As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2006

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                             ----------------------

                                   SCHEDULE TO
                             Tender Offer Statement
               Under Section 14(d)(1) or Section 13(e)(1) of the
                        Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                           --------------------------

                    EVERGREEN UTILITIES AND HIGH INCOME FUND
                                (Name of Issuer)

                           --------------------------

                    EVERGREEN UTILITIES AND HIGH INCOME FUND
                 (Names of Filing Persons (Offeror and Issuer))

                           Common Shares, No Par Value
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   30034Q 10 9
                      (CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)

                           --------------------------

                           Michael H. Koonce, Esquire
                               200 Berkeley Street
                        Boston, Massachusetts 02116-5034
                            Telephone: (617) 210-3663

            (Name, address and telephone number of person authorized
       to receive notices and communications on behalf of filing persons)

                            CALCULATION OF FILING FEE

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                Transaction Valuation            Amount Of Filing Fee*
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         N/A                              N/A
================================================================================

*     No filing fee is required because this filing contains only preliminary
      communications made before the commencement of a tender offer.

[_]   Check the box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule
      0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing with which the offsetting fee was
      previously paid. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
      number or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

      Amount Previously Paid:   N/A                Form or Registration No.: N/A
      Filing Party:             N/A                Date Filed:               N/A

[X]   Check the box if the filing relates to preliminary communications made
      before the commencement of a tender offer.

      Check the appropriate boxes below to designate any transactions to which
      the statement relates:

[_]   third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-1.

[X]   issuer tender offer subject to Rule 13e-4.

[_]   going-private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3.

[_]   amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 13d-2.

      Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the
      results of the tender offer: [ ]

Items 1-11. Not Applicable.

Item 12. Materials to be Filed as Exhibits.

      (a)(5)(i)  Text of Press Release issued by Evergreen Investments with
                 respect to Evergreen Utilities and High Income Fund on March
                 16, 2006.

      (g)        Text of Evergreen Liquidity Plan Tender Offer Q&A.

Item 13. Information Required by Schedule 13E-3.

         Not Applicable.