What happens if I can't pay?

We realise sometimes things can get in the way of paying your bill. If you’re having any difficulty, then please fill out our payment plan form so a member of our team can help you navigate the different options available. 

If we don't hear from you or receive a payment, we'll send you a reminder either via SMS, email or interactive voice messaging.

After this, if we still don't hear from you, we will try to contact you. In some cases, we might also try to visit you at your business or home address to work out the best way to pay, but we'll add the cost of this visit to your account.

We may pass your details to our debt recovery partner which could add further costs to your account.

How do I identify your representative when they visit my property?

Our team and partners all have photographic identification which includes their full name and who they work for. If you would like to, you can contact their employer or us to verify their identity.

Is there support available for small businesses?

There's help available if you want to talk to someone about your bills or other debts.

If you would like free independent debt advice about energy or other bills, you may want to contact Business Debtline free on 0800 197 6026 from 9am-8pm, Monday to Friday.

You may also find it helpful to seek advice on energy efficiency and reducing bills. The Energy Saving Trust has lots of advice on how to save energy. You may also find some of our energy-saving blogs useful, such as: From technology to energy: how small businesses can save money.

If you would like information about the finance options available to your business, you may want to contact the British Business Bank. The British Business Bank is owned by the UK Government and it is dedicated to increasing the supply of credit to small and medium sized enterprises as well as providing business advice services.

Could my energy supply be cut off?

Disconnection is only ever used as a last resort where customers will not pay their bills. If we must force entry to your property to access the meter, we may take the case to court to obtain a warrant to enter your business. Sometimes it is not necessary to access the meter to disconnect it so we may not always obtain a warrant.

Before disconnection we will try to understand your circumstances and set up an affordable payment plan. Advice agencies usually recommend that you treat gas and electricity bills as a priority debt, and that as soon as you realise your business is having difficulty paying its bills, just get in touch with us.

How can I have the energy reconnected?

If a meter has been disconnected and you wish to arrange reconnection, you may need to pay a non-refundable connection fee before this can happen. If we’re concerned about your ability to pay future bills, we may also ask you to provide a refundable security deposit as a condition of re-connecting the energy supply to your business.

After we have received payment, we will ask the engineers in your area to book the reconnection. The engineers are not directly employed by Valda Energy so we are not able to influence their availability. Depending on the type of meter you have at your property, this could take between 48hrs and 12 days and you may need to be at the property to allow them access to the meter.