £969 for average usage (20500/3300). In the small print on energyhelpline, it says this:

EdF Energy's Online 5 tariff guarantees a discount of 2% on their standard prices until at least 31st July 2010, whether their standard prices go up or down.

Excellent. At the moment, yes, because this £969 currently represents a 15% discount on EDFs standard charge of £1134! Can we ascertain from this that this is an introductory rate to lure people in and in line with the T&Cs they signed up to, their annual EDF Online 5 bill could actually rise to £1112? There's nowt in the T&Cs to stop EDF doing this. If they didn't plan to do this, why put it in the T&Cs? An example of the minefield facing the rate tart these days...

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Take the BT cashback credit card, for example. Spend money on it and reduce your BT bill (like UWs bare utility prices, BTs prices are by no means the cheapest on the market so a scheme to reduce the cost is welcome indeed). Only problem being the rate of cashback offered is actually 0.8% as opposed to UWs 5%! Granted, it doesn't have the restriction of where to shop that the UW card does, but come on, 625% MORE cashback discount with the UW card! To get my level of discount I get with the UW card on my projected £9,000 annual spend, you would need to spend £48,000 annually with the BT card! :eek:

Yet more diversionary tactics!

You bring up the BT credit card and then slam it(or who has advocated getting the BT card?)

In any case I suggest you get your facts correct about the BT credit card - as it is not as generous as you claim!;)

1p for every £1.50 spent ain't 0.8% and with a max discount of £75 per year off BT bills spending £48,000 on the card is not a good idea!

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

Here's an example of how vigilant you need to be if chasing the best deal. In my region (Yorkshire) the very cheapest deal without an exit fee is EDF Online 5 at £969 for average usage (20500/3300). In the small print on energyhelpline, it says this:



Excellent. At the moment, yes, because this £969 currently represents a 15% discount on EDFs standard charge of £1134! Can we ascertain from this that this is an introductory rate to lure people in and in line with the T&Cs they signed up to, their annual EDF Online 5 bill could actually rise to £1112? There's nowt in the T&Cs to stop EDF doing this. If they didn't plan to do this, why put it in the T&Cs? An example of the minefield facing the rate tart these days...

Though I've never heard you criticise UW for introducing an even more convoluted exit penalty, never mind having to take 3 services to qualify for the 100 quid discount in the first place.

To qualify for the infamous UW discount you also have to submit 3 readings, miss one and bang goes your discount, plus you have to stay with UW for 12 months. To cap it all its a one off discount, and current customers have shamefully been ignored. Carmine I wish for once you would be consistent.....

forextc

It's amazing really that some people on here make any money at all unless of course they make money from posting on here? :-)

It's all in my first post if anyone cares to reread.

I notice that

1) Not one of the UW bashers has commented on the customer I highlighted who is actually cancelling (and paying the exit fee) from last months best buy dual fuel tariff and stands to be £30 per month better off from joining the Utility Warehouse.

2) Everyone has convenienty overlooked the Fixed Line and Broadband offering of free calls I mentioned. No doubt the detractors will now be frantically be googling to find a cheaper alternative to post and missing the point again.

It's not a perfect world and if it was then there would not be sites like these, as we would all bank with First Direct, have Virgin credit cards, all have capped our fuel rates 4 years ago on a supersave BG tarrrif and the big mobile companies would no longer exist as we would all be using Asda PrePay for our mobile.

The reality is however somewhat different. I don't see why any UW distributor should feel bad about switching a customer across if they can demonstrate a cheaper 'utitility bill' to potential clients (note how I say utility bill in its entirity) even if it is not the absolute cheapest that the client could get by shopping around. It's the way that sales works, be it your Bank, Tesco or the local corner shop. Direct Line don't go on comparison sites and I don't see a board on here of people attacking them.

I think the crux of the matter is that the few on here who keep continually posting on here telling us that UW is not he cheapest fuel supplier (crickey tell me something I don't already know) will always completely miss the point. And if you don't know what that is yet, I'm not going to tell you.

On the question of service, so far everyone introduced has been really impressed with the service on offer from both myself and the company. I have also received great service as a a distributor.They have also been happy on the savings they are making compared to previously.

Well I'm not going to keep posting on here and labouring the point. It's very simple.

Everyone I have signed up is
a) paying less for their ombined utilities than they were previously
b) in some cases paying 'nothing' for their gas or electric or both (you can't get cheaper than that!)
c) is happy with their service
d) can switch to one of the deals that you guys are so keen to point out on here at any time they want (no contract) but I suspect they won't
e) is happy with the service

Anyhow can't stop to argue the toss. I'm off to the gym (yes I'm 34 and don't work 9-5 because I don't have to - not off the back of UW I hasten to add) and then I will no doubt be off to see if I can demonstrate to some more customers where I can reduce their monthly ulitlity bills. If I can help reduce peoples bills that makes me feel great. If I can't then thats fine also. I don't expect to win every battle and will certainly never leave a customer with outgoings higher than they are currently paying. And I feel no worse than anyone else in a sales role if I get a deal, knowing that they could have shaved a few more per cent of their bill. It's called business.

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Here's an example of how vigilant you need to be if chasing the best deal. In my region (Yorkshire) the very cheapest deal without an exit fee is EDF Online 5 at £969 for average usage (20500/3300). In the small print on energyhelpline, it says this:



Excellent. At the moment, yes, because this £969 currently represents a 15% discount on EDFs standard charge of £1134! Can we ascertain from this that this is an introductory rate to lure people in and in line with the T&Cs they signed up to, their annual EDF Online 5 bill could actually rise to £1112? There's nowt in the T&Cs to stop EDF doing this. If they didn't plan to do this, why put it in the T&Cs? An example of the minefield facing the rate tart these days...

That truly is terrible!

Am I correct that UW’s recent £100 introductory discount was greeted by all the UW fans/salesmen, including yourself, with unbridled enthusiasm?

Is that not a one off discount only for new customers and you are then tied to UW for 12 months?