FAQs

We may receive a commission payment from a supplier for introducing you to them. This may be paid wholly upfront or monthly residual. The commission is built into your final unit rate(s) via an uplift which you pay to your supplier, the supplier will then pay the uplift to us. As an example, if your unit price is 30.00p per kWh, we can potentially add between 0.1 and 2.0p for our uplift. If the uplift was 1p, the final unit price you pay would be 31.00p per kWh, 1p of which the supplier will pay to us for every unit consumed.

A supply number is a specific piece of information that relates to your site which identifies your address, meter type, and helps to get accurate quotations. This can be obtained from your current supplier or alternatively it is generally located on a bill.

The time remaining on your contract can be obtained from your supplier or alternatively by giving authority to us in the form of a letter of authority (LOA) and we will do the rest.

This information can be obtained from your supplier. If you are a new business owner and have not signed a contract with any supplier then you are not in contract. However, your premises may be subject to contract through the previous tenant.

As per legislation, suppliers can nominate the cancellation period of their choosing, however most companies work within a 30–90 day window at the end of your contractual term.

Yes, most suppliers provide both gas and electricity to their customers. This is normally referred to as a dual fuel tariff, and some suppliers offer special deals or discounts for switching gas & electricity supply together.

Out-of-contract prices and deemed rates are notoriously high, and large savings are easily made should you be coming to the end of your contract. The constantly changing market can benefit you when looking for a cheaper supplier.

Value-added tax (VAT) is a consumption tax on goods and services that is levied at each stage of the supply chain where value is added, from initial production to the point of sale. The standard rate of VAT increased to 20% on 4 January 2011 (from 17.5%). Some things are exempt from VAT, such as postage stamps, financial and property transactions. The VAT rate businesses charge depends on their goods and services.

CCL is a tax on the taxable supply of specified energy products (taxable commodities) for use as fuels — that is, for lighting, heating and power — by business consumers, including consumers in: Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, Public Administration, and Other services.

A new contract can be agreed 90–180 days prior to the end of your existing one. If you opt to leave before this, you may be subject to an early termination fee. The amount will depend on the length of time you have left on your current contract. You are under no obligation to pay such fees, as you will be provided with the option to remain with your current supplier. If there is no contract in place, there may be no termination fee. We strongly advise that you correspond with your standing supplier for clarification on the matter. Please note the early termination facility is not offered by all suppliers.

Many businesses do often have a domestic meter. This can easily be identified by the supply number on your bill, as it will begin either 01 or 02. If you have a domestic meter and you are a business, we can still transfer you onto a business contract, subject to proof of business being provided.

The current proof of business we accept, as per supplier criteria, is either business rates documents or a recent bill (dated within 3 months) which shows your address, supply number, and VAT at 20% on the total.

We can arrange for more than one site on the basis that each meter is either out of contract or within the 120-day tolerance window prior to the end of a contract.

For customers out of contract, an application generally takes between 4–6 weeks as per the standard transfer process. Please be advised that further delays may occur if your supplier objects to the transfer. If you are still in a contract, supply will commence a day after your contract expires.

An objection is not uncommon, as suppliers reserve the right to object, so it is not a major concern. In the event of an objection, we will notify you, as will your supplier. However, due to customer confidentiality, we will not be privy to the reason for the objection. You will need to contact your supplier, or provide us the authority to contact them for you, to identify and resolve the objection so that we can apply to take over your site.

A letter of authority (LOA) is legal documentation that hands over authority to us so that we can deal with your current supplier when transferring you, leaving you with minimal hassle.

It is not mandatory to sign an LOA, as you do reserve the right to deal with matters independently, however it is advisable as it may ensure a swifter transfer. An LOA is available on request and we will forward it to your supplier once you have signed it.

There are various levels to an LOA, which will be highlighted on the document itself. The level you sign is at your discretion and will solely be used for the transfer of your utilities once agreed. Once the transfer is completed, the LOA is void and disregarded.

Typically all meters are contracted simultaneously, therefore they can be taken over together. If not, we will take over any meters within tolerance.

Your tariff is linked to your meter and will remain the same regardless of supplier.

As your tariff is linked to your meter, in order to change your tariff you will need to change your meter. Fair Utilities cannot arrange this directly, as we are not responsible for your meter. This is something you are required to discuss with your supplier once supply is live, as they may be able to switch your meter. Typically, most tariffs are allocated to best suit you financially, so it is rarely beneficial to change.