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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want our neighbour ''going over'' our energy bills ....

138 replies

Laiste · 07/11/2022 20:41

DH has had a text message from a neighbour. A nice chat to in the street neighbour, but we're not close. DH reads it out.

They are wanting to ''make a little money'' and ''need 'guinea pigs''. They ask if we would we be prepared to go and ''watch a presentation''.

I'm thinking god, ok, as long as it's not too long. It's going to be oils or tupperware or something. Then DH continues; ''We'll go over your energy bills together and see where you can save money ...''.

Will we heck!

How would you reply?
(if you didn't want to go)

And, as an aside, how do they make money out of this?!

OP posts:
FlamingoQueen · 07/11/2022 22:06

My neighbour did this to me ages ago. They did come round because they wanted to practise their technique on me. I listened and when asked what I thought, I said that she was very good, but I wasn’t interested! Never mentioned it again. Was so flippin awkward. Hate things like this.

ShoreLee · 07/11/2022 22:10

Just say no if you’re not interested. They don’t go through your bills line by line to see what you’ve been up to - just compare to your current prices and see if you could save. My friend is a rep and I became a customer because it was cheaper - haven’t had any issues. I’d rather my friend got some commission rather than just the massive energy companies and I would have said no if there were no savings (friendship only goes so far!) The cashback card is good too. I’ve heard some of the reps can be pushy but she wasn’t. At least it’s stuff we all need rather than aloe Vera shite 🤣

TimeForMeToF1y · 07/11/2022 22:18

Bitterbean · 07/11/2022 21:20

We are with Utility Warehouse. We get gas, electricity and broadband for about £120 a month and they don't try to flog us anything.

Show quote history

That doesn't mean anything to anyone else without knowing how much energy you use and your broadband deal but I'm sure you worked it all out based on unit rates and submit actual meter readings to make sure you're paying the correct amount

Bitterbean · 07/11/2022 22:25

That doesn't mean anything to anyone else without knowing how much energy you use and your broadband deal but I'm sure you worked it all out based on unit rates and submit actual meter readings to make sure you're paying the correct amount

@TimeForMeToF1y what an odd thing to say.

Bigpaintinglittlepainting · 07/11/2022 22:29

Oh I totally read this as they were funding their Guinea pig habit by selling energy suppliers.

I have Guinea pigs they're not that expensive to have Wink

Hugasauras · 07/11/2022 22:30

Not really, it's a classic UW tactic to underquote for energy to entice people in and tie them into contracts with their various services. As long as you compared the unit rates and know what they quoted actually reflects your usage then it's fine though.

ShoreLee · 07/11/2022 22:43

I had to give my actual usage from my current supplier so she could do the quote! How could you compare it otherwise?

Hugasauras · 07/11/2022 22:48

The only thing you should be comparing is unit rates. Not what they say you'll pay via direct debit or any other figures they give you. Unit rates are the only thing that matters. Everywhere is charging the same now anyway due to current situation, so there's no need to take a UW 'deal'.

You shouldn't need or rely on a quote from an energy firm. You should know exactly what you will be expected to pay yourself by looking at the usage figures on your previous bills and calculating with the new unit rates. If that matches what they say then happy days and all is well.

userxx · 07/11/2022 22:49

misskatamari · 07/11/2022 20:42

They’re likely reps for utility warehouse, which I believe is an mlm company that flogs you energy and various other utilities. Avoid!!

Yep, it's screaming utility warehouse.

DixonD · 07/11/2022 22:59

Definitely UW. I had someone try to push this me recently (before the cap was announced) telling me that £400 fixed a month would be amazing for me. I told her that I was happy with British Gas as I only pay £100 combined!

The rep makes money through your energy bills. I can’t stand the thought of a friend of mine making money from MY energy usage.

ivfbabymomma1 · 07/11/2022 23:17

It took me a good while to realise they aren't trying to earn some money to buy some pet Guinea pigs ffs

ShoreLee · 07/11/2022 23:28

Hugasauras · 07/11/2022 22:48

The only thing you should be comparing is unit rates. Not what they say you'll pay via direct debit or any other figures they give you. Unit rates are the only thing that matters. Everywhere is charging the same now anyway due to current situation, so there's no need to take a UW 'deal'.

You shouldn't need or rely on a quote from an energy firm. You should know exactly what you will be expected to pay yourself by looking at the usage figures on your previous bills and calculating with the new unit rates. If that matches what they say then happy days and all is well.

Yes I did compare unit rates and daily charges. And then worked out my possible annual savings based on usage. All good. Sounds like OP is uncomfortable with the whole concept though which is fair enough. But just wanted to say it worked ok for me.

Hawkins001 · 07/11/2022 23:32

One of the simple solutions to saving money via energy ect, don't use more than necessary. Plus wear layers, some crank the heating to e.g. 22© just so they can wear e.g. T-shirts and shorts

Boxachocs · 07/11/2022 23:35

Been a satisfied customer for 10 years with UW. Never done the selling part as it felt a bit cringy and everyone thinks it’s a scam. Quite happy just being a customer.

RewildingAmbridge · 07/11/2022 23:41

This doesn't make any sense to me. There are no cheap fixes. Capped rate is the same regardless of provider. Slightly less with octopus.
Also £120 for gas electricity and broadband. How much?! Can I set my heating to tropical and set up a massive cannabis grow and still only pay £120? Seems unlikely

musicviking1 · 08/11/2022 00:05

I'm busy...for the foreseeable future

ShoreLee · 08/11/2022 00:21

The current situation is very different to when we signed up but if you have a couple of services with them you get discounts and you can get more money off your bill by using the cashback card for shopping. But you need to work it all out to see if the savings are good for you - don’t just take her word for it. If you think it’s cringey then just say no. (Which MN will tell you is a complete sentence). Or move house.🤔

biscuiteer · 08/11/2022 00:36

You don't need to reply to their text OP. I would ignore it and any more messages they send about it. If they then ask you, just say oh no-we're ok. No need to thank them or apologise for not being interested.

RiverSkater · 08/11/2022 00:49

Sounds like UW to me too. We have them. They are rated highly by Which and Martin Lewis said something good recently. 🤔It's a bit like a sandwich deal, get the phone and broadband and the energy is cheaper?

I do like their customer service though,speak to a human and if you are in credit with bills they refund you.

No harm in seeing if they can do it cheaper.

FavouritePi · 08/11/2022 00:55

Never knew Utility Warehouse was a MLM! We inherited them as suppliers when we moved in but it's not been bad so far. Very good rates, helpful on the phone and never been asked to pay for extra services.

We're on a smart tariff and I was surprised at the bills. I pay the same for gas and electric in a large, draughty, 4 bed with extension (whilst working from home with 4 of us) as I did for a small, well insulated 2 bed new build (when it was just me and DH who went out to work all day and that was 10 years ago).

AliensAteMyHomework · 08/11/2022 00:57

What?

Who would share personal financial info with their neighbours?

It also implies that they think you are thick and cannot figure out the best way to manage your own utility bills.

How insulting, and intrusive, whatever the motivation. I'd struggle to be polite after that.

If it's because of an MLM that's even worse. Fucking hell, what is wrong with anybody that they'd ever think this was appropriate? Even with close friends and family. How rude.

FavouritePi · 08/11/2022 00:57

Sorry, completely missed your point there though! Regardless, neighbour would be told to bog off, in the politest way possible.

MistyGreenAndBlue · 08/11/2022 01:13

Oh I wish I could but..

I don't want to

Although, in reality, if I received this message I'd probably just ignore it.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/11/2022 01:32

I got a WhatsApp - followed by a text to 'check that I'd received' the WA - from an old friend we're not really in touch with anymore.

It looked like a scam to me and I wondered if his phone number had been spoofed by a scammer on WA, but the follow-up text suggests that it was probably genuine. I just ignored it - if he ever mentioned it, I'd say that it was so obviously a scam; sorry, I was really busy when it came through, otherwise I'd have given him the heads-up!!

I agree that it's patronising to suggest that you're unable to use the internet to check prices, plus we now have the caps which even things out a lot anyway; and the big thing I can't get my head around at all is why unnecessarily paying a middle man would get me cheaper energy!

It's definitely a case of 'when they tell you what they're up to, believe them' - they try to make out that they're only asking you to help them practice their spiel, but why would they waste their time on a non-potential mark customer? As they say 'in plain sight', they want you as their guinea pig i.e. they want to snare you. They aren't wanting an honest appraisal of their presentation technique: their technique is to lie to everybody that they just want them as a guinea pig before trying to reel them in, starting with you!

How would it even work if they genuinely did only want to practise their pitch on you? Would they refuse to sign you up even if you wanted to? Would they suddenly hit upon the great 'idea' that 'hey, why don't you sign up to this great deal after all?!'

MLM schemes are just nasty, full stop.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/11/2022 01:35

I don't know if they're given a strict script or if they write/adapt their own, but the message I received was very pushy. It went straight into saying 'So, when is good for you?' without ever asking if I'd be interested in 'helping'. Even at face value, they're after a good half hour of your time, so the least they could do is actually ASK you rather than just assume and TELL you.