FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
No, your tariff can not be changed.
Contact Minibems on the day you move out , who will confirm your closing balance for your records and arrange a refund if a refund is due. It’s important that you take photo evidence of your meter readings on your move out date for your reference.
You will receive an email from SMART Prepay detailing your Username and Password and the instruction on how to create your account.
Please see your customer handbook for details on how to set-up a standing order or bank transfer. Also see the handbook for how to pay by debit or credit cards, via top-up locations or your SMARTprepay account.
Please see your customer handbook for details on how to set-up a standing order or bank transfer. Also see the handbook for how to pay by debit or credit cards, via top-up locations or your SMARTprepay account.
If you need a replacement card, log into your SMART Prepay account to ‘Request New Card’ or send an email to customerservice@minibems.com who will be happy to help. Replacement cards can take up to 30 working days for delivery. You can ‘top-up’ via direct bank transfer through online banking until your replacement is received.
Depending upon your development and the agreement in place, Minibems will handle all your billing, heating and hot water enquiries. For all on-site maintenance requirements, Minibems will resolve remotely or notify the development management, installer or building maintenance firm accordingly.
Unlike traditional prepayment meters, you do not need to insert a key or your ‘top-up’ card into a meter. The ‘top-up’ amount will automatically be credited within one hour of the top up being made using your top up card. Standing orders and direct bank transfers credit will be applied within 48 hours. Keep the receipt of your payment that has your Unique Transaction Reference Number (UTRN). Your top up will be applied within the time frame, as stated within the ‘How to Pay’ section.
There are two types of account.
If you are PaySmart account, this means you are on a pre-payment system. You will need to always keep your account in credit in order to keep your Minibems utilities running.
If you are Credit Account customer, this means you are on a Full Revenue billing system and you will be billed in arrears on a monthly or quarterly basis.
If you are PaySmart account, this means you are on a pre-payment system. You will need to always keep your account in credit in order to keep your Minibems utilities running.
If you are Credit Account customer, this means you are on a Full Revenue billing system and you will be billed in arrears on a monthly or quarterly basis.
The meters are read remotely and the consumption figures will be downloaded from your building daily. Please note if we have no connection to your property due to a line issue or your Heat Interface Unit being switched off, we will not be able to connect to your Heat Meter to download a reading and will only have a reading once connection has been restored.
Paying for your heating and hot water couldn’t be easier. We offer the following convenient and secure payment methods:
Secure Online Payment
Bank Transfer
Standing Order
PayZone card
Credit or Debit card online or over the telephone
Cheque
To arrange a Direct Debit or to request a PayZone card please call us on xxxxxxxxxxx, email billing@email.com or complete our online contact form.
Secure Online Payment
Bank Transfer
Standing Order
PayZone card
Credit or Debit card online or over the telephone
Cheque
To arrange a Direct Debit or to request a PayZone card please call us on xxxxxxxxxxx, email billing@email.com or complete our online contact form.
Once you have set up a direct debit with Minibems, the Direct Debit can take 10-15 working days to be completely set up. If you have set up a direct debit for a chosen date within the time the account is still being completed, you are able to make a payment online or over the phone to add credit to your account.
Please be aware that if you are a Pay as You go Customer, you will need to keep your account in credit before your first Direct Debit has been taken.
Please be aware that if you are a Pay as You go Customer, you will need to keep your account in credit before your first Direct Debit has been taken.
Be energy aware - The best way to reduce your bill is to use less energy. Please refer to your system user guide for recommended heat settings. For useful tips about how to reduce energy use please review the advice on the Energy Saving Trust website - www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
The heating unit can be turned off using the Room Controller.
To minimise energy you use, you can set the system to “Anti-Freeze” mode, which disables the heating unless the temperature falls below the set 10°C. Alternatively the temperature settings can be turned down to a low setting for the heating and hot water to reduce consumption.
The heating unit can be turned off using the Room Controller.
To minimise energy you use, you can set the system to “Anti-Freeze” mode, which disables the heating unless the temperature falls below the set 10°C. Alternatively the temperature settings can be turned down to a low setting for the heating and hot water to reduce consumption.
Because you are connected to a communal heating scheme it is not possible to change your gas supplier independently. With a communal heating system there is one gas supply for the whole building/scheme rather than individual gas supplies per property. There are many benefits of being connected to a communal system such as lower running costs, enhanced service and a more environmentally friendly system.
Minibems bill for a few different utilities. Your bill may be for the following:
- Heating & hot water Usage
- Cold water Usage (Only when a cold water meter is installed within the dwelling and connected to the Minibems system)
- Cooling Usage (When present)
- Electricity Usage
- Heating & hot water Usage
- Cold water Usage (Only when a cold water meter is installed within the dwelling and connected to the Minibems system)
- Cooling Usage (When present)
- Electricity Usage
Minibems are employed on behalf of a property management company for the development as a billing agent. Your Tariff is calculated and reviewed regularly.
To calculate the tariff for a unit of heat, we divide the energy bill for the plant room by the total metered energy usage in all properties connected to the communal heat network. This provides the unit price for each kWh of heat used on site. You can find out more in our “Fair Tariff Policy” leaflet supplied in your Welcome Pack.
To calculate the tariff for a unit of heat, we divide the energy bill for the plant room by the total metered energy usage in all properties connected to the communal heat network. This provides the unit price for each kWh of heat used on site. You can find out more in our “Fair Tariff Policy” leaflet supplied in your Welcome Pack.
Yes, all customers can pay online, but you must register on the website to use this service.
Once you have moved into your property, Minibems will send a welcome pack including a welcome letter. On the Welcome Letter will be a dedicated Web Registration Code for your account only and you will need to enter this to complete your registration online.
Once you have moved into your property, Minibems will send a welcome pack including a welcome letter. On the Welcome Letter will be a dedicated Web Registration Code for your account only and you will need to enter this to complete your registration online.
If you think your payment has failed to load onto your PaySmart account, please call Minibems Billing Department to discuss this further. If your payment has failed to load over the weekend, please ensure that your Heat Interface Unit is switched on in your property at the mains in order for the Minibems payment system to connect to your meter successfully.
Your tariff is reviewed yearly, however this may vary depending on information received from your building management company or their agent.
Full details of your current tariff can be found in the “Customer Login” area of this website. You must register to view your details. Please refer to our ‘Fair Tariff Policy’ document for full details of how our tariffs are set and reviewed.
Full details of your current tariff can be found in the “Customer Login” area of this website. You must register to view your details. Please refer to our ‘Fair Tariff Policy’ document for full details of how our tariffs are set and reviewed.
If you are experiencing problems with your heating system please check the following items:
- Please check your heating set points and make sure your set point is higher than your current room temperature. Minibems room controller will automatically turn off the heating if the room temperature reaches the target heating set point.
- If there is a fire system in the building and it has been activated this may cut off the gas supply and could temporarily impact the service.
- If applicable, check that the PaySmart system has available credit.
- If you have run out of credit, you will need to make a payment. You can do this via the website, top up using your Payzone card at the nearest Payzone outlet or call our office on xxxxx xxxxxx to make a card payment. Your current credit balance can be found on your Room Controller.
If you are still experiencing problems. You will either need to contact your Building Management Company to report the fault or call our billing department on xxxxx xxxxxx or our Service department on xxxxx xxxxxx.
- Please check your heating set points and make sure your set point is higher than your current room temperature. Minibems room controller will automatically turn off the heating if the room temperature reaches the target heating set point.
- If there is a fire system in the building and it has been activated this may cut off the gas supply and could temporarily impact the service.
- If applicable, check that the PaySmart system has available credit.
- If you have run out of credit, you will need to make a payment. You can do this via the website, top up using your Payzone card at the nearest Payzone outlet or call our office on xxxxx xxxxxx to make a card payment. Your current credit balance can be found on your Room Controller.
If you are still experiencing problems. You will either need to contact your Building Management Company to report the fault or call our billing department on xxxxx xxxxxx or our Service department on xxxxx xxxxxx.
Yes, we can estimate your average usage based on previous consumption and agree a monthly direct Debit amount, aiming to keep your account in credit in the summer months with the extra credit that builds up being used to cover your energy use in the winter months. However, this will be an estimate based on the size of your property and average energy usage. If at any point you feel that your payments are not covering your current usage, please contact Minibems Billing Department to discuss your usage and payments further, xxxxx xxxxxx.
Yes, we will refund any remaining credit balance. Please complete our online "Contact Us" form or call on xxxxx xxxxxx to inform us that you are moving out, we will need to verify your moving out date and meter reading before we complete any refund.
It looks like a standard boiler in your home. It works just like a gas boiler, providing heating to your radiators, and instant hot water.
Your heating and hot water is supplied by an on-site energy centre. Together this generates heat which is distributed to customers within the buildings.
Emergency credit must only be used in the event of an emergency. You’re responsible for remembering to top up your meter and make sure you remain in credit and on supply. However, we know that emergencies can happen which might leave you short. Therefore, your meter will give you £5 of heat after your credit has been used up. This means you’re heating won’t cut off immediately. However, whatever is used of this ‘emergency credit’ will be deducted from the credit next time you top-up.
Pre-payment is where you pay for your energy before you can use it.
At a shop, the maximum is £500, however, some shops will only allow a maximum of £50 due to insurance requirements. For standing order and bank transfer payments there are no limits.
Usage VAT at 5% – paid directly to the UK Government. Daily standing charge VAT at 5% – paid directly to the UK government.
Copies of the Customer Handbook will be available, please contact us using the details at the top of this page.
If there is an issue, or you need to ‘top-up’ because you have no credit or emergency credit available, the system will switch off. Should you have credit, please contact Minibems via the details at the top of this page.
You will not receive a copy of your bill, you can view your payment transactions via your SMART Prepay online account.
If you are a credit billing customer you will receive a bill quarterly, unless specifically detailed otherwise for your property. The bill will include the billing period dates, meter readings, amount of energy used for that period, the amount you have paid since your previous bill and your balance outstanding. The tariff rate will be displayed as excluding and including VAT and show any applicable communal facility charge. You can also view your account details at any time by registering to use our Online Customer Area.
If you are a pre-payment (PaySmart) customer you will not receive a usage bill, but you can view your account details, payment history and account balance by registering to use the resident’s area on this website.
If you are a pre-payment (PaySmart) customer you will not receive a usage bill, but you can view your account details, payment history and account balance by registering to use the resident’s area on this website.
Evinox are the company that process our payments. Your contract is with Minibems.
No, there is no re-connection fee. The heat interface unit will automatically start up again once sufficient energy credit has been purchased.
The price per kilo Watt hour (kwh) for heat is a direct calculation based on the charges received by Minibems from the gas supplier to operate the central heat source.
Within each heat interface unit, our in-built energy meters accurately monitor and record the energy used to provide heating and hot water for each dwelling in the communal heating system. This provides actual heat consumption figures for each home. Minibems have a remote system to their Heat Interface Units and Heat Meters which allows us to use accurate readings on energy bills.
If you run out of credit, Minibems PaySmart system will automatically shut off the facility to heating and hot water within your property until payment is made and your account balance is under the Emergency Credit threshold. Your room controller will notify you if you have run out of credit. If you are cut off over the weekend, You can make a payment via our website 24hrs a day.
Please be aware that if you are a Pay as You go Customer, you will need to keep your account in credit before your first Direct Debit has been taken.
Please be aware that if you are a Pay as You go Customer, you will need to keep your account in credit before your first Direct Debit has been taken.
A Minibems Direct Debit is a fixed amount, taken monthly. When setting up a direct debit, the amount your direct debit is set to is based on your average usage however, may be slightly more if your account is in arrears. If you would like some guidance on how much to set your direct debit to per month or you are a new customer and would like to discuss an average amount, please contact Minibems Billing Team on xxxxx xxxxxx or alternatively, email us billing@minibemsresidential.co.uk.
You can make a payment over the telephone on xxxxx xxxxxx Mon - Fri between 8am - 5pm (Excluding Bank Holidays). You can make a payment via our website 24hrs a day.
Please call us on xxxxx xxxxxx to request a Payzone card and provide your details. You will receive your card within 3 working days.
Once you have received an Minibems Payzone Card, you can contact Minibems billing team to activate your card or activate this yourself using your web account. Once the card is activated, you can then take this to your nearest payzone store and pay over the counter using cash or card, your payment will then upload to your account automatically. If you need to find your nearest payzobne store, please visit the Payzone website
https://www.payzone.co.uk/consumers.
https://www.payzone.co.uk/consumers.
Please call us on xxxxx xxxxxx to request a replacement card. There will be a £10 charge, and payment of this fee must be received before we dispatch the card. Once payment has been received your card will be with you within 3 working days.