Worried about paying your bills? We're here to help.

The increase in energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis has affected everyone – especially small businesses. But we have lots of ways we can support you and your business.

The best way for us to resolve your complaint quickly is to call us on 0333 014 3131 and speak to one of our Customer Care advisors. If you can’t call us, you can write to the Customer Care Team at Clear Business, PO Box 156, Blyth, NE24 9GH.

Help with payments

If you’re struggling to pay, speak to one of our experienced payment specialists as soon as you can on 0333 014 3131. We’re here Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm.

The team can help you with: 

Setting up a payment plan 

We’ll work with you to set up a payment plan that’s right for your business.  

Direct Debits 

Paying by Direct Debit is generally the cheapest and most convenient way to pay your bills. 

Please don’t cancel your Direct Debit – if you do, you’ll get higher bills for not paying by Direct Debit. 

If you don’t pay, non-payment and other administration charges will be added. 

Reducing costs 

Meter reads and smart meters 

Provide us with regular meter reads so you only pay for the energy/water you use. If you don’t, we’ll have to estimate your bill. Your estimated bill does not reflect your actual usage. You may be paying more than you would if you had sent us a meter read. You may also get a large bill later when we get an actual meter read if the estimate is for less than your actual usage. 

If you have a gas and/or electricity contract with us, having a smart meter will mean you don’t have to take and send us reads. You’ll be billed based on actual usage, meaning you’ll only be billed for what you have actually used. Find out more about smart meters.

Energy/water efficiency 

You can use less energy and water by changing your habits. This will keep your costs down and help the environment. Here’s some examples: 

Lighting: LEDs use over 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs. So, swap your bulbs and turn off lights when they’re not in use. 

Electrical items: Don’t leave electrical items on standby – switch them off at the socket. Think about upgrading electrical items and/or plumbing to more efficient alternatives. 

Fixing leaks: Taking care of leaky faucets and pipes can stop you from pouring money down the drain! 

More advice on reducing essential business service costs can be found on our blog page.  

Telecoms 

If you take one of our telecoms products, and make regular outbound calls, we have a range of call bundles designed to offer better value for money. If you’d like to find out if a call bundle could save you money, simply give us a call on 0333 014 3131

Independent confidential support 

Still concerned about covering your business costs? Don’t panic. There are lots of independent third-party organisations that can help you manage your costs. We’ve provided some useful links below – please check out their websites. 

National Debtline 

Business Debtline 

Stepchange 

Citizens Advice 

Government Support 

Or you can call one of our experienced payment specialists on 0333 014 3131. We’re here Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm. Our Live Chat service is also available between the hours of 9.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.  

Click the Live Chat button at the bottom right of the screen now.