EDF Energy Logo

Need a Better Deal on Gas and Electric?

Find out how much you can save with EDF Energy today

Selectra UK is not affiliated with this energy provider.

Utilita is an independent supplier specialising in prepayment energy. As of May 2021, the provider holds a 2.7% market share and supplies gas and electricity to around 800,000 customers throughout the UK. Read on for essential information on Utilita Energy, its tariffs and the Utilita number to call if you need to get in touch with the provider.

About Utilita

Utilita or Utilita Energy is a medium-sized, independent gas and electricity provider with a penchant for ‘smart energy’ and prepayment tariffs. As such, it specialises in prepayment (pay as you go) smart tariffs that offer customers total control over their energy.

Having operated in the UK energy market for over 15 years, Utilita has become one of the most recognised independent prepayment suppliers around. Of the more than 800,000 domestic customers Utilita supplies energy to, the vast majority are on prepayment tariffs.

Quick facts

  1. Utilita was the first supplier in the UK to install smart meters back in 2008.
  2. In January 2019, the supplier acquired Our Power’s customers.
  3. Utilita now holds 2.7% of the market share, supplying energy to around 800,000 customers.
  4. The vast majority of Utilita customers are on prepayment tariffs.
  5. 67% of customer reviews on Trustpilot rate the supplier 'Excellent', which is the highest rating possible.

Reviews

Customer reviews for Utilita Energy are very good. As of May 2021, the supplier’s TrustScore on the customer review website TrustPilot is an impressive 4.3 out of 5.

Of around 35,000 reviews left on the site, the majority of reviewers gave Utilita the highest rating possible (Excellent). In contrast, only around 20% of the reviews are negative, which is impressive on a site customers usually only go to complain!

Over on the Which? Annual Survey for 2021, Utilita’s customer score is 68%, putting it in joint 12th place out of 25 energy providers reviewed in the survey.

Complaints

According to the energy regulator Ofgem, Utilita received 747 complaints per 100,000 customers in the last quarter of 2020 (last updated in May 2021). This is a much-improved return compared to past performance. In 2016 and 2017, the supplier received the most complaints of all medium-sized energy providers in the UK, whereas now it's about middle of the road, safely behind the likes of Shell Energy (1,850) and Green Network Energy (2,109)!

Read the full Utilita Selectra review!For the full Selectra review of Utilita’s services, complaints handling, call waiting times, and tariffs, take a look at our dedicated Utilita Reviews page.

Tariffs and prices

Utilita Energy has several domestic tariff options for electricity only, gas only and dual fuel supplies. They are all variable tariffs, meaning that the rates you pay may go up and/or down during your term. A minimum notice period of 30 days will be provided by Utilita to customers in the event of a price adjustment.

Notably, there are no standing charges or exit fees applied by Utilita. Instead of a standing charge, Utilita charges two separate rates on most of its tariffs:

  1. Unit Rate 1 applies for the first 180 kWh of energy (gas or electricity) you use during the month.
  2. Unit Rate 2 applies to the energy you use during the month beyond the first 180 kWh.

We'll now take you through some of the tariffs Utilita offers potential customers.

Utilita Smart Energy

Smart Energy is Utilita’s main tariff and requires a smart meter installation. It is available both for credit and prepayment. As we've explained above, Unit Rate 1 refers to the energy you use up to 180 kWh and Unit Rate 2 refers to energy used beyond that.

Utilita Smart E7

Smart E7 is the Economy 7 variant of the Utilita Smart Energy tariff. It has not two but three unit rates applied daily based on the following criterion:

  1. Unit Rate 1 applies for the first 180 kWh of energy (gas or electricity) used during the month.
  2. Unit Rate 2 applies for energy usage throughout the month beyond the first 180 kWh.
  3. The third unit rate - or the night rate - applies for all usage throughout the night, as is the case with any Economy 7 tariff.

Much like Smart Energy, unit rates will vary depending on whether you opt for the prepayment or direct debit/credit plan.

With such huge variation in cost on Economy 7 tariffs depending on your usage, it would be pointless to give you an estimation on how much this would cost you per year. We would recommend, however, that you use at least 40% of your energy at night if you want to see savings compared to a standard Smart Energy tariff.

Utilita Premium Energy

The standard variable tariff for those without smart meters. Premium Energy works by applying two different rates for electricity and gas, much like the Smart Energy tariff.

Utilita Premium E7

Premium E7 is the standard Economy 7 tariff for customers without smart meters. In addition to the two daily rates applied for energy consumption, as you would imagine, this tariff applies a third unit rate for energy usage during the night.

Utilita Freedom Energy

Freedom Energy is the prepayment-only tariff that applies Utilita’s original formula - two monthly rates for the supply of gas and electricity.

Utilita My Time

The My Time tariff is for customers with Economy 10 electricity meters. These tariffs work the same as Economy 7 tariffs except that the off-peak rate is 10 hours instead of 7. Three separate rates are applied for electricity, and two separate daily rates for gas.

There is no off-peak rate for gas. To find out more about Economy 10 meters, take a look at the Selectra Economy 10 guide. For details of all rates on the My Time tariff, see the table below.

Utilita My Time Basic

This is the second Economy 10 tariff in Utilita’s arsenal. Three rates are charged for the supply of gas and electricity, just like Utilita's other Economy 7 and Economy 10 tariffs.

Fuel Mix

Ofgem regulations require all energy suppliers in the UK to publish their fuel mix compositions. Generation sources are split into percentage representations and made publicly available, which puts pressure on companies to increase renewable energy sources.

At just 8%, under one-tenth of Utilita's fuel mix is from renewable sources, which is well below the UK average of 37.9%. The supplier is most reliant on natural gas, with 72% of its supply made up of this fossil fuel.

- Coal Natural gas Nuclear Renewable Other
UK average 3.9% 39.4% 16.6% 37.9% 2.2%
Utilita average 6% 72% 8% 8% 5%

Last updated: May 2021

Utilita Login: Online account and app

You can perform the following functions on your My Utilita online account or via the provider's app:

  • View your account information
  • View your bills
  • Manage payments
  • Submit meter readings
  • Top up your prepayment meter
  • Keep track of your energy usage
  • Apply for a Power Up
  • Access the Utilita Extra rewards scheme
  • Refer your friends

Customers can access their My Utilita account on any device browser or through the My Utilita app, which is available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple store. The provider's experience in this area is evident; it performs excellently on both operating systems, with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars for both.

Recent reviews for the app praise its "easy layout" and the convenience of receiving notifications and seeing their energy use in real-time. If an app that works is a deal-breaker for you, it seems you might want to consider Utilita!

Utilita Smart Meter

As we've already mentioned, Utilita specialises in smart energy. The provider was one of the first in the UK to install and make use of smart meters. With a smart meter, you can keep track of your energy usage, expenditure and remaining prepayment credit (if applicable). Nor will you have to worry about estimated bills again - your smart meter will submit automatic meter readings to your provider for you.

Utilita customers can request smart meters from the supplier once they have signed up for a smart tariff. The supplier will arrange a date to have smart metering equipment installed. To find out how to contact Utilita to get a smart meter, skip through to the ‘How to contact Utilita’ section of this page.

Extra services

There is a range of other services offered by Utilita to make its customer experience better - from emergency credit to rewards schemes. See the supplier's additional services in the sections below.

Emergency & Friendly credit for Smart Energy

If you are a Smart Energy pay as you go customer, you can get up to £15 of emergency credit on your prepayment smart meter when you run out, giving you a little extra time to top up if you have forgotten. You can access this emergency credit through your smart meter; all you have to do is hit the ‘E-Credit’ button after you have received a low credit alert.

With Friendly Credit, you won’t have to worry about being left in the dark if you have run out of credit during evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Friendly Credit is activated automatically on your smart meter from 2pm every day until 10am the following working day.

Please be aware that you must repay all Emergency and Friendly Credit used in order to restore your power the following working day.

Utilita Extra

Utilita Extra is a rewards scheme through which Utilita gives back to its customers. Through the scheme, customers can enter prize draws for gift cards to use at selected retailers and restaurants, as well as tickets for events. You can access prize draws through the Utilita Extra website or through the My Utilita app.

Once a month, the site also offers the Utilita Jackpot, which offers cash prizes to entrants who sign up for Utilita energy in time. To find out more about Utilita Extra, head over to its website.

Utilita Energy Hub

Utilita Energy Hubs are physical high-street stores, all located in the South of England, where you can switch to Utilita, get expert energy advice, request a smart meter, and top up if you are on a pay as you go tariff. You can find a Utilita Energy Hub in the following cities:

  • Southampton
  • Portsmouth
  • Isle of Wight

Warm Home Discount

If you need help with your energy costs during the winter, you may be eligible for the Government’s Warm Home Discount scheme through Utilita. The scheme will provide you with an £140 rebate from the total cost of your energy bills in the coldest winter months.

If you would like to speak to Utilita about the Warm Home Discount, you can send an email to [email protected]. The advised response time for this email address is up to five days.

Utilita phone number: How to contact the provider

Existing and prospective customers can find Utilita contact information in our dedicated Utilita contact guide. On this page, we have organised all of the supplier’s published contact numbers, as well as email and postal addresses, by department and query categories.

Disclaimer: The services and products mentioned on this website may only represent a small selection of the options available to you. Selectra encourages you to carry out your own research and seek advice if necessary before making any decisions. We may receive commission from selected partner providers on sales of some products and/or services mentioned within this website. Our website is free to use, and the commission we receive does not affect our opinion or the information we provide.

Read more articles about Utilita Energy

EDF Energy Logo

Need a Better Deal on Gas and Electric?

Find out how much you can save with EDF Energy today