utility warehouse

[shining Light]

Another new poster slagging off UW BIG TIME....Hmm.

 

I read many posts on this forum complaining about problems(some very serious) with every telecoms/energy company out there, but that is what most of them are, complaints generally with a request for help to resolve them, and that is the good thing about this forum.

 

What I do find strange is these people who suddenly appear on here making outrageous claims of the problems they have had with the UW, never small problems, always massively bad problems and always followed by comments such as "[problem]" ... "Beware" etc etc.

 

Problems happen, with all companies as we have already agreed, but despite the HUGE, HUGE problems some have apparently had with UW, most (not all) aren't even asking for advice, they are simply "attacking" UW and trying to put others off.

 

I have offered on 3 occasions now to try to help resolve a problem or at least find out what went wrong but......not one "wronged" customer has come back to me???

[rfowler5]

Wow! What a host of interesting posts re: the whole energy supply thing!

 

Some personal observations:

• Maybe UW has the odd issue, but at end of day it is a great 'word of mouth' marketing scheme (not [problem]!) that has given a worthwhile income to about 3000 odd people (10% of their distributor base). They not the cheapest, but it is a convenience not a price based package.
  
• Yes, at the end of the day we all pay for all that marketing spend on the telly etc, by only getting access to tariffs where the margin pays for all this.
  
• The big energy companies like to use the energy comparison sites as they are an extension of their own sales efforts and they pay them not just to find new customers more cheaply than they can direct, but also Keep customes too!
  
• There has been a general trend away from 'big brands', a fact that aided the big comparison sites, though even they are becoming big brands in their own right.
  
• Not all Comparison sites are the same - some deal with only a narrow range of energy suppliers, some have been in trouble with the watchdog for dodgy price calculators which wrongly make their quotes look the cheapest.
  
• The BEST way to get an accurate comparison is NOT to use your spend per month as that is where the most abuse is. If you have got bills going back a good year, use the kilowatt hours measure and you will minimise the error factor
  
• The Green Energy '[problem]'. There are some shockers out there - so called green tariffs that are 80% coal powered - but there are also some good true green ones. I used a small specialist switching site that just happened to have supply contracts with EVERY energy company (including UW). I found the ability to look in detail at each tariff and see the proportion of energy sources it used to be very helpful - I ended up taking a green tariff that was cheaper than my 'normal' supply!
  
• I also bought a 'Boiler Economiser' from them, which is so far saving me a good 20% off my gas consumption, so I am happy!
  
• In case you are wondering - they are ( Edit) Part of my insurance intermediary, whom I have trusted with my personal insurances for many years - seems they offer this service to their existing clients only, though I suspect you could easily sign up even if it means they try and cross sell you other services! At least I am not having to pay for marketing pesky rodents and overweight tenors!
  
• Consumers are increasingly savvy about looking for best deals - though not everyone is price driven. I think more people will look at the companies they choose to do business with. Big is not always beautiful!
  
• I hear that a new service may be launching in 2010 that focuses on the best deals in renewable energy and gives away much of the switching fee to charitable causes. Small, green and ethical. Might just have tapped into the consumer psyche of the decade. I hope they do it as I will certainly give them a go!
  

Edited February 4, 2010 by ukaviator
Commercial link removed

[gr8it]

So far I've been happy with UW. Free calls, no line rental, free international calls saving me a fortune, free 0845 calls too.

 

In addition, with a big family 5% of everything I spend at numerous stores is coming straight off my utility bills. My son referred my daughters and receives an additonal 2% as she took all 4 utilites, my daughter referred me and gets +2% off her bills and I will be expecting to save at least £50 a month off my utilities with the discount card.

 

I get 2% additional discount for everyone I recommend who takes up 4 services from UW. I'm working on that too to get my bills to £0!

[Shropshire Oak]

Oh my God, I never do this type of thing but i have seen far to much nonsence on this site that i have to put my views across.....

 

I do not work for UW in anyway what so ever. I have been a customer with them for just under 12 months now. I have BBand and Electric with them. BBand is excellent value and an excellent service. Electric is a little more expensive than the supplier I was with before. However, I use the UW cashback card every week for buying my shopping, petrol, i use it at Boots, Homebase, and during the build up to Xmas I used it at Argos for all the kids presents. My bill in Jan had a discount of £53.77. My bill with UW was so low they have ended up giving me £7.14 bank in my bank account. FREE BBand and FREE Electric plus £7.14 given back to me.........[problem].......I think not.

 

I think some of you folk need to get out a little more and enjoy life. Well done UW and heres to my next bill !!!!!

[treechocred]

I'd just like to point out that United Utilities and Utility Warehouse are two separate company's. It is not 'United Utilities Warehouse' as Pnuts seems to think. If you are going to make wild accusations, please get the company name right at least.

[Nairyhuts]

[Hi Shropshire,how are you.I,m glad UW seems to work for you,as I have said before I,m sure it does have many benefits for a lot of people.You mention that you have been with UW for just under 12 months which is interesting I sincerely hope your agent advised you correctly and you didnt sign up for the budget plan,otherwise ay tour annual review you could be in for a nasty surprise.I was advised by my agent that due to my relatively low consumption that a buget plan would be "best" for me,unfortunately due to being badly advised after 12months I was hit with a bill for £1200 that BTW i,m still disputing with first credit

 

 

 

I do not work for UW in anyway what so ever. I have been a customer with them for just under 12 months now. I have BBand and Electric with them. BBand is excellent value and an excellent service. Electric is a little more expensive than the supplier I was with before. However, I use the UW cashback card every week for buying my shopping, petrol, i use it at Boots, Homebase, and during the build up to Xmas I used it at Argos for all the kids presents. My bill in Jan had a discount of £53.77. My bill with UW was so low they have ended up giving me £7.14 bank in my bank account. FREE BBand and FREE Electric plus £7.14 given back to me.........[problem].......I think not.

 

I think some of you folk need to get out a little more and enjoy life. Well done UW and heres to my next bill !!!!!

[fishtank6]

Hello,

 

Just wanted to post my experience up here. I joined the utility warehouse not only as a customer but as a distributor, as I thought they offered great products, service etc.

 

Not only were they incredibly rude and dismissive on many occasions when I called them to ask questions about being a distributor (I got the phone hung up on me once as well!) - but now that I have cancelled all my domestic services from them - for 2 properties - they are continuing to take payments and my new supplier, british gas, has said that they are not giving them the info they need to commence switching over the utilities.

 

I cancelled in Mid December. I just had a full price DD go out of my bank to utility warehouse.

 

This is unacceptable, Im sure you will agree.

 

 

Just posting it here so hopefully people will realise what the utility warehouse are up to.

 

Best wishes.

I have had a nightmare with this company, I have moved house 3 times in the past 10 months, however UW are still charging me for the two previous addresses, I have been on to the since last November but they have still charged my for the 2 previous addresses and twice on 2 seperate accounts for the house I am living in. My direct debits come tover £600 per month and we hardly use the phone at home. How many more people are paying extra for old addresses.

 

Imagine they have over 300,000 customers if just 1% are being charged for their old address that is 3000 x lets say just £100 per month, that means the over charge is £300,000 per month, no wonder the directors are driving Bentleys, at that just 1% at £100 per month.... I am paying £600 per month and I would bet my bottom dollar there is more than 1% being ripped off. This [problem] must go into the millions every month, I think it s time that the DTI sent in a forensic accountant to investigate the severity of this [problem]

[loopinlouie]

Another new poster slagging off UW BIG TIME....Hmm.

 

I read many posts on this forum complaining about problems(some very serious) with every telecoms/energy company out there, but that is what most of them are, complaints generally with a request for help to resolve them, and that is the good thing about this forum.

 

What I do find strange is these people who suddenly appear on here making outrageous claims of the problems they have had with the UW, never small problems, always massively bad problems and always followed by comments such as "[problem]" ... "Beware" etc etc.

 

Problems happen, with all companies as we have already agreed, but despite the HUGE, HUGE problems some have apparently had with UW, most (not all) aren't even asking for advice, they are simply "attacking" UW and trying to put others off.

 

I have offered on 3 occasions now to try to help resolve a problem or at least find out what went wrong but......not one "wronged" customer has come back to me???

 

Small problem to supplier, might be large problem for customer. It seems a lot are frustrated with the communication side of things. Change supplier, still charged, new supplier state uw not giving them details needed. I think that a large problem.

 

Small problems wouldnt be on here if they were sorted and utility warehouse is not the only supplier getting feedback and threads:eek:. I dont see too many needing to constantly feel they need to defend all the other companies, but you get commision from them:) They must love you.xx

[fishtank6]

Small problem to supplier, might be large problem for customer. It seems a lot are frustrated with the communication side of things. Change supplier, still charged, new supplier state uw not giving them details needed. I think that a large problem.

 

Small problems wouldnt be on here if they were sorted and utility warehouse is not the only supplier getting feedback and threads:eek:. I dont see too many needing to constantly feel they need to defend all the other companies, but you get commision from them:) They must love you.xx

 

Just did a company search on Telecom Plus Plc and got a list of directors with home addresses, then checked them with directory enquires until I obtained the home number of one of the directors. Phoned him up, he was suprised that I had tracked him down, since that phone call I have been inundated with calls from customer services to attend to my every need, the rude obnoxsious attitude has disappeared and the polite, understanding attitude has developed.

 

I am assured my 7 month nightmare will be sorted by close of play tomorrow, and my account will be credited accordingly.

 

What a difference 1 call makes....

[loopinlouie]

Clever one:D

[andy262000]

I've had an absolute nightmare with utility warehouse, they kept billing me for gas electric and telephone after we had a fire and everytime I called I was told I was on there system and would be credited, I informed them when I had a new meter etc and eight months down the line now I have a bill for in excess of £1000 and after returning to my property someone has gained entry and cut my supply off???

 

How can they do that without me knowing anything about it??

 

I have about £1300 worth of foodstuff which is now useless, I'm so annoyed!!!

[Surfer01]

Only a bailiff with a warrant can enter the property but they woudl have left some form of calling card.

[andy262000]

I was out of town but a friend rang saying someone is trying to break in, they went over whilst on the phone to find out what was going on and the guy said it's nothing to do with them, they passed phone over and he just kept asking me to identify myself so I asked him to identify his self and he said he won't talk to me I could be anyone??, I said ring police to my pal and he said he was executing a warrant and the police know about it, but wouldn't show anything and wouldn't give his name just made way in and cut off supply. Apart from a bill which I was asking to be justified they have just cut my electric supply off without even seeing me or being able to talk to the person that's cut me off??

 

No calling card paperwork or anything??

 

Figures even if you genuinely dispute a bill you will just get cut off!

[Surfer01]

As much as it grinds me to say this, unfortunately the bailifff was acting correctly in not supplying info under the Data Protection Act. However some sort of papework should have been left behind.

[andy262000]

Just seems very poor that it's the road they go down because they think it's the right thing to do, for the last 12months I've been trying with Utility Warehouse to resolve this difference in billing, I've been told I should email or write if there is a problem so that's what I did and I have numerous emails which haven't been replied to so what was the point??

 

I was billed for electric when I had no meter I thought that would be a simple one to sort out.

 

I was sold the package by a representative of UW as the best thing since sliced bread and any problems at all I must contact him!! Where was he when I wanted to sort this problem out, Spain!!! he'd gone to live in spain LOL

 

I speak to UW I get someone that does not know what there talking about and adament I should pay or it goes to debt recovery, how many times do I have to say how can I be billed if I have no meter???? and this just repeats itself until I get cut off!!

 

Trying other providers the first one that talks sense to me gets my business.

 

For many people and like myself if you have no problems with a service it's great but when there are problems that's when the failings of the service provider starts to show but if they was amicable in sorting these problems without all the stress they would still be great or it it because they want the easy money and don't care if we have a problem??

[hjm]

i have experienced very bad customer service and mis-selling from utilitys warehouse that has now made me move my services away from them after 5 years being a loyal customer of theirs! and avan now thay are still trying to charge me £50 termination fees for broadband services!! (after 5 years of being with them!!) Bad Bad Bad - my advice is to stay clear of Utilities Warehouse - they are cowboys!

[shining Light]

"they are still trying to charge me £50 termination fees for broadband services!! (after 5 years of being with them!!)"

 

It doesn't matter how long you have been a customer, if you take a new service you are liable to a charge if you cancel early...just as you would be with any other company.

 

UW do not have a contract for the majority of their services, I would guess you have recently taken their Broadcall (telephony/broadband) package (which wasn't available 5 yrs ago). There is no minimum contract but there is a £50 cancellation fee to cover the "set-up" costs incurred by the company.

[hjm]

Thank you for your comments Shining Light,

However I have had my Broadband & Telephone services with them for over 5 years and was trying to reduce my bill with them - however the customer services opperator changed me from my bundled backage that gave me free calls 24/7 (an old deal) onto broadcall - but not telling me I would only get free calls on week ends (no good to me) and I did make it clear I wanted free calls 24/7 - the result = a bill that is costing me aprox 30% more than before! not actualy saving me money!!! - that is clearly mis-selling!! Then when I have called to try and rectify that The package I actualy need is available, standard broadband / line rental & call package No3 (making it slightly cheeper than my bills before!) after all of that I was still willing to stay with them and move to the servivce I wanted in the first place! BUT they were still looking to charge £50 termination just to transfere services!! to the one I wanted in the first place.

I have no problem being tied into paying £50 - but I do want the correct services and advice first time round!! - It seems that they would prefer to lose me as a customer though!

I still think they are mis-selling, and would not recommend Utilities Warehouse to anyone

[Factory1]

I have had a nightmare with this company, I have moved house 3 times in the past 10 months, however UW are still charging me for the two previous addresses, I have been on to the since last November but they have still charged my for the 2 previous addresses and twice on 2 seperate accounts for the house I am living in. My direct debits come tover £600 per month and we hardly use the phone at home. How many more people are paying extra for old addresses.

 

Imagine they have over 300,000 customers if just 1% are being charged for their old address that is 3000 x lets say just £100 per month, that means the over charge is £300,000 per month, no wonder the directors are driving Bentleys, at that just 1% at £100 per month.... I am paying £600 per month and I would bet my bottom dollar there is more than 1% being ripped off. This [problem] must go into the millions every month, I think it s time that the DTI sent in a forensic accountant to investigate the severity of this [problem]

Cancel the direct debits that aren't applicable to you and then you wont be paying for bills that arent yours. Let them take you to court and explain why they are continuing to bill you for addresses you no longer live at. I dont see the problem. Ring your bank they'll do it for you straight away.

[slc79]

Anyone heard of Money Angels UK? They sound like another company set up like Utility Warehouse.

 

I'm just about to sign a Tenancy Agreement and the Letting Agent sent a letter saying we have to sign an agreement to allow Money Angels to set up our utilities.

 

I have always dealt direct with gas/elec/telephone/broadband providers and see no reason why I should have to agree to these people doing what I am more than capable of doing.

 

Reading other people's problems about poor administration, overpayments, wrong meter readings, etc, I'm not interested in this service.

[Surfer01]

Anyone heard of Money Angels UK? They sound like another company set up like Utility Warehouse.

 

I'm just about to sign a Tenancy Agreement and the Letting Agent sent a letter saying we have to sign an agreement to allow Money Angels to set up our utilities.

 

I have always dealt direct with gas/elec/telephone/broadband providers and see no reason why I should have to agree to these people doing what I am more than capable of doing.

 

Reading other people's problems about poor administration, overpayments, wrong meter readings, etc, I'm not interested in this service.

 

I doubt very much if the letting agency can "force" you to deal with this company and coudl land themselves with a lawsuit if they persist, but that is just my opinion. You may find that the letting agency and the the other company may be connected.

[shining Light]

Money Angels UK have no connection with UW, that isn't to say the owner of Money Angels isn't a distributor for them.

 

I guess a landlord can insist on using a particular company for the energy supply (although probably not telephony/internet), after all, it is their property and they may not want to lose the control of knowing who the supplier is (we have read endless threads here relating to this problem in rented poperties).

 

If a potential tenant doesn't want to abide by the landlords wishes then they don't have to rent that particular property. Some letting agents are given the authority to "organise" the energy supply amongst other things of the poperties they are managing.

[rafmad]

Hi,

I've been with the Utility Warehouse now for nearly two years, first as a customer and just recently as a distributor and I can honestly say that the one thing I have never found them is rude. They answer the phone very promptly,

usually within fifteen seconds and are always polite and often very friendly. Which magazine have given them best buy for Gas, Electricity and telephone/broadband for the past three years and that included their call centre so I find it difficult to understand what some of the forum members are talking about here.

[rafmad]

@Manita 63,

"Hi like most of you Im having trouble with Utility warehouse for my gas and electric and changing over to british gas but oh boy the rudness of Utility and people who can not speak english inccorrect information given like i was not told when i canceled my direct debit to them that i would not be able to go back to direct debit for a year which i should of been when think of stopping it..."

Have you ever heard of punctuation? It seems somewhat ironic that you are complaining about people who "CANNOT" (please note) speak English. On that point I have been with the Utility Warehouse for nearly two years and I have never ever encountered any one of their staff who are rude or cannot speak English, on the contrary. Are you sure that it isn't you who can't..........?

[shining Light]

Over the past few weeks I have been in contact with many of my customers, firstly to ensure everything is running smoothly and also to get their feedback.

 

At the time of writing this, none has experienced any rudeness and all are very happy with the service.

 

One did have a problem which turned out to be an administrative error but this was resolved (although not as quickly as I would like), however he is going to remain a customer because he is so happy with the package he has and the additional savings he is also making on a monthly basis.

 

As i've said before, things can go wrong whoever your supplier but I can honestly say that 99% of the time my customers have been nothing but happy with UW and their customer svce and only 2 (over a 5 yr period) have experienced a problem which wasn't handled as well as it could have been.