Glide - students please be careful

simsi

Thank you all for the information!!

5alty

The service you get from Glide is one thing, the charges something else. Glide gets its electricity from ecotricity. Comparing Glide vs ecotricity, the unit charge is approx. 15% higher at 16.28 vs 14.29. However, if you compare the standing charge you'll see where Glide get its money 62.32 vs 18.90. That is over 3 times more expensive. If you didn't use any electricity, you'd be charged £226 per year by Glide for having a supply vs £69 with ecotricity. That doesn't strike me as a good deal.

Dobbibill

I think it's a case of 'the lesser of 2 evils'

My DS3 is going to be using Glide in a HMO at uni, he will pay slightly more for the bills but is going to be only liable for his share and not responsible for anyone else, not financially linked on any bills either etc.

My DS1 shared a house and took the role of collecting the bills money from his best friend at the time. When the friend couldn't/wouldn't/didn't pay their share, he still had to keep paying the rent and bills and carried him financially for several months until he could terminate the tenancy. He lost over £1000 and a friend.

As a parent, watching this unfold, was horrible so paying a little more is worth so much more than a few ££s

Jalma

My son agreed to rent a house with a group of his student friends this year. We were a little surprised that the landlord insisted that the tenancy should run from the middle of June, even though they wouldn't be moving in until late September, and wouldn't start paying rent until the beginning of September.

The reason became clear when they moved in. Behind the door were 2 letters from Glide, informing them that Glide are the Gas and Electricity provider to the property and that the new tenants must make contact immediately. This was followed by a threat that debt collectors may visit them otherwise.

It appears that the landlord has switched provider to Glide (presumably there is some commission involved) and that by starting the tenancy in June he has made my son and his friends liable for 3 months standing charge at the extortionate rate of 62.32 pence per day! It could take up to 8 weeks to switch provider by which time Glide will have pocketed more than £90 in standing charges alone.

We'll wait and see how difficult Glide make it to switch away from them.

The lesson here is if you are looking for a house for next year make sure you ask the landlord who the current utility provider is. If it's Glide then walk away. If he claims he doesn't know then he's probably lying so walk away.