Non-motoring > Energy supplier Miscellaneous
Thread Author: bathtub tom Replies: 16
View Threaded 

New Wed 11 Nov 20 17:39 
 Energy supplier - bathtub tom
I'm with Utility Point, as they were the cheapest when I renewed my contract this year. I had to email their CEO for a refund of my last contract, which was then promptly paid. I noticed their assets were somewhat less then their liabilities and wondered if they're 'in trouble'.

Today, I get an email, offering £100 each to me and anyone else I get to sign up.

Anyone want to take a punt? Their rates are here: www.utilitypoint.co.uk/our-tariffs/

Email me via the mods for the code, if you want to take the risk!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 17:54 
 Energy supplier - smokie
Doesn't like my smart meters...

"Sorry your meter is not supported

"We look forward to supporting your meter in the future."

but it seems the bloke 2 doors along doesn't have smart meters as I was able to use his address to see the tariffs. :-)



Prices are OK compared to Octopus but I'm hooked on smart metering and time of use tariffs.


My meters are SMETS1 standard which I believe are less "standard". They ought to be upgraded soon to SMETS2 which I think it more widely used and may have worked with this.
Last edited by: smokie on Wed 11 Nov 20 at 17:56
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 19:29 
 Energy supplier - Dog
Must try harder!!

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.utilitypoint.co.uk
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 19:48 
 Energy supplier - helicopter
I changed to them four months ago via Look after my bills on a one year contract .

Just increased my monthly payment for dual fuel from £50 odd to £90 odd per month but still cheaper than EDF rates last year.

Will keep an eye on the usage when I get back from Tenerife next month . Easy enough to cancel direct debit at years end .
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 19:53 
 Energy supplier - No FM2R
Increasing DD payments, slowing refunds?

Sounds like someone has a cashflow problem. Or perhaps profitability. Or both.

Might not be a good time to get involved.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 11 Nov 20 at 19:53
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 20:52 
 Energy supplier - Falkirk Bairn
If Power Company goes bust the cash shortfall falls on the other power companies.

The man in the street does not lose out.

The "big boys" are shelling out megabucks to bail out customers of the failed start up.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Wed 11 Nov 20 20:57 
 Energy supplier - No FM2R
And they'd probably get their money by return of post, I expect.

Not.

Anyway, my point was more that the chaos before (if) they finally go bust is best avoided.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Wed 11 Nov 20 at 20:58
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 11:11 
 Energy supplier - bathtub tom
>> Must try harder!!
>> uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.utilitypoint.co.uk

I think the whingers on there are too lazy to calculate their typical monthly payments, but then will take the effort to register and write a complaint.

I've known my typical power consumption for the past few years. Utility Point tried to raise my DD last year, but when I pointed out my payments were projected to be around 5% above what was necessary and there'd been no mention of a forthcoming ice age, they remained the same.

At the end of my last contract period they owed me sixty-odd quid. After a couple of months I reminded them in an email, threatening to go to OFGEM with a CC to their CEO. Two days later it was in my account.

I'm tied in to a contract with them until next year, looks like I'll just have to ride it out.

Looking at reviews for other energy suppliers, there doesn't seem to be any better, but many worse.
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Thu 12 Nov 20 at 11:15
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 11:15 
 Energy supplier - Dog
>>I think the whingers on there are too lazy to calculate their typical monthly payments, but then will take the effort to register and write a complaint.

True for many review/ers ... I'm with Green Energy and don't intend to leave a review (unless asked)
as I have nothing to whinge about.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 11:27 
 Energy supplier - CGNorwich
Have a credit balance of just under a years worth of energy with my supplier. Since they pay interest on the balance never been in any rush to take it out but its only a couple of clicks away if I chose to do. Might buy myself a new laptop this year with the balance.

Im always surprised at the number of people who seem to have trouble withe utility suppliers, broadband companies etc, banks Insurers etc. I can't remember ever have having any real problems with any of them. Perhaps I'm easily pleased. I read reviews online and they have no similarity to my experiences with the same company.

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 12:05 
 Energy supplier - Crankcase
Had my usual quarterly email from EDF asking for my meter reading. Entered it, immediate bill for exactly what I've used.

No nasty monthly stuff here.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 16:05 
 Energy supplier - smokie
I used to have the same thoughts CGN - why do others seem to have so many problems with their suppliers?

But over the past year or so I have made a complaint to Virgin about an ongoing tech issue which they failed to progress and resolve in a timely or professional manner, followed by a poorly managed complaint about their complaints procedure, and also with a hotel cancellation in July which Accor haven't refunded yet and I am starting to understand...

And just this week I spent best part of an hour hanging on to speak to Direct Line to cancel my household insurance because it had gone up £40+ (12% or thereabouts). Then when I got through and we'd danced around a but they managed to "shave" £92 off the renewal. He blustered about it being a loyalty bonus. So why wasn't it in the renewal letter?

Companies are making it less easy to speak to them these days. I understand the issues they may be facing and I would have to have their job but they really must do better!!
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 16:41 
 Energy supplier - sooty123
I think it's inevitable with them dealing with so many customers that they'll be issues. I've had problems with utility companies mainly, especially when moving house.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 16:42 
 Energy supplier - CGNorwich
As a rule I try to avoid using any company where you have to speak to somebody. Much prefer online banking, insurance providers etc.
Changed my home insurance at the weekend via Go Compare. Took about fifteen minutes. No hassle whatsoever. Ended up with Quote Me Happy. Apart from the silly name they seem OK and are a totally online operation owned by Aviva


The only totally inefficient band of incompetents I have to deal with are located at my doctors surgery. They couldn’t run the proverbial whelk stall.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 17:47 
 Energy supplier - sooty123

>> The only totally inefficient band of incompetents I have to deal with are located
>> at my doctors surgery. They couldn’t run the proverbial whelk stall.
>>

You can actually get through to speak to someone, must be one of the chosen ones.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 20:08 
 Energy supplier - No FM2R
>>I'm always surprised at the number of people who seem to have trouble withe utility suppliers, broadband companies etc, banks Insurers etc.

They're all good until they're not. If you're lucky enough to not attract a problem, which typically means not making much in the way of changes, then any supplier will seem great.

The measure of a good supplier is not really whether or not stuff goes wrong, it is how they behave when it does.

Perhaps they only make one mistake a month but perhaps they are incapable of fixing the error and so it really aggravates that one user. With the way of the internet you'll hear about it and perhaps make assumptions about how many people it happens to.

I tend to pay attention when the feedback suggests that a similar error recurs over a period of time.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 12 Nov 20 at 20:10
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Thu 12 Nov 20 22:20 
 Energy supplier - Bromptonaut
>> They're all good until they're not.

That exactly.

I'd had excellent experiences with Amazon until I had an issue with a set of phones from one of their third party sellers.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts