Utilitas standing charge scam,

Bendo

It's hardly hidden. What research did you do?

MultiFuelBurner

la531983 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

I would suggest there was an element of doorstep miss sold but it seems the OP is still within the time period to cancel.

What is more concerning us these people knocking on I'll informed or elderly doorsteps.

The whole practice should be illegal imo.

Reading the OP and I don't get that impression at all. The lady did him a quote, told him he would only be saving 6p a year, but they he decided for some reason that must be wrong and he would actually be saving 30/40 quid a month and went ahead anyway.
He missold it to himself, nobody else did.

I still don't think he should bail from it, especially if he thinks he can have days where he uses less than 2kwH. 

I disagree I detest doorstep sellers.

In my experience they will say almost anything for their commission and that's from real life experience and why we have the no cold calling sign up now.

You have stated your position twice now (three times now I see you again below smh), just accept opposing views and my responses are to the OP not to yourself. This is why I have ignored you until now as only the OP knows what was said on.the doorstep and maybe reading the responses they will update us👍

la531983

Well maybe he can tell us how he made the leap from being told he would only save 6p per year to saving 30 or 40 pounds a month, I agree. 

Scot_39

I am not convinced the OP interpreted the data as presented correctly.

Jumping to the conclusion he was miss sold by sales person is just an assumption.

6p  is 6p, not £1 per day, £30pm or £360.

Why the OP switched on that - the 6p savings - basis from a supplier they were happy with ???.

And that after a weekend of "research" - so not exactly spot pressure on the day - seems to also refute a truly aggressive sales visit. (They normally don't leave without a signed deal).

I have seen - albeit rarely - posters here quote their rates from Utilita. Many would soon work out exactly what was going on with initial unit rates to make up for the absence of standing charges.

I am however even a bit curious re the assumptions behind even the  estimated 6p saving.  As that would involve an assumption of not paying the 2 unit SC equivalent on a number of days to offset tge other premiums.

And from the OP, seems not even sure what the unit rates at SP were.  Which is hardly an encouraging start point to anyone looking into a tariff swap - let alone a more complex one such as this deal.

The OP thought the deal was one thing, in reality clearly another.

Fixating on the absence of a line stating standing charge = 54p or 30p etc - and concluding that must mean c£30pm / £360pa - in face of the 6p total ? annual saving.

I wasn't there - but if they have a record of that quote - the OP has little or no chance of contesting it.

The OP is clearly now not happy, has twigged misunderstood deal and planning on cancelling within cancellation  period.

And clearly still not out of their misguided thought process

it "must" be a £1 per day - whats the point if only makes savings on only "very few days" per year etc

Despite several examples offered where it is possible to save not for just for a few days but for months per year in some cases.

And should perhaps simply chalk this one up to experience.

And a reminder to be better informed - or seek the help of others - before making a similar *potential* mistake in future.


* - and I still say potential mistake.
Without knowing the OPs ability to benefit from the deal  - what heat, hw and even cooking kit they have and how they use it day in and out - and their annual house occupation levels -  it is impossible to know if the no SC deal would have been cheaper than normal SC based SVT or fixes.

mmmmikey

la531983 said:

Well maybe he can tell us how he made the leap from being told he would only save 6p per year to saving 30 or 40 pounds a month, I agree. 

There's clearly some confusion here but to be fair the OP is not the first person to have been confused by the pressure that door to door selling creates.

Let he who is without sin throw the first stone at the greenhouse, as the saying goes.....

Regardless of how the confusion came about, it wouldn't have happened without the unsolicited call and I share @MultiFuelBurner view that it should be banned.

I'm also very much of the view that the OP is doing the right thing by cancelling the agreement (which, for whatever reason, they obviously didn't understand when signing up) and reverting to a more conventional tariff. 

QrizB

Tony1989 said:

Here is are my electric tariffs....
Utilitas Tariff (electric)

• I'm paying 30.01p / kWh/h
• The first 2kW per day I pay 63.42p
• Standing charge £0

Scottish Power Tariff (electric)
(Not 100% I paid this but this is what I found online)

• 28.25p / kW/h
• Price per unit is the same for the 1st kW as last.
• Standing charge 62.22p/day

Which region are you in?

• 30.01p/kWh + 66.89p/day is the current prepay capped tariff for the North Wales and Merseyside region.
• Your Utilita tariff works out as 126.84p for the first two kWh. Two kWh plus s/c in NW&M at the cap works out as 126.91p, which is a fraction of a penny more expensive than your Utilita tariff.
  

Rates for NW&M are due to change to 27.82p/kWh + 69.09p/day from the 1st of October

28.25p/kWh + 62.12p/day is the current capped tariff for the North East region, due to change to 26.14p/kWh + 64.35p/day.

Keu

Tony1989 said:

So I've been with Scottish Power for 8 years and never thought about leaving as they've been very good, I didn't really want a smart meter either because I don't see any benefit to me having one and people who've gotten them have ended up with higher bills somehow.

So I had Utilitas lady knock at my door, I never ever fall for door to door sales as they always feel pushy and scammy but this lady was really nice, explained everything very well to me and answered questions. She explained that I'm paying a standing charge every single day for my gas and electricity even if I don't use it I'm still paying it but if I moved to Utilita I wouldn't be paying ANY standing charge. She did a quote and it turns out I'd save only 6p/year with thier tariff 😂 However if you look at the savings on standing charges 63p/day and whatever for gas it really does add up over the months and years, I was under the impression I'd be saving £30-£40 per month with them. I told her I'll look into it more and to knock back Monday.

I researched the company and they are rated very well. So I switched over, they installed the smart meter and electricity on the 6th and gas will be done in a couple of weeks.

When the electricity was installed, I was 50p in credit, I tried topping up with the card and it wouldn't work so I thought I'll sort it next week I thought. Anyway roughly a week later, my electric is out, £15 in debt, which seemed incredibly quick compared to Scottish Power. The lady over the phone sorted my problem and now it's topped up.

Here is are my electric tariffs....

Utilitas Tariff (electric)

I'm paying 30.01p / kWh/h
The first 2kW per day I pay 63.42p
Standing charge £0

Scottish Power Tariff (electric)
(Not 100% I paid this but this is what I found online)

28.25p / kW/h
Price per unit is the same for the 1st kW as last.
Standing charge 62.22p/day

The sole selling point was that I would NOT be paying a standing charge AT ALL. They are charging me 60p per day still. I know this may seem petty but I don't wanna stick with a company that deceived me like this. I will probably contact and ask them to explain the fee and either waive it or I'll move to another company out of principle.

My mum is with E-ON, so I've got them, Scottish Power and any others anyone can recommend. I wanna stick with pay as you go also.

Thanks.

I considered this for a nanosecond, it seemed to me only any good for Landlord's with empty properties, I did recommend it to the parents of a neighbour who has been sectioned for a while now.

It seems to me that when you compare the price we might make a small mistake in calculating this, I lack the cognitive ability to explain it, but I will try.

The obvious way is to calculate your standing charge which will be £300 odd a year and compare that to what you will pay on the Utilitas tariff.

The natural consideration is to compare the Standing Charge with those first two units on EACH energy.

However it is not that simple, first of all you have to also deduct 2 units of each energy at the the lower price.

For example say you use 6 units of Electricity a day 

Previously one might have paid 6x usage rate plus 1 x standing rate per day

Then with Utilitas one pays 

2x First Usage Rate
4x Second usage rate 

The temptation is to consider the 2x first usage rate as a Standing charge but if you do that you are not considering the fact that you are only billing 4 units instead of 6 units. What matters is the Total paid.

What I am not clear on is whether you get charged the 2 units a day whether you use it or not?

I would use the 2 per day on Electricity but not on Gas.

rp1974

Keu said:
What I am not clear on is whether you get charged the 2 units a day whether you use it or not?

If there isn't any usage there isn't any charge,that's the exact point of this particular tariff,no useage incurs no cost.