Know Your Energy Supplier: Utility Warehouse

September 18th, 2020

Compare Utility Warehouse prices and save up to £318*

Utility Warehouse call themselves “The Discount Club”, but how do Utility Warehouse energy tariffs compare to competitors?

Who are Utility Warehouse?

Utility Warehouse (UW) are owned by Telecom Plus but became an across-the-board utility provider after buying customers from Npower in 2013. Since then they have grown strongly by “word of mouth”. What this really means is that they encourage customers to become agents and recruit new customers for a commission. There are doubts about the financial rewards for becoming an agent (there is a membership charge) but it helps them avoid regular advertising.

Utility Warehouse customer service rating

New Rating	Old Rating

4-star reviews	4-star reviews

Discounts

Instead of the usual dual fuel energy and gas and electricity supply bundle, UW encourage you to buy a package that combines electricity, gas, telephone, mobile, home insurance and boiler servicing. The more services you bundle, the more you are likely to save. If you would find it difficult to pay all your bills at the same time, this could be a bad idea, but if you are already financially comfortable you will pay less.

As a reward for taking the full package, they provide cashback cards which earn you a rebate (up to 7%) at selected chain-stores, (including Sainsbury’s, Boots, Halfords, M&S, Topshop, Papa Johns, Caffé Nero and Pizza Express). They also issue discounts for cinemas and entertainment venues (up to 40% off regular prices).

Is Utility Warehouse an ethical company?

Most energy companies today make efforts to be environmentally friendly and help customers struggling with high energy bills. Part of UW’s approach is an offer to swap every lightbulb for an LCD energy saver. Based on typical usage, that could translate into electricity savings of up to 15% – helping both the customer and the environment at the same time.

On the downside, Ofgem recently investigated illegal overcharging of vulnerable customers. UW admitted the mistake which it blamed on a system failure and reimbursed everyone double.

Utility Warehouse tariffs and prices

Tariff Name	Tariff type
Utility Warehouse – Green Fixed	Fixed Tariff	Compare now
Utility Warehouse – Green Fix	Fixed Tariff	Compare now
Utility Warehouse – Double Gold	Fixed Tariff	Compare now
Utility Warehouse – Double Gold Fixed Price	Fixed Tariff	Compare now

Utility Warehouse fuel mix and UK average fuel mix

Utility Warehouse
UK Average

Utility Warehouse

UK Average

Utility Warehouse historical Fuel Mix

Energy Source	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
Coal	8.90%	11.80%	1.20%	16.00%	21.00%
Gas	60.30%	62.60%	90.10%	66.00%	59.00%
Nuclear	18.10%	19.00%	1.00%	1.00%	2.00%
Renewable	8.90%	2.60%	7.30%	16.00%	17.00%
Other	3.80%	4.00%	0.40%	1.00%	1.00%
CO2 Emission	325 g/kWh	359 g/kWh	337 g/kWh	408 g/kWh	418 g/kWh
Nuclear Waste	0.00130 g/kWh	0.00133 g/kWh	0.00007 g/kWh	0.00008 g/kWh	0.00013 g/kWh

What are UW tariffs like?

Like most providers, UW offer a range of tariffs. When you compare energy tariff charges between UW and other companies, don’t just compare the cheapest price. There have been complaints that most people are put on a “standard variable” tariff that works out more expensive. Make it clear to UW which tariff you are signing up for.

Complaint handling and customer service

UW use all-British call centres and their reviews suggest personnel are very friendly and helpful in resolving problems. On the other hand, some customers report lengthy waits before they manage to speak to anyone. There has also been some criticism of their IT systems.

Reporting period in Q/Y	Q1 2020	Q4 2019	Q3 2019	Q2 2019	Q1 2019
Total complaints received	7511	13681	11501	10576	10737
Received per 100k customer accounts	743	1352	1147	1063	1090
Total Complaints resolved	5610	10631	9319	8701	8828
Resolved per 100k customer accounts	554	1051	929	874	897
Resolved within 48 hours	56.90%	48.20%	49.40%	54.60%	54.00%
Resolved within 8 weeks	98.90%	99.10%	97.75%	97.60%	97.80%

How easy is switching?

If you are sure you want to buy all your services from a single agency, and you already shop at the stores where you can earn a discount, UW offer an attractive package. You will need to check when your existing contracts expire, but UW promise to cover early-cancellation penalties up to a total of £200. Switching is always easy through the Free Price Compare website.