Based in Fleetwood, Lancashire, BES Utilities is an independent commercial utility supplier offering a selection of energy tariffs to businesses across the UK. Learn more about BES electricity and gas tariffs, see how it compares to other business energy suppliers and find BES Utilities login information and contact numbers here.
BES Utilities in summary
Electricity: Natural gas, renewables, nuclear, coal and other | Tariffs for businesses of all sizes |
Fuel mix score: ★★ | 100% renewable energy option |
Market: England, Scotland and Wales | Mixed customer service reviews |
Selectra score: ★★ | History of billing and invoicing issues |
About BES Utilities
BES Utilities is an independent commercial utility supplier which has been offering energy solutions for UK businesses for almost 20 years. The company is made up of Business Energy Solutions Ltd and BES Commercial Electricity Ltd.
Marketing itself as the ‘smart choice’ for commercial energy, BES Utilities provides free smart meters to all its electricity customers and offers plans for all sizes of business from startups with low credit scores through to established corporate energy customers.
The business energy supplier is heavily involved in its local community and has engaged in sponsorship of Fleetwood Town Football Club, the Blackpool illuminations and various charity initiatives. In recent years BES Utilities has expanded to become one of the largest employers on the Fylde coast, with over 250 employees. It opened new offices in Manchester in 2019.
Who owns BES Utilities?
BES Utilities is owned and run by North West entrepreneur Andy Pilley. The supplier is just one of several businesses Pilley chairs, including Fleetwood Town Football Club, Smart Choice Metering and Card Saver Ltd.
Tariffs and products
BES Utilities offers a range of competitive energy tariffs for businesses of all sizes, from start-ups and SMEs to more established companies. These include fixed-price, market-tracker and variable contracts, which means your business can choose the right deal for its own specific needs.
BES Electricity tariffs
Customers looking for an electricity-only option for their business can choose from either a fixed-rate contract of between 1 and 3 years or instead opt for a ‘market tracker’ tariff, which follows fluctuations in wholesale energy prices. All BES electricity customers are offered a self-reading smart meter with free installation when signing up.
- Fixed Price: BES Utilities’ Fixed Price electricity tariff locks in the unit rate and standing charge agreed throughout a contract period of 1 to 3 years. This means you are protected from any wholesale energy price increases, which allows your business to better forecast its energy expenses each month.
- Market Tracker: The Market Tracker tariff is a variable price plan available on a 1 to 5-year contract. Electricity prices are reviewed every April and October against changes in the wholesale energy market, meaning that you could see your electricity costs stay the same, rise or fall throughout the duration of your contract.
Does BES supply renewable energy?
Although BES Utilities does not yet provide 100% renewable energy as standard, it does offer an independently certified Renewable Electricity for Business plan generated from solar, wind landfill gas and biomass.
Renewable electricity contracts are available on both BES Utilities’ Fixed Price and Market Tracker plans, and come with a certificate to demonstrate your company’s carbon-cutting credentials.
BES Gas Tariffs
Gas customers with BES Utilities have a choice of three options: a fixed price contract between 1-3 years, a variable tariff over 1-5 years or the supplier’s Budget Payment Plan.
- Fixed Price: Customers on the BES Utilities Fixed Price gas tariff receive a fixed standing charge and unit rate throughout the duration of the agreed contract term.
- Variable: BES Utilities’ Variable gas plan is priced at a rate that could change if there are significant changes in the wholesale gas market. This means that your initially agreed gas rate could stay the same, rise or fall during your contract period.
- Budget Payment Plan (BPP): The Budget Payment Plan is a tariff designed to help customers forecast their gas costs in advance, available on a 1-5 year contract. Budget Payment Plans are calculated using annual consumption history and spread across 12 equal monthly payments.
Out of contract rates
Customers inheriting premises that are already supplied by BES Utilities or who have terminated their previous BES Utilities contract and are yet to agree to a new deal are automatically placed on what are known as ‘deemed’ or ‘out of contract’ rates for gas and electricity.
As these are generally among the most expensive rates a supplier can charge, we recommend that you either switch supplier or agree to a new contract with BES Utilities as soon as possible. For more information on switching your commercial energy, you can speak to a Selectra business energy expert on 020 3318 3633 or get a free personalised quote now.
Confused by unit rates and standing charges? Make sure you’re in the know before signing up by visiting What is a Standing Charge?
BES Electricity deemed rates
BES Utilities’ deemed rates for electricity are determined by meter profile class (PC) and whether you use Half Hourly (HH) or Maximum Demand (MD) metering. Rates for electricity are as follows:
Profile class | Standing charge | Unit rate |
---|---|---|
Electricity PC 1-4 | 150p per day | 29p per kWh |
Electricity MD/HH | 270p per day | 29p per kWh |
Prices correct as of July 2021. Rates in the table above exclude Climate Change Levy, VAT and any other applicable taxes.
BES Gas deemed rates
Gas deemed rates are based on your business premise’s estimated gas consumption over the previous 12 months, known as Annual Quantity (AQ). Deemed rates for gas are as follows:
AQ Band | Standing charge | Unit rate |
---|---|---|
0 - 73,200 kWh | 400p per day | 8.5p per kWh |
73,201 - 292,000 kWh | 550p per day | 8.5p per kWh |
293,000 kWh and above | 800p per day | 8.5p per kWh |
Prices correct as of June 2021. Rates in the table above exclude Climate Change Levy, VAT and any other applicable taxes.
How to cancel BES Utility contract
Unfortunately, if you decide to cancel a fixed-term BES Utilities contract, you may find it to be a somewhat difficult and costly process. Under its terms and conditions, BES Utilities only allows for early contract termination in the following circumstances:
- You are about to stop trading at the premises and have informed BES Utilities in writing that you intend to do so. You will be required to pay an isolation or de-energisation fee if this is the case.
- Your business is to vacate the premises and you have provided details of the new owner or tenant and any supporting documentation 14 days in advance.
- If BES Utilities stops trading, loses its licence or is unable to fulfil Ofgem requirements.
- Breach of contract by either party.
In all of these cases, it is still likely you will be expected to pay a costly termination fee to cancel your BES Utilities contract.
Fortunately, it’s much easier for customers on a deemed contract to cancel their BES Utilities connection and switch suppliers. You can do this by providing 28 days written notice to the address further down this page. BES Utilities will calculate and bill your business for any energy used on the site before this. Once this is done, you are free to switch to another business energy supplier.
BES Utilities Login
With a BES Utilities online account, you can keep track of your business energy needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Using your BES Utilities login, you are able to do the following, wherever you are:
- View and download invoices
- Pay bills online
- Submit meter readings
- Manage all of your business sites
- Update contact information
- Inform BES Utilities you’re moving premises
- Download online forms, such as VAT declarations and Direct Debit mandates
How do I set up my online account?
You can register for your BES Utilities login just as soon as your energy plan is up and running. Visit the BES Utilities website and click on the ‘Online Account’ link in the top right-hand corner. From here, you will be redirected to the BES Utilities login page.
Next, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click ‘Register Now’. You will need to enter the following information to register your BES Utilities online account:
- Your BES reference number.
- The email address you registered with BES Utilities when opening your account.
How do I access my BES Utilities online account?
Once registered, logging in to your BES Utilities online account is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Access your account by visiting the supplier’s website and clicking ‘Online Account’ at the top of the page.
- Under ‘Login to your account’, enter the email address that you registered with your BES Utilities online account.
- Enter the password that is associated with your account. Don’t remember your password or BES Utilities login? Not a problem. Simply click ‘Forgotten Password’ at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions.
- Below where you have entered your email address and password, click the ‘Login’ button to access the online portal.
I can’t login to my online account
Trouble accessing your online account with your BES Utilities login details? Try the following solutions:
- If you’ve forgotten your password or BES Utilities login details, simply click ‘Forgotten Password’ at the bottom of the login page and follow the instructions. The supplier will send you an email with a link to reset your password and choose a new one.
- If you’re having any other problems, you should contact BES Utilities using the information further down this page under BES Utilities contact number. Don’t forget to have your account number, BES Utilities login info and email address handy in order for your problem to be resolved as soon as possible.
BES Utilities reviews
At the time of writing, BES Utilities had received almost 6,000 reviews on consumer rating site Trustpilot and currently scores 4 out of a possible 5 stars on its rating system. At first glance, the majority of these BES Utilities reviews are positive, with 62% rating the supplier ‘Excellent’ and a further 9% rating it as ‘Good’.
However, when delving into these ratings in more detail, we found most of its positive BES Utilities reviews focused on its customer service, rather than its ability to reliably supply gas and electricity.
In contrast, of the 24% BES Utilities reviews rated ‘Bad’ on Trustpilot, there are several strongly worded claims of incorrect invoices and billing issues. To give credit to the supplier, it did at least address the majority of its most recent negative reviews by replying.
Although the supplier claims to pride itself on offering a ‘fair, transparent and honest service’, BES Utilities reviews on Google also paint a very different picture, with a lowly average rating of just 1.2 out of 5 from over 400 reviews. The majority of complaints with the supplier focus on difficulties in cancelling contracts and its sky-high out of contract unit rates.
Extra services and products
In addition to its basic utility supply tariffs and products, BES Utilities offers a few additional services to help its customers manage their commercial energy accounts, stay afloat financially and keep business costs down.
1. BES smart metering
BES Utilities offers free smart meter installation to all electricity customers to help keep on top of energy usage. Smart meter readings are automatically taken monthly, daily or half-hourly, though these can also be provided manually through the BES Utilities online account in the absence of a smart meter.
2. Gas siteworks
Should your business require a new gas connection or you want to upgrade your existing supply, BES Utilities can do the work for you once your gas supply contract is signed. This includes arranging all the necessary tests on your existing pipework and getting a Gas Safe engineer to fit your new meter.
3. BES Corporate Business
For customers with larger or multiple premises, BES Utilities offers a corporate client service with the following benefits:
- Access to a customer portal with data and reporting.
- A personal account manager to promptly deal with any queries.
- Advice on changing market trends.
- Fast-tracked Change of Tenancy (COT) within one working day.
- Site registration within one working day.
4. The BES Fund
BES Utilities customers struggling with debt or other financial issues can apply for support through the Business Energy Solutions Fund. The supplier uses this fund to clear arrears, provided the customer can pay their next three monthly invoices on time.
To apply for the BES Fund, you must meet the following criteria:
- You are a current BES Utilities customer who has been with the supplier for at least 12 months.
- You have already contacted Business Debtline for free, impartial advice and completed a budget sheet. You will be asked for on applying for the BES Fund.
Fuel mix
All energy suppliers are obliged to publicly disclose their fuel mix and show exactly how their electricity is generated. This is done to help you make an informed decision by knowing precisely where your energy is coming from and how this affects the carbon footprint of your business.
While BES Utilities does offer a 100% green electricity tariff, its standard plans rely heavily on traditional fossil fuels to produce electricity. The supplier has, however, stated that its fuel mix will gradually change as more energy will come from renewable sources in the future.
For the time being, the primary source for BES Utilities is natural gas, which makes up a huge 70.4% of the electricity it generates. This is followed by renewables, such as wind, solar and hydro, which come in at 10.3%, nuclear at 8%, coal at 6.2% and ‘other’ at 5.1%.
Meanwhile, its overall CO2 emissions were 368g per kWh, while it generated 0.0006g of radioactive waste per kWh. For comparison, the average CO2 emissions produced by all UK suppliers in the same period was 205g per kWh, while the average radioactive waste was 0.0012g per kWh.
*Relates to electricity supplied in the period April 2019 to March 2020.
UK Average = Coal 3.9%, Natural Gas: 39.4%, Nuclear: 16.6%, Renewable: 37.9%, Other 2.2%.
How can I contact BES Utilities?
There are a few different ways for new and existing BES Utilities customers to get in touch with the supplier. These include over the phone, through social media, via its online live chat function or by good old-fashioned post.
BES Utilities contact number
If you’re looking to get in touch with the supplier by phone, there is just the one BES Utilities contact number, which it uses for everything from general enquiries and sales to meter readings and handling complaints. Calls to the BES Utilities contact number are charged at the same rate as a standard local landline call.
BES Utilities Contact Number | Opening Hours |
---|---|
0344 5678 427 | Mon-Fri: 8.30am-5.30pm |
Calls to the BES Utilities contact number are charged at the same rate as a standard local landline call.
BES Utilities address
The BES Utilities head offices are based at Fleetwood Town Football Club, which is also owned by BES chairman Andy Pilley. BES Utilities customers who prefer to communicate by pen and paper can write to:
BES Utilities
Parkside Stand
Fleetwood Town Football Club
Park Avenue
Fleetwood FY7 6TX
BES Utilities on social media
As with most modern business energy suppliers, BES Utilities is present on most forms of social media, from Facebook to Linkedin:
- BES Utilities on Facebook
- BES Utilities on Twitter
- BES Utilities on Instagram
- BES Utilities on Linkedin
BES Utilities complaints
Not happy with any aspect of the service provided by BES Utilities? Register your BES Utilities complaints by following these steps:
- Contact the supplier directly to register your complaint first. You can do this either in writing addressed to the Complaints Team, by calling the BES Utilities contact number above, or by sending an email to [email protected]. BES Utilities will review your complaint and - if an issue has been identified - will issue an apology, a clear explanation, take remedial action to resolve the problem or offer a compensation payment where deemed appropriate.
- If you are unhappy with the initial response from the supplier, you will be issued with a BES Utilities complaints reference number. Your case will be forwarded to a named complaint handler, who should be able to provide you with a full update and resolution on your issue by phone within 3 working days.
- Should you remain unhappy with the offered resolution, BES Utilities complaints are then reviewed by its Escalated Complaints Team. They will try to resolve your problem within a further 10 working days, though more complex issues may take longer than this.
- If 8 weeks pass and you are still unhappy with the proposed resolution, you will be sent what is known as a ‘deadlock letter’ explaining the supplier’s final decision. If your company is defined as a microbusiness, you can approach the Energy Ombudsman for advice on what steps to take next. If you are not a microbusiness, you instead have the right to seek independent legal advice instead, should you wish to do so.
- Your company is considered a microbusiness if it...
- Employs fewer than 10 employees (or their full-time equivalent) and has an annual turnover or balance sheet no greater than €2 million
- Uses no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year or
- Uses no more than 293,000 kWh of gas per year.
Contact the Energy Ombudsman service
If your organisation is a microbusiness, you can escalate your BES Utilities complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. The Ombudsman’s role is to help resolve disputes between energy suppliers and customers. Its services are free and independent, meaning it acts on information provided by both parties and does not take sides.
By post
Ombudsman Services: Energy
PO Box 966
Warrington WA4 9DF
By phone
Energy Ombudsman Contact Number | Opening hours |
---|---|
0330 440 1624 | Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm, Sat: 8am-1pm |
Calls to the Energy Ombudsman contact number are charged at the same rate as a standard local landline call.
By email
Our verdict
BES Utilities is certainly a commercial supplier which has a lot to offer. This is demonstrated through the extensive range of products and tariffs available to businesses of all sizes. Its customer service team also deserves some praise, as they were polite and helpful in our dealings with them, something which the majority of BES Utilities reviews elsewhere online also seem to back up.
Unfortunately, the positives are tempered by a number of warning signs, such as invoice issues and unresolved customer complaints online. Issues such as incorrect invoice billing and its excessive out of contract unit rates also cannot be ignored.
In addition to this, we were disappointed to see the majority of the electricity on BES Utilities’ standard tariffs generated by dirty fossil fuels such as natural gas, at a time when most suppliers are making great strides towards providing cheaper green energy. Taking all of the above into account, we give BES Utilities an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars.
Selectra Score: ★★