I recently moved into this property and honestly I had never heard of a company like Data Energy before. Normally in the UK you simply pay gas and electricity to a standard regulated energy supplier. What this company is doing feels extremely unfair and questionable.
If you ever see that a property requires Data Energy, my honest advice is avoid it and run away.
First of all, I barely use heating or air conditioning, and I was abroad for two months (December and January), yet they still charge me around £30 every month in admin and standing charges for a single room with zero consumption. Charging tenants fixed fees with no real usage raises serious questions.
Under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015, companies must ensure their charges are fair, transparent, and proportionate. Charging excessive “administration” fees while providing almost no service does not feel reasonable or fair to tenants.
Customer service is also extremely poor.
They provide a phone number that nobody ever answers, and their email responses take ages. This is unacceptable for a company handling essential household utilities.
Another very concerning practice is that they send billing reminders not only to the tenant but also directly to the landlord or property owner. I have never seen any legitimate energy supplier do this. It feels like they are trying to pressure tenants into paying immediately by involving the landlord, which is completely inappropriate.
Under Ofgem consumer standards and fair billing practices, energy companies should treat customers fairly and provide reasonable time to resolve bills, not pressure tenants with constant reminders.
I have been in the property for only three months. I already made a £100 payment last month, yet a week later they sent a reminder claiming the bill had not been paid.
It gets worse.
They sent a first reminder on 6 March, and then another reminder on 13 March for a £30 bill. Sending multiple reminders within days for such a small amount shows how aggressive their billing system is.
They also threaten a £50 late payment fee, which is completely disproportionate. Most normal energy providers charge £10–£20 at most, and often only after a long delay. Excessive penalties like this may also fall under unfair contract terms under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
Another strange thing is that tenants cannot opt out of this company, which removes any freedom to choose a supplier. In the UK, consumers normally have the right to choose their energy provider, so being forced into one system is extremely concerning.
I have also spoken with several other residents in the building, and they all expressed the same frustration and dissatisfaction with this company.
Overall, this company operates in a way that feels predatory, aggressive, and extremely unfair to tenants. Their billing practices, lack of customer service, and pressure tactics raise serious concerns about whether they respect UK consumer protection laws.
My advice to anyone renting in the UK: if a property uses Data Energy, DO NOT SIGN the contract! THEY ARE A SCAM
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Welcome to Data Energy. We look after metering and billing for communal heating and hot water, and provide ongoing energy management, including procurement. We support over 20,000 residents across 200+ developments with clear, accurate bills, simple ways to pay and friendly support, while managing agents get transparent reporting, proactive advice and reliable compliance. We help developments manage their heat networks and energy efficiently, transparently and sustainably.See more
