Latest news with #UtilityWarehouse
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.
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Urgent warning for 70,000 households not to ignore key letter ahead of big broadband firm closing
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN urgent warning has been issued for 70,000 households to not ignore a key letter ahead of a big broadband firm closing. Origin Broadband, a subsidiary of Talk Talk, is exiting the telecoms market on June 1. 1 Origin broadband is leaving the broadband market at the end of May Credit: Alamy As part of the move, all existing customers will have their broadband and homephone services switched to Utility Warehouse (UW). UW already provides broadband services via TalkTalk's network. Origin has a total of 95,000 customers, 25,000 of which have already been moved over to Utility Warehouse. That leaves a remainder of 70,000 customers, who will be contacted by their new service provider in the weeks leading up to the switch. When they are contacted customers do not need to take any action as the switch will happen automatically and without disruption to their service. Once the switch has been completed, Utility Warehouse will contact you again to inform you that your service has been successfully migrated. Customers also do not need to order a new router and you should not expect any disruption to the service. Utility Warehouse provides other services such as energy, but only your broadband service will be transferred across. If you are with Origin and you want to change providers ahead of the switch, then you'll need to tell your new provider that your current service is with Origin. You will not need to contact Origin directly, your new provider will do that for you. O2 Ends Pay-As-You-Go Data and iPad SIM Services: What You Need to Know If you are expecting an update from Origin and have not received one before the start of June, you can contact the team by visiting / Origin Broadband was once an independent company, but after experiencing financial difficulties, TalkTalk took over ownership in 2021. Since then, Origin has been relatively quiet and stopped accepting new customers. Although they briefly trialled taking on new subscribers late last year, this was short-lived, leaving the future of the brand uncertain, according to ISPreview. A TalkTalk spokesperson previously told The Sun said: "TalkTalk and Utility Warehouse (UW) have enjoyed a long-standing partnership. "As announced by UW recently, TalkTalk has agreed a partnership under which approximately 95,000 Origin customers will be transferred to UW. "Impacted customers will be contacted ahead of migration. No decision has been taken on the future of the Origin brand." How do I switch providers? More than nine million Brits are out of contract on their broadband package, according to Uswitch. While customers can leave their contract at any time, those still locked in will likely need to pay a penalty for leaving early, which varies from provider to provider. In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with the deals that are available. It's a known fact that new customers always get the best deals. Sites including MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, speed and provider. This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider. However, if you do not want to switch and are happy with the service you're getting under your current provider - haggle for a better deal. You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you're given after your deal.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Urgent warning for 70,000 households not to ignore key letter ahead of big broadband firm closing
AN urgent warning has been issued for 70,000 households to not ignore a key letter ahead of a big broadband firm closing. Origin Broadband, a subsidiary of Talk Talk, is exiting the telecoms market on June 1. 1 As part of the move, all existing customers will have their broadband and homephone services switched to Utility Warehouse (UW). UW already provides broadband services via TalkTalk's network. Origin has a total of 95,000 customers, 25,000 of which have already been moved over to Utility Warehouse. That leaves a remainder of 70,000 customers, who will be contacted by their new service provider in the weeks leading up to the switch. When they are contacted customers do not need to take any action as the switch will happen automatically and without disruption to their service. Once the switch has been completed, Utility Warehouse will contact you again to inform you that your service has been successfully migrated. Customers also do not need to order a new router and you should not expect any disruption to the service. Utility Warehouse provides other services such as energy, but only your broadband service will be transferred across. If you are with Origin and you want to change providers ahead of the switch, then you'll need to tell your new provider that your current service is with Origin. You will not need to contact Origin directly, your new provider will do that for you. O2 Ends Pay-As-You-Go Data and iPad SIM Services: What You Need to Know If you are expecting an update from Origin and have not received one before the start of June, you can contact the team by visiting / Origin Broadband was once an independent company, but after experiencing financial difficulties, TalkTalk took over ownership in 2021. Since then, Origin has been relatively quiet and stopped accepting new customers. Although they briefly trialled taking on new subscribers late last year, this was short-lived, leaving the future of the brand uncertain, according to ISPreview. A TalkTalk spokesperson previously told The Sun said: "TalkTalk and Utility Warehouse (UW) have enjoyed a long-standing partnership. "As announced by UW recently, TalkTalk has agreed a partnership under which approximately 95,000 Origin customers will be transferred to UW. "Impacted customers will be contacted ahead of migration. No decision has been taken on the future of the Origin brand." How do I switch providers? More than nine million Brits are out of contract on their broadband package, according to Uswitch. While customers can leave their contract at any time, those still locked in will likely need to pay a penalty for leaving early, which varies from provider to provider. In the weeks before your contract is up, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with the deals that are available. It's a known fact that new customers always get the best deals. Sites including MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, speed and provider. This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider. However, if you do not want to switch and are happy with the service you're getting under your current provider - haggle for a better deal. You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than rolling on to the tariff you're given after your deal. TIPS BEFORE YOU SWITCH By Laura McGuire, Consumer Reporter If you're struggling to pay for your phone or internet, talk to your provider. Citizens Advice recommends the following: Ask if they can offer you a cheaper deal. You can find their contact details on their website or on a letter from them. You could tell your provider you're thinking of switching to a cheaper deal with a different provider. Your provider might offer you a cheaper deal to get you to stay with them. If you don't want to stay with your current provider, find out if you'll be charged an 'exit fee' to leave - check your contract or contact your provider. You'll usually be charged an exit fee if you want to leave before the end of a fixed-term contract. This can be expensive, so it might be better to wait until your current contract ends. You can check if you'll be charged an exit fee to leave your mobile contract by texting the word 'INFO' to 85075. It's free to text this number. If you're near the end of your contract, your provider should contact you to remind you. They'll also let you know about their best available deals.
