Feedback on Utility Point

Stompa

WBCPB wrote: »

If i am on one of their fixed tariffs now(with exit fees) do i pay these exit fees if i switch to their cheaper fixed tariff before my contract is up?

I suspect so. Fortunately my current tariff has no exit fees.

Windward

I switched to Utility point after looking on Martins Comparisons. They were great until I decided to switch to a cheaper deal after a year or so. At this point customer service disappeared out the window.



They took payments after the switch, had to cancel the DD to stop them and then wouldn't pay our credit back. Months later I have tried email, chat and phone and even though they have promised me the funds the payments have never arrived.



Having to go through the long winded complaints/ombudsman process.

Swipe

It also takes them 3 weeks to refund by cheque. I can't believe they were expecting me to submit my bank details by unsecured email or their chat window supplied by a third party company. It's not like I can call up (on hold for an hour at my own expense) either when they are only open Mon-Fri office hours

puj

I am already with Utility Point and am coming to the end of my fix. I have found the "Just Up 19 Wk49 Direct v2" tariff is currently the cheapest for me.



The Utility Point portal does not give me the option to change to this tariff but instead offers me the "Just UP 19 Winter Renewal" tariff. This is more expensive and is fixed for 18months.



I have emailed UP to make the change but no response. I could put in a new application as a new customer i guess. Anyone else in the same position?

boliston

Swipe wrote: »

It also takes them 3 weeks to refund by cheque. I can't believe they were expecting me to submit my bank details by unsecured email or their chat window supplied by a third party company. It's not like I can call up (on hold for an hour at my own expense) either when they are only open Mon-Fri office hours

Surely they would already have your bank details if you paid by dd?

Swipe

boliston wrote: »

Surely they would already have your bank details if you paid by dd?

It's for the £30 compensation for late final bill credit refund that was awarded after they'd closed my account.

geoffW

puj wrote: »

I am already with Utility Point and am coming to the end of my fix. I have found the "Just Up 19 Wk49 Direct v2" tariff is currently the cheapest for me.



The Utility Point portal does not give me the option to change to this tariff but instead offers me the "Just UP 19 Winter Renewal" tariff. This is more expensive and is fixed for 18months.



I have emailed UP to make the change but no response. I could put in a new application as a new customer i guess. Anyone else in the same position?

Version 3 is now on their website which is slightly cheaper than v2 but for me £30 dearer than Symbio Energy so will probably swop.

barryd999

So its not just me thats had problems leaving Utility point. I left in August and they ended up carrying on taking money and now owe me £67 which they promised to pay within ten days. That was two months ago. Several lengthy calls later still nothing. What can you do?

Swipe

barryd999 wrote: »

So its not just me thats had problems leaving Utility point. I left in August and they ended up carrying on taking money and now owe me £67 which they promised to pay within ten days. That was two months ago. Several lengthy calls later still nothing. What can you do?

For a start, you can get on the chat and tell them they owe you £30 compensation for not meeting the 10 days. Also remind them that if they fail to pay your £30 within 10 working days they will owe you another £30. I managed to get £30 out of these clowns after my refund wasn't paid within 10 working days of my final bill. If you insist on a cheque as I did, as I didn't want to email them or paste my bank details in their unsecure chat, it takes 3 weeks for that to arrive. I couldn't be bothered to press them for the extra £30 I was probably owed.

--Tony--

Take great care.

This company can charge you an additional £30 a year (£15 a fuel) if you fail to provide a meter reading "at least once a month".

The £30 is called an "online discount", however MSE energy club says there is no "online discount", you might wonder how this is possible.

The T&C's reveal they have factored the discount into the tariff and call it an "online discount".

So... forget to provide a monthly meter reading and they can legally increase your tariffs.

I consider it extremely sneaky to hide a discount within the tariff and then set a rule that is very easy to fall foul of.




EDIT.
Interestingly, they have left a huge loophole in their T&C's:

"You will provide meter readings when prompted before you take a supply from us, and at least once a month, using your UP Utility hub only (unless you have a smart meter)."

So, with a smart meter you don't need to supply monthly meter readings.

Then in the FAQ:

Do Utility Point support Smart Meters?
We don’t currently support smart meters, but we will do in the future.

So, the way I read that... if you have a smart meter, it wont function smartly as they don't support smart meters.
But as you have a smart meter the T&C's clearly state you don't need to provide a monthly reading.