Frequently asked questions

What is Nous?

Nous is a brand new service that saves our members money and time by managing their bills and providers. We also offer a free service to help households get wise and stay vigilant against rising costs. Whether you’re a Nous member or just use our free service, Nous is here to make your life simpler and fairer. Follow our progress on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

How does Nous work?

When you become a Nous member and we start managing your household, we take responsibility for keeping you on fair tariffs with reliable providers, saving you money and time.

We keep track of all your current contracts and, when it’s time to renew or when we find a better option that will save you money, we contact you to approve the change. We check the small print, fill the forms, and manage the move for you – but you always have the final say before any changes, so you stay in control. After we’ve saved you money and time, we also give you back any commissions earned, because that’s the fair thing to do.

Nous also offers a free service that helps households get wise and stay vigilant against rising costs.

Once you’ve signed up for our free service, you can tell us about your providers and we keep track of them all under one roof. You can invite other members of your household for free and we send you reminders when contracts are ending, so you never miss an opportunity to save money. Nous also gives you access to all our cost-of-living advice and guidance (see Nous Knows) plus use a suite of free tools and calculators to give you more financial clarity.

How does Nous save me money?

When you’re a Nous member, we do all the work to find you big savings and save you time. There’s power in numbers, and Nous members get exclusive access to tariffs that we’ve negotiated directly with providers. Often, we’re able to secure market-beating deals that aren’t available elsewhere. We also give our members any commissions we’ve earned, because that’s the fair thing to do.

If you're only using our free service, Nous helps you get wise and stay vigilant against rising costs. Read How it works

Do I have to pay to join Nous?

Nous members pay a monthly subscription, in exchange for Nous doing all the work to find big savings and save them time. What’s more, if providers pay us commissions for work we do on our members’ behalf, we’ll never pocket it ourselves. Instead, we give it back to our members as extra savings. Because that’s the fair thing to do. You can see Nous Membership pricing here.

If your employer is providing your Nous membership as a staff benefit, they pay on your behalf, so it’s completely free for you to use.

The free version of our service is available to everyone. It enables you to see all your household providers in one place, get reminders on renewal dates, and understand how your bills will increase in the next 12 months.

How does Nous make money?

Nous earns money from membership fees when we manage your household bills and providers to save you money and time. Fees are either paid by employers (if they’re giving Nous to their employees as a free perk) or by individuals as a monthly household subscription (coming soon).

The free version of Nous is available to everyone. It enables you to see all your household providers in one place, get timely reminders on contract renewal dates, understand how your cost-of-living will increase in the next 12 months, and use a suite of tools and calculators for more financial clarity.

As a certified B Corp, Nous is committed to balancing profit with people and the planet. We’ve also promised we won’t ever make money through advertising or selling data. (Read our privacy statement to find out more.)

How is Nous different?

Nous is a brand new service that handles all the hassle of managing your bills and providers. Until now, it’s taken households days of effort every year to avoid overpaying. If you forget when a renewal is due, you get price-walked into paying more than you should.

And services that are supposed to help you find cheaper tariffs don’t always have your best interests at heart. Price comparison sites and so-called 'free' energy switching companies aren’t really free – they earn as much as £60 a pop in kickbacks. Which makes you wonder, who are they really working for?

Nous is different because we only earn money from membership fees, which means we can truly act in your best interests. For a small monthly subscription (paid by employers as a benefit for their staff, or directly by an individual householder), we do all the work to find big savings and save you time. What’s more, if providers pay us commissions for work we do on our members' behalf, we’ll never pocket it ourselves. Instead, we give it back to our members as extra savings.

If I’m not the bill payer, is Nous still for me?

Yes, Nous membership can save your household money and time even when the primary Nous account holder isn’t the person who pays the bills. After you’ve signed up, just invite other members of your household to join your household account for free.

Can more than one person share the same account?

Yes. Most households have different people responsible for different bills, and we’ve made it easy and free to add additional householders and bank accounts so you can see everything in one place. Once you’ve signed up you can invite and manage access for other householders.

Should I be nervous about Nous managing my bills?

There’s no need to worry. Any time we suggest a change to save you money, we'll let you know first and give you the chance to opt-out. So you always have control, while we do all the work.

Can Nous help if I’m struggling with household bills?

The rising cost of living has already affected millions of households and if you’re struggling to pay essential bills, you’re not alone. Our free service helps households understand exactly how rising costs will affect their finances, including advice on the best ways to reduce your bills.

Some households may need urgent or more specialist help than we provide and we can recommend various organisations which provide free and confidential assistance. Visit our cost-of-living resources page to find out more.

When are you adding the categories marked “coming soon”?

We’re working hard to add more categories and we’ll announce them by email (so make sure you’re subscribed). If you think there’s another cost-of-living category Nous should cover, email support@nous.com and we’ll get back to you.

How does Nous connect with my bank?

Linking your account with Open Banking gives us read-only access to your relevant household transactions. Open Banking is built to give you more control of your banking data – you’re always in charge of access and you can revoke it at any time.

As an approved Open Banking provider we are compliant with the ICO, the UK’s data privacy body. We never see or store your bank login details, your money can’t ever be moved or transferred, and we protect your data with 256-bit bank-grade encryption (the same level of security as your bank).

For more info about how we process and protect your data, read our privacy statement. Our Open Banking is provided by Tink, part of Visa Inc., and you can read their privacy policy here.

What is Open Banking?

Open Banking was introduced by the UK government in 2016, making it easier for people to give third-party providers access to their transaction data, compare accounts, and access new products. It means customers can get more choice about how they manage their money, often including personalised insights, to help them save and spend better.

With Open Banking, third-party providers like Nous can securely access customers’ current account transaction history and can use the information to provide useful, personalised services (see How does Nous connect with my bank?)

Every Open Banking provider is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and there are now 6 million people using Open Banking in the UK. You’re always in control and you choose when, and for how long, you give access to your data.

Which banks does Nous work with?

All UK banks are expected to provide regulated providers like Nous with access to your Open Banking data. If you can’t see your bank in our list, it might mean they are still developing the ability for their customers to connect, as more banks are still getting up to speed. Nous can currently connect with the following banks:

  • Monzo
  • Barclays
  • HSBC
  • Lloyds
  • NatWest
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
  • Advanced Payment Solutions Limited
  • AIB
  • Amazon
  • American Express
  • Aqua
  • Arbuthnot Latham
  • Argos
  • Atom
  • B Bank
  • Bank of Ireland
  • Bank of Scotland
  • Barclaycard Personal
  • Barclays Wealth
  • Bip
  • Burton Menswear
  • Capital One
  • Cashplus
  • Cater Allen
  • Clydesdale Bank
  • Coutts & Co
  • Co-operative bank
  • Creation
  • Cumberland
  • Danske Bank
  • Debenhams
  • Dorothy Perkins
  • Evans
  • First Direct
  • First Trust
  • Fluid
  • Halifax
  • Handelsbanken
  • House of Fraser
  • M&S Bank
  • MBNA
  • Marbles
  • Metro
  • NatWest One Account
  • Nationwide Bank
  • NewPay
  • Opus
  • PayPal
  • Pulse
  • Revolut
  • Sainsbury's Bank
  • Santander
  • Starling

How safe is Nous?

We believe that technology empowers people – as long as it’s used with good intentions. Our privacy statement explains what we do, and why we do it, without glossing over the important details, or counting on you glazing over.

As an approved Open Banking provider we are compliant with the ICO, the UK’s data privacy body. We never see or store your bank login details, your money can’t ever be moved or transferred, and we protect your data with 256-bit bank-grade encryption (the same level of security as your bank).

Why are you called Nous?

Wondering why we’re called Nous? The word “nous” means common sense or practical intelligence. Used in a sentence, you might say something like “They used a bit of nous to solve that problem”. We like it because Nous gives households a smarter way to manage their household bills and get wise to the rising cost of living.

P.S. not sure how it’s pronounced? Just rhyme it with “house”.

How can I contact you?

We’d love to hear from you.

Email – write to us at support@nous.com

And you can find us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

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