Broadband ISP TalkTalk Moves More Customers to Utility Warehouse
The TalkTalk Group has confirmed to ISPreview that a further batch of their UK customers are being migrated to Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) as part of a recently agreed partnership, which follows a similar move by the provider’s Origin Broadband base a couple of months ago (here).
Customers of TalkTalk, which seemingly includes quite a few that were acquired as part of last year’s deal to gobble Shell Energy’s broadband base from Octopus Energy (here), this week suddenly began posting that the provider had notified them of being migrated to UW.
The message informs customer that, as part of TalkTalk and UW’s partnership, they’ve agreed that “selected TalkTalk customers will be transferred to Utility Warehouse, where they can continue receiving uninterrupted broadband, award winning support and benefit from Utility Warehouse’s extended services“.
Advertisement
The message continues to say that related broadband and home phone contracts were “transferred” to UW on 30th June 2025 (i.e. customers were only notified of this afterwards, instead of before). “However, TalkTalk will continue to support you and handle any queries you have regarding your service,” on UW’s behalf, at least “until your account has been fully moved across to them later this year“.
TalkTalk added that there would be “no immediate changes” to the package price and service.
A TalkTalk spokesperson told ISPreview:
“We have agreed to transfer a small number of customers on standalone and legacy products to Utility Warehouse. We are contacting those customers now to advise them but they don’t need to do anything and won’t see any changes for the time being. We will contact them again later in the year, before the migration, but there will be no interruption to services.”
The provider didn’t define exactly what they meant by “small number of customers“, which is relevant for an ISP that is home to over 3 million users. But the move appears to have been a strategic activity focused on non-core and legacy customer bases, which may enable them to migrate more seamlessly to the newer Kraken platform (here).
The TalkTalk Group has of course also been dealing with various wider challenges, which last year saw them accept a refinancing package worth roughly £400m (here and here). This saved the group from the immediate risk of a default on its debts (i.e. extended debt maturities to September 2027), but still left them with the challenge of needing to fix their foundations. Since then they’ve also had to contend with payment disputes and reports of a possible sale (here, here and here). Never a dull day.
Advertisement
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
« Ofcom Consults on Changes to UK Wholesale Landline and Mobile Call Markets
I would not be happy with that at all, and would be looking to switch provider ASAP.
Same here UW rely on multi level marketing by local agents trying to get you to bundle all your utilities on to one bill. The agents rely on commission and bonus payments which ultimately you are paying for.
I want to cancel mine.
Why? It’s exactly the same service on exactly the same network.
Yes. People should be notified in advance and given the option of going elsewhere. I wonder what the criteria are for selecting customers.
agreed, wouldnt use UW with a barge pole. as u know whats next, oh we do energy, sim etc can get such a great deal etc etc despite elsewhere being cheaper
Why not? Customers are in safer hands with UW and than TT in the sense that UW are pretty well run and unlikely to go bust, and UW have a decent enough name for customer service unlike TT. If customers actually want to be with a company that’s loss making, badly run, and has amongst the worst customer service in the market then they can always cancel with UW and rejoin TT?
I wonder what the legalities are with this, only retrospectively telling customers that their dads has been shifted? Surely that bends the rules as far as possible?
@Jon Motson:
I suggest you take a closer look at UW and a look at the history of the business.
Sadly TalkTalk have the right to “sell” customers to a new provider like this, and customers cannot leave without paying any applicable early termination charge unless the change is deemed to put the customer at material detriment (which probably wouldn’t apply here!).
I’d agree with the comments above. I took UW energy and a sim and they constantly hounded me to take other services.
I told them I can’t take UW broadband because my line is a long FTTC line and the only option for me is VM. Sales people don’t care and still borderline harass you.
I lasted 3 months with their energy before getting tired of the constant sales push and attempt to recruit me.
Sim took over a month to arrive too and I was billed for it before I’d even activated it.
Never again.
The slow death of TalkTalk. They probably learnt the painful lessons of acquiring legacy customers in the past like what happened with Pipes and it’s multitudes of ISP’s
On the contrary, this move probably came about so that the business could simplify its operations and reduce ongoing costs.
We were forcibly moved, been customers since 2012. I think we were moved because we are still on a G.FAST 250mbps plan, this is likely classed as a legacy product because G.Fast is no longer being provided but we got it back in 2021. It’s still currently the fastest possible speeds we can get until either Openreach or Quickline build here, so I’m not exactly going to downgrade by service.
Wasn’t really pleased that they’ve told us after the fact, surprised that’s legal, but it was likely buried in the terms and conditions that I admittingly never read.
So long as I don’t lose my 330mbps download before 1Gig fibre is laid and goes live I don’t really mind.
Same G.fast 330
I’ve been moved from Origin Broadband which was hopelessly slow and glitchy and who were non-commutative. Still a rubbish service as we have overhead wires that traverse woods and tress, in addition to an increase in cost.
Looking for a new ISP for a twelve month contract as we might finally be getting the fibre connected after 24+ month pause.
TalkTalk customers will be more than likely moving to either BT, Sky or Vodaphone in the not to distant future, if the recent speculation is anything to go by.
*Vodafone
Personal pet peeve.
@Anon: Thanks for pointing out my error, silly me. 🙂 Good to see you read all the comments.
Thank you for covering this Mark. I got that email on Thursday and was distinctly unimpressed given they have said it has already happened.
I did manage to get this explanation from a TalkTalk “agent” on the live chat:
“As we’re moving away from older technology, such as G.Fast, in favor of Full Fibre FTTP, we feel that Utility Warehouse is best placed to continue their non-FTTP broadband service.”
I’m on a Fibre 150 package, which they seem to have phased out to new customers who if they want part-fibre are on lower speeds now. Lovely way to be treated by a company I’ve been with for 10 years!
still offering 150mb full fibre £26pm for new customers, just looked on brothers postcode ( whose in an openreach full fibre area )
Just some background: Openreach stopped providing new G.fast connections so that they could step up the full-fibre roll-out.
Just to say that they don’t offer full fibre in my London postcode – I assume if they did, they’d make me upgrade
I received email from talktalk saying i had been chosen and moved from 30th June so called them as that is classed as slamming as the did not inform or ask permission and inform 18 days after so have transferred a complaint to ofcom and recomend others do same as it is illegal to transfer your supply to another company without asking your permission first but if you call them they say your still in contract with them and if you leave you have to pay the penalty for leaving.
Here’s another trick talktalk tried on me they sent me a new router which I hadn’t asked for the tyres to charge me £80 for it I sent it back was out of pocket by £7.49 postage but better than £80
Sorry, but you are mistaken. Read the T&Cs that you signed up to. Section 23.1: “We can transfer the whole or any part of this agreement or service to any third party.”
If this is illegal please link the law it’s breaking and grounds for an Ofcom complaint due to slamming. Worth a look before you do at the terms and conditions you agreed to last time you agreed a new contract with them.
We’ve seen many customers moved in bulk to other providers and I’m pretty sure they weren’t offered a choice in the matter so be good to know if this was actually illegal each time.
Thanks.
Even if you’ve signed up to Ts&Cs saying they can move you to a third party it can still be considered slamming if you haven’t been informed. The two aspects are not mutually exclusive.
The thing is, UW and TT have been in some sort of partnership for around 3 years (above and beyond UW using TT as their broadband supplier for x years) and this is a planned partnership/migration, with the change having been trailed for a while (so it seems from Google… I wouldn’t know, as not a customer of TT or UW). So my understanding is this will not be treated as slamming.
Sounds like the admin side of the contracts is under way, but the bit about the move being completed later in the year (i.e. “We will contact them again later in the year, before the migration…”) suggests that TalkTalk are still the actual service provider (which would sort of be the case anyway as UW use TT!), so that no change has occurred yet on that score.
Last I looked Utility Warehouse customers got a TalkTalk IP address and were on the talktalk network anyhow so this is effectively no change.
I wonder if they will move my brother over, as he was moved to Talk Talk from Shell. He will not change energy company, he has just done that.
I was with origin and they upped my bill, changed to 1 month in advance payment then told me I’m moving.
I agreed a cancellation date with them and they never cancelled and moved me anyway, costing me another 2 months line rental and hours queuing on the phone to the liars.
UW are also a pyramid scheme and try to upsell everything and put the price up unless you take out the rest of their services.
Run while you can
I was transferred to utility warehouse without being notified not to get told of the change I think is disgraceful shows how bad the company is not to have the decency to let you know like others I’ve been told I cannot change suppliers unless I pay the penalty again this a change in my contract there scared everybody will go to youfibre who are cheap and faster higher download but if youfibre will pay my change over I’m off because it’s been done under handed I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back like many others shabby third rate company
They are basically moving as many unprofitable customers as possible and focus on full fibre in an desperate attempt to stop them going down the shitter. its will still happen as they are rotten to the core and could not run a bath never mind an Internet provider. wonder did they pay BT Openreach yet or they are still trying to bump them. they attempted to slam my line from BT about 20 years ago and I have never forgiven them.
Yet again telecommunications appear to be a law unto themselves, Surely no company , telecommunications or otherwise have a right to transfer customers services without informing them first ? How is that legal ? Should it be legal if in the small print ?
Yes, they do, and has happened many times across many industries.
Informed in advance or not customers get moved. Not such an issue in Hull given the lack of viable wholesale products, ISPs and options but rest of UK not uncommon for ISPs to move customers.
Was not happy to receive the email after the event. Have 150 faster fibre and there’s no similar package on UW. Think it’s a damn cheeky been with them right from when they started. 2005 i believe.