Switching to Utilita Energy

• Where can I get help?

  If you’re concerned about your debt, or you are having difficulty please visit www.utilita.co.uk/codes-of-practice for advice. We have lots of useful information about your paying for your energy, as well as where to go for independent help.

  If you have any questions about transferring debt, please get in touch with us online at www.utilita.co.uk/help or if you’d prefer to speak to someone on the phone, you can contact our Customer Switching team on 03303 337 432.

  We're here to help if you're having trouble with your energy. Our Customer Care Team provides a wide range of support services if you need help to manage your energy supply. To speak to someone, call us today on 0345 072 000.

  Contact Citizens Advice if you need help with an energy problem – for example with your bills or meters, or if you’re struggling to pay for the energy you use. They’re the official source of free and independent energy advice and support.
  Go to: citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or call their consumer service on 0808 223 1133. Calls are free.

• How do I know that my gas and electricity supplies will be secure?

  We are licensed by Ofgem, the energy regulator, to provide gas and electricity to domestic households. We meet all required industry regulations.

• How can I be sure you're not going to increase your prices as soon as I switch?

  We can’t guarantee that prices are not going to change but we will always ensure that our prepayment rates remain highly competitive. It is our belief that customers should be rewarded for paying for their energy up front, rather than being penalised with higher tariffs.

  By specialising in smart prepayment metering, we also eliminate the costs of regular meter readings, estimated bills and quarterly statements, so we can pass these savings on to you. We notify all our customers of potential price increases 30 days in advance; customers are not held in a contract and have the right to leave at any time, with no exit fees.

• What support is on offer to help me save energy?

  With our smart metering system installed, you will be able to see your energy usage and credit balance in realtime, giving you far greater control over your energy spend. Our Customer Care Team is trained to offer energy saving advice and support to make your home as efficient as possible, helping towards a long-term solution to saving money on your energy usage, just call 0330 3337 456, and we'll be happy to help.

• Do I have to tell my current supplier that I am switching supply?

  No, we will handle the whole process for you. The transfer will be completely seamless as the same pipes and wires are used by all suppliers.

• Can I change my mind?

  We hope this won't be the case, but if you decide to cancel your agreement, all you have to do is confirm this in writing using the form enclosed in your Welcome Book, or call our Customer Switching Team on 0330 3337 432, within 14 days of sign up.

• Will I be held in a contract and can I easily switch to another supplier?

  No, we do not hold our customers in a contract. We work hard to ensure our customers want to stay with us, however you are free to move to another supplier at anytime, with no exit fees.

• Will I get a bill or statement?

  As with pay-as-you-go mobile phones, you won’t receive any bills through your letterbox because you will pay for all your energy up front. Once you have been with us for a full 12 months, you will receive an annual statement every year - this is for your reference only and is not payable.

• Can I switch if I currently have credit meters?

  Yes, you can switch to us and we offer a free install of our prepayment smart meters on our lowest available tariff, 'Smart Energy’, providing you with all the great benefits of our smart metering service. Alternatively, we can install our smart meters in 'credit mode’ and you can pay by 'Pre-Pay Direct Debit'. As a credit customer we only offer you our Smart Energy tariff if you have our smart meters installed and pay by 'Pre-Pay Direct Debit'.

• Can I switch if I already have smart meters installed from another supplier?

  Yes, you can switch to us and keep your current smart meter(s). However, you may not retain the same functions, in which case we will provide a free install of our own smart meters, in order to service your property.

• What is the Debt Assignment Protocol?

  Normally, if you wanted to switch supplier but you had a debt that you hadn’t repaid for over 28 days, your current supplier would block it. We call this an ‘objection’. If, however your debt is stored on a Pay as You Go meter (e.g. A percentage or your top-ups go towards repaying it) you may still be able to complete a switch (to us, or away from us) by transferring the debt to your new supplier with a ‘Debt Assignment Protocol’

  The Debt Assignment Protocol (DAP) is an energy industry procedure that allows people with Pay as You Go meters to switch gas and electricity suppliers, even when there is debt on the meter. It allows customers with debt of up to £500 on each meter to transfer their supply along with their debt, to a new supplier.

• How does the Debt Assignment Protocol work?

  When you agree to switch your Pay as You Go meter to us, we will ask if you have any outstanding debt with your current supplier. If you tell us that you do, we will ask for your permission to request information from your current supplier about any debt you may have.

  After this, we will register for your electricity and / or gas supply to switch over to us. If you have enough debt on your meters that your current supplier blocks the switch, they will inform you (and us) that they have ‘objected’ to your transfer. This objection is important, as it will start the Debt Assignment Protocol and allow us to talk to your current supplier and arrange for your debt to be transferred.

  As long as the debt is between £20 - £500 per fuel, then we would be happy to take it on.

• How and when will my debt be transferred?

  It may take a while for the debt to finish transferring across to us, so it’s very unlikely that you will need to start making repayments the day your supply is switched to us.

  Once your debt is ready, we will check to see if you have had your smart meter(s) installed. If you have, you will receive a message on your In-Home Display when the transferred debt has been added to your meter(s). This would then be recovered by taking 25% of your top-ups. This will mean for every £1 you top-up, £0.25 will go towards the outstanding amount, until this has been repaid.

  If you don’t have your smart meter(s) fitted yet, we will try contact you to arrange for an install. If for any reason this can’t be completed, we will work with you to find another way for you to make payments towards this.

  If you have any concerns about the amount you are repaying, or you are having difficulty paying you can visit www.utilita.co.uk/codes-of-practice for advice about paying for your energy, and for information about independent help.

• What might stop my debt from transferring?

  Please be aware that the debt will only be transferred to us if it is under the same name with your current supplier as the name you gave when signing up. If there are differences in the names on the accounts then there may be delays in your switch or it may be cancelled altogether. Please make sure that your details are correct with your current supplier, and that only the named bill payer for the property should be arranging the switch with us.

  To complete the process, we rely on your current supplier first raising an objection to your switch because of an outstanding debt. If your supplier doesn’t raise an objection, we will believe that there is no longer any debt on the meters, even if it was discussed at the point when you agreed to switch to us. If this happens, we’re sorry but while your supply may still switch to us, your debt may stay with your current supplier. You would then have to arrange with them how you will be paying for your debt.

• What if I want to switch away from Utilita?

  While we would love to keep supplying you, you are welcome to switch if the debt you have is between £20 - £500 on a Pay as You Go meter. All you would need to do is contact the supplier you wish to switch to ask for them to transfer the debt with you, when you switch.

  We will then object to the transfer request, which will start your new supplier’s Debt Assignment protocol. As long as they agree to the amount of debt on your account, your switch will go through and the repayments for the debt will be arranged with your new supplier.

• What if my debt is not on a Pay as You Go Meter?

  You can only transfer debt to another supplier if it is stored on a Pay as You Go meter, e.g. a percentage or set amount of your top-ups go towards repaying it. If your debt is being repaid in a different way, or you do not have a Pay as You Go meter then you will not be able to transfer your debt to another supplier. This may mean you are unable to complete a switch until the debt has been repaid.

  If you have an outstanding debt with your energy supplier but you want to be able to switch to us, we recommend that you contact your current supplier to arrange a payment plan.

  Alternatively, if you are with Utilita and would like to set up or change the way you are paying for your debt, please call 03452 412 175 to speak to our Customer Budgeting Team. We can help find a payment plan that will suit you. We offer several ways for you to pay for energy and will find a solution that will take your circumstances into consideration.