Frequently asked questions

Joining Lite

What is Lite?

Created especially for small businesses, Lite is a new electricity service from British Gas. Lite costs less because we supply smart meters and we're entirely online. This means we can pass on savings to your business. With Lite, you can manage your energy use online – anytime, anywhere.

Who can use Lite?

Any business working from a single site with a single meter.

How do I sign up for Lite?

After you’ve told your broker or energy consultant you want to go ahead with a Lite energy contract, they’ll let us know. If you are not already dealing with a broker, register your interest and a member of the team will get in touch.

We’ll email you to ask that you create your online account and look over your contract details to make sure they’re right. This service is just for smart meter users, so if you don’t have a smart meter, we’ll fit one for you.

We’ll ask for your first meter reading just before we connect you to Lite and before your smart meter starts sending readings to us.

How do fixed price energy plans work?

Before you sign up for a fixed price energy plan, we’ll explain the key terms and conditions and make it clear that the contract is binding.

We’ll contact you within 10 days of agreeing the offer, and send you the link to an order confirmation pack that includes all your terms and conditions. Read all this information thoroughly.

Around 60 days before your fixed price energy plan is due to expire, we’ll contact you with a renewal quote.

If you’d like to switch suppliers, you can do so at the end of your energy contract.

If you don’t renew with us by the last day of your contract, we’ll put you onto our Variable Price Plan. You can go back onto a Fixed Price Energy Plan at any time.

What happens during my energy switch?

Here is a handy guide of what happens when you switch your business energy to British Gas Lite or a new supplier.

Managing your energy account

How do I manage my Lite account?

Lite is an online-only product so you’ll need to log in to see your bills or account details and to contact us. We’ll send you an email when your bill is ready.

For you to register for your online account, we’ll send you an email with a unique link. You’ll need to choose your password and follow the on-screen instructions to set up your account. We’ll only start moving your energy supply to Lite after you have set up your online account.

When you’ve registered, you’ll be able to manage your business energy by logging in to your online account with your email address and password.

What should I do if I have a problem logging in to manage my account?

If you can’t get into your account, try resetting your password from the log in page. Alternatively, contact us on webchat.

Can I change my payment method?

All Lite contracts are set up for monthly variable Direct Debit – this means you’ll pay monthly for the energy you use, direct from your account. We can’t accept other payment methods for our Lite products. If you need to change your Direct Debit instruction, log in to contact us.

How do I make a complaint?

If you have a query about your account you can log in and contact us via webchat.

If you want to make a formal complaint, we want to sort things out for you quickly. Take a look at our complaints handling process about the steps we’ll take to solve your complaint.

I’ve just moved into a site supplied by you. What do I do now?

If you’ve just moved to a new site supplied by us, please tell us about your business move.

Smart meters

What is a smart meter?

A smart meter is a gas or electricity meter that works by sending meter readings to us via a SIM card in the meter, just like a mobile phone. Once you are connected you don't need to send us meter readings and you'll receive accurate bills. So you’ll only pay for the energy you use.

Do I need a smart meter?

You need a smart meter to sign up for Lite. If you don’t already have one, we’ll fit one free of charge. We’ve signed up to the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice to ensure your installation is clear and easy.

How long will it take to install my smart meter?

Normally, installation of a smart meter takes about an hour.

You’ll need to be there when we install your meter, as your electricity will be turned off during this time. If your meter is in a hard-to-reach place, or your set up is complicated, your installation will take longer.

Who will install my smart meter?

A fully trained engineer from one of our trusted partners. They’ll also show you how your new smart meter works.

Do I need a good mobile signal?

Yes, smart meters can use a variety of mobile networks and our engineer will choose the best.

Will I still get estimated bills?

We may ask you for a reading or send an estimated bill while your smart meter is being linked with our billing system, which can take up to 30 days. As soon as we start to receive your automated readings, you’ll get a smart meter bill. It’s possible that you could receive an estimated bill (based on your usage history) if we’re unable to take an automated reading due to a poor signal.

Will I need to provide meter readings online?

Through your smart meter we’ll receive your meter readings remotely each month. Occasionally, there might be a problem communicating with your meter. If this happens, we’ll get in touch to arrange a visit and we’ll ask you to give us your meter reading online.

When you join us, we may ask you to give us your first meter reading before your meter starts sending information to us.

How do I read my smart meter?

To see how to take a meter reading from an AMR or SMETs 1 meter take a look at our video guides here.

How do you keep my smart meter reading secure?

Our smart meters have built-in ways to protect your privacy. These include access controls, tamper-proofing and encryption.

Independent organisations regularly look at our systems to make sure that they’re secure and we have strong data protection measures in place.

What should I do if I think my smart meter is faulty?

Meter faults are uncommon. However, if you think that you’re paying more than usual, or you get a bill you weren’t expecting, there could be a problem with your meter or the signal from your meter.

To see if your meter is faulty:

• Switch off all appliances in your business, including any with pilot lights
• See if the numbers displayed on the smart meter are still moving

If the meter is still moving, it’s probably faulty. If the meter stops, turn on one appliance at a time. If the meter begins to move quickly, the appliance might be faulty.

If you believe that your meter is faulty or that it isn’t transmitting your meter readings, please log in and talk to us via webchat. If your meter hasn’t been connected properly or isn’t working correctly, we’ll fix it for you – free of charge. The Electricity and Gas (Standards of Performance) Regulations will apply to your installation visit to ensure you receive the highest standards of service.

Can I switch provider with a smart meter?

Yes, you're free to switch to another supplier if you've had a smart meter installed by British Gas Lite.

Wherever possible, your new supplier will make sure the smart functions of the meter, such as remote meter reading, are still available to you. If you've had a smart meter installed by another supplier, you can still switch to British Gas Lite and we will attempt to communicate with your meter remotely. Until we’re able to communicate to your meter, we’ll email you each month to ask you to provide a meter reading online.

What happens if you can't install a smart meter at my property?

We will attempt to install a smart meter at your business. There may be occasions where we are unable to install the meter or unable to install on the first visit. Some of the most common reasons include:

• Poor mobile signal strength as your smart meter uses a SIM card, like in a smart phone, so relies on good signal strength
• The meter may be unsafe to move, maybe due to its location, its condition or the environment (i.e. asbestos)
• Additional work might be needed by yourself or the local network operator.

Whatever the reason, the engineer on site will explain the reason for not being able to install a smart meter for you at that time.

If we’re unable to install a smart meter, we will contact you and inform you of the next steps, which may include you providing monthly readings to us through your online account. We’ll email you each month that a reading is due.

Webchat

Who should I contact if I have no power?

If you have an electrical emergency, you don’t need to contact us on webchat. You should contact your network operator – find out more about electrical emergencies.

What are the opening hours of webchat?

Our UK-based webchat team is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm excluding bank holidays.

Who can I contact outside of opening hours?

If you have an electrical emergency, please contact your network operator – find out more about electrical emergencies. For other queries, please contact us on webchat during our opening hours so we can help you.

Other information

Am I a micro business?

According to Ofgem, you’re a micro business if you meet any one of the following conditions:

• Use less than 100,000 kWh of electricity a year
• Use less than 293,000 kWh of gas a year
• Have fewer than 10 employees and your yearly turnover is not more than €2 million

What should I do if I have received an email that looks like a scam?

If you think you’ve been sent a scam email it could be a phishing scam. Phishing scams are used by criminals to steal personal information. To do this, they send emails claiming to be from a genuine company. Sometimes, they even ‘spoof’ email addresses so that the message seems to be from our systems.

If you think you’ve been sent a scam email from British Gas Lite, please send it to us at phishing@centrica.com so we can investigate.

Common scam emails contain attachments you’re not expecting, links you’re asked to click on, or offer you something of value like a refund. They often don’t refer to you by name.

What can I do to protect myself against scam emails?

• Don't click on attachments and links you're not expecting
• Disable the use of ‘macros’ in Microsoft Office documents
• Always make sure your software is up-to-date
• Always run an up-to-date virus checker

How do I spot genuine emails from British Gas Lite?

• They will only provide links to the British Gas Lite website.
• They will address you by name, not ‘Dear customer’.
• If you’re not sure the email is genuine, then go directly to www.britishgaslite.co.uk in your browser to log in to your account instead of clicking on the link.

What should I do if I have an electrical emergency?

If you've got an electrical emergency or you lose power, you'll need to contact your electricity network operator. You can find their details on our emergencies page.