Feedback on Utility Point

bubieyehyeh

Janinegenie said:

I have just moved address and Utility Point are trying to charge me £72 exit fees even though I am staying with them!! They say I have to pay them the fees and then they will reimburse me! How ridiculous is that? I can't afford to pay £70 I don't owe alongside my £50 direct debit that I only paid 2 weeks ago. My final bill for my previous property actually put me in credit so they owe ME money! I have never had any utility company make me pay an exit fee when I move house if I am keeping them on as my supplier only to then reimburse me! I will not be paying the fee and I am contacting Look After My Bills to get further advice as they chose them for me as the cheapest provider. My contract actually ends on the 23rd July and I will definitely be leaving them then. Appalled at their treatment of me. Definitely steer clear. 

If your contract ends on 23rd July, you are within last 50days of contract, so there should be no exit fee. Tell that to UP or find a different supplier.

UnclaimedEnergy

Just sounds like they're trying to reduce how much of a refund they need to give you on your old address.

Then add that £72 back as credit on your new address, which they will unlikely let you withdraw because they need a 'buffer' (To keep themselves with enough cash to run at a loss)

UnclaimedEnergy

Annual accounts for Utility Point have been published: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/10610614/filing-history

£7.98 million loss for the year ending 30th June 2019. (However Cash balance increased to £4.5m)

They're also looking to set up a hedging agreement with another company (Shell, BP, statcraft etc.)

This is similar to a hedging agreement which both First Utility and Hudson (Green Star) had with Shell, which saw them squeezed by Shell within 3 years to then be taken over by them.

Stompa

Just downloaded the transcript of an online web chat I had with them. It all seems to be there, but jumbled up so not in the correct order!

Stompa

As an existing UP customer I've just switched to the 'Just Up 20 Summer Renewal' tariff. Surprisingly, it's currently cheaper (for me) than the cheapest deal offered on CEC.

happybagger

Can anyone confirm my reading of the terms for one of their Flexi Online Tracker Wk18 Direct products please? 
I have just had an email telling me my contract is coming to an end, and a renewal invite.
The idea of it being a fixed term was new to me.

I downloaded t&cs in the past, and have just re-read, and I can't see any reference to it being a fixed term. It was Variable rate (hence tracker), no exit fees, and looking at t&c's it's described as a "flexi online package"
An agreement for the supply of gas or electricity or both, in which the charges vary according to the cost of supplying gas or electricity as defined by a formula that forms part of your agreement. Otherwise known as a tracker.

and goes on to say,
3.2 Fixed plans
A Fixed plan is one of our fixed term and/or fixed rate tariffs and the terms for a fixed plan under this agreement shall apply
...
3.5 Flexible plans
A flexible plan is one of our flexible term and/or flexible rate tariffs and the terms for a flexible plan under this agreement shall apply

so it is clearly a Flexible plan, not a Fixed plan

But section 4 states:
4. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF YOUR FIXED PLAN
1. We will send you a "statement of renewal between 42 and 49 days before your fixed plan is due to end, informing you of the options available to you

They have done this even though my plan is not Fixed
There is no suggestion in the terms & conditions that a Flexible plan has an end date.
As far as I was aware I had an open-ended contract with the unit rate set as in the terms "as defined by a formula that forms part of your agreement"  which was a set amount above the wholesale price

The renewal date means I will have been with them 2 yrs and 4 months which seems random.

Has anyone else come across this with a 'Flexi Online Tracker" product, and have any thoughts? I'm obviously keep to stay on the current tariff as it's only at about 8p/kwh (electricty, off-grid for gas)

Thanks

Biscuit_Tin

happybagger said:

Can anyone confirm my reading of the terms for one of their Flexi Online Tracker Wk18 Direct products please? 
I have just had an email telling me my contract is coming to an end, and a renewal invite.
The idea of it being a fixed term was new to me.

I downloaded t&cs in the past, and have just re-read, and I can't see any reference to it being a fixed term. It was Variable rate (hence tracker), no exit fees, and looking at t&c's it's described as a "flexi online package"
An agreement for the supply of gas or electricity or both, in which the charges vary according to the cost of supplying gas or electricity as defined by a formula that forms part of your agreement. Otherwise known as a tracker.

and goes on to say,
3.2 Fixed plans
A Fixed plan is one of our fixed term and/or fixed rate tariffs and the terms for a fixed plan under this agreement shall apply
...
3.5 Flexible plans
A flexible plan is one of our flexible term and/or flexible rate tariffs and the terms for a flexible plan under this agreement shall apply

so it is clearly a Flexible plan, not a Fixed plan

But section 4 states:
4. WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF YOUR FIXED PLAN
1. We will send you a "statement of renewal between 42 and 49 days before your fixed plan is due to end, informing you of the options available to you

They have done this even though my plan is not Fixed
There is no suggestion in the terms & conditions that a Flexible plan has an end date.
As far as I was aware I had an open-ended contract with the unit rate set as in the terms "as defined by a formula that forms part of your agreement"  which was a set amount above the wholesale price

The renewal date means I will have been with them 2 yrs and 4 months which seems random.

Has anyone else come across this with a 'Flexi Online Tracker" product, and have any thoughts? I'm obviously keep to stay on the current tariff as it's only at about 8p/kwh (electricty, off-grid for gas)

Thanks

As you are on a flexible plan, then term 13.6 applies, presumably subject to term 13.3

Stompa

happybagger said:

3.2 Fixed plans
A Fixed plan is one of our fixed term and/or fixed rate tariffs and the terms for a fixed plan under this agreement shall apply
...
3.5 Flexible plans
A flexible plan is one of our flexible term and/or flexible rate tariffs and the terms for a flexible plan under this agreement shall apply

so it is clearly a Flexible plan, not a Fixed plan

But if a plan is both variable rate and fixed term, does that make it a Flexible plan or a Fixed plan (or both)?

What does the 'About your Package' section on page 2 of your bills say? Does it specify 'Package ends on dd/mm/yyyy'?

happybagger

The bill does have a 'package ends on' date, but that wasn't in the terms & conditions of supply,  it's not what I signed up to

HonestJohn

Anybody managed to log into their rewards program recently? I have been trying for a few weeks with no success.