Business Energy

We’d like to start by thanking you for switching to Utilita – we can’t wait for you to join us! Once you’ve signed up to us, we will start processing your switch from your old supplier. You should then switch to us within 5 working days or on the date chosen by you.

Your old supplier should no longer require customers to submit a termination notice for you to leave the current contract. Although early termination charges might still apply if you leave before any fixed term period expires. Check with your supplier before deciding to switch.

If you are on a Fixed Price Energy Plan the price you pay will only change if the information you provided us with was incorrect or if your energy needs change.

If your premises is covered by an active Fixed Price Energy Plan, each contract will run from the date that you signed an Application form, submitted your Application over the internet, or made an Application on the telephone and will cease on your contract end date. We do not require you to submit a termination notice if you wish to leave a Fixed Price Energy Plan before the contract end date, although we may object to your proposed switch on the grounds that you are still in a Fixed Price Energy Plan. If you do still wish to leave, you may be subject to an early termination fee.

For more information on the termination fee, please visit our Principal Terms.

Your current supplier can object to you switching, but only under specific circumstances, which will be set out in your contract. Some typical reasons include:

• if you are in debt with your supplier
• if you are still bound by your contract
• because you are on a Fixed Energy Plan where the term has not ended

But your supplier cannot object if:

• you are not signed up to any contract because you are on a deemed contract
• your contract has expired, and you are not bound by its terms

If your current supplier does object to your switch, they are under licence obligations to tell you this as soon as possible. They must also tell you the reason why they have objected and how you can resolve this if you think you have a case to appeal against the reason for their objection.

It is a document that will enable a Third-Party Intermediate (TPI) or Agent to work on your behalf. They will need to contact your current supplier and access your data in accordance with the Data Protection Act – and for that, they need your authorisation.

You can download a Letter of Authority found in our download centre.

According to Ofgem, you are a micro-business if you meet one of the following criteria:

• Employs fewer than 10 employees (or their full time equivalent) and has an
• Annual turnover or balance sheet no greater than €2 million; or
• Uses no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year; or
• Uses no more than 293,000 kWh of gas per year

Monthly Fixed Direct Debit allows you to split the cost of your yearly energy charges equally over a period of 12 months.

This payment method is calculated to cover your expected energy usage for the year. If available, we use your previous year’s usage. When it isn’t, we use details we have about your premises, to estimate your usage. We calculate your total energy costs for the coming year – then simply divide it by 12 to give you a monthly figure. More information can be found on our Paying for your Energy.

A variable Direct Debit is suitable for customers who want to pay for exactly what they use during that month. Your bill amounts will vary month to month depending on your energy usage. More information can be found on our Paying for your Energy.

BillPay is a payment method that allows you to make energy payments and pay off outstanding balances on your account using a BillPay card.

Customers who currently pay for their energy on receipt of a bill, or via direct debit or who owe a balance on their account may also use a BillPay card to pay this off. We will send you a BillPay card before your Supply Start Date.

Pay-as-you-go meters or prepayment meters are not available to new customers. This type of meter requires payments, known as top-ups, in advance of the energy being used. If the credit runs down to below £0, then the meter may shut off supply to the premise. This is not a desirable payment option for businesses that rely on a continuous supply of energy to remain profitable. For more information visit our Paying for your Energy.

My Utilita is your go-to tool for keeping on top of your energy account. View your bills, check your payment history, and stay in control — all from your browser. (Available for single-site accounts only.)

Learn more at my.utilita.co.uk/business

The registration is quick and easy, you can create an account by visiting My Utilita. You will need your customer reference number (this can be found on any letter you have received from us) and your primary email address registered to your Utilita account.

NOTE: My Utilita isn’t quite ready for Group Accounts so if you have an email address registered to more than one account, you won’t be able to register just yet.

• Visit Forgot Password
• Enter the email address registered to your Utilita account
• Check your inbox for a password reset email
• Click on the URL provided in the email and enter a new password

If you are moving out of your premises, you need to submit a Change of Tenancy form found in our download centre and a copy of the Tenancy Agreement.

We will ask you for a final meter reading. This is important in determining if there is any debt on your meter or if there is money to be credited back to you.

If you’ve moved into a new property where the energy is already supplied by us, you will need to submit a Change of Tenancy form which can be found in our download centre and a copy of the Tenancy Agreement.

We will still ask for a current meter reading to ensure that your billing is accurate, and you do not take on any previous debt.

There are several quick and easy ways to submit a meter reading:

• Online via My Utilita

• Call our Automated Meter Reading Line: 03452 093 750

• Send a text/sms message to 84433. Text ‘Utilita’ followed by your account number*, then the word ‘Elec’ followed by your electricity meter reading and/or the word ‘Gas’ followed by your gas meter reading to 84433 (SMS charged at your standard network rate)
• Send them by email: meterreadings@utilita.co.uk

* Your account number can be found on any correspondence you have received from us.

Please contact us on 03330 156 662

Call 105, National Power Cut Helpline open 24hrs, 7 days a week.

They will be able to put you straight through to the right organisation responsible for fixing power cuts in your local area (it is free to call from most landline and mobile phone numbers).

Call the National Gas Emergency Helpline immediately on 0800 111 999

Call the National Gas Emergency Helpline immediately on 0800 111 999

• Open doors and windows for ventilation
• Do not use matches or naked flames
• Do not turn on or off any electrical switches
• Do not use mobile phones
• If it is safe to do so, turn the gas off at the meter unless the meter is located in the cellar/basement
• If an electrical security entry lock/phone is fitted, then this must not be operated. The door must be opened manually

In compliance with the Electricity/Gas Standard conditions of Supply section 7 paragraph 7A.8, we will provide each Live customer, who is currently in a fixed contract with a Statement of Renewal Terms, 60 days prior to the contract end date detailing their options.

For a quote, please contact us on 01376 313 248 from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us on smesales@utilita.co.uk

To discuss a renewal of contract, please contact us on 01376 313 248 from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday or alternatively you can email us on smerenewals@utilita.co.uk

If you don’t renew your contract and we supply you beyond your contract date, our Business Variable rates will apply. Please visit our download centre for more information.

If you’re out of contract, you’ll have no fixed end date or fixed energy rates so your costs will likely be higher. To discuss renewing your contract please call us on 01376 313248, from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday or alternatively you can email us at smerenewals@utilita.co.uk

The termination fee applicable to the contract (if you decide to leave before the end of the agreed contract term) will be 20% of your monthly price multiplied by the number of months remaining in your fixed term contract. Your monthly price will be based on a twelfth of your estimated annual consumption multiplied by your energy rate plus any standing charge. Your estimated annual consumption will be calculated based on your energy usage over the period you have been supplied by Utilita Energy and any other relevant available information. For more information on the termination fee, please visit our Principal Terms to see examples of how we calculate termination fees. If you are on our Out-of-Contract terms, you will not have to pay a termination fee.

We take GDPR very seriously. To find out how we use and look after your information, please see our Privacy Information Notice.

If you received a polite/final reminder letter or notice of intent, please contact our Customer Budgeting Team on 0330 053 8607. If you received a central recovery letter, please contact central recoveries on 0203 829 8059.

You will need to contact the Debit Collection Agency on top of the letter.

We’ll apply late payment charges to your account if we don’t receive payment in full or agree a payment arrangement with you. These charges increase the longer the payment is overdue:

• £10 charge for payments more than 14 days late.
• £30 charge for payments more than 23 days late.
• £8 charge if your Direct Debit payment fails and is returned.

We encourage anyone struggling to pay for their energy to get in touch so we can work together to agree an affordable repayment plan.

If you’re worried about your bill and need some help – get in touch. Our Business Customer Service team will be able to help you make a payment arrangement you can afford. Call us for free on 03330 156 662.

A supplier will be unable to work with any third-party’s on new contracts with Microbusinesses if they have not registered with an Alternative Dispute resolution scheme by 1 December. The third-party is still able to register with an Alternative Dispute resolution scheme after 1 December.

For further guidance on this please see the OFGEM website.

The Ombudsman Services have clarified that they will only review complaints against brokers if the customer became aware of the issue they are complaining about after 1 December. This applies even if the event itself occurred before 1 December, as long as the customer didn’t know about it until later. For more information, please visit the Ombudsman Services website, www.uia.org.uk or the Dispute Resolution for Energy Brokers website.

If a new TPI enter the energy market after the go-live date of 1 December 2022 they will need to sign up to a scheme before they broker any energy supply contracts with microbusiness consumers.

Where the third party costs are paid as part of the supplier bill these third party costs should be disclosed as part of the principal terms sent to the customer as per supply licence conditions. The Principal terms should be disclosed before the microbusiness enters into a contract with the supplier and again within 10 days or entering into the contract.

In the event that a customer consumes more energy than was estimated they will be liable for paying for their actual consumption. Customers, suppliers and brokers should ensure estimates are as accurate as possible to ensure estimated costs are reflective of actual costs.

The Microbusiness Strategic Review was in consideration of microbusiness energy consumers. For future plans that concern other market segments, please refer to Ofgem’s 2022/23 Forward Work Programme for further detail on any domestic and non-domestic work and BEIS’s TPI call for evidence for what may be future Government policy in this area.

The obligation on a supplier is to only work with third parties that are signed up to an Alternative Dispute resolution scheme as defined in SLC 20.5D and also in this document under a Qualifying Dispute Settlement Scheme. They will therefore need to ensure this is the case, wherever the broker is based.

No, you only need to register for the Alternative Dispute resolution scheme if you have Microbusiness contracts. Utilita class all businesses as micro business and therefore would only work with a Broker who has registered with the Alternative Dispute resolution scheme.

No. Third-party’s are not necessarily required to find the best deal for you. You could find a better deal if you are prepared to look at different contract lengths or payment methods.

No, make sure you understand the services they will provide for you, how they will be paid for these services and all terms and conditions before you accept.

No. Some factors in energy bills may change during the life of the contract (eg environmental tariffs). These may be presented on a pass-through basis (where they will be added to the energy price when the charges a known by the suppliers). Check that you understand whether your price may vary within the term of the contract.

No. Many contracts a fixed term and you should be clear how long you would be locked into the contract and whether there is a termination fee.