Terms of use

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Disclaimer: The policy was last updated on 10/01/2023, 14:11:07

Before using our service, please ensure that you are in agreement with these Terms of Use. You must not use this website if you do not accept these Terms of Use, as doing so explicitly authorises the processing of your information in the ways outlined in this document.

Summary

We are Utility Switchboard Ltd. (“Utility Switchboard”,”we” or “us”), the owner and operator of utilityswitchboard.com. We are responsible for the experience that you receive through our Services subject to the terms and conditions of the below Terms of Use Policy.

To summarise the most frequently asked questions in our terms and conditions, the below points are available for your reference; however, do not form past of the Terms of Use:

• Use of our Services is subject to all of the Terms set out below. If you do not agree with our Terms of Use, you should stop using the Services immediately;
• Our Services are for your personal use only and must not be used for any commercial purposes;
• Our Services are only to be used by those who are located, have a property in, or are responsible for the bills of a property or person, in Great Britain;
• Our Services are only to be used by those above the age of 18;
• Our Services are free for you to use. If you sign up to a new tariff or product through our introduction, we may receive a fee/commission from the provider;
• You are wholly responsible for ensuring that the information provided when using our Services is correct and accurate. If it is not, the tariff, product or service that you have required through our Services may become invalid and you could be subject to additional fees and charges;
• If you sign up to a tariff or product through our Services, you are fully responsible for ensuring that this is a good fit for your requirements. Agreeing to proceed with the transaction when prompted is an affirmative statement that displays your conformity with this action;
• If you sign up to a tariff or product through our Services you will be subject to the provider's terms of use, privacy policy and any other relevant policies for the use of that tariff or product. This will be different to ours, so please read it carefully; and
• We may amend these terms of use at any time and without notice. For any major changes we may inform you via email or post; however, we advise that you check back here frequently to ensure that you are up to date with any changes.

1. What do we do?

Utility Switchboard is a utilities switching service which operates both a website aiming to answer as many of our customers' questions as possible relating to their utility bills, and a telephone service, that allows customers to compare tariffs on our panel of supplier partners, giving them the option to switch onto a better tariff for their requirements.

Our Services are available to you free of charge for your personal and non-commercial use only. Our articles are updated regularly, but we cannot promise absolute accuracy or up to date information.

2. What do we not do?

The information presented to you through our Services is not intended to be explicit advice, representation or arrangement by us, and should not be taken as such. You are responsible for making (or not making) all decisions when using our Services.

Although we use our best efforts to offer you the best possible providers and services for your utilities, we can not guarantee their financial solvency and health, nor the customer service experience you'll receive through them. Before making decisions through our Services we advise that you carry out your own research on tariffs and products that interest you. We are not liable for anything that happens as a result of you relying on our Services.

3. Privacy policy

Please take your time to read through our Privacy Policy. This details all the ways in which we collect, use and protect your personal information and user data.

Visit our Privacy Policy

4. Your acceptance of these Terms of Use

Any use of, or access to, our Services is subject to these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. The act of accessing and using our Services is your acceptance of being bound by and to act in accordance with these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use or our Privacy Policy, you must stop using and/or accessing our Services immediately.

If you breach any term of these Terms of Use, your right to access and use our Services will be ceased immediately.

5. Changes to these Terms of Use

Utility Switchboard reserves the right to add to, amend and change these Terms of Use at any time. The amended version of which will come into effect from the date they are posted to this page.

All changes to these Terms of Use will be available on our website; however, if we make major changes, we may inform you via other communication methods, such as via email or post.

6. Permitted use of our Services

6.1 Our services are for your personal, non-commercial use only. They are only available to those individuals or businesses that are seeking information about, or wanting to purchase/sign up for, a product or service that we have available through our partnered providers. Access to and use of our Services other than for your personal, non-commercial use is strictly prohibited.

6.2 The use of our Services must not include:

(a). The use of automated software, processes, robots, web crawlers, programs, spiders, mining, trawling or any other scraping use;

(b). The creation, checking, confirmation, updating, modification or amendment of another person's records or personal information;

(c). The tampering, modification or reverse engineering or amendment of any part of our websites or Services;

(d). The harm, threatening, abuse, embarrassment, defaming, intimidation or harassment of another person, or in a way that invades another person's or persons' privacy or is obscene, offensive, hateful, indecent, inappropriate, discriminatory or damaging as determined by Utility Switchboard;

(e). Any unlawful, fraudulent or commercial manner; and

(f). The interference or disturbing of our communications and technical systems.

6.3 Our Services are only to be used by those who are located, have a property in, or are responsible for the bills of a property or person, in Great Britain.

6.4 Our Services are only to be used by those above the age of 18.

6.5 The creation of links to this website are permitted when done so in a fair and legal manner, not bringing our organisation into disrepute, as determined by us. You must not create and operate a link to this website in such a way that suggests or implies any form of association, approval or endorsement by us unless expressly agreed upon in writing between our two parties. We reserve the right to require you to remove any link to this website immediately and at any time that we feel suitable.

7. Intellectual Property

7.1 The trade marks, copyright, database rights and other intellectual property rights used throughout our Services and in the content and material displayed on our websites, belong to us or third parties within the industries we operate within. You must not use any trade marks, copyright, database rights and other intellectual property rights unless expressly authorised by us in writing before doing so. Any trade marks, copyright, database rights and other intellectual property rights owned by other third parties that we use on our website are used for editorial purposes only and are subject to the owners' respective rights, terms and conditions.

7.2 We grant you permission to electronically copy and print in hard copy, portions of our websites solely in connection with your own private information gathering purposes. Any other use of the website's content (including its reproduction for purposes other than those noted above and alteration, modification, distribution or republication) without prior written permission from us is strictly prohibited.

7.3 No permission is given by us in respect to the use of any third parties' owned trade marks, product names, company names, logos and other content that may constitute an infringement of the owners rights.

7.4 All rights in utilityswitchboard.com are owned by us.

7.5 You will retain all ownership of any content that you submit to us via the Services, or otherwise make publicly available on or through our Services (“User Services”). You grant us a perpetual irrevocable, transferable, worldwide, royalty free and unlimited licence to use such User Content in any manner and for any purpose. Additional terms and conditions in relation to User Content can be found in our Privacy Policy.

8. Security

8.1 Our IT department works tirelessly to ensure that we adhere to the latest internet security standards so that you can use our Services with peace of mind. When sensitive data is taken from you, such as bank details, you will be informed that the call recording will be paused so this data isn't retained.

8.2 To find out more about your personal information's security, please visit our Privacy Policy.

9. Your personal information and user content

9.1 You agree that you will be liable to us for any damages, losses, claims, demands, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) that we may suffer or incur arising out of or in connection with your conduct through our Services and/or your breach of these Terms of Use.

9.2 The purpose of our Services is for customers to compare a select number of partnered providers that we have chosen to work with due to their high level of customer service, environmental impact and cheap pricing. In order to obtain a quote for these tariffs and products, you will be required to answer a number of questions to ensure the quote is tailored to your personal circumstances. These questions are designed to ensure that we can:

(a). Provide you with the most accurate pricing and quote for your profile; and

(b). Send all of the required information to your chosen tariff provider when you have chosen the tariff or product that best suits you.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that you answer all of these questions to the best of your knowledge and as truthfully, completely and accurately as possible. Failure to do so may result in the invalidity of your request to switch / sign up.

9.3 If you are unsure whether any information is relevant or required to be disclosed or that something may have been given incorrectly, you should speak directly to your chosen tariff provider.

9.4 Upon receiving correspondence from us or your chosen supplier, you should, immediately, check the accuracy of the information, content, material and data the provider holds about you to check for any inaccuracies. It is your sole responsibility to identify and correct any mistakes or errors in the information, content, material or data before you obtain any tariff or product. Failure to do so may result in the invalidity of your request to switch or sign up.

9.5 If you are providing information on behalf of another person via our online Services, you must first receive express permission from this person before submitting any information. By submitting this information you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy on their behalf.

9.6 If you are providing information on behalf of another person via our telephone Services, before taking any of this information we will first ask to speak to the other person to ensure that you have their permission to submit their information. In some circumstances we will not require the express approval from the other person, such as if you have power of attorney.

10. Third party websites and services

10.1 Upon leaving our domain, utilityswitchboard.com, or begin using the Services of another company other than Utility Switchboard, you will become subject to their terms of use and privacy policy(s) (which will be different from ours). It is very important that you carefully read through the accompanying terms and conditions before signing up to any product or service through a third party.

10.2 Any third party links that we have placed on our website or in our emails or other communications are provided for your interest and convenience only. These websites are owned and operated by third parties that we do not control nor have any form of contribution to their content. We do not endorse, recommend or accept responsibility for these third parties, their products or services, their websites or any of the information on them.

11. Complaints

11.1 The first stage of our complaints process is to contact our Customer Services Team via email or via telephone, you can find this details here.

11.2 We will respond to all complaints formally within 5 working days and attempt to resolve it as soon as possible. We may contact you in the interim to request further information about your complaint.

11.3 If you feel like your complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can escalate your complaint, depending on the nature of your complaint, via the below methods:

• (For Energy) The Energy Ombudsman at P.O. Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF; on the telephone number 0330 440 1624; or via email at enquiry@ombudsman-services.org; and via their website www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy
• (For Broadband) The Communications Ombudsman at Communications, P.O. Box 730, Warrington, WA4 6WU; on the telephone number 0330 440 1614; or via email at enquiry@ombudsman-services.org; and via their website https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/communications
• (For Home services) The Financial Ombudsman Service at Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange, London, E14 9SR; on the telephone: 0800 023 4567; or via email at enquiries@financial-ombudsman.org.uk; and via their website http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

11.4 If you are unhappy with the product or service that you have received from a third party or have any complaint regarding a third party, you should address this with them directly. If you require their contact details, please contact our Customer Services team, who would be more than happy to assist you.

12. Legal

12.1 If any element, clause, or provision of these Terms of Use is deemed to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be deleted from these Terms of Use and the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.

12.2 These Terms of Use, together with our privacy Policy and Cookies Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and us, relating to your access and use of our Services. These policies supersede any and all agreements previously held between you and us.

12.3 No failure or delay by Utility Switchboard in exercising any right under these Terms of Use will operate as a waiver of that right nor will any single or partial exercise by us of any right preclude any further exercise of any right.

12.4 Any and all elements of these Terms of Use will be governed and interpreted with English law.

12.5 Each user of our Services submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales in connection with these Terms of Use and your access to and use of the Services (including any claims or disputes).

13. Energy comparison

13.1 Utility Switchboard operates a telephone service that allows customers to compare domestic energy tariffs from a select panel of suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales.

13.2 All of our call recordings are recorded and stored for a period of 2 years in line with our obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

13.3 We will ask you a series of questions while generating a quote for you to ensure that we're providing you with an accurate representation of the tariffs that may be available to you. These will include, but are not limited to:

(a). Your full name;

(b). Your email address;

(c). Your telephone number;

(d). Your postcode and first line of your address;

(e). Your age (if you're over the age of 18);

(f). Information regarding your meter(s);

(g). Your current supplier and tariff information;

(h). Your current debt situation with your current supplier; and

(i). Your usage information.

13.4 In connection with your request to switch your energy tariff, we will provide certain information about you provided to us by you or third parties to your new provider. This information may include:

(a). Your electricity's Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN);

(b). Your gas's Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN);

(c). Your Meter Serial Number (MSN); and

(d). Your bank details for your direct debit.

13.5 Any use of your personal data when you switch will become subject to your new energy supplier's privacy policy and terms and conditions (which are not the responsibility of Utility Switchboard).

14. Broadband comparison

14.1 Utility Switchboard operates a telephone service that allows customers to compare domestic telecommunications tariffs, including broadband and TV, from a select panel of suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales.

14.2 All of our call recordings are recorded and stored for a period of 2 years in line with our obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

14.3 We will ask you a series of questions while generating a quote for you to ensure that we're providing you with an accurate representation of the tariffs available to you. These will include, but are not limited to:

(a). Your full name;

(b). Your email address;

(c). Your telephone number;

(d). Your postcode and first line of your address;

(e). Your age (if you're over the age of 18);

(f). Your broadband usage habits; and

(g). Your current supplier and tariff information.

14.4 In connection with your request to switch your broadband tariff, we will provide certain information about you provided to us by you or third parties to your new provider. This information may include:

(a). Your broadband speed availability;

(b). Your bank details; and

(c). Your payment card details (for upfront payments).

14.5 Any use of your personal data when you switch will become subject to your new internet service provider's privacy policy and terms and conditions (which are not the responsibility of Utility Switchboard).

15. Home services comparison

15.1 Utility Switchboard operates a telephone service that allows customers to compare domestic home emergency and appliance cover plans from a select panel of suppliers in England, Scotland and Wales.

15.2 All of our call recordings are recorded and stored for a period of 2 years in line with our obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

15.3 We will ask you a series of questions while generating a quote for you to ensure that we're providing you with an accurate representation of the tariffs available to you. These will include, but are not limited to:

(a). Your full name;

(b). Your email address;

(c). Your telephone number;

(d). Your postcode and first line of your address;

(e). Your age (if you're over the age of 18);

(f). Information about your boiler; and

(g). Your homeowner status.

15.4 In connection with your request to switch your broadband tariff, we will provide certain information about you provided to us by you or third parties to your new provider, including your bank details for direct debits.

15.5 Any use of your personal data when you switch will become subject to your new cover provider's privacy policy and terms and conditions (which are not the responsibility of Utility Switchboard).

16. Our partners

We work with a variety of suppliers of gas & electricity, tv, broadband, home emergency and service providers in order to offer our customers a wide range of products to chose from, meaning they get a great fit for their home. If you would like to see the panel of providers that we work with, please visit the link below:

See our partners list

17. Contact us

If you'd like to get in touch with us regarding these Terms of Use or about any other topic, please get in touch with our customer service team, who would be more than happy to help you out with any query that you may have.

Utility Switchboard Ltd
2nd Floor, Melrose House
42 Dingwall Road
Croydon, England
CR0 2NE

Tel: 0333 0151 313

Email: info@utilityswitchboard.com