Home Why Unicom Services Helpzone Blog Contact Email Login COVID-19 Info Customer Zone Coronavirus: Helping you get your business up and running [Information updated on 05.03.21 at 15:30pm] Great news, you can, submit a meter read, pay a bill, reset your direct debit or report a fault with your telecom service, all online at switchingon.com/customerzone, at a time that’s convenient to you. If you need a call divert adding to your line or want it removing, no problem, simply click here and follow the onscreen instructions. If you do need to speak to someone, you may be waiting a little longer than normal, alternatively you can email us at info@switchingon.com. Unfortunately, many businesses have had to close their doors again to comply with government guidelines, so we have provided some information below which you may find useful. Covid-19 Affected Customers Due to the impact of coronavirus, Covid-19 Affected Customers’* shall not, for a limited period, in relation to bills or invoices for the supply of water and/or waste water services in England and Wales: (a) Be served disconnection notices for the non-payment of such bills or invoices; (b) Be subject to default interest or late payment charges for the non-payment of bills or invoices issued from 1 June 2020; and (c) Be subject to enforcement proceedings for the non-payment of invoices. * Covid-19 Affected Customer means any customer for whom all of the premises we supply with water services in England and Wales are Temporarily Vacant (i.e. not open or with a decrease of 95% or more in its usual activities due to Covid-19) unless we can prove their ability to pay is unaffected by Covid-19. A copy of our full terms and conditions, can be found at switchingon.com/terms-and-pricing. The above only applies whilst you are affected by Covid-19. Once you have resumed trading and are no longer set to Temporarily Vacant, you will then be eligible to apply for our Covid-19 Repayment Scheme if you’re struggling to pay your bills as a result of Covid-19. Details of the Scheme can be obtained by calling 0161 946 4446. Please be aware that if you are able to pay your bills on time, you should continue to do so. From 31 July 2020, we can no longer (1) set premises to Temporarily Vacant or (2) leave premises as Temporarily Vacant. Any premises previously set to Temporarily Vacant have been or are being reversed to occupied. Some premises may have already been reversed to occupied if the government allowed them to reopen before 31st July 2020. If you are struggling to pay your bills you can still apply for our Covid-19 Repayment Scheme. If your premises remains closed after 31st July 2020, we can only set your premises to vacant if all of the following apply: (a) there is no physical occupation by any person, for any purpose, other than for the sole purpose of providing security services for the premises; (b) the premises is not open or available to the public or visitors; (c) there is no stock left in the premises, except where these items have been abandoned by a former tenant and the premises is not in use; (d) there are no moveable items left on the premises such as furniture, equipment tools or moveable equipment or machinery; and (e) any fixtures and fittings have been abandoned by a former tenant and the premises is not in use. A property that is prohibited by law from being occupied, for example an unsafe property, is also considered to be vacant. Please note, this does not apply to properties closed by the government due to Covid-19. If you believe your property meets the above criteria, please contact us on 0161 946 4446. If you are a water customer in Scotland, please click here. Requesting a Covid-19 test Customers in England and Wales can now call a new three-digit 119 to request a Covid-19 test if they have symptoms and are unable to access the internet. Calls to 119 are free for customers. For customers in England or Wales with an internet connection and for all customers in Scotland and Northern Ireland, a test can be requested via https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test. Returning to work If you have had to close your business again, when it is time to reopen your doors to customers, there are some things you will need to remember. Health and safety checks, risk assessments, cleaning and disinfecting, stock control and deliveries, being COVID-19 secure and returning staff who may have been furloughed. And that’s just a few things, so, we’ve put together some practical guidance on just a few things you need to do to get your business ‘customer ready’, including making sure your water is safe to use, checking your telephone and broadband services are ready to go so you don’t miss out on those vital calls and orders and checking your gas and electricity are working as expected. If you’d like to read more about our useful back to work hints and tips, simply click here. Financial support We understand that many of you are concerned about the financial impact Coronavirus has had on you and your business, that’s why we’ve set out details of just some of the schemes that are available to you, including those announced by the government to help support you through this difficult time, such as the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, CBILS, Job Retention Scheme and the Self-employed Income Support Scheme. More information can be found here. Thank you for your continued loyalty. Stay safe. Lee Hull Chief Executive Officer We’ve put together some frequently asked questions which you may find helpful. 1. My business is closed and I need to add a call divert. How do I add this? 2. I’ve tried my telephone line and don’t have a dialling tone. Can you help me? 3. How can I ensure my bill accurately reflects my usage whilst I am closed? 4. Will my water/electric/gas meter be read? 5. My business is closing permanently, what do I need to do? 6. I’ve got a power cut. What do I do? 7. I’ve got a gas leak. What do I do? 8. I’ve got a water leak. What do I do? 9. I’ve cancelled my direct debit. How do I reset that up? 10. I’m struggling to pay my bills. Can you help me? 11. Can I pay my bills online? 12. I asked for a smart meter. When will this be installed? 13. My business is critical, what can you do to help me? 14. I’m vulnerable and need help Terms & Policies Treating Customers Fairly Cookie Policy Acceptable Use Policy Privacy Policy Number Portability Compensation Terms and Pricing Emergencies Site Map Treating Vulnerable Customers Fairly Policy Coronavirus and Critical Sectors Policy Complaints Our Commitment to You Unicom Complaints Procedure Telecoms Complaints Energy Complaints Water Complaints Contact us Head Office Unicom, No. 1 Dovecote, Old Hall Road, Sale M33 2GS Contact us Media enquiries Verastar Ltd trading as Unicom. Registered in England & Wales No: 3667643 Vat. Registration No. 945 795467. Registered office: No. 1 Dovecote, Old Hall Road, Sale M33 2GS.