Priority Services
We offer priority support services to customers who need a little extra help. You, or someone acting on your behalf, can register with us and tell us about any special requirements you may have. For example, if you’re aged 60 or over, have a chronic illness, a disability, or young children under 5 years old.
Read our FAQs below to find out more about the services we offer.
Bereavement support
We understand that this is a very difficult time and we’re here to do everything we can to help.
You can let us know if someone has passed away by calling our customer support team on 0345 555 7100.
So that we can help to finalise their account, it would be useful to have:
The name and address of the person who has passed away and, if available, their account number
The details of the person who will be taking responsibility for their estate.
A recent meter reading, if possible.
Read our FAQs below for more ways to get in touch and to find out more about what to do when someone close to you has passed away.
Support for vulnerable households
We know that some of our customers need a bit of extra help or specialist support.
Our mantra is simple: whatever your situation, whatever your needs, we’re here to help.
The Vulnerability Commitment was launched by Energy UK in December 2020 and we’re proud to be one of the founding signatories. We pledge to support our customers facing vulnerable circumstances in any way we can.
Energy saving advice
Find out how much your household is generating with our Carbon Footprint Calculator, then head to our energy saving advice page for ways to save money on your energy bills and reduce your carbon emissions.
Related FAQs - Extra Support
Yes, you can.
If you’d like to register on behalf of family member or you are a carer who is authorised to act on behalf of a vulnerable customer, you can register for our priority services by either:
❯ Completing the online registration form using the Register button above and ticking the box “using a representative”
or
❯ Downloading the form, printing it out, completing it and posting it back to us. Just make sure to complete the “Representatives” section of the form.
Our address is Freepost ECOTRICITY.
You can register for our priority services by either completing the online registration form below.
or you can download the registration form here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader), print it out, fill it in, and post it back to us.
Our address is Freepost ECOTRICITY.
Examples of the Priority Services we offer include:
❯ Textphone communications with our customer services staff
❯ Password scheme – so you can be sure of representatives when they visit your home
❯ Bills in alternative formats including Braille, large print and talking bills
❯ Moving your meter to a more accessible location
If you have special requirements that we might be able to help you with, fill out our registration form.
You’d be eligible if you or anyone in your household:
❯ Has a chronic illness
❯ Is of pensionable age
❯ Is blind or partially sighted
❯ Is deaf or hard of hearing
❯ Has children under the age of five living in the property
❯ Has another type of disability or special need
for the full list of eligibility criteria, download a copy of the Priority Services Registration Form or register below:
We understand that this is a very difficult time and we’re here to do everything we can to help. You can let us know when someone close to you has passed away by calling our customer support team on 0345 555 7100, emailing us at accounthelp@ecotricity.co.uk or writing to us at FAO Bereavement Team, FREEPOST ECOTRICITY.
It would help to have the following details to hand when you contact us:
Details of the person who has passed away – their name, address, date that they passed and account number if available
Details of who is responsible for their estate – this is usually an executor, administrator or solicitor. Please provide their name, contact details and address. If this is you, we’ll also ask if you know what is going to happen with the property
If possible, up-to-date meter readings.
If you’re in the process of obtaining a grant of probate/administration, please let us know who will be managing their affairs in the meantime.
We will walk you through the process of finalising their account – see our FAQ on What happens to the account of someone who has passed away?
Additional support
We understand that bereavement can be a very difficult and sensitive time; you might find the following resources useful:
For help coping with grief there are helpful guides available from charities such as Cruse and Mind.
For information on dealing with the estate of someone who has passed away, visit Gov.uk and Citizens Advice. You can also register the name and address of the deceased to help prevent receipt of direct mail by visiting The Bereavement Register.
We’ll walk you through the process of finalising their account – see our FAQ on What to do when someone close to you has passed away which includes contact details to get in touch.
Here’s a summary of what usually happens in different situations:
If the property is being sold
We’ll make a note of this to ensure that you don’t receive unnecessary reminders.
Bills will be sent out as usual and we’ll ask for updates and up-to-date meter readings every now and then.
Once the sale has been completed, we’ll ask you to let us know the sale completion date, the name of the new owner or solicitors dealing with the sale, and final meter readings.
Once the account has been closed we’ll send the final bill to the person dealing with the estate.
If a partner or relative is still living at the property
If they’re already named on the account, we’ll update our records to name them as the main account holder.
If they’re not already named on the account, they’ll need to get in touch with us – or we’ll need their verbal or written permission, or instruction from the executor/administrator before we can put the account in their name.
If there’s a PAYG meter at the property
Please get in touch with us to discuss what happens next – depending on the situation, we might need to send a new card for the meter. This is to ensure that you’re not responsible for any energy or debts you didn’t use or owe.
If you’ve inherited the property
Get in touch to open a new account under your name. Please contact us and we’ll sort this out for you.
What happens if the person who has passed away rented the property?
Get in touch to let us know they’ve passed away.
Contact us once the keys have been handed back to the owner/landlord.
We‘ll then ask for the name of the landlord/housing association/letting agency, their contact details and final meter readings if available.
We’ll close the account and send the final bill to the person appointed with managing their affairs.
You can let us know when someone close to you has passed away by calling our customer support team on 0345 555 7100, emailing us at accounthelp@ecotricity.co.uk or writing to us at FAO Bereavement Team, FREEPOST ECOTRICITY.
BT Text Relay Service
So that we can offer the best customer service to our customers with hearing or speech impairments, we’re implementing BT Text Relay Service which offers text-to-speech and speech-to-text translation service as part of our overall commitment to supporting those customers who need extra support.
How do I access the BT Text Relay Service?
This service can be used on your (smart) mobile phone or tablet. You just need to download the app on the Apple App Store (for iPhone or iPad) and at Google Play (for Android devices)
You can also download the app to your computer here.
Scope
We’re committed to offering the best customer service to all our disabled customers, so we’ve partnered with Scope, the disability equality charity. Scope offers Disability Energy Support, a free energy and water support service. It’s for disabled people and their families across the UK and Wales.
Their expert advisers can help with a wide range of issues. These include:
managing energy and water debt,
switching tariffs or supplier,
changing your meter,
energy and water efficiency,
free fuel vouchers (conditions apply),
contacting or complaining to your supplier,
understanding how to use your heating systems
Get free and impartial advice. Visit Disability Energy Support or call 0808 801 0828.
Scope also provide practical advice and emotional support through their helpline, online community and advice and support pages.
The Warm Home Discount scheme is a programme run by the government and large energy suppliers to help households living in or at risk of fuel poverty.
The scheme launched in April 2011 as a means to give vulnerable households money off their energy bills.
It was initially due to run until the end of 2016 but has now been extended to 2021.
If you qualify for a Warm Home Discount Scheme payment, it won’t affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.
Does Ecotricity participate in the Warm Home Discount Scheme?
Yes. New guidance from the government and Ofgem means that energy companies with over 150,000 customers now take part in the scheme, so all eligible customers on electricity supply with us are entitled to receive Warm Home Discount payments.
Eligible customers will automatically receive Warm Home Discount Scheme credit on their bill to help with the cost of heating and powering their home. Eligibility is determined by the government and includes customers who receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit. To find out if you are eligible, check out the DWP Warm Home Discount Scheme website.
How to get help if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills
If you’re finding it difficult to pay your energy bills, the best thing to do is to get in touch with us as early as you can on 0345 555 7 100. We’ll do everything we can to make paying your bill as easy as possible for you.
There are lots of ways we can help if you ever have trouble paying your energy bills. The best thing to do is to get in touch with us as early as you can – we’re always really happy to help. We’ll discuss your options, and we’ll do everything we can to make paying your bill as easy as possible for you.
So, if you think you might have a problem paying, just give us a call on 01453 761 350. We're open from 8.30am – 7pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am - 6pm Friday and 9am - 4pm Saturday.
How we can help
There are lots of reasons why someone might have trouble paying a bill – so we make sure we have lots of options for you to choose from too.
These include:
❯ Finding a different payment method that better suits how you manage your bills
❯ Agreeing a simple payment arrangement to cover outstanding bills and future usage
❯ Switching your meter to Pay As You Go – so you can better budget and manage your energy usage
❯ Providing you with advice on how you can reduce your energy bills – for some energy saving hints and tips, check out our energy efficiency advice page or the Energy Saving Trust
❯ Arranging for you to pay for your energy directly through your benefits, under the Fuel Direct scheme.
If you have found a cheaper tariff with another supplier and need to switch away from Ecotricity, we understand. Unless you are on one of our Fixed Tariffs, there will be no exit fee to pay, and you’ll be able to switch away if you have no debt or have an agreement with us to settle what you do owe – just give us a call on 01453 761 350 if you’d like to discuss this.
Get independent advice
If you want to get some independent help and advice, there are lots of organisations that provide support too. Here’s a summary of the main ones:
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Your local CAB can give you advice about ways to manage your debts – just pop in to see them. To find your local CAB, go to citizensadvice.org.uk. Their website has loads of great advice too.
StepChange Debt Charity
StepChange is the UK’s largest debt charity, offering free, independent advice. Give them a call for free on 0800 138 1111 or take a look at their website at stepchange.org.
National Debtline
The National Debtline charity also offers free, independent advice. Give them a call on 0808 808 4000 or visit their website at nationaldebtline.org.
Charis Grants
Call 01733 421021 or visit charisgrants.com to check that you’re getting everything you’re entitled to. They may be able to offer grants to help clear some of your debts too.
Turn2us
Turn2us is a national charity that helps people in financial hardship gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and support services. Visit their website at turn2us.org.uk.
Scope
Scope offer free energy advice to disabled people, helping them to manage their energy needs, as well as practical advice and emotional support through their helpline, online community and advice and support pages.
Can't find an answer to your question?
Send an email to home@ecotricity.co.uk
Alternatively, if you would like to speak with someone, give us a call on 0345 555 7 100
Between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday
Prefer to phone a landline? Call 01453 761482
Smell gas? Call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999