We are an independent non-ministerial government department set up to ensure the effective regulation of the Electricity, Gas and Water and Sewerage industries in Northern Ireland.

Section 1: Information Obligations

1. What organisations or bodies in my area can help me to find out more about switching supplier?
Whether you are a domestic or business customer you are free to choose your electricity or natural gas supplier. Once you have decided which is best for you, contact your chosen supplier and they will assist you through the standard process of switching. Advice is available from the Consumer Council in their helpful guide to switching domestic electricity supplier.

NIE (the electricity network / grid company) also has information on its website at: http://www.nie.co.uk/marketopening/
You can also get information from any of the gas and electricity suppliers; there is a list of these on the Utility Regulator website: http://www.uregni.gov.uk/electricity/#switching

Electricity suppliers:
Airtricity 084 5601 9093 http://www.airtricity.com
Budget Energy 0800 012 11 77 http://www.budgetenergy.co.uk
Electric Ireland 0800 056 9914 http://www.electricireland.com
Energia 028 9068 5900 http://www.energia.ie (industrial customers only)
Power NI (the new name for NIE Energy) 084 5745 5455 http://www.powerni.co.uk

Gas suppliers:
Firmus 028 9442 7836 http://www.firmusenergy.co.uk
Phoenix Supply Limited http://www.phoenixsupplyni.com

2. What are my rights as an electricity and / or gas consumer?
This checklist provides consumers with answers to many questions on your rights as an electricity and/or gas consumer. The electricity and gas supply companies produce ‘Codes of Practice’ that describe what you can expect from them on issues such as paying for your energy supply. These Codes of Practice are available on company websites. Consumers should also refer to the terms and conditions of their particular product.

For independent advice on your rights and more information on a particular issue, please contact the Consumer Council on 0800 121 6022.

3. Where do I go to find out more on payment methods?
Electricity and gas suppliers must offer at least three different payment methods, standard credit in arrears, direct debit and prepayment (card and keypad meters). You can choose which payment method you would like to use, with prepayment meters installed at no extra cost. Your energy supplier will provide you with more information on your choices.

The Consumer Council, has also produced a series of leaflets which include information on how you can pay for your electricity and gas. Follow the link to contact the Consumer Council to get the leaflet.

4. What information would I need to allow me to assess alternative supply offers?
You will need to know how much electricity or gas you use. We tend to use less energy in summer than in winter so make sure you use a full year’s consumption.

Pay As You Go customers should be able to find this out from their meter – if you do not know how to do this please contact your current electricity or gas supplier.

If you have access to the internet, you can use the Consumer Councils’ Gas and Electricity Price Comparison Tool to compare the cost from different suppliers. The tool is a Microsoft Excel based spreadsheet that will require MS Office, Excel, OpenOffice or compatible program.

You can also compare the cost of each unit (known as kilowatt hour or kWh) of gas or electricity of the different gas or electricity suppliers. You will find this on your bill, on the suppliers’ website or you can call the supplier and ask.

You will also need to know if there is;

- A standing charge that all customers must pay regardless of how much gas or electricity they use; – A minimum charge which all customers have to pay even if you use very little gas or electricity; – Expiry date of introductory offers and any charge for leaving a fixed term deal; – Details of the standard tariffs that will apply after the introductory offers end – Any other charges that may apply.

You can work out what your annual bill would be with a different supplier by taking your annual consumption number and multiplying it by the cost per kWh offered to you by the supplier you are thinking of switching to and adding the standing charge where there is one (don’t forget to make sure you add a full year’s standing charge – they are often shown as quarterly charges so multiply that amount by four to get the annual charge).

5. What information should be provided on my bill?
Your bill should contain details of your total charges, information on your energy consumption, fuel mix information (electricity only) and details on your right to complain to your supplier. The Consumer Council has produced a guide to utility bills called ‘Bills made easy’. You can contact the Consumer Council for further details.

6. Where do I look to find out more about energy efficiency measures in my area?
For information on how you can save energy within your home, renewable technologies as well as saving water please contact:

The NI Direct government web site at the email address below; http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/energywise

7. Who is responsible for consumer protection in my area?
The Consumer Council has a responsibility to represent energy consumers in Northern Ireland and has a dedicated team which investigates enquiries and complaints on behalf of consumers about natural gas, electricity and coal. To Contact the Consumer Council call free on 0800 121 6022 email or visit http://www.consumercouncil.org.uk

For general consumer advice Consumerline is a one stop shop offering free help and advice to Northern Ireland consumers. Consumerline helps you avoid scams, dodgy deals, make a complaint and stay up to date with consumer law. Calls to Consumerline on the 0300 123 6262 number cost no more than a national call (01/02 numbers) – even from a mobile phone. Calls will also be included in any free minutes you may have from your network provider.

The Utility Regulator has a duty to protect the interests of electricity and gas consumers in Northern Ireland.

For more detail about how we look after electricity and gas consumers’ interest please see our corporate plan [http://www.uregni.gov.uk/uploads/publications/Corporate_Strategy_2009-14.pdf], our forward work plan [http://www.uregni.gov.uk/uploads/publications/2010-11_FWP.pdf] and our annual report [http://www.uregni.gov.uk/uploads/publications/2010-11_Annual_Report.pdf]

The Utility Regulator carries out its work in line with statutory duties set out in the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 and the Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. This legislation can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information website.

8. How do I find out the fuel mix of my energy consumption?
There will be a table on your electricity bill showing the fuel used to generate the electricity your supplier has sold to you. The Utility Regulator also puts this information on its website. The information for 2010 can be found at:http://www.uregni.gov.uk/uploads/publications/FMD_2010_UR_Paper.pdf.

If you do not have access to the internet you can contact the Utility Regulator:
By Post: Utility Regulator, Queens House, 14 Queen Street, Belfast, BT1 6ED
By Telephone: +44 (0) 28 9031 1575
By Fax: +44 (0) 28 9031 1740
By Email:

9. What other sources of energy are sold by suppliers in my area?
Electricity

Airtricity 084 5601 9093 http://www.airtricity.com
Budget Energy 0800 012 11 77 http://www.budgetenergy.co.uk
Electric Ireland 0800 056 9914 http://www.electricireland.com
Energia 028 9068 5900 http://www.energia.ie (industrial customers only)
Power NI 084 5745 5455 http://www.powerni.co.uk

Natural Gas
Natural gas is available in Greater Belfast and in the following towns: – Ballyclare – Ballymena – Ballymoney – Coleraine – Craigavon – Larne – Lisburn – Derry/Londonderry – Limavady – Antrim – Armagh – Banbridge – Newry
New towns are being connected to a gas supply on a regular basis. For more information visit: http://www.phoenixnaturalgas.com/naturalgas/is-gas-in-my-area/ or telephone 084 5455 5555 or http://www.firmusenergy.co.uk/for_home.aspx or telephone 084 5608 0088 to check if gas is available where you live.

Home heating oil
Home heating oil is available from around 300 suppliers throughout Northern Ireland. Some areas will have more suppliers than others. To find a supplier check the Yellow Pages or search on line. A twice weekly survey of home heating oil prices is available on the Consumer Council website.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is available in bottles/tanks/cylinders
and is often referred to as bottled gas. It can also be supplied from
one or more bulk tanks stored at a property and a number of residents can share the gas using a meter to calculate their use.

There are two suppliers of LPG in Northern Ireland – Flogas and Calor Gas. The gas is bought through local outlets available throughout Northern Ireland. To find an outlet in your area contact the supplier:

Calor Gas Northern Ireland Limited
Tel: 028 9045 5588
Web: http://www.calorgasni.com

Flogas
Tel: 028 9073 2611
Fax: 028 9073 2020
E-mail:
Web: http://www.flogasni.com

Coal
Coal is available at outlets throughout Northern Ireland. Search your local services directory for outlets.

Renewable microgeneration
Suppliers of renewable micro generation equipment and services are available throughout Northern Ireland. For more information contact the:

Energy Saving Trust
Tel: 0800 512 012
Web: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
E-mail:

10. How can I find out what sources of energy are used if my supplier’s claim that its electricity is or parts thereof are ‘green’ is true?
All electricity suppliers are required to publish the mix of fuel sources that went into the electricity they supplied in the previous year on their bills. This calculation is verified by the Utility Regulator.