Latest news with #UtilityWarehouse
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank?
Read on to find out which supplier came out top for customer service GOOD ENERGY Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank? Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN'S best energy provider has been crowned today - and it's not British Gas or EDF. Comparison website Uswitch has named the energy provider that is the best for overall customer satisfaction, customer service and value for money. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Uswitch has named Britain's best energy provider today in its annual awards Credit: Getty The awards, which are based on a survey of 15,000 energy customers, also reveal the best overall improvement and best small supplier. Octopus Energy came out on top, winning the Uswitch Energy Awards for Overall Customer Satisfaction and Customer Service. Utility Warehouse was named as the second best provider in both categories, while Utilita was the runner-up. Octopus Energy was also crowned the joint winner of the award for Value for Money after tying with Utility Warehouse. Customers praised Utility Warehouse for its money-saving bundles, Cashback Card and competitive prices. British Gas was given the award for Best Overall Improvement for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, 100Green received the award for Best Small Supplier. What is the energy price cap? Will Owen, energy expert at said it has been good to see energy suppliers competing with each other to offer better deals, which has led households to feel they are getting better value for money. He said: 'It's reassuring to see that customers are regaining confidence in their energy providers, with overall satisfaction almost back to the levels we saw before the energy crisis." But he added that it's important to remember that bills are still much more expensive than before the crisis, so there is still a lot of work to be done by providers. He said: 'To stay competitive, suppliers must focus on driving prices down for households, which includes competitive pricing as well as expanding offers such as innovative tariffs and rewarding demand flexibility schemes.' The study also found that household satisfaction with the value for money they have get from their energy provider has risen by 10% in the past year. In part, this is because competition between suppliers has led to more deals that are cheaper than the price cap. There are now 24 fixed energy deals available that are cheaper than July's price cap, which is set at £1,720 a year. This is a 12-fold increase on the same time last year. Meanwhile, overall customer satisfaction with energy suppliers is up 5% in the past year to 75%. This is close to the 77% record seen just before the energy crisis. As a result, more than three quarters of customers would recommend their energy provider, which is the highest level in the past five years. In comparison, during the energy crisis in 2023, less than half of customers would have encouraged others to use their energy supplier. Customer service satisfaction is also 10% higher than last year, while satisfaction with suppliers' mobile apps has soared from 35% before the energy crisis to 83% this year. This shows that suppliers are making progress in offering a convenient, digital customer experience, Uswitch said. Save on your energy bill Switching energy providers may sound like a hassle but it's actually pretty straightforward and could save you lots of cash. Use a comparison website such as or Uswitch to see which deals are available to you and how much they cost. The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals, which means you will pay a fixed amount for a set period, which is usually around 12 months. Once you have found a deal that you like, all you need to do is contact your new supplier. It helps if you have your postcode, name of existing supplier, the name of your existing deal, how much you pay and an up to date meter reading to hand. You can usually find this on your bill. It will then speak to your current supplier and will begin the switch. It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply will not be interrupted during this time. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's best energy suppliers revealed in industry awards – where does yours rank?
BRITAIN'S best energy provider has been crowned today - and it's not British Gas or EDF. Comparison website Uswitch has named the energy provider that is the best for overall customer satisfaction, customer service and value for money. 1 The awards, which are based on a survey of 15,000 energy customers, also reveal the best overall improvement and best small supplier. Octopus Energy came out on top, winning the Uswitch Energy Awards for Overall Customer Satisfaction and Customer Service. Utility Warehouse was named as the second best provider in both categories, while Utilita was the runner-up. Greg Jackson, Founder of Octopus Energy, said: 'Uswitch has recognised that customers are at the heart of everything we do at Octopus. 'It doesn't matter how many awards we win, we're only as good as the service we give. We'll keep working hard to deliver brilliant customer service and fighting to keep prices down.' Octopus Energy was also crowned the joint winner of the award for Value for Money after tying with Utility Warehouse. Customers praised Utility Warehouse for its money-saving bundles, Cashback Card and competitive prices. Rob Harris, COO at Utility Warehouse, said: 'We're really proud to be consistently recognised for our great value and excellent customer service by Uswitch.' British Gas was given the award for Best Overall Improvement for the second year in a row. Meanwhile, 100Green received the award for Best Small Supplier. Will Owen, energy expert at said it has been good to see energy suppliers competing with each other to offer better deals, which has led households to feel they are getting better value for money. He said: 'It's reassuring to see that customers are regaining confidence in their energy providers, with overall satisfaction almost back to the levels we saw before the energy crisis." But he added that it's important to remember that bills are still much more expensive than before the energy crisis, so there is still a lot of work to be done by providers. He said: 'To stay competitive, suppliers must focus on driving prices down for households, which includes competitive pricing as well as expanding offers such as innovative tariffs and rewarding demand flexibility schemes.' The study also found that household satisfaction with the value for money they have get from their energy provider has risen by 10% in the past year. In part, this is because competition between suppliers has led to more deals that are cheaper than the price cap. There are now 24 fixed energy deals available that are cheaper than July's price cap, which is set at £1,720 a year. This is a 12-fold increase on the same time last year. Meanwhile, overall customer satisfaction with energy suppliers is up 5% in the past year to 75%. This is close to the 77% record seen just before the energy crisis. As a result, more than three quarters of customers would recommend their energy provider, which is the highest level in the past five years. In comparison, during the energy crisis in 2023, less than half of customers would have encouraged others to use their energy supplier. Customer service satisfaction is also 10% higher than last year, while satisfaction with suppliers' mobile apps has soared from 35% before the energy crisis to 83% this year. This shows that suppliers are making progress in offering a convenient, digital customer experience, Uswitch said. Save on your energy bill Switching energy providers may sound like a hassle but it's actually pretty straightforward and could save you lots of cash. Use a comparison website such as or Uswitch to see which deals are available to you and how much they cost. The cheapest deals are usually found online and are fixed deals, which means you will pay a fixed amount for a set period, which is usually around 12 months. Once you have found a deal that you like, all you need to do is contact your new supplier. It helps if you have your postcode, name of existing supplier, the name of your existing deal, how much you pay and an up to date meter reading to hand. You can usually find this on your bill. It will then speak to your current supplier and will begin the switch. It should take no longer than three weeks to complete the switch and your supply will not be interrupted during this time. What energy bill help is available? There's a number of different ways to get help paying your energy bills if you're struggling to get by. If you fall into debt, you can always approach your supplier to see if they can put you on a repayment plan before putting you on a prepayment meter. This involves paying off what you owe in instalments over a set period. If your supplier offers you a repayment plan you don't think you can afford, speak to them again to see if you can negotiate a better deal. Several energy firms have schemes available to customers struggling to cover their bills. But eligibility criteria vary depending on the supplier and the amount you can get depends on your financial circumstances. For example, British Gas or Scottish Gas customers struggling to pay their energy bills can get grants worth up to £2,000. British Gas also offers help via its British Gas Energy Trust and Individuals Family Fund. You don't need to be a British Gas customer to apply for the second fund. EDF, Octopus Energy and Scottish Power all offer grants to struggling customers too. Thousands of vulnerable households are missing out on extra help and protections by not signing up to the Priority Services Register (PSR). The service helps support vulnerable households, such as those who are elderly or ill. Some of the perks include being given advance warning of blackouts, free gas safety checks and extra support if you're struggling. Get in touch with your energy firm to see if you can apply.
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
and now use AI to track the savings
With the help smart meters, AI and other cutting edge tech, I'm bringing my energy bills down | NationalWorld This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Downsizing didn't cut our energy bills – but a plan to switch supplier, upgrade old appliances, and install a heat pump made a huge difference. Now I use AI to track every saving, and the results are remarkable - and I've shared the perfect AI prompt below so you can make massive savings too. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... We moved to the countryside thinking it would be a quieter, cheaper life. The first part was true. The second? Not even close. We downsized from a big three-storey terrace in Birmingham to a tiny cottage in rural Oxfordshire, hoping to simplify things. But we made the move at the worst possible moment - just as Putin's invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices into a tailspin. Our new house was electric-only. The boiler was over ten years old, the kitchen appliances looked older still, and within weeks our energy bills were soaring. I'd downsized my square footage, but somehow upsized my energy costs. We'd stretched ourselves with the move, so we couldn't afford to fix everything at once. Instead, I made a plan: one change at a time, always aimed at long-term savings. The results? We've gone from paying £4,500 in 2023 to a projected £2,500 in 2025 - and possibly even less. Step one: Get smart with your supplier One of the only upsides of moving was the chance to pick a new energy supplier. We chose Utility Warehouse because they offered dual-rate tariffs - cheap electricity during off-peak hours. That meant big savings just by running the dishwasher and washing machine after midnight. More importantly, they provided a smart meter, which our previous home never had. I finally had visibility over what was using the most power - and could start cutting it. If I were doing it again today, I'd start with Switcheroo. It's a free tool that compares energy prices and shows you only the best energy tariffs in the UK based on your current deal. No nonsense, no overload — just cheaper options. It's designed for people like me who don't have time to scan 30 confusing plans and hope for the best. Step two: Make energy efficiency part of every upgrade We hadn't planned on replacing the kitchen. But when the built-in oven broke and couldn't be replaced without tearing out the units, we bit the bullet. It turned out to be the best energy-saving move we made. We chose A-rated appliances, a slimline dishwasher (there are only two of us), and a fridge that's 60% more efficient than the old one. The difference on our electricity bills was immediate. If you're upgrading your kitchen - or anything else - build energy savings into your decisions. It doesn't have to cost more. Just ask the right questions and look at the long-term impact. We also started making smaller changes: timers on immersion systems, drying clothes on a rack with a dehumidifier instead of using the tumble dryer, reflective radiator panels, and LED lighting throughout. Step three: Change the system driving your bills The old boiler was a mess - unreliable, inefficient, and constantly breaking down. But we had no gas mains, and oil delivery wasn't an option either. That meant electric-only heating was our only viable route. The Aira air source heat pump has been a game changer, says Marc Reeves | NationalWorld After months of research, we installed a heat pump from Swedish firm Aira. A £7,500 government grant helped reduce the upfront cost, and new high-efficiency radiators were included. The install wasn't perfect - we had a snag list - but once everything was up and running, the results were incredible. I wrote about the experience and how the government grants work in this article. We've seen a dramatic drop in our heating costs, and the house is warmer than ever. If you're facing big heating bills in an electric-only home, it's worth looking at heat pump savings. Even if you decide against it, you'll be better informed. And now AI is helping me track every saving The one thing I wish? That I'd had access to AI energy tracking tools earlier. These days, I run all our quarterly energy bills and usage data through ChatGPT and spreadsheet prompts. It compares every quarter we've lived in the house, shows month-by-month breakdowns, and flags changes linked to things like appliance upgrades or the heat pump install. The trend is crystal clear: our energy usage is going down, and staying down. 🤖Try it yourself: Use AI to track your energy savings Want to see if your upgrades are really cutting your bills? AI tools like ChatGPT can help you spot trends and prove the impact. 1: Share your data If you use spreadsheets, log your usage with dates, costs and notes like 'new fridge' or 'heat pump installed'. Not confident with spreadsheets? Just type it in step by step, e.g. 'My bill for Jan 2025 was £243. We installed a new fridge in Dec. Jan 2024 was £312.' 2: Use this prompt I've added my energy usage and bills. Can you: Compare each period to previous years Spot savings linked to upgrades Show a trend chart Estimate likely future costs Highlight what's made the biggest difference Bonus: Ask what your bills would have been without any changes - to see your real savings. Having that clarity is hugely reassuring — not just because I like seeing the savings, but because it proves the plan is working. What I'd tell anyone trying to cut their energy bills Switch smart, not just fast. Use Switcheroo to compare energy prices quickly and find deals tailored to your actual usage. It's the first, easiest step to save. Link upgrades to savings. Any job you're doing - kitchen, bathroom, loft - should be a chance to improve insulation, reduce power use, or install smarter systems. Question your heating system. Our heat pump wasn't cheap, but it's on track to pay for itself quicker than I ever expected. If your boiler's on the way out, don't just replace it like-for-like. Do the maths. Six months in, I feel like I've gone from blind guesswork to proper oversight - and AI has helped me spot every win along the way. The bills are down, the comfort is up, and we're not done yet. I'm already looking at solar panels for next year. The war on high energy bills continues.
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
and now use AI to track the savings
With the help smart meters, AI and other cutting edge tech, I'm bringing my energy bills down | NationalWorld This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Downsizing didn't cut our energy bills – but a plan to switch supplier, upgrade old appliances, and install a heat pump made a huge difference. Now I use AI to track every saving, and the results are remarkable - and I've shared the perfect AI prompt below so you can make massive savings too. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... We moved to the countryside thinking it would be a quieter, cheaper life. The first part was true. The second? Not even close. We downsized from a big three-storey terrace in Birmingham to a tiny cottage in rural Oxfordshire, hoping to simplify things. But we made the move at the worst possible moment - just as Putin's invasion of Ukraine sent energy prices into a tailspin. Our new house was electric-only. The boiler was over ten years old, the kitchen appliances looked older still, and within weeks our energy bills were soaring. I'd downsized my square footage, but somehow upsized my energy costs. We'd stretched ourselves with the move, so we couldn't afford to fix everything at once. Instead, I made a plan: one change at a time, always aimed at long-term savings. The results? We've gone from paying £4,500 in 2023 to a projected £2,500 in 2025 - and possibly even less. Step one: Get smart with your supplier One of the only upsides of moving was the chance to pick a new energy supplier. We chose Utility Warehouse because they offered dual-rate tariffs - cheap electricity during off-peak hours. That meant big savings just by running the dishwasher and washing machine after midnight. More importantly, they provided a smart meter, which our previous home never had. I finally had visibility over what was using the most power - and could start cutting it. If I were doing it again today, I'd start with Switcheroo. It's a free tool that compares energy prices and shows you only the best energy tariffs in the UK based on your current deal. No nonsense, no overload — just cheaper options. It's designed for people like me who don't have time to scan 30 confusing plans and hope for the best. Step two: Make energy efficiency part of every upgrade We hadn't planned on replacing the kitchen. But when the built-in oven broke and couldn't be replaced without tearing out the units, we bit the bullet. It turned out to be the best energy-saving move we made. We chose A-rated appliances, a slimline dishwasher (there are only two of us), and a fridge that's 60% more efficient than the old one. The difference on our electricity bills was immediate. If you're upgrading your kitchen - or anything else - build energy savings into your decisions. It doesn't have to cost more. Just ask the right questions and look at the long-term impact. We also started making smaller changes: timers on immersion systems, drying clothes on a rack with a dehumidifier instead of using the tumble dryer, reflective radiator panels, and LED lighting throughout. Step three: Change the system driving your bills The old boiler was a mess - unreliable, inefficient, and constantly breaking down. But we had no gas mains, and oil delivery wasn't an option either. That meant electric-only heating was our only viable route. The Aira air source heat pump has been a game changer, says Marc Reeves | NationalWorld After months of research, we installed a heat pump from Swedish firm Aira. A £7,500 government grant helped reduce the upfront cost, and new high-efficiency radiators were included. The install wasn't perfect - we had a snag list - but once everything was up and running, the results were incredible. I wrote about the experience and how the government grants work in this article. We've seen a dramatic drop in our heating costs, and the house is warmer than ever. If you're facing big heating bills in an electric-only home, it's worth looking at heat pump savings. Even if you decide against it, you'll be better informed. And now AI is helping me track every saving The one thing I wish? That I'd had access to AI energy tracking tools earlier. These days, I run all our quarterly energy bills and usage data through ChatGPT and spreadsheet prompts. It compares every quarter we've lived in the house, shows month-by-month breakdowns, and flags changes linked to things like appliance upgrades or the heat pump install. The trend is crystal clear: our energy usage is going down, and staying down. 🤖Try it yourself: Use AI to track your energy savings Want to see if your upgrades are really cutting your bills? AI tools like ChatGPT can help you spot trends and prove the impact. 1: Share your data If you use spreadsheets, log your usage with dates, costs and notes like 'new fridge' or 'heat pump installed'. Not confident with spreadsheets? Just type it in step by step, e.g. 'My bill for Jan 2025 was £243. We installed a new fridge in Dec. Jan 2024 was £312.' 2: Use this prompt I've added my energy usage and bills. Can you: Compare each period to previous years Spot savings linked to upgrades Show a trend chart Estimate likely future costs Highlight what's made the biggest difference Bonus: Ask what your bills would have been without any changes - to see your real savings. Having that clarity is hugely reassuring — not just because I like seeing the savings, but because it proves the plan is working. What I'd tell anyone trying to cut their energy bills Switch smart, not just fast. Use Switcheroo to compare energy prices quickly and find deals tailored to your actual usage. It's the first, easiest step to save. Link upgrades to savings. Any job you're doing - kitchen, bathroom, loft - should be a chance to improve insulation, reduce power use, or install smarter systems. Question your heating system. Our heat pump wasn't cheap, but it's on track to pay for itself quicker than I ever expected. If your boiler's on the way out, don't just replace it like-for-like. Do the maths.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX:GTK) Half Year 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Revenue Surge and ...
Release Date: May 18, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX:GTK) reported a 9.8% increase in revenue, reaching $112.5 million, with recurring revenue up by approximately 17%. The company's airports division, Viovo, experienced significant growth of 24%, driven by modernization and digitization efforts. Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX:GTK) has a strong cash position, with cash flow increasing by $4 million to $70.7 million, compared to $39 million the previous year. The company is expanding into new markets, including Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, with a strengthening and maturing pipeline. Gentrack Group Ltd (ASX:GTK) has secured new projects and renewals, including a significant win with Utility Warehouse in the UK, enhancing its customer base and recurring revenue potential. The company's EBITDA margin decreased slightly from 18% to 17% due to increased investments in sales and product development. Non-recurring revenues in the utilities segment were 12% lower, reflecting variability and a high level of project work in the previous period. The company's investment in Amber resulted in a share of loss amounting to $1.1 million for the half-year. There is a noted decrease in the utilities business margin due to increased spending on R&D and sales and marketing. The company faces challenges in international expansion, requiring local resources and partnerships to effectively deploy projects in new markets. Q: Can you discuss the dynamics of project work and whether resource limitations affected your ability to carry out additional projects? A: We have been upgrading our base to G2 over the next 5 to 8 years, which acts as a shock absorber for non-recurring revenues. We are not pushing G2 hard yet as we want to ensure successful deployments, with Genesis being our first. We are investing more resources to ensure successful landings, which is part of the process for any first hyperscale program. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: Can you provide more details on the scoping with G2 and whether it involves new or existing customers? A: We have scoping in both core and target growth markets, but we do not plan to discuss specifics until contracts are finalized. We prefer to ensure certainty before making public announcements. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: How do you approach resourcing in new markets like Bulgaria, and at what point in the sales cycle do you hire locally? A: Outside of core markets, we need local resources for project deployment, possibly a small team for scoping. The approach depends on language, partnering strategy, and customer needs. We have experience with various permutations, and typically, a small team is needed for scoping, followed by a surge in resources for project execution. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: Can you elaborate on the deal progression this year, particularly with Utility Warehouse and potential opportunities in Bulgaria? A: Utility Warehouse is a new billing system win, not a renewal, in a competitive UK market. We are confident in our midterm guidance due to our strong technology and customer results. Salesforce is increasingly partnering with us, which boosts our confidence. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: Regarding medium-term guidance, how confident are you in achieving a 15% revenue CAGR given the current growth rate? A: We have achieved approximately 26% growth over the past four years despite challenges. We are confident in our market due to macro dynamics and are focused on executing our strategy as we expand into new territories. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: When will recurring revenue from the Utility Warehouse contract begin, and how much implementation falls into FY25? A: Implementation revenues will be seen in the second half of FY25 and the following year. Recurring revenues will become more significant in FY26 and beyond, as the relationship grows. (John, CFO) Q: Are there country-specific variations in price per meter point in non-core markets compared to core markets? A: There is significant variation depending on the market. For example, Asia and Eastern Europe have different price points compared to core markets. The variation is consistent with enterprise-grade software pricing. We aim to win at profitable levels and focus on recurring revenue. (Gary Miles, CEO) Q: Can you provide insight into the scale of scoping opportunities compared to Utility Warehouse? A: We aim to win more tier-one customers like Utility Warehouse but are also successful with tier-two and tier-three customers. We focus on customers with generation assets for better profit pools. Our customer concentration is balanced, and we target a range of suppliers. (Gary Miles, CEO) For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
