Add your feedback on energy supplier Usio Energy

brewerdave

busybee100 wrote: »

Thanks for all the updates.

I still haven't had any contact from First Utility.

Did Usio have your correct (and in use) email addy? All of my comms. have come via email. Also check your spam filter, the first email from First Utility ended up in the Spam folder!!!

busybee100

Hi brewerdave,

Thanks for suggesting spam, I've checked but still nothing. I got the cancellation of direct debit from Usio so my email address should be ok. I think they are wondering what to do with my tarriff. I was lite 0.1 because we no longer have storage heaters, they took both readings and added them together.

It's good to hear others are in contact with them though.

markipad

Just phoned First Utility to discover which of their many tariffs is similar to the "special" tariff they are using for my forced Switch from Usio.


The advisor suggested I looked at First Smart February 2020, as it seemed fairly similar. The rates were quite alarming to me!


I very much hope that there will be some cheap deals remaining on the comparison sites, come 3rd November, when they assure me that the forced Switch from Usio will complete for me!

brewerdave

markipad wrote: »

I very much hope that there will be some cheap deals remaining on the comparison sites, come 3rd November, when they assure me that the forced Switch from Usio will complete for me!

I've been doing the comparison exercise this morning -still quite a few cheaper than First Utility's "special" deal -best for me (fixed anyway) was One Select -but they might be in financial difficulties - just hoping that the switch is completed this weekend tho' my contact with FU didn't inspire me as the CSA suggested that they were still trying to tie up credit/debit balances with the Usio administrators.:(

markipad

Mail from FU today, requesting my current readings. On confirming with them by Chat, these readings need to be the CURRENT readings (not historic from 19 October), and my supply with them will start tomorrow, (3rd November). Fingers crossed that they are on-track for tomorrow's agreed supply-on date.


It will be interesting to see what I will be charged for the period from 19th October (Usio's official change/demise) and 3rd November, which FU state is the date I'm on with them!!

brewerdave

markipad wrote: »

Mail from FU today, requesting my current readings. On confirming with them by Chat, these readings need to be the CURRENT readings (not historic from 19 October), and my supply with them will start tomorrow, (3rd November). Fingers crossed that they are on-track for tomorrow's agreed supply-on date.


It will be interesting to see what I will be charged for the period from 19th October (Usio's official change/demise) and 3rd November, which FU state is the date I'm on with them!!

I gave them the reading for 19th October some days ago. It appears on the web account meter reading page ,as from 3rd November, but with an explanation:-
"
Thanks for your opening reading!
First Utility will shortly be your new energy supplier! You'll soon be enjoying our great prices, friendly customer service, and innovative features.
If you are not yet on supply with First Utility, the date shown for your opening reading will be for the day your utility supply commences, not the date you entered."


The CSA said that the reading would be used to close account with Usio. What I'm not very clear about, is who is getting the s/charges from 19th October to 3rd November -presumed it was FU.
EDIT - I can't add today's reading anyway despite the email rec'd today!!

beefturnmail

Received an e-mail from FU asking for an electricity reading. As others have said, the e-mail doesn’t specify whether they mean current or backdated to 19th Oct, but I presume the former as the latter would require a time machine (FU don’t know that I took a meter reading on the 19th)…

I guess FU will either take the current reading as the changeover reading from Usio, or try to estimate the changeover reading from the current reading. If the former it’s to my advantage as Usio’s rates were cheaper – if the latter and the estimate is significantly to my disadvantage, I will argue it (I took a photo of the meter read the day Usio went bust).

markipad

beefturnmail wrote: »

Received an e-mail from FU asking for an electricity reading. As others have said, the e-mail doesn’t specify whether they mean current or backdated to 19th Oct, but I presume the former as the latter would require a time machine (FU don’t know that I took a meter reading on the 19th)…

I guess FU will either take the current reading as the changeover reading from Usio, or try to estimate the changeover reading from the current reading. If the former it’s to my advantage as Usio’s rates were cheaper – if the latter and the estimate is significantly to my disadvantage, I will argue it (I took a photo of the meter read the day Usio went bust).

Yes, I took photos too. I had assumed that, from 19th October, we would be on the advised First Utility's Special Tariff, but maybe that is not the case?

brewerdave

Well, the 3rd November has arrived -but the switch from Usio is far from complete - the Western Power database is still listing Usio as my supplier and there is no sign of my outstanding credit with Usio being transferred to FU.

My online FU account is still saying switch is not complete:( -so looks like I'm stuck with them for the immediate future - hope some better tariffs are still around when they finally sort it all out!!

ming60

I've just read these many posts with interest, as I'm in the same process of switching from USIO to First Utility. I'll add my experiences so far, if it helps anyone.
From my 2nd email from FU on 24th Oct, they have given me the tariff as follows -

Electric - SC 11.78p/day, Unit 16.594p per kWh.

Gas - SC 11.64p/day, Unit 3.554p per kWh.

Although different to some postings, this matches with a previous post indicating it's the East Midlands prices. I'm in Loughborough. The rates are a fair bit higher than USIO, so I may be switching at the appropriate time.
Got an email on 30th Oct with details about opening the account, which I completed successfully.

Yesterday I got an email from FU asking for my Electric meter reading. I note from previous questions, and can advise that this is NOT back dated to the 19th Oct. The email quotes - "This should be an up-to-date reading, taken and submitted on the day you receive this email". So I did that, and submitted it successfully. I've so far not had a request for a gas reading.

I will probably do some cost comparisons once the account has been up and running for a few weeks. I know what I use each week, month, and year on year in energy, so I usually switch each year if I can find a cheaper supplier, but I have always switched around April time. From my previous experiences years ago, of switching in the Autumn, even if you go onto a fixed tariff on a monthly Direct Debit that you've worked out will cover the next 12 months energy usage, the supplier always puts your monthly payments up when they re-assess your account after the first 6 months (in Spring), because you're using more energy than the DD will cover. Of course you are, because it's winter, but they don't seem to appreciate that you have worked the payments out over a 12 month period, so in the spring and summer months they will be getting their money back because you're using less energy (had many a heated phone conversation with suppliers to sort this out!). If you switch in the Spring, they re-assess you 6 months later in the Autumn, and find that you are giving them more money than the energy you are using, so they're happy, so no increase in monthly payments! I'll have to wait and see what FU advise me regarding monthly payments. If it's a lot more than USIO, then maybe I'll have to bite the bullet and switch now, and see what happens in the Spring (More heated phone calls?!)