Tag: Utilita Energy

Utilita Energy rolls out Payit by NatWest to customers

Payit by NatWest provides Utilita with a simple and safe way for their customers to top up their smart meter or wallet

  • Payit™ is now available to customers through the My Utilita app to allow them to instantly add funds to their smart meter or wallet.
  • Payit™’s open banking technology means no card details are required and no customer’s sensitive information will be stored by a third party. 
  • Digital alternative to card payments that negates the need for One Time Passcode.

The UK’s leader in smart Pay As You Go energy and the original pro-pocket, pro-planet supplier, Utilita, has rolled out NatWest’s multi award-winning1 open banking payments solution Payit™, to enable their customers to instantly add funds to their smart meter or wallet through the My Utilita app.

Utilita currently has more than 800k households using their services and as part of their mission to offer consumers better service and a fairer deal has added the Payit service.

Adding Pay by Bank from Payit as a payment option in the My Utilita app allows customers to instantly add funds to their smart meter or wallet.

Powered by open banking technology through payments initiation, Payit™ by NatWest provides customers with an additional digital payment method to be able to manage their energy payments in a safe and simple way. 

This means that Utilita customers can link their bank account and experience one-click payments with reduced friction caused by the need for a card and One Time Passcodes.

The use of Strong Customer Authentication to prove the account is live and accessible and means sharing account information digitally, in real time also removes the risk of manual error.

The option is available to all Utilita customers using the My Utilita app with a bank account with access to online banking or a mobile banking app.

James Hodgson, CEO of Payit™ by NatWest, comments: “We are delighted to be helping Utilita leverage the benefits of open banking through Payit to streamline and simplify making and collecting payments.

“Payit™’s safe and secure platform provides a flexible and seamless way for people to make payments directly from their bank accounts and for businesses to improve their operational costs.” 

Utilita Founder and CEO, Bill Bullen, comments: “At Utilita, we’re constantly innovating and developing solutions to ensure our customers have a smooth journey on our award-winning My Utilita app. We are immensely grateful to Procode for providing us with the required technical expertise to enable easy access of Payit on the My Utilita app for our customers. 

“With Payit, our customers can make secure and fast payments directly from their bank account, via mobile banking. The added security afforded by open banking technology also massively reduces the risk of sensitive information such as card details falling into the wrong hands. Payit offers an efficient and secure service – one that will make life easier for many of our customers.”

Payit™ by NatWest offers key benefits to businesses and their customers, including: 

  • Speed: Payit™ directly opens the customer’s banking app of choice and allows them to select the appropriate bank account to pay with. Transactions are completed quickly and securely and businesses receive funds immediately. 
  • Simple and secure: As there is no need for card details to be stored by a third party, the risk of online fraud is minimised, allowing both the business and customer peace of mind.  
  • Cash flow management: Instant availability of funds is essential for businesses managing cash flow. 
  • Reduced transaction costs for the business. 

1 2023 Banking Tech Project Awards Best Use of Tech in Payments, Best Open Banking Initiative at Payment Awards 2024

Energy boss tells 1.2 million households in Scotland to ‘put a jumper on’

New ‘Wear Warm’ awareness campaign calls for 1.2 million households in Scotland to ‘turn down’ the heating amid energy crisis

  • Half of Scotland’s homes are heated to the same temperature as Barbados (50%)
  • Overheating our homes costs households in Scotland £206m each year
  • Scotland’s ‘T-shirt tweakers’ are generating the same amount of pollution as driving 4.7 bilion miles in a car
  • 660 charity shops nationwide sign up to ‘Wear Warm’ campaign, to promote being cosy over costly this winter

A new consumer behaviour change campaign is calling on 13 million UK households – 1.2 million of which are in Scotland – not to heat their homes any higher than 21 degrees and consider other ways to get cosy instead.

The ‘Wear Warm’ campaign was launched today after research undertaken by Utilita Energy – the only energy company created to help households use less energy – revealed that almost half of the nation’s homes are heated to 24 degrees centigrade for half the year – the same temperature as Barbados. Utilita is the energy supplier to 10K households in Scotland.

Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year.

The figure is slightly higher in Scotland – at 50% of homes. For the entire UK, that’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year – 20% of the UK’s cars. In Scotland overheating homes creates the same amount of pollution generated by 2% of the UK’s cars each year. 

To promote the importance of getting cosy over getting costly this winter, the ‘Wear Warm’ campaign will be featured nationwide at 660 charity shops. Anyone keen to cut their heating bills can get hold of some gorgeous preloved winter garments – and keep them out of landfill.

The pro-planet ‘double-whammy’ campaign was officially launched by two of the nation’s sustainable heroes – former England goalkeeper and environmentalist David James MBE and British fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway MBE.

David James MBE, former England goalkeeper and environmentalist, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “One of my personal bugbears is seeing people sitting at home in the winter, wearing a T-shirt, with the heating cranked up.

“There’s absolutely no sense in it, and now we have the evidence to reveal the impact that this type of behaviour is having on the planet and the pocket. 

“For example, to offset the pollution generated by overheated homes here in the UK, we’d need to plant 51 million trees each year – that’s enough to cover 392,000 football pitches.”

Wayne Hemingway MBE, British fashion designer, comments on the Wear Warm campaign: “It’s bloomin’ obvious really, it totally makes sense to put another layer on and it makes sense on many levels; for the environment, for your health (cooler environments help prevent the spread of a number illnesses) and your pocket. Why wouldn’t you?”

Maria Chenoweth, CEO of TRAID, has signed up its 12 charity shops to participate in the Wear Warm campaign – she comments: “The UK is so fortunate to have a thriving network of 11,200 charity shops, on nearly every high street. Let’s use them to stay warm!

“If you need to replenish your winter wardrobe, buy second-hand. It’s one of the best things you can do for the environment, especially when you consider that 10,000 items are thrown into landfill every five minutes in the UK alone, while the global fashion industry pumps out 3.3 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually contributing significantly to the climate crisis.

“TRAID’s charity shop rails are packed with affordable, high quality winter wear selected expertly by our sorting team. So, when your home starts to feel the chill, reach for your wardrobe – and your local charity shop – instead of turning up the heat.”

The cost of overheating our homes 

The average annual saving for homes reducing their thermostat by three degrees is £174. That’s a £206 million annual saving for those who are currently overheating in Scotland. 

In addition, around half (51%) of households say they use additional sources of heat, including: 

  • Electric fan heater (25%) – Cost £3 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 6 miles  
  • Oil-filled radiators (21%) – Cost £3.40 per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 17 miles  
  • Gas cooker (19%) – Cost 64p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 12 miles   
  • Electric blanket (17%) – Cost £8p per 8 hours / same pollution as driving 0.4 miles  

A third of households who use an additional heat source say they don’t know if it is cheaper than using the central heating system, or not (32%). Another third say they know the additional heat source is more expensive than the central heating, but use it regardless (33%). 

Archie Lasseter, global warming expert and sustainability lead at Utilita Energy, said: “If every household made a pledge to stay within 18-21 degrees, the UK would hit its net zero obligation almost two years ahead of its deadline.

“Based on 48% of the UK’s homes being heated to 3 degrees higher than the recommended healthy heat (18-21 degrees), as a nation we are generating an additional 13 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year. That’s the same pollution generated by around seven million cars each year.” 

Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland, said: “Ahead of what could be a challenging winter, I am pleased to support Utilita’s Wear Warm campaign which highlights the thermal benefits of natural fibres and products.

“Keeping warm is essential for our health and wellbeing.”

Bill Bullen, Founder and CEO of Utilita Energy – the UK’s only energy supplier created to help households use less energy – said: “Energy bosses and MPs have previously been berated for daring to suggest that consumers put a jumper on to stay warm, and on the subject of fuel poverty – it’s not the right message.

“But there’s no excuse for today’s Government to avoid a simple ‘don’t go above 21 degrees message’, as we have. 

“We’re confident that our simple and effective message will have a positive impact on the pockets of bill payers this winter and will help out Mother Earth – let’s make the year 2021 the last year that we heated our homes to higher than 21 degrees.” 

For more information about the campaign, or for stores to sign up, please visit:

https://www.wearwarm.co.uk/