Scottish Cup sponsor and independent energy provider Utilita Energy has tied up an agreement with BP Gas Marketing. The deal – which will run for at least five years – is an exclusive wholesale trading agreement, covering both gas and electricity.
It means Utilita Energy will continue to have access to competitively priced energy until at least 2021.
Utilita Energy recently welcomed its 300,000th customer, just weeks after being the first energy provider in Britain to cut its gas prices in 2016 – its third price cut in just 12 months.
Bill Bullen, Chief Executive, Utilita Energy, said: “This agreement with BP means that we will continue to be able to offer our customers highly competitive prices and outstanding levels of service – I believe fuel bills should be as low as possible and working with BP can help to achieve that.
“More than 300,000 households now benefit from our Price Commitment to always be cheaper than the Big Six energy providers and they can rest assured that will not change.
“I am absolutely delighted because this means we can now forge ahead with renewed confidence as our growth enters an exciting new phase.”
Chris Schemers, BP’s Head of Origination for gas and power, added: “We are pleased about the opportunity to supply a growing independent energy retailer.”
Utilita Energy’s customer base has more than trebled since April 2014 and last month it was named in Which? Magazine’s Top 5 energy providers for quality and customer service.
In October 2015, OFGEM – the UK regulator – imposed a £560,000 fine on Utilita for holding thousands of its customers ‘ransom’ by refusing to let them move to another provider.
Utilita – which says it is ‘committed’ to keeping its prices lower than the ‘Big Six’ – wrongly blocked 40,000 customers from switching to other suppliers.