Our Codes of Practice

How we can help you

We understand that paying your energy bills can be difficult. If you’re struggling with your bills, visit our website for advice about paying for your energy, and for information on help available from independent support groups.

Alternatively, give us a ring on 0345 2412 175 to speak to our Credit Control Team. We’ll help find a manageable payment plan that suits you. We can offer several ways for you to pay for your energy, and we’ll work with you to find a solution that works best for your circumstances.

Download our full payment guide here.

How can I pay?

There are three ways to pay for the energy you use:

• You can top-up a Pay As You Go meter with credit.

• You can set up a monthly Direct Debit, either on a fixed or variable basis.

• You can pay us monthly within 10 days of receiving a bill.

Pay As You Go (PAYG)

With Pay As You Go energy, you choose how much you spend and when. There’s loads of ways to top-up, plus features to give you a helping hand and save you £££s if you're struggling.

With our smart meters you’ll have access to:

• £15 Emergency Credit when your meter balance gets low. Simply accept the notification on your Smart Display to activate this emergency fund. Your available Emergency Credit can be seen on your home screen on My Utilita - nice! You can download My Utilita from the App Store or Google Play Store.

• Friendly Credit Hours, meaning you won’t go off supply at key times. You won’t lose supply from 2pm - 10am* on weekdays, all day weekends and bank holidays and if you’ve been with us over 3 years, all day Mondays - even if you’ve run out of credit! You can view within My Utilita when you're in Friendly Credit Hours.

• POWER UPs of up to £60 on gas and £40 on electric when you’ve run out of credit and need to get back on supply. Pay it back on your terms as a % of your future top-ups. This is called Recovery Rate.

*Subject to change

Is Pay As You Go right for you?

Remember, on Pay As You Go:

• You’ll usually have to top-up more in the winter when it’s colder.

• If your meter runs out of credit and your supply is turned off, you may need to repay any Emergency Credit or Friendly Credit before your meter turns back on again.

This means Pay As you Go might not be right for everyone. A Credit Mode meter may be better for you if:

• You have a medical condition that means you require a constant supply of energy.

• You have a disability that means you struggle to access your meter, if you need to top-up or restore your supply manually.

If you’re happy with the way you currently pay for your energy as a Pay As You Go customer, you don’t need to do anything. But, if you’d prefer to have a Credit Mode meter, please let us know. You can complete our online form or call us on 02381 000 169. We'll then call you back to discuss the best options available to you.

Monthly Direct Debit

Setting up a Direct Debit can be an easy way to pay whether you have a PAYG or credit meter.

If you have a credit meter

If you have a credit meter, you can choose to pay a regular Direct Debit amount each month. The monthly option lets you evenly spread the cost of your energy usage over a year.

If available, we’ll use your previous year’s bill to estimate how much you’ll need to pay for the year. If we don’t have this information, we’ll use any details we have about your home such as the number of rooms, and property type, to estimate your usage. We’ll then calculate your total energy costs (including the repayment of any outstanding balance) for the coming year. This is then divided by 12 to give you a monthly payment amount.

You may find that you’re paying for more than you’re using in energy during the summer to allow you to have enough credit to cover your higher winter bills. We spread your payments evenly over the year, so you don't need to worry about frequent changes to your monthly outgoings.

We’ll review your Direct Debit annually, to make sure you’re paying the right amount. We’ll notify you if we think your Direct Debit no longer matches your usage and needs to be changed.

If you build up a large credit balance on your account, you can request all or part of this back at any time. We’ll discuss with you your circumstances and the expected amount required to cover your future bills, so you can decide if this money would be better suited on your account, or back in your wallet.

If you have a PAYG meter

The Direct Debit amount that you choose can be updated easily – just call our friendly Customer Care Team on 03452 412 175 to discuss your needs.

The Direct Debit Guarantee.

The Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.

If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, Utilita Energy Ltd will notify you (normally within 10 working days) in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Utilita Energy Ltd to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit by Utilita Energy Ltd or your bank or building society, you're entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund that you’re not entitled to, you must pay it back when we ask you to.

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify Utilita Energy Ltd.

Payment on Receipt of Bill.

If you choose to pay each time you receive a bill, we’ll usually send you a bill each month. After receiving each bill, you’ll have up to 10 working days to make your payment. You can choose to pay your bills by:

• Bank Transfer (BACS)

• Cheque

• Postal order

To send us a cheque or postal order, you can post this to: Utilita Energy, Hutwood Court, Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO53 3QB.

Please make sure to include your Customer Reference Number as a payment reference to help us allocate your payment to your account.

To pay through BACS, our bank details are included below:

• Bank Sort Code – 09-02-22.
• Bank Account Number – 10470356 .
• Remember to put your Customer Reference Number as the payment reference.

It might also take additional time to process your payment once we’ve received your bank transfer, cheque or postal order.

BillPay

Alternatively, with a BillPay card number, you’ll be able to make payments to your Utilita account directly through My Utilita, at a PayPoint or PayZone store or through our automated payment line at 0330 0537 657.

You can find your BillPay card in My Utilita, or on the bottom of a bill. You can also make a debit or credit card payment by contacting our Billing Team directly on 0330 0535 669.

When will I receive my Bills?

If you’re using Pay As You Go you won’t receive regular bills.

If you’re paying by Direct Debit, you’ll receive a monthly statement. This will show what you have paid against the cost of the energy you have used. It may also show an updated Direct Debit amount depending on whether we have reassessed your account as detailed above. You’ll receive a letter confirming any change to your Direct Debit amount before we debit your account.

If you have a Green Deal premises, you’ll receive a Green Deal Statement every six-month period if you’re a credit customer, or every seven-months if you Pay As You Go.

Disputed Bills & Meter Readings.

If you have a smart meter installed, you won’t need to provide us with meter readings as these are taken automatically from your meter.

If you don’t have a smart meter installed, or if we cannot access data from your smart meter, we may need to estimate your usage based on your previous energy usage. Where we can’t get frequent meter readings, we may ask you to provide them in My Utilita or online. Remember, it’s best if we can get a meter reading at least once a month, so we can base your bill on actual meter readings.

The more often we receive a meter reading from you, the more accurate your bill will be. However, we'll also aim to read any non-smart meter at least once a year (please see our Arrangements for Site Access Code of Practice for more information on visiting your home).

You can also give your own readings if you would like to. Just remember:

• Where you provide your own meter readings, we’ll rely on these readings and use them for your bill.

• We may seek to establish whether the reading you’ve provided looks reasonable, based on the energy we think you would have used.

• If we don’t accept your meter reading, we’ll explain this to you, and we may instead use an estimated reading.

Your bills will show you how we’ve calculated your usage using the readings we’ve taken, or that you have provided. If you disagree with an estimated bill, we’ll be happy for you to provide us with your own meter readings. But:

• We may accept your first reading and update your bill, or we may send our own representative to take a meter reading.

• If for any reason, any final bill is not accurate, we'll ensure that a corrected bill is sent to you as soon as possible after the mistake is identified.

If you believe your bills are being affected by a faulty meter, you should keep a record of your usage for a few days as an initial investigation, and then call our contact centre for advice. If you ask us to send an engineer out and there is nothing wrong with your meter(s), call out charges may apply.

If you have a disability which prevents you from reading your meters or topping up, please let us know by either contacting us or signing up to our Priority Service Register. We might then recommend that a remotely operated smart meter might be the best choice for you.

What is backbilling protection, and how does it work?

Backbilling protection ensures that if we fail to send you an accurate energy bill for over 12 months, we’ll only charge you for any overcharged amounts during that period. This helps prevent you from falling behind with payments and receiving a large catch-up bill.

Please note, this protection does not apply if:

• You haven’t informed us that you’re responsible for paying the bills at the property.

• We’ve made reasonable attempts to obtain an actual meter reading and have been denied access to your meter.

• Additionally, if we do send a bill but don’t obtain meter readings, we’ll only charge you for what has already been billed and won’t add any extra charges. This protection aligns with regulatory guidelines to ensure fair billing practices.

We aim to provide you with regular, accurate energy bills to help prevent you falling behind with payments and having to pay a large catch-up bill. If we fail to send you an accurate bill for over 12 months, we’ll only charge you for energy used in the last 12 months.

Final Bills

If you pay for your energy by direct debit, on receipt of bills or by PAYG on a non-smart meter, then it's important you take final meter readings and send these to us as soon as possible when you move home or change energy supplier. This will ensure that you only ever pay for your own energy use and that the final bill we send you is accurate.

If you’re a credit customer, we'll aim to send your final bill within six weeks of you leaving our supply. Where this is not possible, we'll try our best to explain the reason for any delay.

Where applicable, your final bill will include any other charges that would be payable to us, such as Green Deal payments. If relevant, your new Green Deal supplier will then take up the responsibility of collecting your remaining Green Deal Charges.

Where you have a credit balance, we'll aim to refund your balance back to you. If you have a debit balance, we'll ask for you to pay the final amount.

If you’re a PAYG customer using a smart meter, you’re not required to take a meter reading but you should let us know when you're moving out so we can ensure any remaining credit is refunded to you as quickly as possible.

If you have a Green Deal Premise and you finish paying off your Green Deal Charges whilst you’re still with us, we’ll issue you a closing Statement of Account showing the final payments made.

If you’d like a copy of this code of practice in Braille, or audio form, please get in touch. Copies of this document can be posted to any of our customers free of charge.

Difficulties paying your bill

We understand that paying for energy bills can be difficult, so please let us know if you’re struggling. Once you’ve spoken with us, we’ll then work with you to help you manage your debt with payments you can afford. We can also investigate how you can reduce your energy usage to bring down your cost.

We know that even a small amount of debt can be difficult to confront. Please, make contacting us and discussing your situation one of your first steps to resolving it.

If you pay by Direct Debit or you receive a bill:

If you’re having difficulty with your bills, please call us on 03452 412 175 to speak to our Credit Control Team. We’ll be able to offer several ways for you to pay for energy, and we’ll work with you to find a solution that’ll take your circumstances into consideration.

If you miss a Direct Debit payment, we’ll let you know when we try to rerun it. Please be aware that if you miss payments, your Direct Debit amount may have to increase to account for any outstanding balance(s) at your next Direct Debit review.

If you start to fall behind on your payments, we’ll get in touch to let you know the amount you owe and offer some alternative ways you can pay for your energy.

We want to help you stay on top of your bills. So, if you contact us and agree to a reasonable payment plan, we won't take any further action unless you break this arrangement. Don’t worry, we understand that the amount you can afford to repay us may change over time. If it does, please contact us and we’ll check if a different payment plan may be more appropriate.

If you don't pay your bills on time or break the terms and conditions related to your payments, we have the right to change your payment method. For example, we may require you to switch to Pay As You Go mode so that an agreed percentage of your top-ups can go towards paying off your outstanding balance.

This change in payment method may result in an increase in your energy prices. If this is the case, we’d write to explain these seven working days in advance of the change taking place. Pay As You Go?

If you Pay As You Go:

If you top-up to pay for your energy, it may be harder for us to tell if you’re having difficulty. If you’re struggling and believe you may be left without supply for an extended period, please let us know. We’ll then review your account and check if we can top-up your meter with enough credit to help you stay on supply, based on your usage and circumstances.

We wouldn’t charge you any interest on this top-up, but it'll be added to a meter of our choice as a debt to ensure it is paid back in full. During this process, we would discuss your ability to pay to agree what percentage of your future top-ups could go towards paying this outstanding balance.

Don’t worry, we understand that the amount you can afford to repay us with your top-ups may change. If it does, please contact us and we will check if a new recovery rate may be more appropriate.

If your smart meter is off supply and you’re registered on our Priority Service Register as being critically dependent on your energy, we may contact you to check if you need any help. If your circumstances change and you no longer believe that a Pay As You Go meter is safe for you to use, please get in touch with us as soon as possible.

Green Deal

If your property has a Green Deal agreement in place from the old UK Government imitative, we’ll take regular payments from you to go towards the outstanding loan. The scheme isn't open anymore so you can no longer apply, but if you’re struggling with making payments from your existing agreement, please get in touch with us as soon as you can.

We may offer you a Pay As You Go meter to allow you to conveniently pay for the outstanding charges (added daily), your ongoing daily energy charges, and your electricity together. Please remember that the green deal agreement is a consumer credit arrangement, which means if you miss a payment, it may affect your credit rating.

Fuel Direct

If you receive Income Support, Pension Credit or Universal Credit you can apply to the Fuel Direct Scheme. The scheme means that the Department for Work and Pensions will:

• Automatically take an agreed amount of money from your income support to help towards your energy costs.

• Pay towards your energy usage or debt from the amount deducted – usually £3.70 per week (please note that you will still need to pay towards your current usage).

• The amount deducted is set by the Department for Work and Pensions and will be paid directly to Utilita, this will reduce your benefit by the agreed amount.

• For more information get in touch with your local benefits office, or visit gov.uk/bills-benefits.

Disconnection

While we’ll do everything we can to avoid it, we’re legally allowed to disconnect your energy supply if you don't make reasonable attempts to pay for your energy usage. There may also be additional charges you will be required to pay if we disconnect or reconnect your supply.

If we must disconnect your supply for non-payment, we'll always contact you in advance to let you know why and when this will happen, and if there's anything you can do to avoid disconnection. Remember, we’re always willing to work with you to manage your debt. If you contact us and agree to a reasonable payment plan, we won’t take any further action unless you break this arrangement. If the arrangement is broken, as a last resort we may have to use a debt recovery agent.

There are strict rules governing debt recovery agents. You can learn about your consumer rights by calling Citizens Advice or checking their website.

It’s important to understand that during the winter months, we’ll take all reasonable steps to avoid disconnecting any household which includes a person who is of pensionable age, disabled or chronically sick.

What other sources of help can I get?

There are many ways that we, or other organisations, can help you if you are struggling with your bills.

• For changing how you pay for your energy, please see our Paying for your Energy Code of Practice, it explains the different payment options that we have available which may be suitable to your needs and preferences.
• For ways to reduce your energy costs, see our help centre.
• For government schemes that could help you pay towards your energy, please see our Warm Home Discount, Solar Panels, and Green Deal information.

We'll do everything we can to help you first, but if you'd like free, confidential, and independent advice then you may want to try the Citizens Advice Service.

If you live in England or Wales:

• Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• For Relay UK, call 18001 then 0808 223 1133.
• To contact a Welsh-speaking adviser call 0808 223 1144. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland:

• Go to energyadvice.scot.
• Contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660. Calls are free.
• For British Sign Language enquiries, go to contactscotland-bsl.org.

Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland are the official sources of free and independent energy advice and support.

We also recommend checking out these other sources of help and advice:

• Simple Energy Advice - an independent, impartial and trusted organisation helping people save energy every day. Their experts speak with millions of householders every year and help to deliver first class programmes for governments. They can be contacted on 0800 444 202, or by visiting their Website.

• National Debtline - a debt advice charity run by the Money Advice Trust. They offer a free and confidential debt advice service for people in England, Wales and Scotland. They provide free guides, fact sheets, budgeting tools and sample letters to help you. You can also get debt advice by using their webchat service, email or by calling their helpline. They can be contacted on 0800 808 4000, or by visiting their website.

• StepChange - they will be able to provide you with free impartial debt advice and budgeting solutions that are personalised to your current financial situation. They may help you gain more control of your financial situation moving forward. You can use their debt remedy tool that will help you get started - just call 0800 138 1111, or visit their website.

How can I save energy?

• Minor changes to your daily routine and home can have a big impact on the amount of energy you use each month and therefore the amount you are spending. We recommend visiting our website or speaking directly to our Extra Care Team on 0800 883 8007 for guidance on the best way for you to bring your energy usage down.

• You can also get impartial energy advice by visiting the Simple Energy Advice website , or by contacting them on 0800 444 202.

If you'd like a copy of this code of practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. Copies of this document can be posted to any of our customers free of charge.

Using Gas Safely

The most important thing to remember is your safety. There are several precautions that you can take to ensure that you are not exposed to any danger from your gas or electricity supply. If you smell gas, follow this advice from the National Gas Emergency Service:

• Don't smoke.

• Don't use naked flames.

• Don't use doorbells, mobile phones or turn any other electrical switches on or off.

• Do turn off the gas mains supply at the meter.

• Do open doors and windows to ventilate the house.

Once you've followed the advice above, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Do not phone from a mobile phone in your house as this may ignite a spark.

If the meter is in a basement, cellar or confined area don't enter the area to turn off the supply.

If your meter is NOT in a basement, cellar or confined area, turn off the gas supply at the emergency control valve handle. The valve can be found near to the meter. Turn the handle through 90 degrees so that it is at a right angle to the pipe.

Now follow the basic safety advice below:

• Don't operate anything electrical/battery operated i.e. mobile phones, light switches or radios.

• Turn off all gas appliances, if safe to do so.

• Extinguish all naked flames, don't smoke, use matches or any naked flames.

• Open all doors and windows to ventilate the property.

• Leave the property - don't forget to warn neighbours or others if you live in a multi-occupancy property

• Leave the door open if there is an electric operated doorbell entry system.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas. It is colourless, and has no taste or smell. If your gas appliance is faulty, or there's not enough ventilation in the room, carbon monoxide may be produced.

To keep your household safe, you can:

• Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm (it should be marked to EN 50291 and also have the British Standards' Kitemark or another European approval organisation's mark on it).

• Service your appliances.

• Make sure not to block ventilation.

• Know the danger signs below.

Carbon Monoxide danger signs:

• Orange or yellow gas flames. Gas flames should be blue.

• Sooty stains or discolouration on or by the appliance.

• You may develop some of the following symptoms: headaches, drowsiness, sickness, giddiness or stomach pains.

Many of the symptoms of carbon monoxide are like those of flu, food poisoning, viral infections, or simple tiredness. Other warning signs that suggest carbon monoxide poisoning include:

• Symptoms only occur when you're at home.

• Symptoms disappear or get better when you leave the home and come back when you return.

• Other people in your household (including your pets) are experiencing similar symptoms.

• Symptoms tend to be seasonal – e.g. headaches during the winter when the central heating is used more often.

• If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical advice from your GP, call NHS Direct on 111 - or if it is urgent, call 999 for an ambulance.

Gas Safety Checks

You may be entitled to a free safety check on your gas appliances every year if:

• All the adults in your home are disabled, chronically sick or of pensionable age.

• A member of your household is under five years old.

• Any member of your household is in receipt of means tested benefits.

If you’re in private rented accommodation, it’s your landlord’s responsibility to offer you a free gas safety check. Even if you must fund it yourself, these checks are advisable.

If an appliance is found to be dangerous, it'll be condemned and cannot be used until it has been repaired or replaced. If this happens you can call the Gas Safe Register enquiry number on 0800 408 550 or visit their website for advice.

Using Electricity Safely

Electricity is safe if you use it properly, but carelessness can lead to accidents. When using electricity, make sure you take the following precautions:

• Check all flexes and fittings regularly. Short flexes are best, and they should never be placed over the top of work surfaces.

• Ensure that all plugs are correctly wired. New electrical appliances will always have a fitted plug that you cannot rewire. If the plug is damaged, you should cut it off and throw it away. A new plug should be fitted following the correct procedure.

• Try to use only one plug per socket. If this isn't possible, use a reliable adaptor.

• Make sure the fuse is the right size by checking the label.

• Wiring should be checked every five years by a member of the National Inspection Council for Electrical Insulation (NICEIC). Approved contractors are listed in your local yellow pages.

• Never hang anything on a fan, convector or radiant heater or block air grilles.

• Never handle plugs, switches or electrical appliances with wet hands.

• Never fit time switches to electric fires or heaters.

Independent Advice

For gas maintenance and emergencies, contact the National Grid on 0800 111 999, or visit their website.

We’ll of course do everything we can to help you, but if you would like any independent advice then you may want to try the Citizens Advice Service.

If you live in England or Wales:

• Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• For Relay UK, call 18001 then 0808 223 1133.
• To contact a Welsh-speaking adviser call 0808 223 1144. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland:

• Go to energyadvice.scot.
• Contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660. Calls are free.
• For British Sign Language enquiries, go to contactscotland-bsl.org.

Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland are the official sources of free and independent energy advice and support.

We also recommend checking out these other sources of help and advice:

• Simple Energy Advice - an independent, impartial and trusted organisation helping people save energy every day. Their experts speak with millions of householders every year and help to deliver first class programmes for governments. They can be contacted on 0800 444 202, or by visiting their Website.

• National Debtline - a debt advice charity run by the Money Advice Trust. They offer a free and confidential debt advice service for people in England, Wales and Scotland. They provide free guides, fact sheets, budgeting tools and sample letters to help you. You can also get debt advice by using their webchat service, email or by calling their helpline. They can be contacted on 0800 808 4000, or by visiting their website.

• StepChange - they will be able to provide you with free impartial debt advice and budgeting solutions that are personalised to your current financial situation. They may help you gain more control of your financial situation moving forward. You can use their debt remedy tool that will help you get started - just call 0800 138 1111, or visit their website.

If you would like a copy of this, or any other code of practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. Copies of this document can be posted to any of our customers free of charge.

What is the purpose of site visits?

There are several reasons why a Utilita representative may call at your door:

• An engineer may need to come and fix or fit your meters.

• On occasion, we may need to send someone to read your meters.

• Under extreme circumstances, a debt recovery agent may have to be sent to a property for debt purposes.

• A sales representative might knock on your door to offer you information about our services.

Planned and unplanned visits

Where we can make a prior arrangement and time for a visit, we will. Our appointments are divided into four time slots:

• Morning: 8am-12pm or 9am-1pm

• Afternoon: 12pm-4pm or 1pm-5pm

We’ll ask for someone over the age of 18 to remain in the property for the duration of our visit. If we miss you, we’ll push a card through your door to let you know that we’ve called. We can’t guarantee that we can get back to you on the same day, but if you call our Customer Service Team on 0345 207 2000, we’ll reschedule the appointment as quickly as possible.

Identity Cards

Each of our representatives will wear a valid photo ID badge, but not necessarily with the Utilita logo on it. This is because to deliver the best service possible, we sometimes outsource engineering work or meter readings to external Meter Operating Companies. These representatives will always be trained to meet our high standards of practice, but do not be alarmed if they are not wearing Utilita uniform as they are still regulated by us. All comments and complaints should still be directed to our Customer Service Team and will be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

You should always check the identity and business of any person before letting them into your home. All visiting representatives have an identity card that they will show you without being asked. They will also confirm the exact reason they are calling.

You should check the card thoroughly; it should contain the following information:

• Our name - 'Utilita' or the name of the Network or Meter Operating Company.

• The name of the representative.

• A colour photograph of the representative.

• An expiry date (all cards are handed back on expiry or when a representative leaves the company).

• A telephone number that you can call to check their identity.

• Their Agent ID Reference.

Password Schemes

If you have concerns about security, we offer a password scheme which our representative will say back to you to confirm they’re visiting on appropriate business. This password can be up to 25 characters long, chosen by you and updated in our system. We'll only ever give your password to our Utilita Representatives and Meter Reading or Network Operating Company Representatives who need to know it. You’ll be able to change it as often as you like.

Engineers

The person who lets the engineer in must be over 18. Whether they're coming to fix your meters, or fit your property with new smart meters, their identity can be verified by any member of our Customer Care Team. If in doubt, call us on 0345 207 2000.

Utilita supplies your electricity and/or gas but doesn't own the pipes and wires used to transport these around the country. These are provided by national or local grid and pipeline companies (‘Network Operator Companies’ or NOC’s). These Network Operator Companies carry out the same duties for Utilita as any other national utility supplier under the terms of their licences.

Occasionally a Network Operator Company might need to work on the pipes and wires that connect to your home. We’ll always try to give you advance warning of this, but in case of an emergency, they may let you know directly. These Network Operating Engineers will rarely need to come into your property, as it is up to us as your supplier to maintain your meter.

Meter Readers

Once you're installed with a smart meter, we can read it remotely. In the lead up to this, we may have to send someone to read your meters manually. Like many suppliers, we sometimes use an external Meter Operating Company to ensure that all our customers are billed accurately.

Remember, you’re not obliged to let anybody into your house. Instead, in most situations, you can send us a manual reading through My Utilita, or on our website. Details on how to read your meter are available here.

Debt Recovery Agents

If we’ve been unable to obtain any sort of payment, we may resort to using third party debt recovery agents. We're reluctant to do this and will help you avoid this as best we can, so please contact us if you fall into debt and feel that you cannot cope.

We’ll always try to help you make payment arrangements you can afford. There are strict rules governing third party debt recovery agents - you can learn all about your consumer rights by calling Citizen’s Advice Bureau, checking their website.

Sales Agents

For an independent company like Utilita, sales agents are a valuable way of spreading information about our services to the public.

All our sales agents are subject to a DBS check and undergo product training. They work from 9am-8pm from Monday to Thursday, and 9am-6pm on Fridays, complying with the code of conduct for sales. They'll only ever sell at booked events or door-to-door and will never approach you in the street.

Our sales agents will ALWAYS be able to present you with a valid ID badge. This includes:

• A recent photograph of the Agent.

• The Utilita logo.

• A contact number for Utilita.

• An expiry date.

Sales Agents must be able to present a valid Utilita ID badge at all times. Many of our agents also choose to wear a Utilita uniform, which consists of a jacket or polo shirt with our logo on it.

Making a Complaint

If you have a Complaint or any feedback specifically about a sales agent, it’s best to contact the Sales Team directly:

• You can call on 0345 2068 777.
• Or you can email at sales@utilita.co.uk.

All other complaints can be directed to our Customer Services Team:

• You can call on 0345 2072 000.
• Or you can email at customerrelations@utilita.co.uk.

All members of staff are trained to deal with your complaint.

Verification Calls

To ensure each of our customers is completely happy to switch to us, we never process a contract without validating it over the phone. This call is scripted to cover the main points, but our Sales Advisors are trained to answer any questions that may arise at this point.

Vulnerable Customers

We’ll always check that the person signing up is responsible for the household bills and is over 18. Vulnerable customers receive an additional “comfort call” from our call centre to check that they’re completely happy to proceed with their application, and fully understand our terms and conditions. We’ll wait and speak to their carer or next of kin if this is deemed necessary. In sheltered accommodation, agents must receive the warden’s permission to approach customers.

Impartial Advice

We’ll do everything we can to help you, but if you would like any independent advice, consider speaking with the Citizens Advice service. They provide free, confidential, and impartial advice on consumer issues.

If you live in England or Wales:

• Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• For Relay UK, call 18001 then 0808 223 1133.
• To contact a Welsh-speaking adviser call 0808 223 1144. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland:

• Go to energyadvice.scot.
• Contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660. Calls are free.
• For British Sign Language enquiries, go to contactscotland-bsl.org.

Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland are the official sources of free and independent energy advice and support.

If you'd like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. Copies of this document can be posted to any of our customers free of charge.

Monitoring your energy usage

This Code offers several simple and practical measures that can have an immediate effect on reducing the amount of energy you use, whilst helping the environment benefit from less pollution.

Changing your habits at home

Each of us can save energy by making small lifestyle changes – and we’ll help guide you exactly how to make a difference.

Save electricity:

• Most of the energy used by a washing machine is to heat the water. Try turning your washing machine down to 30˚C!

• Avoid using your tumble dryer if you can - but if you do need to use it, make sure that the clothes are well spun and not dripping wet.

• Switch electronics (such as televisions and games consoles) off at the plug instead of leaving them on standby.

• Defrost your fridge regularly to keep it running efficiently and cheaply. If it shows a tendency to frost up quickly then the door seal may be faulty. If you must put your fridge next to your cooker or boiler, leave as big a gap as possible between them.

• If you’re making a cup of tea or coffee, don’t fill the kettle to the brim. Just put enough for what you need and make sure that you cover the element.

• In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 – 15% of the electricity bill, so swapping your inefficient traditional light bulbs for energy efficient bulbs instead can make a massive difference! These only use a fraction of the energy needed to operate a traditional bulb.

• Energy efficient bulbs cost less to run, but also last longer than normal bulbs, meaning you don’t have to change them as often, and you’ll save £££s in the process.

Save gas:

• Turn your thermostat down! Reducing your room temperature by 1°C can cut heating bills by up to 10%, which typically saves around £60 per year.

• Keep lids on pots and pans so your food heats quicker.

• Draw your curtains at night to prevent heat from escaping through the windows.

Smart metering

Once you’ve had a smart meter installed, it’ll be even easier for you to keep track of your energy usage and carbon emissions. Our smart metering system includes a handheld device called an In-Home Display, which can track your consumption, as well as how much carbon you’ve produced.

Pay As You Go customers can use this to gain absolute control over their spending, as they can see how their usage affects their credit levels in real time – great stuff! All customers will benefit financially from greater energy efficiency.

Energy saving packs

If you feel you’re spending too much on your electricity and gas, one of the first measures that we take is to send you an energy saving pack. This contains:

• A meter reading record sheet.

• Reasons to save energy.

• Details on the running costs of different appliances.

• Energy Saving Tips.

If you think you’d benefit from one of these packs, you can request one free of charge at any time by contacting our Customer Services Team on Live Chat!

Renewable energy and infrastructure

If you're committed to using energy more efficiently, there are loads of changes you can make to your house, including:

• Loft insulation.

• Cavity Wall insulation.

• Double Glazing.

• Draught proofing.

The Green Deal

Green Deal is an initiative which allows you to pay for new energy efficiency measures through your electricity bill. The Green Deal scheme is closed to new customers but it's still possible to switch to us and continue paying back your Green Deal loan through Utilita.

You don't have to do anything when you switch, we’ll be informed of your Green Deal plan and will contact you regarding your payments after your switch is complete. If you move into a property with an outstanding Green Deal payment plan in place, we’ll be in touch once your home move is confirmed regarding payments.

Solar panels

By generating your own electricity, you can save on your energy bills with the Government’s Smart Export Guarantee. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is an obligation set by the government for licensed electricity suppliers to offer a tariff and make payment to small-scale low-carbon generators for electricity exported to the National Grid, providing certain criteria are met.

Utilita, as a mandatory SEG licensee, will pay you for every kilowatt hour of unused, eligible electricity you generate and feed into the National Grid. The SEG is an opportunity for anyone who has installed one of the following technology types up to a capacity of 5MW, or up to 50kW for Micro-CHP:

• Solar photovoltaic (solar PV).

• Wind.

• Micro combined heat and power (CHP).

• Hydro.

• Anaerobic digestion (AD).

These installations must be in Great Britain.

Contact us

Our Customer Services Team are trained to deal with all your enquiries, including energy efficiency – and they’re always happy to help! To speak to an advisor, contact us on Live Chat.

Independent advice

We’ll do everything we can to help you, but if you would like any independent advice, consider speaking with the Citizens Advice service. They provide free, confidential, and impartial advice on consumer issues.

If you live in England or Wales:

• Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• For Relay UK, call 18001 then 0808 223 1133.
• To contact a Welsh-speaking adviser call 0808 223 1144. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland:

• Go to energyadvice.scot.
• Contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660. Calls are free.
• For British Sign Language enquiries, go to contactscotland-bsl.org.

Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland are the official sources of free and independent energy advice and support.

We also recommend checking out these other sources of help and advice:

• Simple Energy Advice - an independent, impartial and trusted organisation helping people save energy every day. Their experts speak with millions of householders every year and help to deliver first class programmes for governments. They can be contacted on 0800 444 202, or by visiting their website.

• National Debtline - a debt advice charity run by the Money Advice Trust. They offer a free and confidential debt advice service for people in England, Wales and Scotland. They provide free guides, fact sheets, budgeting tools and sample letters to help you. You can also get debt advice by using their webchat service, email or by calling their helpline. They can be contacted on 0800 808 4000, or by visiting their website.

• StepChange - they will be able to provide you with free impartial debt advice and budgeting solutions that are personalised to your current financial situation. They may help you gain more control of your financial situation moving forward. You can use their debt remedy tool that will help you get started - just call 0800 138 1111, or visit their website.

If you’d like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. We’ll gladly post copies of these documents to you free of charge!

As your supplier, we always want to offer you the highest standards of service possible. To do this, we aim to meet the following standards of performance to make your experience with us as your supplier, the best it possibly can be.

What is REC?

The REC Code specifies the minimum standards for Code Members to follow in relation to the Customer facing aspects of the installation of Smart Metering Systems. This includes the engineer who attends, as well as the actual experience received on installation.

The main objectives of REC are to make sure that you, the customer, receive a high standard of service throughout the installation process. It makes sure you know how to use, and benefit from, the smart metering equipment to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

As a Code Member we have guidelines to follow to make sure customer satisfaction and quality are met. These are then measured through online and telephone interviews to make sure we, as a company, are meeting the guidelines specified.

For more information, visit the REC website.

If you’d like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. We’ll gladly post copies of these documents to you free of charge!

As your supplier, we always want to offer you the highest standards of service possible. To achieve this, we always aim to meet the following standards of performance.

Making and keeping appointments

If you request an appointment or we need to visit your home for any reason, we’ll always offer you an appointment within a reasonable timeframe and a maximum four-hour time slot. This’ll be during working hours.

We won't rearrange an appointment less than one working day before the date of the appointment, without obtaining agreement from you to rearrange. We must also keep a written record of your agreement to rearrange.

If we fail to meet these standards, we’ll pay you £40 for the trouble!

Faulty meters

Faulty Credit Meters:

If you believe that your credit meter is not working correctly, and you report it to us, we’ll take the following steps within 10 working days:

• Complete an initial assessment of whether the meter is functioning correctly or not.
• Take appropriate action.
• Offer to confirm in writing the outcome of the assessment and the actions that will be taken.

Faulty Pay As You Go meters:

If a Pay As You Go smart meter develops a fault, it could result in loss of supply. If this occurs and we cannot resolve the problem for you over the phone, we guarantee to visit and put the problem right!

If the meter fault is reported between 8am and 8pm on Monday to Friday, we’ll make sure to attend within three hours. If the meter fault is reported at the weekend or on a bank holiday between 9am and 5pm, we’ll make sure to attend within four hours. These are maximum time frames only; we strive to attend sooner than this wherever possible.

If you let us know about a meter fault outside these times, and we can't attend the same day, then we’ll make sure we attend before 11am the following working day, or 12pm on weekends and bank holidays.

If we fail to meet these standards, again, we'll pay you £40 for the trouble!

Reconnection

Where we’ve disconnected the gas and/or electricity supply to your property due to unpaid gas or electricity charges, we can reconnect the relevant supply once these have been paid, or a repayment plan has been agreed.

We’ll then reconnect your gas and/or electricity supply to the property within 24 hours. If the relevant payments are made, or the repayment plan is arranged outside of working hours, the 24-hour period will begin at the start of the next period of working hours.

If we fail to meet this standard, again we'll pay you £40 for the trouble!

Distributed Payments

We may be asked by electricity distribution companies or gas transporters to pay compensation to you in some circumstances where you have lost supply.

The network company will let us know who is due compensation and how much they’re due. If you're identified as a customer who is due a payment, we’ll let you know and make payment to you within 10 working days of us receiving the payment.

If we fail to meet this standard, again, we'll pay you £40 for the trouble!

Switching

• If you request the transfer to take place before the end of your 14-day cooling off period, we aim to transfer your supply over to Utilita within five working days of the date that we have your details and your meter's details.

• If you don’t want the transfer to take place before the end of your 14-day cooling off period, we’ll aim to transfer your supply over to Utilita within five working days of the date that we have both your details and your meter’s details after the 14-day cooling off period has expired. If you enter into a contract with a new supplier after 5pm on a working day, the reference to “five working days” becomes “six working days”.

• If you request the transfer to take place after the five working days specified above, then we'll aim to transfer your supply over to Utilita on the date you have requested. In all cases, if your current supplier objects to the transfer this will delay your switch. If this happens, we’ll no longer be able to guarantee the date your switch will complete.

• If as part of your transfer you agreed to transfer an outstanding balance on a prepayment meter from your old supplier, then your switch will take longer to complete. If we’re able to agree the transfer, then we expect your switch should complete within 32 working days of having both your details and your meter’s details.

If we fail to meet any of these standards, you could be eligible for £40 for your trouble!

Switching your supply in Error

Mistakes can happen when switching supplier. If we're given the wrong meter or address details, we can end up registering another meter – for example that of a neighbour - by mistake. But don’t worry – you're protected by the following guarantees!

• We won’t transfer your supply without your explicit permission.
• If we or another supplier transfer your supply by mistake, you can begin the process to have this corrected by contacting us or the other supplier involved. If you’ve contacted us first, we’ll send you written confirmation of the outcome of our investigation within 20 working days of informing us.
• We’ll confirm with the other supplier if you were switched in error within 20 working days of you informing either one of us.
• If it’s agreed that the other supplier took your supply by mistake, we’ll return your supply back to Utilita within 21 working days of the agreement.

If we fail to meet any of these standards, you could be eligible for £40 for your trouble!

Final Bills

If you receive bills or pay by Direct Debit and switch to another supplier, we’ll provide you a final bill within six weeks of your supply end date with us.

If we lose your supply for any other reason, we’ll provide you a final bill either: within six weeks of your supply end date with us, or within six weeks of the date we are notified that we no longer supply you (whichever is the later date).

If we fail to meet any of these standards, you could be eligible for £40 for your trouble!

Credit Balances

If you have a credit balance on your final bill, we promise to refund that balance within 10 working days of the date of your final bill.

If we fail to meet any of these standards, you could be eligible for £40 for your trouble!

Suppliers Payment Obligations

If we fail to meet any individual Standards of Performance, we must - for each failure - make a payment of £40 to you the customer, within 10 working days. If we fail to make the payment we must for each payment, pay you a further £40 within 10 working days.

This also applies to failure to make the above ‘distributed payments’.

How we’re performing

The below figures show our results on Guaranteed Standards of Performance for each quarter. These include the totals for all Engineer appointments for both Gas and Electricity as well as a combined total.

A ‘breach’ is any appointment where we have failed to meet the standards set to make your customer experience with us the best possible.

If you’d like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. We’ll gladly post copies of these documents to you free of charge!

Based on the Residual Fuel Mix Table for Tax Year 2023/2024¹:

¹The disclosure period is from 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024.

²This data relates to the total amount of electricity purchased for supply by Utilita.

³Ofgem regulations state values must be rounded to the nearest whole percent if >1% so values may not add up to 100% as a consequence.

Environmental impact

Grams of Carbon Dioxide Emitted per kWh of Electricity: 473 g/kWh

Radioactive Waste Produced per kWh of Electricity: 0.00076 g/kWh

If you’d like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. We’ll gladly post copies of these documents to you free of charge!

What are the back-billing rules?

You can’t be charged for gas or electricity used more than 12 months ago if you haven't previously been correctly billed for it or informed about it via a statement of account. This may include situations where your Direct Debit needs to be increased because it was set too low for more than 12 months.

The rules apply to household and Micro Business energy customers. However, the rules may not apply if you've behaved obstructively or unreasonably, preventing accurate billing. This could include:

• Blocking meter readings at your property on more than one occasion.

• Stealing gas or electricity.

To help us send you accurate bills, even if you pay by direct debit, try to:

• Provide regular meter readings (if your meter does not do this automatically).

• Tell us when you're moving in or out of a property.

• Think about getting a smart meter, so we receive meter readings automatically.

If you can't pay a back bill

If you receive a bill which you can’t afford to pay, ask us about repayment plan options. We’ll take into account how much you can afford and explain your options.

Need more advice?

We’ll do everything we can to help you, but if you would like any independent advice, consider speaking with the Citizens Advice service. They provide free, confidential, and impartial advice on consumer issues.

If you live in England or Wales:

• Go to citizensadvice.org.uk/energy or contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133.
• For Relay UK, call 18001 then 0808 223 1133.
• To contact a Welsh-speaking adviser call 0808 223 1144. Calls are free.

If you live in Scotland:

• Go to energyadvice.scot.
• Contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 8660. Calls are free.
• For British Sign Language enquiries, go to contactscotland-bsl.org.

Citizens Advice and Advice Direct Scotland are the official sources of free and independent energy advice and support.

We also recommend checking out these other sources of help and advice:

• Simple Energy Advice - an independent, impartial and trusted organisation helping people save energy every day. Their experts speak with millions of householders every year and help to deliver first class programmes for governments. They can be contacted on 0800 444 202, or by visiting their Website.

• National Debtline - a debt advice charity run by the Money Advice Trust. They offer a free and confidential debt advice service for people in England, Wales and Scotland. They provide free guides, fact sheets, budgeting tools and sample letters to help you. You can also get debt advice by using their webchat service, email or by calling their helpline. They can be contacted on 0800 808 4000, or by visiting their website.

• StepChange - they will be able to provide you with free impartial debt advice and budgeting solutions that are personalised to your current financial situation. They may help you gain more control of your financial situation moving forward. You can use their debt remedy tool that will help you get started - just call 0800 138 1111, or visit their website.

If you’d like a copy of this, or any other Code of Practice in Braille or audio form, please get in touch. We’ll gladly post copies of these documents to you free of charge!

We will do our best to always be fair, honest, transparent, appropriate and professional to all our customers.

Here at Utilita we put the customer at the centre of our business. We believe that every customer deserves to be treated fairly and with Respect. This is at the forefront of our minds whenever we talk to our customers.

Our Mission statement is:

To build a business that puts fairness at the heart of all we do, and have the courage to challenge the status quo to find better ways of providing essential services for the benefit of our customers. Here's how our values ensure we treat customers fairly:

• We always aim for excellence and train our customer service advisers thoroughly to ensure that all the information we provide is complete, accurate and not misleading.
• You can trust us to be there for you - our phone lines are open seven days a week.
• We are supportive and provide help for customers who're vulnerable which helps them stay on top of their energy bills.
• We pride ourselves on our agility - we use social media to share energy saving tips and information, and to make it easier for our customers to contact us when and how they want.
• We believe in fairness to all our customers - we give customers Friendly Credit Hours to help them stay on supply during unsociable hours.
• We deliver a smart meter at no extra cost to customers, providing the power to take control of energy costs the smart way.

We're always keen to hear from our customers as we constantly strive to improve. If you think there's anything we can do to help treat you more fairly, please email us at customerservices@utilita.co.uk.

We understand that sometimes things go wrong. That's why we have a fully dedicated team of complaints handlers who're there to help find a fair outcome that works for you. We’ve tried to make our complaints process as easy as we can for you.

Read more on how we treat customers fairly here.