Utility Warehouse

Utility Warehouse (UW) has more than 1 million customers across the services it sells. Its customers get all of its services bundled into one bill. This is its first year as a Which? Recommended Provider.

Utility Warehouse has a unique business model compared with other providers. To get the cheapest prices, customers must buy multiple utilities in a grouped bundle. 

This can include a combination of electricity, gas, broadband, mobile and home and boiler insurance.

This unusual approach can make it hard to compare prices. Before agreeing to a tariff, we recommend you check how much you'd pay for each of these services individually if you bought them through other providers, to make sure you're getting a saving overall. 

UW offers customers a cashback card, which earns them cashback of up to 10% at a range of retailers. The cashback you earn is taken off your monthly bill.

The UW Price Pledge guarantees that customers who buy three services and use its cashback card can be paid double the difference if they don't save money in their first year. 

Around 65,000 customers are UW Partners. This means they get paid when they sign up new customers.

Thanks to a combination of positive customer feedback and high scores in our behind-the-scenes assessment, UW is now a Which? Recommended Provider.

Use our free tool to compare energy prices and check whether you could save money with a fixed deal.

Utility Warehouse score 

We combine the results of our customer survey with an in-depth assessment of companies’ behind-the-scenes practices and policies to give you an overall view.

Take a look at our table below to see our score breakdown for Utility Warehouse:

Here's how Utility Warehouse's customer and policy assessments break down:

Find out how Utility Warehouse compares with other energy companies – click to see our full results of the best and worst energy companies.

Utility Warehouse customer review

Utility Warehouse ranks joint fourth out of 16 energy companies when rated by its customers in our annual survey of 11,984 members of the public.

It received one of the highest customer scores (73%) and some of the best star ratings of the suppliers in our survey, with a mix of five and four stars. UW received five-star ratings for overall customer service and for providing customers with accurate energy payments. In all other areas, including ease of contacting, usefulness of communications, clear statements, and value for money, it received four-star ratings. 

Utility Warehouse got lots of feedback from satisfied customers in our survey. One said: 'The best energy supplier I have ever had. Very supportive of their customers. Reasonable prices.'

Another happy customer told us: 'I enjoy their service. My energy bills are affordable and I love the customer service too.'

Which? verdict on Utility Warehouse

• Pros: High score in our behind-the-scenes assessment, including customer support for those who need it and contacting your supplier; Energy payments are accurate, according to customers
• Cons: Best prices require signing up to broadband, mobile and utility bundles, so you'll need to make sure your bundle represents a good deal for you overall.

Our Utility Warehouse supplier assessment

In September-November 2024 we looked at five aspects of suppliers' business practices and procedures: 

• Contacting your supplier – including how and when you can get in touch, and the quality of self-service help online
• How well they deal with complaints – how many complaints suppliers get and how quickly they resolve them
• Supporting customers who need it – including web accessibility, those in vulnerable situations, in financial difficulty, who use prepayment meters, and those who need materials in languages besides English 
• Switching – how easy it is for customers to switch
• Smart meter targets performance in 2023 –the most recent figures available.

We did this using a combination of the responses to a survey we sent to suppliers and our own assessments.

Utility Warehouse received one of the three highest scores (73%) in our assessment of 16 suppliers' practices this year.

It received particularly high marks for how it supports customers who need it (10 out of a possible 12), and did above average in all other areas we assessed. 

Utility Warehouse customer service

Customers' feedback in our survey gave Utility Warehouse an excellent five star rating for overall customer service. Only the other two WRPs – Octopus and 100 Green – scored the same. 

UW also did well in our behind-the-scenes assessment of the customer service setup when compared with other firms. It performed above average in almost every category but lost points in a few areas. For example, it does not offer a dedicated live chat option; although it does offer a WhatsApp service, it also charges exit fees on its fixed tariffs. 

UW Hardship Fund

Utility Warehouse works with Citizens Advice Plymouth to support customers who are struggling through its UW Hardship Fund. Eligible customers can get:

• help with budget planning
• energy efficiency advice
• debt advice
• benefit entitlement review
• financial assistance.

Utility Warehouse common complaints

Some 6% of the Utility Warehouse customers in our survey said they made a formal complaint in the last year. This is just about average when compared with other providers in our survey. 

On its website, Utility Warehouse said that billing was the top reason for customer complaints.

Does Utility Warehouse support prepayment meters?

Yes, you can be a Utility Warehouse customer with both a traditional prepayment meter and a smart prepayment meter. Here's what you need to know:

• You can top up at PayPoint or Payzone outlets and Post Offices if you have a traditional prepayment meter.
• If you have a smart prepayment meter, you can top up using the Utility Warehouse app, by phone or at a PayPoint retailer.
• Smart prepayment customers can access £10 of emergency credit per fuel if you have less than £1 left. It's £20 per fuel if you have a traditional meter. You'll need to repay it when you next top up.
• Friendly credit is available for all prepayment customers from 4pm to 10am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and Bank Holidays. This means your power or gas won't go off if you're not able to get to the shop to top up.

Find out whether prepayment energy is right for you.

How sustainable is Utility Warehouse?

Sustainability credentials are important when choosing an energy supplier for two thirds of those responsible for choosing their provider. That’s according to our online survey of 3,000 UK adults in August 2024.

So we factor in a range of sustainability criteria in our annual Eco Provider assessment.

Here’s how Utility Warehouse fared:

• Proportion of renewable electricity sold to customers: 0.2% (who aren't on green tariffs)
• Doesn't generate renewable electricity.
• Doesn't offer time-of-use tariffs.

Find out more about the differences between energy companies renewable electricity, and find out how we assessed energy suppliers for sustainability.

Based on information supplied by companies in August 2024 and their most recent published fuel mixes, where available.

Making your home more energy efficient will save money on your bills in the long term and lower your carbon footprint. Get started with our guides to home energy efficiency.