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The Utilities Intermediaries Association (UIA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing UK Third Party Intermediaries (TPIs) in the business energy and water markets. TPIs are typically brokers or consultants who, in exchange for a fee or commission, help businesses with energy and water procurement, bill validation, query resolution, and energy management.
The UIA Code of Practice and Broker Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Scheme was established in 2006 after extensive consultation with energy regulator Ofgem, the Office of Fair Trading (now part of the Competition and Markets Authority), energy suppliers and TPIs. It was created to address concerns about poor practices and raise standards across the TPI market.
TPIs signed up to the UIA Code of Practice commit to treating customers honestly, transparently, and fairly. If a complaint about a member is upheld, they must comply with the outcome of the UIA’s independent ADR process. The UIA reviews evidence and reaches decisions solely for its UK business energy members.
The UIA is governed by an independent Board whose Directors bring extensive experience from across the energy sector, including the supplier retail market and the TPI sector. They remain closely engaged with industry and regulatory developments and have strong public-sector advocacy experience, enabling effective engagement with regulators and stakeholders. Importantly, the Board has no financial or operational interests in TPIs or the wider utilities market, ensuring impartiality in all decisions.
Through its Code of Practice, ADR Scheme, and ongoing industry engagement, the UIA works to raise standards, promote transparency, and support a fair, trusted market for business energy and water customers.
Contact us at admin@u-i-a.org
The UIA Boat Mark is recognised as a guarantee of integrity, competence, and a consistently high standard of service.
Here you will find the most frequently asked questions, if there is something we have not answered please contact us.
The Utilities Intermediaries Association is a Trade Association for Third Party Intermediaries (TPI) facilitating business utility purchasing contracts between a supplier and a consumer
Any organisation that meets the requirements laid down in the Articles and Memorandum of Association
The Boat Mark is the Approval Logo licensed to the UIA which denotes an organisation that has attained the standards to become a Full Member. Any Full member is listed on the Accredited Members page and is entitled to display the Accreditation Boat Mark.
A TPI or Third Party Intermediary is an organisation or individual that offers paid for advice and information which may help a consumer buy and manage their utility needs. Typically these organisations will be Consultants or Brokers or both.
TPI’s are either paid directly by the customer for their services or indirectly via their energy bills issued by an energy supplier or water retailer. In the latter case, commission can take the form of an uplift on the unit rate and/or fixed amount buillt into the standing charge, some TPI’s will use a percentage savings model.
Consultants tend to offer specialised on-going support to their client to help them reduce consumption and costs by maximising efficiencies. A broker tends to conduct a pricing exercise on behalf of their client when their contracts are due for renewal.
Energy suppliers must ensure they treat all non-domestic consumers fairly with respect to billing, contracts, and customer transfers. This obligation applies even where a TPI is involved, and suppliers can be held to account for the failings of a TPI. The water retail market differs in that this only applies to microbusinesses* (*which in the water sector is defined as a business with fewer than 10 employees).
Micro and Small Business Consumers have access to Energy Ombudsman services if they have an unresolved complaint with their energy supplier and to a Broker ADR Scheme if they have an unresolved complaint with their TPI. For the water retail sector, consumers can contact the Consumer Council for Water (CCW).
Industrial and Commercial consumers have some protections under general Consumer Law against high pressure selling or scams but are expected to seek legal support to pursue such claims.
TPI’s are not under licence so cannot be directly regulated, however energy regulator Ofgem does have some powers in relation to microbusinesses under the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations (BPMMRs). They can seek actions from third parties to stop misleading marketing activity or apply to a court for an injunction to ensure they are complying with the legislation, but Ofgem cannot issue fines, demand redress or issue sanctions against third parties.
If you have been unable to obtain a satisfactory resolution to your complaint with the relevant UIA Member, you can refer your complaint to the UIA by making the complaint in writing to: The UIA Board, 20 Eversley Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex TN40 1HE or by email to enquiries@u-i-a.org. All details of due process can be found within the Code of Practice page [Appendices pages 11-16] or by clicking on the link for the download version https://uia.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/UIA-ADR-Process-final-1.pdf