Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

1carminestocky

Premier wrote: »

Utility Warehouse.

Some UW distributor phoned up thinking he could advertise his wares. Explained how there was this company that offered gas, electricity, etc at a guaranteed saving. Apparently he had signed up and was so pleased with the savings he'd achieved.

So the killer question from James Max:

"So how much exactly were the savings you achieved that they guarantee?"

Response:

"Um,... er,... well,...you see it's not quite that simple. There are lots of different discounts. But really the best thing is that I now sell the product to others and then I really earn lots of extra money as I earn a percentage of what the customers I've signed up are billed for their gas, electricity, etc. I can give you the website which explains it all"

At which point James Max cut him off and suggested the caller just emailed the details to him so he could check it out rather than allow LBC become the media on which this distributor could spam his wares.

A pity Nick Ferrarri wasn't so smart when a UW distributor (perhaps the same one?) phoned him up.

Oh, right, I see (I think). Thanks.

Cardew

rovinia wrote: »

I like Bettyboo am absolutely confused. I expected to get some clear, honest and unbiased opinions when I posted an innocent question earlier.

All very, very confusing.

If you pose some unambiguous questions on this thread, you should get some answers.

As this is the Gas and Electricity forum, I don't think even the most enthusiastic UW salesman will deny that cheaper gas and electricity is available from all the other main Utility companies.

The various tariff structures on all the major Utility companies are difficult enough, however UW raise that confusion to an 'Art form' with club membership fees, addition services required to be taken - telephone, internet etc to get discounts.

However ask the questions!

Bufflowbill

I was talking to the Guy who runs my local Chinese Takeaway . I asked him who he used . He said UW and that he had looked around but even with the £2 a month fee Utility Warehouse evening gas and electricity rates were excellent,and he liked the fact that he was not tied to a contract.

Are their business energy rates generally good ?

PS. He is in the Southern Region.

redarrow_2

UW distributor.

Just to clarify one point, there are no discounts on energy if you take extra services such as telephony or the internet. More free (UK & Intnl) telephone calls are given when a customer takes more services. UW do not give "new customer discounts," however they do pass on cheaper prices to existing customers so new and existing customers pay the same.

I disagree that all other major suppiers are cheaper than UW. There are better internet tariffs but on standard tariffs UW is always there or there abouts. I often speak to reps from the other major suppliers and almost without exception they admit UW are very competitive. No offence to anyone here but I take their opinions as being a far better evaluation than that of the "experts" on this forum.

Bufflowbill said

Are their business energy rates generally good ?
UW business energy has saved many small/medium businesses a lot of money but in general, cannot compete with the rates given to large companies.
Hopefully this helps.

Cardew

redarrow wrote: »

UW distributor.


I disagree that all other major suppiers are cheaper than UW. There are better internet tariffs but on standard tariffs UW is always there or there abouts. I often speak to reps from the other major suppliers and almost without exception they admit UW are very competitive. No offence to anyone here but I take their opinions as being a far better evaluation than that of the "experts" on this forum.

Here we go again. Your post demonstrates exactly what is so irritating about some UW posters.

I chose my words very carefully and stated:

that cheaper gas and electricity is available from all the other main Utility companies.

We are not talking about opinions - we are talking about facts!

It might suit your purpose to use standard tariffs as the basis of comparison, but what I stated was competely accurate - not an opinion.

I can understand that as a UW rep you might not want to use internet tariffs in any comparison but they are available.

Even on your guarantee to compete with BG's very expensive standard tariff you excude the UW monthly membership fee and exclude from consideration any of the Dual fuel and Direct Debit discounts.

So whether you agree, or not, is is an undeniable fact:

that cheaper gas and electricity is available from all the other main Utility companies.

As a test I entered the average consumption for UK of 20,500kWh gas and 3,300kWh electricity for my post code in a couple of comparison websites.

The cheapest was BG Click 6 which was £193 a year cheaper than UW paying by Direct Debit.

There were approx 50 tariffs cheaper than UW. By no means were these all internet accounts, in fact even BG standard was marginally cheaper on USwitch.

Virtually no tariffs were more expensive than UW if you exclude some fixed/capped tariffs. Although included in the list of cheaper tariffs were some capped and fixed tariffs(albeit if there are reductions in the pipeline that may not be a good idea on a fixed tariff)

So there are some facts, not opinions! Care to make some factual response?

redarrow_2

It might suit your purpose to use standard tariffs as the basis of comparison, but what I stated was competely accurate - not an opinion.

I can understand that as a UW rep you might not want to use internet tariffs in any comparison but they are available.
Cardew, What is your problem here. I admitted that there are cheaper deals out there. UW does not claim to be cheaper than every other tariff.

So there are some facts, not opinions! Care to make some factual response? Facts according to Cardew. Fact! Comparisons are based upon standard domestic usage for low, medium & high users. "Comparisons do not include club membership, duel fuel discounts or online tariffs."

Fact! Prices are constantly changing. At times UW are cheaper than the other suppliers, at other times they may be a little more expensive.
If you want to be constantly monitoring prices & changing suppliers to always have the cheapest energy then that is your right. However, since it takes about 6 weeks to change, that is not an easy thing to do.

Most people "have a life" and don't have the time for all that, so for many, a multi service company providing a good all round package, receiving one bill & dealing with one customer svce dept is just what they want. (B4 anyone jumps in accusing me of underhand advertising, that is not my intention here. However, as certain forum members are constantly banging on about what we don't do then I think it only right to bang on about what we do do).

If some people want to buy their gas from BG and their leckie from their local electricity supplier & have their telephone with BT then "good luck to them." Each to his own
UW distributor

Cardew

If people have a 'life' and cannot be bothered to constantly monitor prices, then why on earth would they change and then stick with one of the most expensive tariffs - namely UW.

Why would they not just stick in the first place with one of the internet tariffs who are always cheaper than UW?

In your last post you said you didn't agree the other suppliers were cheaper than UW; now it apparently doesn't matter that UW are more expensive.

I simply made a factual statement for the benefit of the confused poster. You were the one that tried to obfuscate by, in effect, saying the UW prices were roughly equal to the most expensive tariffs available from the other companies.

Fact - again:

cheaper gas and electricity is available from all the other main Utility companies

UW simply do not compete on price for gas and electricity!

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

If people have a 'life' and cannot be bothered to constantly monitor prices, then why on earth would they change and then stick with one of the most expensive tariffs - namely UW.

Why would they not just stick in the first place with one of the internet tariffs who are always cheaper than UW?

In your last post you said you didn't agree the other suppliers were cheaper than UW; now it apparently doesn't matter that UW are more expensive.

I simply made a factual statement for the benefit of the confused poster. You were the one that tried to obfuscate by, in effect, saying the UW prices were roughly equal to the most expensive tariffs available from the other companies.

Fact - again:

cheaper gas and electricity is available from all the other main Utility companies

UW simply do not compete on price for gas and electricity!

You really are such a prat! :rotfl:

BG Click Energy 1 cheaper than UW? Check it out, matey!

BG Click Energy 2 cheaper than UW? Check it out!

BG Click Energy 3 cheaper than UW? Check it out!

BG Click Energy 4 cheaper than UW? Check it out!

I realise you are currently looking for a recipient of your anger at losing so much money on your 'sure fire' banking shares, but why not try a more deserving case?? Or failing that, go away and bore your friend instead..

redarrow_2

If people have a 'life' and cannot be bothered to constantly monitor prices, then why on earth would they change and then stick with one of the most expensive tariffs - namely UW. Pay attention Cardew, I said

so for many, a multi service company providing a good all round package, receiving one bill & dealing with one customer svce dept is just what they want. I would say that is one very good reason.

You further quoted "In your last post you said you didn't agree the other suppliers were cheaper than UW; now it apparently doesn't matter that UW are more expensive." What I actually said was

I disagree that all other major suppiers are cheaper than UW. I also said that "with prices constantly changing, sometime UW are cheaper,at times they may be a little more expensive" Also, I never suggested it didn't matter that UW are more expensive.

You were the one that tried to obfuscate by, in effect, saying the UW prices were roughly equal to the most expensive tariffs available from the other companies. I never said UW prices were equal to the most expensive tariffs available. UW prices generally move in line with the cheaper 1 or 2 companies (exc those tariffs mentioned previously). So to repeat myself again in case you missed it. sometimes a little cheaper than the rest and sometimes a little more than the cheaper one or two companies.

I still get the impression you have a very low opinion of UW and its distributors and that you think most of them are stupid, ignorant and dishonest. Then again, perhaps you are simply misunderstood by all around you.

espresso

redarrow wrote: »

I still get the impression you have a very low opinion of UW and its distributors and that you think most of them are stupid, ignorant and dishonest.

Well as that is your seventh successive post where you have been unable to quote other posters properly, I certainly get the impression that you must be stupid, ignorant and dishonest as well, because UW are simply not competitive for gas and electricity supply. Check the comparison sites for yourself, if you can manage to do that.

:rolleyes: