If you need to self-isolate or feel unwell, here are some tips to make sure your energy supply isn’t affected:

• Try to top up your electricity key or gas card with more credit than normal – you can top up a maximum of £49 at a time and your meter can hold £255 for electricity and £249 for gas
• Contact your nearest friends and family who could top up your key or card on your behalf – remember to clean and disinfect your key or card with a damp cloth to help prevent passing on the virus (never soak your key or card in liquid as it could damage it)
• If your meters outside and it is safe to do so, leave your meter box unlocked – that way someone can top up and apply the credit for you

If you’re unable to top up because you are unwell or self-isolating, please contact us straight away on 0800 520 0202 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6.30pm). There may be longer waiting times than usual, but rest assured we’ll work hard to help you.

The government has put emergency measures in place to protect vulnerable customers on prepayment meters. We may be able to help by:

• sending someone to top up your prepayment card or key
• adding funds to your meter credit
• having a preloaded gas or electricity card sent to you in the post

What if my local top-up shop closes?

Currently, most of the outlets including Paypoint and Payzone shops are open as normal. But if your local top-up shop closes, visit Paypoint.com or Payzone.co.uk for a list of alternative shops to top up from.

Please continue to pay your bill by your usual method, whether that’s by monthly Direct Debit or on receipt of bill. If you’re worried about keeping up with your energy payments, please read our FAQs below.

Remember to send us meter readings at least once a month through your online account or GNE app. This helps keep your account accurate, ensuring you’re not overpaying or underpaying and building up any surprise debt.

We appreciate you and your business will be facing challenging times because of the coronavirus outbreak. Rest assured we are doing what we can to provide an ongoing level of support to our staff and business customers.

Getting in contact

To get in touch with us for non-urgent matters, please email [email protected].

We are currently prioritising vulnerable customers/businesses and emergencies. We’re working hard to keep our high level of service, but please bear with us as it may take longer to respond to emails.

If there is an emergency, call us on 0800 520 0101 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm) and we’ll do everything we can to help.

If you experience a power cut:

• Phone: 105
• Visit powercut105.com
• If there’s an immediate emergency risk, call the emergency services too

If you have a gas emergency, call 0800 111 999.

Only pay for the energy you use

Please send us regular meter readings to ensure you only pay for the energy you are using. If we don’t receive monthly meter readings, your bill will be estimated.

You can send your meter reading or a photo of your reading to [email protected].

For multi-site businesses, send us your meter reading along with the Meter Serial Number (found on the front of the meter) for each different meter.

If you are struggling to pay your bills

Our business advisors are here to help however they can. If you need more time to pay, or your circumstances have changed, we may be able to support you.

We ask that you keep our phone lines free and instead, email [email protected]. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

More support

The government has promised grants for businesses impacted by COVID-19. For further information and advice visit the government website.

For further guidance and support on the financial aid available, visit

• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
• Confederation for British Industry (CBI)

If you need help with saving energy and making your business more energy efficient, visit the Carbon Trust. They provide a range of free tools and guides to help with efficiency and sustainability.

Our Priority Services Register (PSR) offers free support to people who may need extra help in managing their energy supply.

You can apply for the PSR, or a family member or carer can apply on your behalf if you:

• are of pensionable age
• are disabled or have a long-term illness
• live with children under the age of 5
• are visually impaired or have hearing difficulties
• are unable to speak English
• have experienced a life-changing event, such as a bereavement or operation

If you believe your situation has changed because of the coronavirus outbreak and you need extra support, please register by filling out our online contact form.

No, your energy supply won’t be disrupted. The Network Operators have over 36,000 key workers busy keeping your lights switched on, and they have well-established contingency plans.

We are also working closely with Ofgem (the energy regulator) and are following government guidance to ensure your supply is protected.

Please call us straight away on 0800 520 0202.

We have put in place contingency measures to deal with emergency home visits if they are needed. Please do tell us if you are unwell or self-isolating. This is so we can take extra precautions to protect you and our engineers.

If you experience a power cut:

• Phone: 105
• Visit powercut105.com
• If there’s an immediate emergency risk, call the emergency services too

If you have a gas emergency, call 0800 111 999.

We are now restarting some of our usual meter reading services. This will be a phased approach as the health and safety of both you and our team are top priority.

We have begun our meter reading visits in England, which we suspended around the end of March. For our customers in Wales, meter reading visits are likely to restart from 29th June and for customers in Scotland they are scheduled to restart from 11th July.  

If you are in a high-risk category or self-isolating, we won’t begin meter reading visits until the end of July.

What will happen during a meter reading visit?

When a metering engineer from our partner Lowri Beck arrives at your home, they will be working to the new government safety advice. They will be following all social distancing and hygiene guidelines that are now in place, including:

• On arrival, our engineers will present their ID and explain the reason for the visit.
• As part of the doorstep policy, the engineer will check your circumstances to see if it’s still safe to go ahead with the visit.
• If your meters are inside and you grant the engineer access, they will carry out all needed work by following social distancing measures (keeping 2 meters apart). If you wish to wait in another room whilst they are there, then please do so.
• They will only enter your property where they need to do so. If your meters are outside then there will be no need to enter your home.
• If you have any concerns and feel you would rather read the meters yourself and pass this onto the engineer, then please do so.
• Engineers will follow hygiene guidelines (e.g. regular hand washing and using hand sanitiser).
• Engineers will also have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and should wear all necessary protective clothing.
• After visiting your home, they will wipe down all points they came into contact with. They will also take away any relevant waste, which they will dispose of later in a safe manner.

Yes, we have now resumed our metering appointments. So, when our metering engineer arrives at your home, they will be working to the current government safety recommendations. They will be following all social distancing and hygiene guidelines that are now in place.

For example:

• Before arriving, the engineer should call to let you know they’re almost there. If you can, please open all doors and windows to make sure the area is well ventilated and to minimise contact with door handles.
• As part of the doorstep policy, when the engineer arrives, they will check your circumstances to see if it’s still safe to go ahead with the visit.
• Where possible, the engineer will work following social distancing measures, currently keeping 2 meters apart. You can wait in another room whilst they work if you wish to do so.
• They will only enter your property where they need to do so, for example, if your meters are inside or they need to carry out internal safety checks. They may ask you to move to a different room to follow social distancing guidelines.
• All engineers will follow hygiene guidelines with regular hand washing and use of hand sanitiser.
• Engineers will also have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and should wear all necessary protective clothing.
• After visiting your home, they will wipe down all points they came into contact with. They will also take away any relevant waste, which they will dispose of later in a safe manner.
• Between home visits, the engineer will sanitise their equipment and vans.

Extra things to consider:

• Is anyone in your home self-isolating?
• Does anyone in the home have underlying health conditions which you believe could be at increased risk?
• Has anyone in the home tested positive for Covid-19 in the last four weeks?

If you answered yes to any of the above it may not be the best time to follow through with your appointment. For your safety and our engineers please contact us and we will be more than happy to reschedule.

For more information for our metering partners please visit Lowri Beck or Magnum Utilities.

Our full risk assessment for metering services can be found here.

Please contact us if you are struggling to pay your energy bills due to the coronavirus outbreak. Our specialist payment teams will work with you to find the best solution to help you with your energy payments.

You can get in touch by filling out our online form.

We will try to be as flexible as possible, as we know everyone’s situation is different. If you are struggling financially, options may include:

• reviewing bill payment plans
• payment breaks or a reduction in how much you pay
• giving you a longer time to pay

The government has also introduced new measures to protect people in financial hardship due to the outbreak. You can find out more about the new measures, such as how to claim benefits on the GOV.UK website.

Please be aware that no credit meters will be disconnected during this time.

Many of us will be using more energy than usual as we work from home.

Even during your normal day-to-day routine, it’s a great idea to know how to use energy efficiently so you can save money on your bills and cut your carbon footprint.

Head to the GNE blog for practical energy efficiency advice.

Other organisations that can offer advice if you’re struggling to manage or pay for your energy are:

• Energy Saving Trust – has lots of free practical tips to cut your energy use and save on your bills
• Smart Energy GB – advice and information on saving energy with a smart meter
• Citizens Advice – offers free and impartial advice on managing your bills
• Step Change – a debt advice charity that can give you free help and advice