How can we help you?

You may have heard lots of announcements from the government and support for consumers in relation to energy costs.

This support may be different if you are connected to a heat network.

Until 31^st March 2023, heat network customers receive support through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), which is designed for commercial utility supplies and includes heat networks.

This means:

• You should be notified if your utility supplier has benefited from EBRS.
• You should be notified how your utility supplier is passed on the benefits of the EBRS scheme.
• You should receive the full benefit of the EBRS scheme.

If you are not happy with the response and believe you have not been notified or passed the EBRS discount, you can ultimately raise a complaint through the Energy Ombudsman - https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/heat-networks

From the 1st April 2023 the Government have announced the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), which provides support to eligible heat networks running on electricity or gas and serving one or more domestic consumers.

Your utility provider is obliged to apply and pass onto you any benefit they receive under the EBDS, as well as notifying you how they have passed on this benefit in full.

You can open the Recite Me language and accessibility toolbar by clicking on the 'Accessibility Help?' button.

This 'Accessibility Help?' button now appears at the top of every page of our website.

After you click on the 'Accessibility Help?' button the Recite Me toolbar opens and displays a range of different options for customising how the website looks and how you can access the content.

You can also click here to learn more about how Recite Me can help you access the website or click here to go to the FAQs.

Recite Me helps people to access our website to do the things they need to do, like find information about how to access our service by making complaints, access publications and read news.

The Recite Me toolbar has a unique range of functions. You can use it to:

• Have the text on our website read aloud (including PDFs)
• Download the text as an MP3 file to play it where and when it suits you
• Change font sizes and colours
• Customise background colour
• Translate text into more than 100 different languages
• Access a fully integrated dictionary and thesaurus

You can find out more about how Recite Me works from the Recite Me user guide. You can also click here to check out the FAQs about Recite Me.

We have been appointed by your utility supplier to provide a meter management and consumer charging solution for one or more utilities. Your utility supplier is likely to be the building owner, a managing agent or housing provider.

We will be responsible for managing your PAYG meter or raising statements based on your usage. We collect monies and undertake credit control activities, transferring all funds to your utility provider on a monthly basis. We will handle your account and queries, responding as effectively as possible, as well as working with your utility provider.

We may maintain some or all of your utilities system but all maintenance issues should be notified to your maintenance provider, building managing agent or housing provider in the first instance.

We are not responsible for the setting of tariffs or charges.

We are committed to providing excellent levels of support to you and to be transparent in all our actions. You can find more details on our Customer Service Pledge, as well as details on our Complaints Procedure in the event that your expectations are not met.

If you require any further information, please Get in Touch with our support team or check out our other frequently asked questions.

A customer in vulnerable circumstances can apply to be included in our Priority Services Register.

You, a family member, carer or responsible person can apply if you’re:

• Disabled
• Chronically sick or Bedridden
• Living with dementia
• Of pensionable age
• Living with children under 5
• Experiencing mental health issues
• Living with learning difficulties
• Unable to speak English
• Experiencing difficulty due to life-changing events (things like: a serious operation, pregnancy, or bereavement).

The support we may be able to provide will depend on your circumstances but will include things like:

• Notifying your utility supplier of your status so you can be kept informed of any planned maintenance that may disrupt your utilities
• Providing your statements to another person at another address who may manage your finances
• Relocating your PAYG meter if you are unable to access its functions, with the authorisation of your utility supplier
• Contacting someone on your behalf if there is a problem with your account
• Ensuring your vulnerability status is considered in our processes when dealing with disconnections and financial difficulties.
• Allowing you to set a password on your account which will be verified when you contact us, or if we visit your home.

If you feel you would benefit from our Priority Services Register, please complete our website form to notify our team. If you have other questions about the support we can offer, please check out information in this section.

You can check whether you are a vulnerable resident using our 'What is the priority services register?' guide.

The support we are able to offer vulnerable residents will depend on what has been set-up by your utility provider, who we work with on your behalf of to provide administration services. You can find out more about mySycous and what we do on our About Us page.

If you believe you are vulnerable please complete our website form to notify our team. It is important that your utility provider, who may be the building owner, managing agent or your housing provider is aware of your vulnerability so they can make the necessary service alterations.

We're happy to help you with managing your account and many of the systems installed can also help, with useful in-built features such as setting targets for energy usage and providing accessible information on cost. We're also continuing to improve the accessibility of our digital resources, including your online account.

We can also work with third parties, such as carers or those with power of attorney, who can operate the account on your behalf.

Please complete our website form to notify our team, we're happy to discuss your specific requirements to make your account accessible and simple.

We're happy to work with carers and others who help support vulnerable consumers but do need permission from the account holder. The only exception is where you possess power of attorney, for which we'll require evidence.

This permission can be provided to deal with a single issue or on an ongoing basis and we can send statements and other correspondence to another address. If the utility supplier is also your housing provider, we may be able to speak to them to confirm you are already authorised to act on the account holder’s behalf.

Please complete our website form to notify our team, we're happy to discuss your specific requirements to make the account accessible and simple.

We're happy to support all consumers and have a number of translation tools available. If you are struggling to view this website, please click the ‘Accessibility Help?’ button at the top of this page.

We also have many multi-lingual members of our support team. Our online account is also available in an increasing number of languages.

We recommend Getting in Touch through our online form in your preferred language and we'll be able to respond, or arrange a call with a member of our team who speaks the same language or through a 3rd party translation service.

You can also click here to learn more about Recite Me and how it can help or click here for the FAQs.