Footage from Working Lunch, who visit a house with a Smart Meter installed, where first:utility's Martin Moir explains how they work and their benefits.
Media Archive
Dom Littlewood visits a housing development in Hampshire where all the houses are fitted with First Utility Smart Meters. He chats to married couple, Adam and Val Thame, about how monitoring their energy consumption has reduced their bills.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) today announced the Government's commitment to rolling out Smart Meters in UK homes by 2020, BBC One O'Clock news report.
First Utility CEO Mark Daeche is interviewed by BBC business news presenter Aaron Heslehurst
Presenter Adam Shaw and Business Correspondent Simon Gompertz report on First Utility's new electricity service
With the average UK household gas and electricity bill having risen by nearly 40 per cent this year, Deborah Davies examines why energy charges are so high, whether changing suppliers can reduce bills, and the impact of Gordon Brown's fuel package.
Footage from the show. The panellists review the day’s papers and congratulate first:utility for being the first energy provider to announce a fall in electricity prices following a period of falling wholesale costs.
The BBC Watchdog team, with the help of Alison Morrison of Switch with Which?, informs a family about first:utility and its offer of smart meters for its customers as standard. “Smart meters are supposed to cut your energy usage by 15 per cent. The meter collects precise readings every 30 minutes. It knows exactly how much energy you use, therefore helping the company charge accurately and the family pinpoint ways to cut energy use, and spend less.”
Footage on the BBC website. Reporter Simon Gompertz looks at the Smart Meter, a gadget which means you'll never need a meter reading or receive an estimated electricity or gas bill again. Featuring first:utility's Martin Moir.
BBC Radio 2 speak to Darren Braham, Finance Director at first:utility, about Smart Meters.
BBC Radio 4 You and Yours programme discusses Smart Meters with first:utility's CEO Mark Daeche.
A Smart Meter is making its way to a cupboard under the stairs near you! BBC Radio 4 report on today's announcement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Lift Off! A new word of smart energy beckons for utilities
This special Smart Metering edition of Utility Week features a profile on first utility.
Article titled “Smart Metering takes another babystep” which discusses how mass take-up of smart meters is a long way off yet, and refers to first utility as “one of the best known of these new entrants”.
"Every house hold to get smart meter". The Guardian follows on from the DECC announcement, mentioning first:utility in the final paragraph.
Smart Thinking
Registered Gas Engineer magazine features a first:utility meter installer on the front cover of the magazine, with 3 further pages of coverage about smart meters and the first:utility offering inside.
Article titled "Smart meters to revoluntionise energy use in all UK homes by 2020" following today's announcement from DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) on how smart meters should be introduced. Mentions first:utility in the final paragraph as the only supplier who supplies smart meters as standard.
Consumer journalist and blogger Adam Vaughan, who writes mostly on the environment and technology, asks "Can energy monitoring change our habits?"
Darren Braham, finance director of First Utility, talks to Steve Hobson about the company’s smart approach to billing.
Power Cut! Beat greedy suppliers the smart way!
The Daily Mirror reports on alleged “huge savings” achieved by energy giants who failed to pass on the lower wholesale price of energy to the consumer. The article goes on to discuss how smart meters will solve this problem, labeling them “the most important advance in home energy for more than 30 years.”
"New energy plan in the market place" article about uswitch and first utility joining forces to offer the cheapest standard energy plans in the market place.
"Switch now to get the lowest energy bill" Yahoo Finance reports on the energy companies who are lowering their prices, pointing out that the Big 6 are not the only energy providers to cut rates “small providers such as Ebico and First utility pride themselves on offering deals that don’t charge customers over the odds.”
"Smarter Energy Supplier, First Utility, celebrates 150 developments signed up to developer-friendly energy supply."
“first:utility today celebrates 150 developments signed up to developer friendly energy supply"
For those who are struggling with bills make sure you are on a competitive tariff. This week uswitch.com said it had teamed up with independent supplier, First Utility, to offer what it says is the cheapest standard energy plan on the market.
"Raffles homeowners urged to get smart with energy" an article about first:utility providing smart metering to Housing Developers, Lovell, with all homes at Park View being fitted with smart meters.
Smart Meters Power Ahead
The Guardian reports on how First Utility already supplies its customers with Ofgem-approved smart meters, includes a quote from CEO Mark Daeche.
UK must address smart meter standards and security
First Utility is supporting customers with Smart Meters & realising operations efficiencies
first:utility has launched a new tariff that's the cheapest dual fuel deal in the UK
iSAVE has become the UK’s cheapest dual fuel deal for the average household
Small is beautiful for new energy suppliers
Small and relatively new firms are offering very competitive energy plans. First Utility's iSAVE online plan beats the cheapest of the 'big six'.
Ofgem, like millions of consumers, suspects the (big) companies of profiteering
but little independent, First Utility, has announced it's cutting tariffs
Energy giants refuse to pass on price cuts
Ofgem chief in threat to name and shame 'big six' offenders. But First Utility announced that its online tariff would be cut by 14.5%
Smart ways to cut the winter bills
Moving over to a smaller provider before it's time to turn the heating back on could give you a warm glow.
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Shun the big names to secure the best deals
New and smaller suppliers are winning a growing following, with increasingly competitive offers compared to the big names.
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Smaller energy players challenge tariffs of Big Six
First Utility can offer the advantage of providing customers with a Smart Meter - and the new iSAVE deal offers 14.5% savings.
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New comers slash £60 off Dual Fuel Bills
Energy customers looking for lower bills during the winter have 2 new companies to choose from - and both have launched tariffs undercutting the Big Six.
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Energy Price War Masks Service Woes
First Utility remains the cheapest in nine regions.
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Alert of Energy Price Fix
The cheapest tariffs at the moment are being offered by first utility.
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Switch your energy deal or get caught out
The cheapest provider overall remains first utility, one of the smaller and newer entrants to the retail energy market.
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E.ON’s fixed energy customers in for price shock
The cheapest tariff in the remaining 10 areas is iSAVE from independent energy supplier first utility.
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Slash the cost of your energy bills
First Utility has launched an online payment plan that's far lower than average typical annual bills.
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First Utility undercuts E.on to become cheapest energy supplier
First Utility has surprised the market by undercutting E.ON to become cheapest supplier.
‘The Great Energy Rip-Off & How you can Avoid it'
Over the past month, the mark-up charged by the established power suppliers has been exposed by two new energy operators...
Will Google’s new gadget save the planet?
The Guardian investigates Google PowerMeter, & flags First Utility as the only supplier that customers can switch to for access to this new concept.
House Builder magazine reports on First Utility winning the prestigious ‘Housing Product of the Year’ award for the innovative smart meter product
British Gas profits soar but prices remain high. The Independent continue their "Great Energy Rip Off" campaign "...First Utility are offering households much cheaper deals..."
Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor for The Telegraph, reports on the Government's plans to fit every house in Britain with a smart meter. Article features Mark Daeche, CEO of first:utility.
Mark Daeche welcomes the format of giving suppliers the responsibility for the supply of smart meters instead of a system of regional franchises.
"...As the new year gets under way, seeking out a new utilities deal could prove to be a wise idea... the introduction of new tariffs from First Utility and Ovo energy has shaken up the market.
energychoices.co.uk reports on how, for the first time in 2 years, Brits can now benefit from annual energy bills of under £900 thanks to First:utility’s iSave V2 tariff, launched today.
Enhanced Online News website report on how First Utility came to the rescue with the launch of "iSave V2", reducing bills to under £900 for domestic customers.
Love Money reporter Rachel Robson provides a comprehensive breakdown, advising "if you're a medium to high user, First Utility's iSave Dual Fuel v2 tariff could be the one to choose."
First Utility has trumped price cuts from British Gas earlier this month and is now urging customer to look beyond the ‘Big Six’ providers.
2# Consider Newcomers. Ken Booth, 79, from Solihull, West Midlands, switched from Eon to first:utility in January last year and has saved almost £300.
The average iSave dual fuel energy bill from First Utility is now £889, undercutting the next cheapest online tariff from British Gas.
British Gas is no longer the cheapest supplier as small provider undercuts the energy giant.
first:utility has undercut its rivals with a new dual fuel deal, prompting energy experts to urge consumers to consider switching.
"According to the figures, the most expensive capped tariff, from British Gas, is, on average, £539 more expensive than the cheapest internet tariff – £889 offered by First Utility."
"First Utility's new iSave V3 tariff averages out at £889, displacing British Gas after only two weeks as the nation's cheapest with a £10 margin."
A smart meter in your home will give detailed analysis of your energy usage and ensure you only pay for what you use. Currently First Utility and British Gas are the only providers that offer this.
first:utility CEO, Mark Daeche, talks openly about the challenges and opportunities that smart metering brings to the UK energy market, in The Guardian's Friday Interview.
A report on how The Big Six energy companies are not passing on cheaper gas wholesale prices to the customer. Critics suggest that the energy regulator Ofgem aren't doing enough. Penny Lancaster interviews someone from Energy Retail Association (which represents the Big Six) suggesting that theyact as a cartel, controlling the industry. At 2.14 mins of the clip Penny challenges ERA spokes person, reminding her that first utility has passed on the savings of £287
Discussion on estimated bills / cost of bills. Mainly focusing on British Gas's new "Energy Smart" product where customers submit meter reads. Not biased towards British Gas. 01.31 mentions First Utility as going "one step further" with smart meters, then features pre-recorded clip of Martin Moir talking about what British don't do compared to what First Utility do. Interview with Phil Bentley, MD of British Gas, follows, promoting their introduction of monthly bills and saying they are trying to improve their service and be more transparent with customers "opening the bonnet and letting customers look inside" promoting focus groups.
Sky news announce that first utility is teaming up with Google to launch Google Power Meter. Short clip but would be great on new website Google PowerMeter page.
Richard Bacon talks to First Utility CEO Mark Daeche about issues surrounding smart meters.