Ecotricity's domestic supply terms and conditions

You must not damage or tamper with the meter. If you do, you’ll be charged for the reasonable costs of repairing or replacing the meter, for the energy we estimate you’ve used, and for the costs of any investigation.

If the meter is – or appears to be – running backwards or failing to record your usage accurately in any way due to a micro-generation system installed at the Property (e.g. solar panels), you must let us know immediately. You may be charged for the reasonable costs of repairing or replacing the meter and for the energy we estimate you’ve used.

Either of us can ask for an accuracy test to be carried on the meter to make sure that it’s recording your usage correctly. If you request the test and the meter is found to be recording accurately (within permitted tolerances), we’ll pass on the cost of the accuracy test to you; but if the meter is not recording accurately, we’ll pay the cost of the accuracy test and replace the meter. We’ll then estimate the energy you’ve used during this period and send you the appropriate bill.

You’re responsible for and need to maintain all pipes, wires, cables, equipment and fittings on the Property from the point the Supply leaves the meter.

We may also pass on any costs to you that we incur:

If we need to confirm a meter reading on your account, or if we’ve been unable to gain access to your meter for any reason, you’ll provide us with a meter reading or a photo of the meter on our request.

Smart Meters and your In-Home Display (IHD)

We’re entering a new world, and Smart Meters will be at the heart of 21st century energy.

If you have a smart meter at your Property that we don’t support, or that our systems can’t communicate with, we may need to treat it as a traditional meter. This might mean that you’ll be unable to see tariff information on the IHD.

If you’ve agreed to have a smart meter installed, we’ll contact you to arrange an appointment to install this. You may change this appointment without being charged, as long as you give us at least 48 hours’ notice. If we can’t access the Property for any reason, or you’ve not given 48 hours’ notice, we may charge you reasonable costs for the failed visit to cover the cost of sending someone out to you.

Once you’ve agreed to have a smart meter installed, we may use it to monitor your usage by taking half-hourly meter readings. We may also access your smart meter to;

If for any reason your smart meter fails to record your usage or records it inaccurately, or we’re unable to obtain a meter reading from the smart meter for any reason beyond our control, then we will estimate your usage.

We own the In-Home Display, so if you lose or damage it, you may be charged for a repair or replacement.

Your bill

We’ll always make sure your bills are as simple and as accurate as possible. Here’s the info you need on when you should expect them and how we put them together…  

Your bills are based on either estimated meter readings or actual meter readings.

Estimated Meter Readings

To make sure your bills are always accurate, you’re welcome to send us meter readings every month. If you don’t, then we’ll just estimate your bill for the months in between readings.

If you believe an estimated meter reading is incorrect, just get in touch and let us know and provide us with your latest meter reading. The easiest way to do that is online or on the Ecotricity app. We’ll then revise your bill to match your meter reading, as long as the meter reading is in line with the previous actual meter readings we hold for you.

Actual Meter Readings

If we have received an actual meter reading in time, we will use this to bill you and as evidence of your usage unless your meter is not recording accurately or you’re able to provide evidence your meter was read incorrectly (for example a date-stamped photo of the meter).

Back-Billing

If we have not billed you for electricity or gas, we will not back-bill you for any more than 12 months ending on the date of the bill, unless we have been unable to bill as you or someone in your household has been obstructive or manifestly unreasonable.

Paying your bills

Your bills should be simple, and so should paying them. We try to make it easy for everyone to pay for green energy, and here’s what we expect on your side.

You must pay your bill(s) within fourteen days of the date of your bill. This is called the Due Date, unless we’ve agreed otherwise with you.

If your name is on the account, you’re responsible for paying the bill and we can claim any balances or historic debt from one or all of the people named on the account.

If there are multiple people named on a bill - for instance, in a house share – any dispute about liability or payment is your responsibility. We may ask one or more of you to pay the money due to us as you will be jointly and severally liable.

We may allocate any payment you make to us against the oldest sum due to us even if you tell us that the payment related to a different bill.

If you’re in credit on one account but in debit on another, we may refuse to refund the credit and instead allocate it against the debit.

Fixed Direct Debit

Unless you have a Pay As You Go meter or are on Out of Contract rates, paying a set monthly budget by Direct Debit is one of the ways you can choose to pay your bill. If you choose this option when you first join, we will calculate your payments based on any info you’ve given us and any info we have about your Property (for example the estimated annual consumption).

We will take your first payment on the date that your Supply starts, and when you leave, we’ll adjust the final amount that we collect from your bank account to include any outstanding balances.

We’ll review your payments at least once per year, and we may review it more frequently if there have been any significant changes to your energy costs, such as a price change or change of tariff.

If we think you're paying too much or too little, we’ll amend your monthly payments for you. If, when we review your payment amount, we find that your monthly payments were set too high or too low leaving a credit balance or some money owing – we’ll simply include this in your new payment amount and spread it in equal payments over the twelve following months. We’ll always give you at least 10 working days’ notice of any change to your Direct Debit payment amount.

Late payment

If you don’t pay your bill by the due date, we may incur the following, which you will need to pay in addition to your normal bill:

It’s extremely rare that we disconnect a customer, and there are regulations that protect customers from this too. However, here are the details around when we would and our rights to do so.

We have the right to disconnect the Property in the following circumstances:

ii) you’ve refused our offer of a Pay As You Go meter or you’ve refused to allow us access to the Property to install a Pay As You Go meter; or

iii) it’s otherwise not reasonably possible for us to install a Pay As You Go meter;

iv) it isn’t reasonable, in all circumstances, for us to Supply you and we give you seven days’ notice that we’re ending the contract and cutting the Supply.

If we disconnect you, you must pay our reasonable costs to have the Supply reconnected. If you need us to reconnect your gas Supply, you agree to find a gas safety engineer and pay their costs directly.

If something goes wrong

Our approach is simple: we treat people how we would want to be treated. However, in the rare instances that something does go wrong and you’d like to raise a complaint, you can call us on 0345 555 7 100 or visit ecotricity.co.uk/support/complaints. There’s more information on the back of your bill too.

Under our Supply Licences, there are certain guaranteed standards that we’re obliged to meet relating to billing, metering and customer enquiries, which you can find at ecotricity.co.uk/standards-of-service

Moving home

Moving in (or Deemed Contracts)

If you are on a deemed contract, we need you to contact us as soon as possible to confirm you want to stay with us on a regular contract.

If a deemed contract exists, these terms and conditions and your Home Move Pack form the entire agreement between us.

If there is a deemed contract between us, then the terms headed “Getting you Started”, “Cancellation” and “Leaving us” do not apply to you.

A deemed contract exists from the date you become responsible for a Property that we Supply (or if Ofgem has appointed us to be your supplier).  On a deemed contract you are free to switch away at any time with no Exit Fee.

You’re responsible:

Moving Out

If you move home, it’s really easy to take us with you – just email movinghome@ecotricity.co.uk, give us a call on 0345 555 7 500, or 

ecotricity.co.uk/support/moving-home at least two days before the move.

You’ll need to:

If you don’t tell us, your contract will continue and you remain responsible until the

earlier of either:

Some extra terms apply if you are on one of our Fixed Tariffs, until the end of your Fixed Period.

On our Fixed Tariffs, the Fixed Period will be measured from the day your energy Supply is live on that tariff (so if you are joining us as a new customer onto a Fixed Tariff, that could be a few weeks after you make the request to join us, as it takes a little time to process your switch away from another energy supplier).

We will not extend the duration of your Fixed Tariff and you will only move onto another Fixed Tariff with your express written permission. Any new Fixed Tariff will be for no longer than the original fixed term contract duration.

If you do not choose another tariff upon the expiry of the Fixed Period, you will be placed on our Cheapest Evergreen Tariff.

If you are on one of our Fixed Tariffs, we will send you a written notice before your Fixed period ends (at least 30 days beforehand). This will set out all your options for the tariffs available to you, if you do not switch to a new supplier.

If, within 20 days after the end of your Fixed Period you or another energy supplier tells us that you are switching energy supplier, and your Supply switches within a reasonable time (normally 20 Working Days), we will continue to apply the fixed rate applicable to your tariff until your switch to a new supplier, unless we think it would be cheaper for you to move on to the relevant default tariff for that period. However, we can object to you switching to a new energy supplier if you owe us any charges.

If you want to end a Fixed Tariff contract before the end of the Fixed Period, you can do this provided you pay any Exit Fees linked to that tariff, at the levels agreed when you began the contract (available on our website and in the communications we send your about your tariff).

If there are eligibility criteria for your Fixed Tariff, you must satisfy the eligibility criteria throughout the Fixed Period. If things change and you don’t, we may tell you that you are no longer eligible for the tariff and place you on our Cheapest Evergreen Tariff.

In order to keep our tariffs up to date and relevant, we may close a tariff to new applicants. Our tariffs are subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.

During the Fixed Period the price you will pay for electricity and/or gas will be calculated according to the fixed-rate for your area, meter type and/or payment method set out in your Tariff Information Label. These prices will not change unless there are changes to the rate of VAT chargeable on the electricity and/or gas that we Supply.

During the Fixed-rate Period you must:

Pay your bills by Direct Debit;

Set up and use an online account with us with a valid and up to date email address

Help us save paper by agreeing to receive all communications from us by email.

If you receive your electricity supplies through related electricity meters, by applying for a Fixed Tariff or Time of Use Tariff you agree to us becoming the supplier for all electricity meters related to your Supply.

Cancellation

When you move to a new supplier, you always have 14 days to change your mind – this is called the Cooling Off Period. The same applies to us and we detail that below.

We’ll tell you when your Cooling Off Period ends in your Welcome Pack.

It’s easy to cancel your switch. Simply contact us before the end of the Cooling Off Period to tell us you’ve changed your mind.

You can call us on 0345 555 7100, email home@ecotricity.co.uk, or write to us at Lion House, Rowcroft, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3BY using the cancellation form (ecotricity.co.uk/the-legal-stuff/cancelling-your-switch-request).We’ll confirm your cancellation to you.  

If you return the cancellation form by post, please ask the Post Office to provide you with proof of postage as we may ask for proof in the unlikely event of a dispute between us.This clause doesn’t affect your other rights to terminate the Contract.

Leaving us

You may end your contract at any time as long as:

We won’t let your Supply move if your new supplier tells us they tried to take your Supply by mistake or without your proper consent.

You’ll need to give your new supplier meter readings on the day that your Supply switches to them. They should tell you when they need those readings and it is their responsibility to send those to us so that we can produce your final bill. We cannot change the final readings and so you agree to either pay the final bill or promptly raise an opening read dispute with your new supplier.

We end the Contract

We can end your contract in any circumstances by giving you 30 days’ notice. If during this period you don’t switch to another supplier and your meter remains connected/energised, you’ll be moved to a deemed contract and we’ll notify you of any change to your Prices.

We may terminate this contract or a deemed contract immediately if:

This section explains how we may use your personal information but you can find full details in our Privacy Policy, which can be found at ecotricity.co.uk/the-legal-stuff/privacy-policy.

We may monitor calls to make sure we’re meeting our legal and regulatory requirements, and to train our staff to make sure you keep getting the best customer service in the industry.

If you have any questions about how we use your information, you can contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing dataprotectionofficer@ecotricity.co.uk

Account Management

When you switch to or away from us, we need to share your Supply details, and other relevant information, with other suppliers, relevant industry bodies or other industry companies.

We may use your information to:

You can ask us not to send further details of products and/or special offers at any time by contacting us and giving us your account details. Please contact us by emailing dataprotectionofficer@ecotricity.co.uk or by calling us on 0345 555 7 100. For the purposes of administering your account, we may send information to companies based outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). If we do, we’ll ensure that adequate protection is in place to ensure your information is processed in accordance with these terms and conditions.

Online accounts

If you have an online account with us, you agree to be bound by our online terms and conditions, which can be found at ecotricity.co.uk/the-legal-stuff/website-terms-and-conditions. You can opt out of our online account option at any time by calling us on 0345 555 7 100 or by emailing home@ecotricity.co.uk.

Credit reference agencies

Like many other energy companies, we may request information on you from a credit reference or fraud protection agency – just to make sure that you’ll be able to manage your monthly payments and that you’re not likely to get into any financial difficulty. This request for information will be visible on your credit file and may affect any attempt to obtain credit in the future.

We may also share any information we have about your account (including where you have failed to pay your bill, or where your account is overdue) with credit reference or fraud protection agencies. So if you pay your bill on time, you can build your credit score positively – but if you miss payments, it may negatively affect your credit rating. Credit reference agencies will keep this information for up to six years, from the later of:

Extra help

If we believe that you, or someone who occupies the Property, is in need of extra care (maybe because of age, health or a disability), we may record this. We will only use this information to ensure we don’t stop your Supply, or that if your Supply is interrupted, your Network Operator prioritises you to ensure that your Supply is restored as quickly as possible. In order to do this, we’ll need to share this information with the Network Operator.

Copies of your information

If you’d like to see a copy of the information we hold about you, please write to:

Data Protection Officer, Lion House, Rowcroft, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3BY.

The Really Legal Stuff

Our Liability to you

We cannot guarantee an uninterrupted Supply, although we expect to. If we’re unable to Supply you for a reason beyond our control, you won’t be able to claim that we’re in breach of this contract or a deemed contract.

Whether due to negligence of any of our or the Network Operator’s employees or agents, any non-fraudulent misrepresentation, any breach of the contract or any express or implied warranty, condition or other term or breach of statutory duty or otherwise, neither we nor the Network Operator will be liable to you for:

Nothing in this contract or deemed contract limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.

Other Terms

If a court finds that part of this contract or deemed contract isn’t valid, the rest of the contract or deemed contract won’t be affected.

If, at any point, we don’t enforce any part of this contract or deemed contract, it won’t stop us from doing so in the future.

We may assign, sub-contract or transfer all or any part of this contract or deemed contract to another supplier without providing you any notice.

You and we don’t intend that any part of this contract or deemed contract should be enforceable by any person who’s not a party to it and agree to exclude the provisions of the Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

Your statutory rights under the law are not affected by this contract.

This contract is made under the laws of England and Wales for Supply in England and Wales, and by the laws of Scotland for Supply in Scotland.

Glossary

Actual Meter Readings – means meter readings that are provided to us by you, a meter readings agent or through a smart meter.

Cheapest Evergreen Tariff – The cheapest tariff available to you based on your meter type and location which does not run for a fixed period of time.

Cooling Off Period – the period during which you may cancel the contract starting from the day after you enter into a contract with us.

Contract – your contract is with Ecotricity Limited. That’s our legal name but we trade as Ecotricity. Your contract is made up of these term and conditions, the National Terms of Connection and your Welcome Pack

Deemed Contract – where we Supply energy to a Property, without there being an agreed contract between us, we’ll Supply you under a deemed contract as described in paragraph 8 of Schedule 2B of the Gas Act 1986 or paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 of the Electricity Act 1989. Your deemed contract is made up of these terms and conditions, the National Terms of Connection and your Home Move Pack

Deposit – the sum of money we may ask you to pay to us depending on your individual circumstances and estimated annual consumption.

De-energise/Isolate – physically terminating the Supply, for example by removing the fuse and the meter or capping the Supply.

Disconnect – physically terminating the Supply by severing the connection to your Property on the distribution network.

Distribution Network – the system of distribution of electricity or gas to your Property.

Due Date – means the date that we expect you to pay your bill by,

Economy Meter – including Economy 7, Economy 10, Economy 11 and Economy 15 meters that provide separate readings for day and night usage.

Estimated Annual Consumption – the estimated consumption of electricity and/or gas in a year.

Estimated Meter Readings - these are meter readings that we estimate based on the information we have about the Property, the estimated annual consumption and historical usage.

Exit Fee – the fee payable by you to us if you opt to end your Contract earlier than the contractual end date, as specified in your Tariff Information Label.

Fixed Direct Debit – means a regular fixed sum taken by direct debit regardless of consumption, reviewed regularly to take into account consumption.

Fixed Tariff - means a plan for the Supply of gas or electricity (or both) in which the unit rates and standing charges are fixed for a period of time.

Fixed Period - means the period in which a Fixed Tariff will be applied, which is set out in your Tariff Information Label.

Group Companies – all subsidiaries and any parent companies of Ecotricity Limited from time to time. A full list of group companies can be obtained by emailing dataprotectionofficer@ecotricity.co.uk.

Home Move Pack – the letter we send to customers who move into a Property we Supply, setting out the unit charges and standing charges for your Supply and the principal terms of the deemed contract.

In-Home Display or IHD – means the electrical device that works with your smart meter or smart Pay As You Go meter and displays information about your energy consumption.

Meter – means the meter inside the Property, owned by us or a meter asset provider, which records your Supply and includes smart meters, Pay As You Go meters and smart Pay As You Go meters.

National Terms of Connection - When we Supply you with electricity you’re also entering into the National Terms of Connection (“NTC”) with your local electricity Network Operator. By this contract, you and your Network Operator accept the NTC and agree to keep these conditions. The NTC is a legal agreement. It sets out rights and duties in relation to how your Network Operator delivers electricity to, or accepts electricity from the Property. If you want a copy of the NTC or have any questions about it, please write to: Energy Networks Association, 1st Floor, 4 More London Riverside, London, SE1 2AU, phone 0207 706 5137 or visit www.connectionterms.co.uk.

Network Operators – the local electricity distributors and gas transporters that manage the distribution networks.

Ofgem – the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets who regulate the gas and electricity markets in Great Britain or any regulatory organisation that replaces it.

Out of Contract rates – the rates that customers on a Deemed Contract will be charged if they do not confirm a regular contract with us.

Pay As You Go Meter – means a smart Pay As You Go meter or any other type of meter where credit is applied using a key, token or card.

Payment Arrangement – means an arrangement we have agreed with you for you to spread any outstanding sums due over an agreed period of time.

Property – each domestic Property that you’d like us to provide a Supply to or which we already Supply under a deemed contract.

Prices – the prices specified by us and agreed by you, or deemed as being due from you, in respect of the Supply including unit charges and standing charges.

Relevant Industry Bodies – including but not limited to Ofgem, Citizens Advice Consumer Service, Department of Energy and Climate Change, Theft Risk Assessment Services, Revenue Protection Services and their agents.

Smart Guide – the information booklet we provide you with to explain how your smart meter or smart Pay As You Go meter operates

Smart Meter – a meter that records the amount of energy you use and is capable of communicating that usage directly to us.

Smart Pay As You Go Meter – a meter that records the amount of energy you use, is capable of communicating that usage directly to us and enables you to pay as you go for your Supply. Details of the way in which credit can be applied will be detailed in your Smart Guide

Spring – means the period between March and May

Standing Charge – a daily charge to keep a Property connected, payable whether or not those properties are occupied and whether or not electricity and/or gas has been consumed at the Property.

Supply – the physical Supply of electricity or gas, or both, under this contract or a deemed contract.

Supply Licences – a licence to Supply electricity: granted under the Electricity Act 1989 and/or a licence to Supply gas granted under the Gas Act 1986 (as amended).

Tariff Information Label – the details of your tariff contained in the communications we send you periodically

Unit Charges – the price we charge you in pence per kWh.

Last updated: [29 March 2023]