Utilita

Company Overview

What customers complain about

Complaint categories

1. 1
   Prepayment top-ups and self-disconnection

   Because around 95% of Utilita customers are on pay-as-you-go, disputes commonly involve topping up, credit not registering on the meter, and running out of energy (self-disconnection) when credit is exhausted.

   Utilita is a smart prepayment specialist (~95% prepay portfolio); self-disconnection is a recognised prepayment risk highlighted by Ofgem and Parliament research.
2. 2
   Additional Support Credit and vulnerability

   Complaints and enforcement have centred on how Utilita provides Additional Support Credit (emergency top-up help) to prepayment customers in financial difficulty or with medical vulnerabilities.

   Ofgem found in December 2022 that Utilita failed to consider individual circumstances when deciding on Additional Support Credit, affecting 25,000+ customers.
3. 3
   Warm Home Discount payments

   Late or missed Warm Home Discount payments to eligible low-income prepayment customers have been a specific problem area for Utilita.

   Ofgem ordered £277,000 in redress in June 2025 after over 4,000 customers received Warm Home Discount payments 12 days after the 31 March 2024 deadline.
4. 4
   Smart meter faults, readings and billing

   As a smart-meter-led supplier, complaints arise over meter operation in smart mode, incorrect readings and disputed balances.

   Citizens Advice scored Utilita 2.2 out of 5 for billing and metering in Jan–Mar 2026.
5. 5
   Contact and complaint volume

   Utilita receives a high volume of complaints relative to its customer base compared with other suppliers.

   Citizens Advice scored Utilita 0.5 out of 5 for 'fewer complaints received' (Jan–Mar 2026); 164.0 complaints per 10,000 customers.

Latest statistics

• 1,502Complaints received per 100,000 accountsJan–Mar 2026 (Utilita's own figures)
• 91%Complaints resolved within 8 weeksJan–Mar 2026 (Utilita's own figures)
• 2.35out of 5Citizens Advice star ratingJan–Mar 2026 (ranked 15th of 16 suppliers)

Two sources. Utilita publishes its own Ofgem-required quarterly complaints performance on its complaints page (period Jan–Mar 2026). Citizens Advice publishes an independent quarterly supplier customer-service league table (also Jan–Mar 2026). Figures are period-specific and change each quarter.

Contact methods

• Utilita Customer Relations (complaints)01962 891 160
• Energy Ombudsman0330 440 1624

Complaint journey

1. 1

   Raise your complaint with Utilita

   Contact Utilita's Customer Relations team by phone, email or post.

   Typical responseAim to resolve on first contact
   What happens

   Contact Utilita's Customer Relations team on 01962 891 160, by email at customerrelations@utilita.co.uk, or by post to Freepost RTXA-BEUG-KLGH, Utilita Energy Limited, Hutwood Court, Bournemouth Road, Chandler's Ford SO53 3QB. Include your account number, name, contact number and full address so they can link the complaint to your account. Utilita's stated aim is to resolve complaints on first contact where possible.

2. 2

   Investigation by a specialist

   Complex cases are escalated to a specialist who investigates and updates you.

   Typical responseUpdates within 10 working days
   What happens

   If your complaint cannot be resolved immediately, Utilita escalates it to a specialist. For letter or email complaints, a specialist will normally attempt to call you unless you have asked otherwise. Utilita aims to provide updates within 10 working days while it investigates more complex cases.

3. 3

   Final response or deadlock

   Utilita issues its final response, or a deadlock letter if it cannot resolve the complaint.

   Typical responseUp to 8 weeks
   What happens

   Utilita will issue a final response setting out its decision. If it cannot resolve your complaint, or you remain dissatisfied, it may issue a 'deadlock letter'. If your complaint is still unresolved after 8 weeks, you can escalate without waiting for a deadlock letter.

4. 4

   Escalate to the Energy Ombudsman

   Refer the complaint free of charge to the Energy Ombudsman for an independent decision.

   Typical responseRefer within 12 months
   What happens

   If you have a deadlock letter or 8 weeks have passed without resolution, refer your complaint to the Energy Ombudsman — a free, independent service — within 12 months. Contact 0330 440 1624, enquiry@energyombudsman.org, or P.O. Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF. Its decision is binding on Utilita if you accept it.

Response times

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Utilita can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

• Energy Ombudsman

Recent news

• 17 June 2025

  Ofgem ordered Utilita to pay £277,000 after more than 4,000 customers received their Warm Home Discount payments late — 12 days after the 31 March 2024 deadline — because of an internal processing error. £247,000 goes to affected customers (further payments of up to £150 each) on top of £30,000 already paid.

  Read more

Earlier cases

• 13 December 2022

  Historic: Ofgem secured £830,000 from Utilita (£508,260 direct to customers, £321,740 to the Energy Redress Fund) after finding it failed to consider individual circumstances — including medical conditions and vulnerabilities — when deciding whether to provide Additional Support Credit to prepayment customers. More than 25,000 customers were affected.

  Read more

Know your rights

• Gas and Electricity (Consumer Complaints Handling Standards) Regulations 2008

  These rules require Utilita to handle your complaint properly and tell you about your right to go to the Energy Ombudsman after 8 weeks or on deadlock. This is general information, not legal advice.

• Energy licence conditions (enforced by Ofgem)

  Utilita's supply licence includes prepayment and vulnerability protections — such as rules on Additional Support Credit, self-disconnection and the Warm Home Discount — that underpin many prepayment complaints. Ofgem enforces these but does not settle individual disputes.

• Consumer Rights Act 2015

  Services, including energy supply, must be provided with reasonable care and skill; where they are not, you may be entitled to a remedy. This is general information, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions