diff --git a/app/errors/no-billing-periods.error.js b/app/errors/no-billing-periods.error.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6f085d88e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/errors/no-billing-periods.error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+'use strict'
+
+class NoBillingPeriodsError extends Error {
+  constructor (year = null) {
+    super(
+      "No billing periods could be determined. Perhaps you are trying to create a supplementary in an environment where the last annual doesn't exist or was in a PRESROC year."
+    )
+
+    this.year = year
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = NoBillingPeriodsError
diff --git a/app/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.js b/app/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.js
index 31dd04b842..7d4701330f 100644
--- a/app/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.js
+++ b/app/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const AnnualProcessBillRunService = require('./annual/process-bill-run.service.j
 const DetermineBillingPeriodsService = require('./determine-billing-periods.service.js')
 const CreateBillRunPresenter = require('../../presenters/bill-runs/create-bill-run.presenter.js')
 const InitiateBillRunService = require('./initiate-bill-run.service.js')
+const NoBillingPeriodsError = require('../../errors/no-billing-periods.error.js')
 const SupplementaryProcessBillRunService = require('./supplementary/process-bill-run.service.js')
 const TwoPartTariffProcessBillRunService = require('./two-part-tariff/process-bill-run.service.js')
 
@@ -24,8 +25,12 @@ const TwoPartTariffProcessBillRunService = require('./two-part-tariff/process-bi
  */
 async function go (regionId, batchType, userEmail, financialYearEnding) {
   const billingPeriods = DetermineBillingPeriodsService.go(batchType, financialYearEnding)
-  const financialYearEndings = _financialYearEndings(billingPeriods)
 
+  if (billingPeriods.length === 0) {
+    throw new NoBillingPeriodsError(financialYearEnding)
+  }
+
+  const financialYearEndings = _financialYearEndings(billingPeriods)
   const billRun = await InitiateBillRunService.go(financialYearEndings, regionId, batchType, userEmail)
 
   _processBillRun(billRun, billingPeriods)
diff --git a/test/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.test.js b/test/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.test.js
index a6bcb04da2..18fc9afe28 100644
--- a/test/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.test.js
+++ b/test/services/bill-runs/start-bill-run-process.service.test.js
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ const Sinon = require('sinon')
 const { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach } = exports.lab = Lab.script()
 const { expect } = Code
 
+// Test helpers
+const NoBillingPeriodsError = require('../../../app/errors/no-billing-periods.error.js')
+
 // Things we need to stub
 const AnnualProcessBillRunService = require('../../../app/services/bill-runs/annual/process-bill-run.service.js')
 const DetermineBillingPeriodsService = require('../../../app/services/bill-runs/determine-billing-periods.service.js')
@@ -179,12 +182,26 @@ describe('Start Bill Run Process service', () => {
   })
 
   describe('when calling the service fails', () => {
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      Sinon.stub(DetermineBillingPeriodsService, 'go').throws()
+    describe('because of an unexpected error', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        Sinon.stub(DetermineBillingPeriodsService, 'go').throws()
+      })
+
+      it('throws an error', async () => {
+        await expect(StartBillRunProcessService.go(regionId, userEmail)).to.reject()
+      })
     })
 
-    it('throws an error', async () => {
-      await expect(StartBillRunProcessService.go(regionId, userEmail)).to.reject()
+    describe('because no billing periods could be determined', () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        Sinon.stub(DetermineBillingPeriodsService, 'go').returns([])
+      })
+
+      it('throws a NoBillingPeriodsError', async () => {
+        const result = await expect(StartBillRunProcessService.go(regionId, userEmail)).to.reject()
+
+        expect(result).to.be.instanceOf(NoBillingPeriodsError)
+      })
     })
   })
 })