Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

NigeWick

Cardew wrote: »

Why?

Are you saying it wasn't you who claimed to use approx 90% cheap rate electricity and have gas as well?

Yes. If you care to check back to see the figures I posted earlier in this thread, you will know that you were wrong. This will be the last question of yours I answer until you answer the one I asked you some weeks back.

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

NigeWick

kippen_noedel wrote: »

Yes, sorry NigeWick, it was your associate vinny, not you.

Apology accepted. No worries. It's a pity that Quentin can not manage to do the same when (s)he is proven to be wrong.

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

NigeWick

kippen_noedel wrote: »

Answer this question then
Can you admit that the company you represent is one of the most expensive in the UK and for PAYG customers on average usage Utility Warehouse is THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

No and no. There are other companies that are more expensive. Otherwise we would not get customers as we now have to provide a written estimate of costs. And I have not seen any figures to prove the second to me.

I have certainly seen proof that Utility Warehouse is not the cheapest on bare figures. But I also know that some of the companies offering cheaper prices have tariffs that are dearer the Utility Warehouse. Some time ago Utility Warehouse were offering near the cheapest gas and electricity. They do not need to now as they have the pre payment card to offset the higher charges and this can work for a lot of people. Certain members here keep banging on about how Utility Warehouse independent distributors gull friends and family into accepting high prices. That suggests that my family and friends are idiots. This is totally wrong. My family are like me, out for best value for money and check the numbers. I do not suffer fools gladly and if anything my friends are even more sales resistant than I am. Also, the "make a list of your friends & family and pitch to them because they will be sympathetic" is way out of date and I found it to be totally ineffective when it was an accepted method of customer gathering.

Utility Warehouse is in business to make a profit. The company has found an innovative way for a large proportion of people requiring utilities to pay less than they would with any other company and still charge prices that are higher than some other companies. I pay less and as a customer I am happy. I can earn commission on my customers for as long as they remain customers and this means that they get my best efforts to keep them happy. Shareholders are happy because they get a good dividend on their investment and the company hierarchy are happy because they too are making profits. If nobody was making a profit, there would be no goods and services available.

The bottom line is:- I pay Utility Warehouse less for my utilities than I would to any other supplier or combination of suppliers. I showed my own figures earlier in this very thread. I use the Utility Warehouse pre payment card to good effect. If I can do it, others can too.

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

Quentin

NigeWick wrote: »

Certain members here keep banging on about how Utility Warehouse independent distributors gull friends and family into accepting high prices......

We have seen how the reps are taught to mislead their "warm" (ie friends/family) market by the careful use of things like the worthless guarantee and the risky card (where the reps are taught not to mention the word "sainsbury", but ask their friends how much they spend on "supermarkets and petrol".

You can hear them being trained in this "ethical" way here:

http://www.teamcalls.co.uk/

(This one is dated 18/10/09)

(And if your son tells you the company "guarantees" their prices to be the best, you are likely to believe him!)

Cardew

NigeWick wrote: »

No and no. There are other companies that are more expensive. Otherwise we would not get customers as we now have to provide a written estimate of costs. And I have not seen any figures to prove the second to me.

I have certainly seen proof that Utility Warehouse is not the cheapest on bare figures. But I also know that some of the companies offering cheaper prices have tariffs that are dearer the Utility Warehouse. Some time ago Utility Warehouse were offering near the cheapest gas and electricity. They do not need to now as they have the pre payment card to offset the higher charges and this can work for a lot of people. Certain members here keep banging on about how Utility Warehouse independent distributors gull friends and family into accepting high prices. That suggests that my family and friends are idiots. This is totally wrong. My family are like me, out for best value for money and check the numbers. I do not suffer fools gladly and if anything my friends are even more sales resistant than I am. Also, the "make a list of your friends & family and pitch to them because they will be sympathetic" is way out of date and I found it to be totally ineffective when it was an accepted method of customer gathering.

Utility Warehouse is in business to make a profit. The company has found an innovative way for a large proportion of people requiring utilities to pay less than they would with any other company and still charge prices that are higher than some other companies. I pay less and as a customer I am happy. I can earn commission on my customers for as long as they remain customers and this means that they get my best efforts to keep them happy. Shareholders are happy because they get a good dividend on their investment and the company hierarchy are happy because they too are making profits. If nobody was making a profit, there would be no goods and services available.

The bottom line is:- I pay Utility Warehouse less for my utilities than I would to any other supplier or combination of suppliers. I showed my own figures earlier in this very thread. I use the Utility Warehouse pre payment card to good effect. If I can do it, others can too.

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

You posted your totally unbelievable figures for consumption and they got deleted - care to post them again so everyone can see them?

In reply to your earlier post, on your perennial question about people saving with UW I have answered it many times.

I don’t think there is a person in UK who will get their gas and electricity cheaper with UW than they could elsewhere – but to be generous I will concede that perhaps 0.001% of households might. e.g someone who only lives in their house and uses electricity between 1am and 8am.

IMO the other 99.999% will pay more for their gas and electricity with UW than they would elsewhere.

Importantly the vast majority of UK households will pay hundreds of pounds more for their gas and electricity with UW than the cheapest tariff.

By spending many thousands of pounds in shops that accept the UW cashcard you can offset some or all of those losses.

However if using a cash card is important then there are others to use – Babee for example.
Or just get the UW service that cost the smallest amount extra and get their cashcard.

More importantly you know that the gas and electricity you sell is vastly overpriced and hopefully the new regulations that demand you give a written estimate to potential customers might make that apparent to all but the most trusting or gormless.

Cardew

For the benefit of new readers, and existing UW customers, be advised that:

UW gas and electricity is just about the most expensive in UK and £hundreds more than the cheapest tariff - generally around 30%.

That fact can be confirmed by checking the tariffs in any comparison website or by comparing the tariffs yourself. Use the WHICH comparison website if you wish.

There is no need to listen to either side of the argument on this thread, just confirm the facts with any independent source.

As an example the average UK customer uses 20,500kWh gas and 3,300kWh electricity. In my area(Midlands) that will cost £894 with the cheapest supplier, the cheapest UW tariff is £1,199. That is £305 and 34% more expensive if you are silly enough to have UW as your gas and electricity supplier.

EssexMum_3

NigeWick wrote: »

Some time ago Utility Warehouse were offering near the cheapest gas and electricity. They do not need to now as they have the pre payment card to offset the higher charges and this can work for a lot of people.

That certainly is one way of putting it, however it sums up nicely my reason for switching this year from UW to another supplier. They were simply cheap when I joined, now I would need to actively work at getting savings, by shopping more! No thanks.

Tis almost done, Electricity over and Gas going on 24 Feb and there has been no attempt to encourage me to stay, just a letter of confirmation and a request for meter readings; in fact I wonder if my rep is still active (or even alive). I post this as an update to a previous conversation on this thread. I realise things have moved on considerably since my last visit. Or rather, round in circles.

Just in case I'm being a fool to believe I'm getting a better deal, my usage is Gas 20478 kWh pa Electric 8667 kWh pa precisely. I do not purchase all of my groceries from Sainsbury's. Any expert advice is gratefully received.

Peace!

penrhyn

Where did you switch to? Had a look at your figures and see that there is plenty of opportunity to save up to 27% or £480 ish on what you are currently paying.
Though my maths is a bit dodgy sometimes!!

EssexMum_3

Sainsburys/EDF - I also got a very competitive quote from first:Utility but decided to go for a more straightforward switch as I believe first:Utility's best rate relied on installing a new type of meter. Plus I can get Nectar points with Sainsbury's/EDF.

Cardew

EssexMum wrote: »

That certainly is one way of putting it, however it sums up nicely my reason for switching this year from UW to another supplier. They were simply cheap when I joined, now I would need to actively work at getting savings, by shopping more! No thanks.

Tis almost done, Electricity over and Gas going on 24 Feb and there has been no attempt to encourage me to stay, just a letter of confirmation and a request for meter readings; in fact I wonder if my rep is still active (or even alive). I post this as an update to a previous conversation on this thread. I realise things have moved on considerably since my last visit. Or rather, round in circles.

Just in case I'm being a fool to believe I'm getting a better deal, my usage is Gas 20478 kWh pa Electric 8667 kWh pa precisely. I do not purchase all of my groceries from Sainsbury's. Any expert advice is gratefully received.

Peace!

EssexMum,

Assuming you do live in Essex!

The cheapest tariff for your consumption would be £1,286.

The cheapest UW tariff would cost £1,753

So that is £467 more or 36% more expensive than the cheapest UW tariff.

This is the magnitude of the savings people can make if they move away from UW. Yet we still get posts from UW salesmen desperately trying to fool people into thinking you can actually get a good deal with UW - cos they have their sons and relatives using UW!!

You would need to spend £10,000 a year on the UW card just to recover the extra you spend on UW's extremely high gas and electricity prices.

If you really want a cashcard there are others that give the same discount.