First Utility 18.6% rise.

oldnthrifty

Unbelievable, I think this is a diabolical breakdown of trust for a Utility supplier. I will be leaving First Utility....don't care what they offer me!!

I feel like I have opened another bank acct rather than a utility company.....Trust? (I think its still in the dictionary).

oldnthrifty

Just got off the phone....yes I got through.

Explained that I had joined the V12 as a good deal but did not expect to be automatically placed on a standard expensive deal. Stated that I would be leaving first utility on the changeover date, Manager stated that the system changes it to the standard tariff automatically.

Suggested that the manager reads the MSE forums and articles.

I shall be leaving First Utility "Automatically"

jimbo_the_jetset

How as a customer should I be reading this in the press before I have been informed by the company which I have a contract with.

Already planning my switch

woodhead722

jimbo_the_jetset wrote: »

How as a customer should I be reading this in the press before I have been informed by the company which I have a contract with.

Already planning my switch

I received my notification by email last night.
Don't you usually receive emails e.g. telling you when to submit readings, bill ready etc.?

I'm off too, pity it's been good having the cheapest, and I really like their energy dashboard etc.

Wywth

jimbo_the_jetset wrote: »

How as a customer should I be reading this in the press before I have been informed by the company which I have a contract with.

Already planning my switch

Notifications of price changes by many suppliers are often given in advance to the press under embargo.

When the embargo expires, the press are permitted to publish the press release.
At the same time, many suppliers will also publish the same price change on their own website, and other locations they may use (e.g. press adverts ... but not many pay to advertise nowadays when the press will freely publish the details as part of a press release)

Notifications to customers also commence, either by electronic means or conventional post.

Electronic notifications are often staggered over a period of hours, even days to avoid overloading the internet/mail servers
(The MSE weekly email does not go out to all recipients in one go for a similar reason)

The same may be true with postal notifications,. but even if they were all dispatched the same day, it would be a day or three before recipients receive such notification through their letter box.

So yes, it's all quite normal.
The press are there to keep you informed of the news. If you already know about something, it's no longer news.

stoneman

I haven't received any notification of this. I did receive last night an email saying that for one month only they are upping my DD by £50 to help offset the increased cost of the longer than expected cold spell!

vieyrad

I received my email yesterday and checked their iSave Fixed V8 and it is way down the list of best deals. Signed up to EDF fixed to Feb 2015 as they have no exit penalty so if a better deal is on offer I can switch. They must be confident they will offer the best deal over the next two years which gives me confidence to switch. Pity first utility have upped the price so much as I liked getting a monthly bill and had no problems with them. I never bother to contact the company as they have already given me the best options they have. Also need to move fast to get the best deal as I know to my cost deals are pulled without notice.

wjay152

18.6% does not tell the whole truth . The increase in my electricity unit price is 65% !!!!!! and gas is 5 % . !!!!!! Turpin would have been proud of these thieves. They even asked me to pay a additional one off £35 last month because the 'continuing cold weather was putting my account at risk of underpayment '
The problem with these people is that you cannot have a conversation with them , they simply quote what they said to you last time and the time before if you try to talk to them about anything . They also use a high cost phone line .
I will leave them as soon as possible ie in credit .

Wywth

wjay152 wrote: »

18.6% does not tell the whole truth . The increase in my electricity unit price is 65% !!!!!! and gas is 5 % . !!!!!! Turpin would have been proud of these thieves. They even asked me to pay a additional one off £35 last month because the 'continuing cold weather was putting my account at risk of underpayment '
The problem with these people is that you cannot have a conversation with them , they simply quote what they said to you last time and the time before if you try to talk to them about anything . They also use a high cost phone line .
I will leave them as soon as possible ie in credit .

:huh:

According to their website,
http://www.first-utility.com/contact-us
their phone number is a geographic phone number

zerog

This explains why they topped most of the comparison sites for most of winter. And is also a good indication of why you should never automatically go with the cheapest.