# Utilities - all on one bill or not?



## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

*We are, if the bl**dy Solicitors pull their fingers out, moving house in the next few weeks or so.*

*At the moment we are with Utility Warehouse for our utilities and we pay for Gas, Electric, Water, Broadband, House and Mobile phones all on one bill.*

*I've no complaints about UW but would like to get the cheapest deal possible and despite trying to find the best deal on all those accounts for the next house on Comparison web sites it's like treading through treacle.*

*Does anyone else use UW or know of a better company that would be cheaper to allow us to pay on one bill?*

*Or would it be much cheaper to have separate bills for most of the different utilities with different suppliers?*

*How do you 'manage' your bills?*


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I had a friend who tried to get me involved with UW for ages. Kept banging on about how good they were and you couldnt get it all cheaper anywhere else. Well I did and I think anyone can but you have to put the legwork in and search around for the best deals. I think they rely on people who probably are not on the best deals separately so when they get a quote from UW it does indeed look like they are saving you money and they are but you could do better yourself.

Its more straight forward for us as we only have electric which is with iSupplyengergy. All online and I think we pay less than £30 a month, heating is oil which is cheap as chips right now, broadband is with BT as I wont trust anyone else around here and use BT Openzone but even with them I negotiate and got £75 knocked off last year. Mobile with Vodafone (its the only one that works here) but I haggle with them as well. Think I pay about a tenner for 900 minutes, 500MB etc.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Wouldn't like the idea of all in one. F'instance a couple of days ago I changed my broadband/home phone to PlusNet from Bt......No broadband charges for 18 months, the 4x4 to another company a couple of weeks ago saving £70 , and so it goes on. To be a new consumer with all providers results in special offers. No one treats existing customers the same as they welcome new ones. Your choice however if you want just one provider.


tony


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Liz has more staying power for sorting out the best deals, so she shops around all the time, I never know who's selling us what, but I know enough not to bother suggesting a new supplier for anything.

She going to sort my PPI claim out too, not expecting much but deffo not giving 25-30% to some outfit who may or may not be interested in doing it properly.


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I shop around each time for oil, electricity etc. The only one I don't like to change is my Internet Service Provider. This is because the TalkTalk email address I have with them is logged with so many utility companies and friends etc that I worry about missing a vital email if I omit to change it over. I do have a Yahoo account but hate it. Mobile is with TalkTalk too.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Definitely keep them separate!

I use an email address that I've had for 20+ years now, but I don't use the address issued by BT with out line and broadband, that way I am independent of changes.

Also have an email address with Gmail.

Gas and electric are not big bills normally, so not worth worrying about.

Far more is spent on broadband and getting the Mercedes converted! 

Peter


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

patp said:


> The only one I don't like to change is my Internet Service Provider. This is because the TalkTalk email address I have with them is logged with so many utility companies and friends etc that I worry about missing a vital email if I omit to change it over.


Keeping that address working should not be a problem, I have a very old email address from an ISP I used almost 20 years ago that is now part of TalkTalk and it still works even though I now use EE/Orange. I don't think TalkTalk (and all it's predecessor parts) are as hard as the likes of BT and Virgin in cutting off email addresses.

Orange are also lenient on allowing continued use of old ISP email addresses, I have a very old Freeserve address that still works and still worked when I wasn't with Freeserve/Orange/EE.


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## GMLS (Dec 2, 2010)

For the best deal, keep them separate, do the leg work, haggle, keep flexible so that you are free to move around as and when a better deal comes your way. They make millions on our inertia and laziness. It's so easy to move these days and there are little or no benefits for being loyal.

Every year I review all my utilities and insurances policies and rarely stay put.

Now, job for the weekend is to review by Mrs' performance over the last year and set her some new KPI's for this! lol


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

*Thanks for your helpful replies.*

*When the time gets close to us moving, another week has just passed of apparently complete inactivity by the Solicitors, I'll try and wade through some offers online and hopefully get a bargain or two.*

*If the treacle gets too sticky I'll rejoin UW but at least I'll try to get some decent deals.*

*Thanks again.*


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