We are a Metering and Billing Agent. We have been specifically appointed by your building owner to raise and issue bills for the energy and/or water you use. The utilities we bill you for would depend on what is supplied by your Communal Network. Using actual meter reads recorded by the meter for your apartment, we calculate how much you have consumed, and charge you according to your tariff. Estimated reads are sometimes used in the absence of actuals.

As your Billing Agent, it’s our responsibility to:

• Raise and issue periodic bills
• Collect metering data
• Process payments (if applicable)
• Provide customer support
• Process change of tenancies

Heat networks are often a low-carbon, low cost solution for supplying heat and hot water to large apartment blocks. Heat is generated in a central location (i.e. a basement plant room) and distributed to each flat through a network of pipes. 

Instead of individual boilers, each flat is fitted with a Heat Interface Unit (HIU). The HIU transfers heat from the building’s pipe network (primary circuit) into your home (secondary circuit) and can be adjusted to suit personal preferences. Your HIU is fitted with a heat meter which accurately records the amount of energy used (calculated in kWh), to be used for billing purposes. 

We raise and issue bills for the energy used within your property. 

Using actual meter reads (if available) recorded by the meter within your flat, we calculate exactly how much you have consumed, and charge you according to the tariff agreed with your Building Owner/Managing Agent. 

As your Billing Agent, we are responsible for the management and collection of charges. 

If an apartment is sold or transferred, we expect the Managing Agent, Developer, or new owner to notify us of their name and completion date. An account will then be set up in this name, and we will issue a Welcome Pack along with the first bill. Our Welcome Pack will explain the heat network system, provide payment details and access instructions for our customer portal. 

Each bill clearly details of the number of kilowatt hours (kWh) consumed and a breakdown of costs, including the unit rate, standing charge and admin fee. A variety of payment options are accepted, with detailed instructions on the reverse of every bill, along with our contact information should any clarification be required. 

Payment is received into a site-specific client bank account, administered by us. These payments are then passed to the Managing Agent each month, along with a reconciliation report for the period. The funds are typically used to settle all the associated running costs (i.e. the communal gas supply costs). 

In instances where a Leaseholder is sub-letting their flat, we can add the Sub-Tenant to the account as the Occupier. The Occupier would then receive bills relating to their period of occupancy. 

Please note, this process is based on our standard metering and billing agreement. Some developments might have alternative arrangements for data collection and payment administration. 

In most instances we are instructed to bill quarterly (every three months), however this varies from development to development. 

Billing frequency is set by the Building Owner/Managing agent and some developments will be billed more frequently, if requested. Please note we are unable to adjust billing frequency at apartment level, as this is agreed for the development as a whole. 

Your tariff is confirmed and agreed by your Heat Supplier, Freeholder or Building Owner (c/o the Managing Agent). We are unable to make changes to your tariff unless instructed by your Heat Supplier. 

The tariff is usually set for a 12 month period and reviewed/recalculated thereafter. Please refer to the tariff card provided following a tariff review for more details. 

Your tariff will consist of three charges, unless agreed otherwise with your Heat Supplier:

1. Variable Charge (Unit Rate) –  This charge is based on your heat and hot water consumption, generally measured in kilowatt hours (kWh). kWh consumed are multiplied by the variable charge to produce the total chargeable amount. 

The variable charge typically includes (in most but not all cases, depending on how heat is generated in your building): 

• The actual cost of gas used for the communal boiler to generate the heat. 
• Boiler efficiency – it’s impossible for a boiler to operate at 100% efficiency, therefore it’s inevitable that some heat is lost in the production process, which needs to be accounted for. 
• Heat loss during transmission – as heat is circulated around the primary network, the temperature will drop, despite the insulation provided. These are unavoidable and are typical for these types of networks. Please note, Data Energy is not responsible for the maintenance or performance of the network. 
• VAT – set at 5% for residential utilities, VAT is added to the variable charge to account for the gas used to fuel the communal boiler. VAT is already applied to the unit rate stated on your bill. 

2. Standing Charge – This is a daily charge that relates to the fixed costs associated with running the heat network. This will differ depending on what your Heat Supplier chooses to recover here, but could typically include: 

• Gas meter standing charge 
• HIU maintenance 
• Annual tariff setting services 
• Data collection fees 
• Energy centre maintenance 
• Applicable VAT 

The number of days you have been billed for is multiplied by the standing charge to produce the total chargeable amount. 

3. Admin Fee – This is our metering and billing fee. The number of days you have been billed for is multiplied by the admin fee to produce the total chargeable amount. 

Note: these are typical heat tariff charges based on a standard gas-fed heat network. Other methods of heat generation (i.e. air-source heat pumps) might apply at your development. If this is the case, or we are billing you for other utilities (i.e. cooling, electricity of water) the above charges won’t necessarily apply to you… 

We are not an Energy Supplier. We are a Metering and Billing Agent, solely instructed by your Heat Supplier/Building Owner, to issue bills for the energy you use. In some cases, we might bill for cooling, electricity and/or water, depending on the utilities supplied by your Communal Network. 

Please contact your Managing Agent for more information on the utilities provided to your property. 

We have been specifically appointed by your Heat Supplier, Freeholder or Building Owner (c/o the Managing Agent) to raise and issue bills for the heat and hot water you use. This might also include charges for cooling, electricity and/or cold water, depending on the utilities supplied by your Communal Network. Please note, we can only respond to queries relating to billing and payments. If your query is regarding anything else, we recommend you contact your Heat Supplier in the first instance. 

As you have probably seen in the news, the government recently introduced a number of discount schemes, which are designed to help end users to cope with rising energy prices.

There are 4 main discount/price reduction schemes in place for energy in the UK at the moment:

• EBRS – Energy Bill Relief Scheme(ended on 31/03/2023)
• EBDS – Energy Bill Discount Scheme (active for 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024)
• EBSS – Energy Bill Support Scheme (not applicable to heat networks)
• Price Cap (not applicable to heat networks)

Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS).

Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS), assist eligible Heat Network customers for the period the scheme runs for 01/04/2023 – 31/03/2024.

This scheme is available to non-domestic gas and electricity supplies that are in a fixed contract with an energy supplier, providing eligible supplies with a baseline discount of up to £6.97/MWh (0.697p/kWh) on their gas supply. Additional EBDS support has also been made available to heat networks with domestic end consumers, the aim being to bring retail energy prices paid by heat suppliers down to a specific heat network Minimum Supply Price. All heat suppliers are required to register their heat networks by the end of July and will then receive a backdated rebate on their energy bills.

If your development has one main gas supply that serves a communal energy network and your gas is not already being supplied at a rate lower than the discounted price you will be eligible for additional support under the EBDS guidelines and will benefit from a lower unit rate during the relief period.

You have probably already had a letter from us informing you either your development is eligible for the discount, both baseline and/or additional. If this not yet received, then we are likely waiting for further information and will update you regarding any additional EBDS discounts that will apply.

For further details regarding the EBDS, please visit the government website at

Guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme pass-through requirements for heat networks in the UK

Should the government introduce any changes to the EBDS, we will be in touch to notify you in due course.

You can pay your utility bill through a variety of methods: 

Direct Debit – A direct debit mandate can be completed online at dataenergy.co.uk/directdebit. Please note, direct debit is not available for pre-payment customers.

Bank Transfer – Details to make a bank transfer can be found on the back of your bill. Please use your unique account number as a payment reference. Customer Portal –  You can register for our Customer Portal at customer.dataenergy.co.uk. To register, please use your unique PayPoint and PIN number, which can be found in the bottom right-hand corner of your bill. 

In Store – You can pay at any store facilitating PayPoint by scanning the barcode in the bottom right-hand corner of your bill. 

Pay online  – Simply scan the QR code on your bill to make a payment online. 

By Card – Please contact us on 01279 810119 to make a payment over the phone. 

If a bill is not paid within the payment term provided we will issue three payment reminders. 

After the third reminder, your Managing Agent may choose to invoke the Supply Suspension Procedure (SSP). This involves issuing two disconnection notices to both the Leaseholder and the property itself. Following this, if the bill remains unpaid, the supply to the property will be disconnected. The Leaseholder would then need to pay a reconnection fee in order to reinstate the service(s). If SSP was applied to your property, please get in touch with us for further details and reinstatement of the services. 

Alternatively, the Managing Agent may choose to have the debt balance referred to them, so that they can take further action. This will likely incur interest and additional fees. 

If you are struggling financially and cannot afford to pay your bill in full, please contact our dedicated team via the Self-Service function for possible options available. In some instances, we are able to offer payment plans, if this agreed by the Managing agent. 

If you are a Leaseholder, you are legally the primary account holder and therefore responsible for the heat charges associated to the property. Your name will remain on the account for duration of your ownership. 

If a sub-tenancy is in place, the Sub-Tenant can be added as the ‘Occupier’ on the bills, however the Lessee ultimately remains responsible for the account and debt incurred if payments aren’t made in a timely manner (unless we’re instructed otherwise by the Building Owner/Managing Agent). 

Please contact us at selfservice.dataenergy.co.uk to report tenancy changes and submit a Change of Tenancy (COT) form within 30 days of the event. We are unable to process any COT changes on the account before the move in/out took place, therefore we strongly recommend you submit your COT form within timeframe provided. Please note that late notice charges will apply if we are not notified within the 30-day period. 

If you’ve recently sold your property, or tenants have moved in/out, you need to notify us by completing a Change of Leaseholder/Change of Tenancy form (whichever applies) and submitting it to us within 30 days of the move in/ out date. 

Please contact us via Customer Portal or at selfservice.dataenergy.co.uk to report any changes and submit a Change of Tenancy/Change of Leaseholder form within 30 days of the event. Please note that charges will apply if we are not notified within provided timeframe. 

If you have recently bought/sold the property, you need to notify us by completing a Change of Leaseholder Form and submitting it to us within 30 days of the completion date. 

If you are a tenant renting the property, your Landlord or Letting Agency will need to notify us of your move in/out date by completing a Change of Tenancy (COT) Form and submitting it to us within 30 days of the tenancy start date on your behalf. Please note, we cannot accept a COTform from the tenant themselves. 

Please contact us at selfservice.dataenergy.co.uk to report any changes and submit a Change of Tenancy/Change of Leaseholder form. Please note that charges will apply if the Leaseholder or Letting Agency fails to notify us of the changes within the 30-day period. 

When we cannot obtain actual meter reads to be used for billing, we will use estimated reads. We aim to ensure our estimated reads are as accurate as possible and calculate them based on previous actual consumption history. 

You can view a history of 12 months of your meter reads on our customer portal. If you haven’t already, please create an account by following the instructions detailed on your bill. Your login details can be found in the bottom right-hand corner, under the ‘Customer Portal’ section. If you have recorded actual meter reads that have not been used to bill, please submit them to us and we’ll re-issue your invoice to reflect these reads. Please note, all meter reads need be supported by photographic evidence. You can submit your reads by contacting us at selfservice.dataenergy.co.uk. 

In instances where we do not hold any historical metering data for your property, our estimated meter reads will be calculated based on an average for other properties within the development, therefore it is strongly recommended to regularly check and provide meter reads to us if estimates are used for your bill. 

If your bill is based on actual meter reads, it has been generated using data received remotely from the meter within your apartment. We are unable to amend/reduce your bill unless a fault has been identified. 

We recommend checking your thermostat settings as it may be too high – adjusting your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature can make a big difference! 

You can view a history of 12 months (soon to be 6+ months) of your meter reads on our customer portal. If you haven’t already, please create an account by following the instructions detailed on your bill. Your login details can be found in the bottom right-hand corner, under the ‘Customer Portal’ section. 

This might suggest that there’s a fault with your meter or the data collection network. If you are a Leaseholder, please contact your Managing Agent in the first instance. If you are a private tenant, we recommend that you contact your Landlord, and if you are a social tenant, we recommend that you contact your Housing Association. Our Technical Team can attend your property to investigate metering and data collection faults, however the instruction would need to come from your Building Owner or their respective Managing Agent. 

Alternatively, if you would like us to quote you directly for our attendance, we would be happy to take your instruction to inspect your meter. Please be aware, we would send out a metering and data collection technician. If the issue is with any other piece of equipment (your HIU for example), we would not be able to diagnose this. 

We recommend prompt action is taken should these situations arise, as a back-billing exercise will be completed and it’s likely any unbilled consumption will be estimated. 

It is often assumed that the majority of a bill relates to space heating, rather than water heating. However, a significant proportion of heat consumption relates to the provision of hot water. 

It should also be noted that the Heat Interface Unit (HIU) within your property will often have a trickle of heat passing through. This is standard and known as a “keep warm function”. This function will apply even if the heating isn’t being used within your apartment. It is generally a small amount, but will explain why you might see heat consumption on your bills even though the property is empty. 

If you are a Leaseholder, and you have no heat or hot water, please contact your Managing Agent in the first instance. If you are a private tenant, we recommend that you contact your Landlord, and if you are a social tenant, we recommend that you contact your Housing Association. If you have a pre-payment meter, please check that your balance is in credit. If your balance is negative or reflects £0, you will need to top up to resume supply. 

In some instances of non-payment we may be instructed to invoke Supply Suspension Procedure (SSP), which involves your services being suspended until full payment for the balance outstanding on the property account is paid in full along with the reinstatement fee. 

Please refer to What will happen if I don’t pay my bill? Section for more details on SSP procedure. 

Welcome! We’re happy to have you with us! 

As you have received your first invoice(s) for your energy, it means your account has been fully set-up at our end and we will be billing your property going forward. 

Your first bill will usually be for a longer period – you can check the billing period on your invoice. This is due to the extended process of taking over the billing, where we work closely with your Building Owner/Managing agent to obtain all relevant information, as well as setting up processes for retrieving actual metering data to ensure accurate billing of the supply. Going forward, bills will be issued more frequently – your development’s billing frequency is stated within the cover letter as part of our Welcome Pack. 

Our Welcome Pack also includes a leaflet which provides further information on how your system operates and its benefits. 

We want your experience with us to be positive, enabling you to manage your account with ease. Our Customer Portal allows you to make payments, manage your energy use, provide meter reads and report occupancy changes. 

Please create an account by following the instructions detailed on your bill. Your login details can be found on the bottom-right corner, under the Customer Portal section. 

If you are a Leaseholder, and you have concerns or suspect that your meter is faulty, recording incorrect reads, or if there is no heat/hot water supply to your apartment, please contact your Managing Agent in the first instance. If you are a private tenant, we recommend that you contact your Landlord, and if you are a social tenant, we recommend that you contact your Housing Association. 

Our Technical Team can attend your property to investigate metering and data collection faults, however the instruction would need to come from your Building Owner or their respective Managing Agent. 

Alternatively, if you would like us to quote you directly for our attendance, we would be happy to take your instruction to inspect your meter. Please be aware, we would send out a metering and data collection technician. If the issue is with any other piece of equipment (your HIU for example), we would not be able to diagnose this. 

There are many ways you can make your energy go further and save money. We’re always keen to promote possible options that might help you save on those unnecessary losses. We would suggest checking out the Energy Saving Trust and Which for handy tips and tricks. 

• Simple energy saving measures include: 
• Adjusting your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature. We recommend 20-21 degrees for more efficient use. 
• Turning your heating off if you’re not at home 
• Not leaving the tap running when washing up or brushing teeth 
• Choosing showers instead of baths 
• Making sure taps are turned off properly. If you notice a leak, please ensure prompt repair of the issue. 

Building Owner/Freeholder/Heat Supplier – Under the terms of the Lease, this is the entity responsible for the provision of heat and associated services to Leaseholders and is responsible for the appointment of suppliers and service providers. Your Building Owner/Freeholder/Heat Supplier will be defined within your Lease Agreement. 

Managing Agent – Responsible for overseeing the provision of heat and the charging process, as well as holding the relevant money and ensuring accounts are reconciled. 

Metering and Billing Agent – If we are your appointed Metering and Billing Agent, then our job is generally to collect metering data, calculate the amount each apartment owes and administer the payment process. Other Metering and Billing Agents might provide slightly different services. 

Leaseholder – Responsible for paying for the supply of heat to their property under the terms of the Lease Agreement, unless alternative arrangements have been made with the Heat Supplier. 

Sub-Tenant – A sub-tenant (occupier) who resides at the property (if applicable) can be added to the account as a Sub-Tenant, to assist the Leaseholder in managing the recovery of costs during their occupancy. However it remains the Leaseholder’s responsibility to ensure payments are made, unless alternative arrangements have been made with the Heat Supplier. 

A heat network is a shared heating system and is an alternative to having an individual gas boiler within the property. Thermal energy is distributed around a building, or number of buildings, in the form of steam, hot water, or chilled liquids from a central source (i.e. communal gas boilers in a plant room), for the use of space heating, cooling or hot water.

The heat supplier is required to comply with the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014. These regulations place a number of obligations on the heat supplier. A full version of the regulations currently in place can be found on the Government website or using the below link.

Regulations: heat networks (metering and billing)

The Heat Network Regulations aim to promote metering and billing accuracy for domestic or non-domestic buildings. They apply to anyone who is supplying heating and/or cooling to more than one end user.

The government department responsible for enforcing these regulations is the OPSS (Office for Product Safety and Standards).

Ofgem appointment as Heat Networks Regulator

The government has announced that it is appointing Ofgem as the Heat Networks regulator for Great Britain.

Currently, there are no sector specific protections for heat network consumers. As the regulator, Ofgem will help to ensure consumers get a fair price and reliable supply of heat.

It is expected that Ofgem heat networks regulation will come into force in 2024.

Currently, there are no regulations introduced or enforced by Ofgem for heat networks.

Our customer service team is there Monday to Friday to help you with your queries. There is number of different methods available to contact us.

• Have a query? Submit a ticket through our Self-Service function

This is the best way to contact us. Simply open a ticket with details about your query. Once raised, your ticket will be picked up by a member of our team and responded to accordingly. You can track the status of your ticket at any time by logging into your Self-Service account.

• Manage your billing online through our Customer Portal

Our Customer Portal allows you to effectively manage your utility billing from home. Here you can make payments, manage your energy use, provide meter readings, and report occupancy changes.
If you haven’t already, please create an account by following the instructions detailed on your bill. Your login details can be found on the bottom-right corner, under the Customer Portal section.

• Moving home? Report a Change of Occupancy

To report occupancy changes relating to the property, please complete a Change of Tenancy/Change of Leaseholder form using the links below:

• Change of Tenancy Form
• Change of Leaseholder Form

Once you have submitted a form, we’ll aim to process the changes within 30 days. Once complete, you will receive an automated email to confirm the changes on the billing profile. In some instances we might need to contact you for additional information or to provide an update on your request.

Please note, we cannot take details of occupancy changes by phone/email/ticket.

• Submit a meter reading

To provide a meter reading, please complete our Meter Submission Online Form
Once complete, you will receive an automated email to confirm the changes on the billing profile. In some instances we might need to contact you for additional information.

• Need to speak to us? Call our team on 01279 810 119

Our Customer Service Advisors are available Monday -Thursday, from 9am – 4pm.

Please note, waiting times may be longer than usual if we are experiencing high call volumes.