SSE Airtricity Gas NI Limited - Covid-19 Update: Our commitment to you

31 July 2020

Please be assured we’re operating as normal.

See our Covid-19 FAQs here:

Last Updated: July 31st 2020

Over the past five months, at SSE Airtricity, the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve has always been our number one priority. Our teams have been safely working from their homes which has enabled us to continue to provide our essential service with minimal disruption. We adapted, and continue to adapt our services as guidelines evolve, to ensure we can provide the best service possible in the circumstances. 

We appreciate the potential challenges the Covid-19 crisis has presented to our customers, including their health and financial wellbeing. During this crisis, our teams have continued to operate as normal, providing the excellent service, support and help that our customers have come to expect from us.  

We’re here to help - now and in the future  

We’ve put together some helpful information concerning your ongoing gas supply from SSE Airtricity below, and in our Covid-19 FAQs to remind you of our existing services for customers and to support you during the current Covid-19 crisis and beyond.  

This includes helpful information relating to your gas meter, our ongoing commitments to customers in our various Codes of Practice, and useful contact information to obtain help & advice from various organisations.  

Thank you and stay safe, 

 Klair Neenan, 
Managing Director, 
SSE Airtricity 

See our Covid-19 FAQs here: 

Our Codes of Practice provide detail on the many different services we provide to our customers. These Codes of Practice are here to make sure our products and services meet the needs of our customers.See our Codes of Practice here.

We have created a booklet with a summary of Helpful Information and contact information of organisations that can provide further independent support. 

See our Helpful Information booklet here.

Our Customer Care Team 

We’re doing everything we can to continue the same level of service that you’re used to but please be aware our phone operating hours have temporarily changed to help us manage a greater volume of calls during the day. Our temporary opening hours are 08:30-17:00 Monday-Thursday and 08:30 -16:30 Friday. We will continue to provide regular updates here on our website and also via our Facebook and Twitter feeds. 

We’re here to answer your questions 

• Call us on 0345 900 5253 
• Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5.00pm and Friday 8.30am-4.30pm excluding bank holidays. 
• Email us at info@airtricitygasni.com 

• Gas Boiler Repairs Priority Appointments – Call 0346 603 00 26 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm 
• In an emergency: If you smell gas phone the 24-hour gas emergency service on 0800 002 001 
• Check out our list of Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions. 

Difficulty topping up your prepayment meter? 

As a Prepayment customer, if you have any concerns or difficulties topping up your prepayment meter, please contact us on 0345 900 5253 or by emailing info@airtricitygasni.com as we are here to help you, including supporting emergency gas meter top ups, and providing advice.  

There are several steps and facts we are advising customers with prepayment meters to consider both now and for planning for the future in the event of a second wave of COVID-19: 

• The prepaid metering technology is provided and owned by the gas network companies in Northern Ireland and does not facilitate remote online or telephone top up. You must use your meter top up card. This is the same for all gas suppliers. 

• Gas top ups can only be purchased at a PayPoint Outlet. This means you must bring the card associated with your meter, to the outlet. 
• PayPoint outlet contact details are available from their website; https://consumer.paypoint.com. 
• If you are experiencing difficulty topping up your prepayment meter, please call us on 0345 900 5253 or email us at info@airtricitygasni.com. Our team will be able to assist you, including if necessary, obtaining an emergency meter top up to ensure that your gas supply remains in credit. 
• Make a list of neighbours, friends and family who live nearby and might be able to top up your card at an outlet for you if you are unable to leave your home. 
• Know who your gas supplier is, share that information with your helping neighbours, friends and family and give them your meter box key so they can access your meter if it is outside. 

• Consider topping up your meter more frequently or by a larger amount, up to the maximum value of £49 per vend, to ensure your meter always has enough credit. Multiple consecutive vends can be purchased to build up credit on your meter, however after each top-up is purchased, the top up card must be inserted into the meter before the next vend. 
• In addition to our emergency top up service, top up assistance can also be obtained through the Covid 19 community helpline number on 0808 802 0020. This helpline is operated through the Department of the Communities and AdviceNI, and also provides coronavirus community support through information and advice on benefits, employment support, food deliveries, accessing medicine, heating, and money/debt issues. 
• If your circumstances have changed and your prepayment meter is no longer suitable for your needs, please contact us to get information about possible credit meter options available to you.  

Difficulty paying your bills 

From the 1 April 2020, we were able to reduce our regulated domestic gas tariffs by 18.7%, which has assisted customers who have consumed more gas while staying at home during the lockdown. However, for some customers, we recognise that you may be in more difficulty either because of Covid-19 or more generally, and we are here to provide more help to you. Our trained staff are here to support our customers and will consider your individual circumstances to help you manage your energy needs. 

If you have any concerns about paying your energy bills, please contact us as soon as possible so together we can come to an arrangement that allows you to manage your bills. We’ve spoken to lots of customers already, so you won’t be the first person to get in touch with us since the crisis started.  

If needed, we will offer an arrangement to pay an agreed amount by instalments or through a prepayment meter. You can call us on 0345 900 5253, or email us at creditcontrol@airtricitygasni.com if you would like to discuss.  

If we don’t hear from you our debt collection process includes contacting you by letter, SMS and phone to try and engage with you. We want to help you as best we can, if we don’t hear from you, you’re at risk of having your meter exchanged. 

Free and independent advice  

If you would like some free, independent local support, you may find it helpful to contact Advice NI, who provide a range of free money advice services. You can call their office on 0800 915 4604 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, email them at advice@adviceni.net, or visit their website adviceni.net. They’re also operating the NI Covid-19 community helpline on 0808 802 002. 

Meter Reading 

Your gas meter is read four times a year by our meter reading team where it is safe to do so. We are actively monitoring Government guidance on social and physical distancing as well as safe working practices which may mean we are unable to safely obtain a meter reading. If that is the case our meter reading team will leave a card with you that provides instructions on how to submit a meter reading via our website: www.airtricitygasni.com/at-home/my-account/submit-a-meter-reading. 

Advice on how to read your meter is available in our ‘Help & Advice’ section on the website. 

If you can’t send in a meter reading, don’t worry. We’ll use system generated estimated when needed and will update your account when we receive a future meter reading obtained by our team. 

For SSE Airtricity Electricity customers please see the latest updates here: www.sseairtricity.com/uk/home/covid-19 

The Consumer Council of Northern Ireland have provided updates and further information on your consumer rights across a variety of areas that are being affected by COVID-19 (coronavirus). For more information please click here. 

Please be assured our priority remains maintaining our service and power to our customers and helping people to stay safe and healthy. 

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