First Utility Concerns

HappyMJ

Dave_save wrote: »

I've had almost 12 months with NPower with no problems at all. I'm looking to switch at end of July and First Utility is coming at the top. However, I notice that their v10 tariff, although marked as 'fixed', is only guaranteeing 'no increase for 3 months'. Their website also is confusing about which tariff they are offering. That looks like an underhand way of attracting customers and I'll probably steer clear.

That's right it's a 3 month fixed price contract but to be eligible for the 13% cash back you must stay for 12 months whatever the price is after 3 months. They may be the most expensive supplier and if you leave 13% of whatever you have spent so far is quite a large amount to lose.

MillicentBystander

Imo annual discounts paid in arrears should not be allowed to be included in the figure shown on the switching sites. I wonder what %tage of punters signing up to them actually realise they will have to remain with that tariff (and not miss a DD) for the full 12 months to see that 'saving'? 0.5%? Yet another sneaky energy supplier tactic.

Dave_save

MillicentBystander wrote: »

Imo annual discounts paid in arrears should not be allowed to be included in the figure shown on the switching sites. I wonder what %tage of punters signing up to them actually realise they will have to remain with that tariff (and not miss a DD) for the full 12 months to see that 'saving'? 0.5%? Yet another sneaky energy supplier tactic.

I'm reasonably ok with the annual discounts being included, but only where the deal is a fixed tariff and runs for the matching annual term. As you state above, First Utility have found a way of elevating themselves to the top of a comparison sites, while offering a deal that could end up being the worse one. It's this kind of underhand business that we were promised action on by OFGEM.