Cheaper Gas Bills

Compare and switch your gas and electricity

It’s easy to switch supplier with the utility warehouse , they do all the paperwork for you. All you have to do is follow a few simple steps and you can switch one or both of your suppliers wish us online in 10 minutes.

What you’ll need to have ready

• your full postcode
• your latest gas/electricity bill

Just look online here , choose your plan and then confirm your switch.

We send your application to your new energy supplier who will let your old supplier know you’re switching and set up your new account.

You’ll then need to:

• pay your final bill to your old supplier
• cancel any direct debits to your old supplier (make sure you’ve paid your last bill first).
• Take a final meter reading to give to your old and new suppliers.

And that’s it – you’re done.

What happens afterwards?

What can you expect after you switch supplier? Here are a few common questions answered.

Will my energy supply be interrupted when I switch supplier?
No. You’ll still be receiving your energy through the same pipes and cables so there won’t be any an interruption to your supply, or any need to dig up the road. Only the company that bills you will change.

Am I with my new supplier as soon as I confirm my switch?
No. The whole process takes between 4 and 6 weeks. Your new energy supplier will contact your old supplier and agree a switch over date which they will let you know about. If you’ve switched gas and electricity, the dates may be different for each.

Will I hear from my new energy supplier?
You’ll receive a welcome pack and letter from your new supplier. This will outline what you’ve agreed to.

Will I be billed twice?
No. The companies agree a switch over date , so provided you’ve cancelled your direct debit, you will not be billed twice.

What if I change my mind?
You have a cooling off period of 14 days. If you decide that you no longer want to switch your supplier, just contact your new supplier and let them know.

Can I switch suppliers again?
You can switch suppliers every 28 days if you want to, but be careful to check for cancellation charges

Whether you’re moving to a new property or you’ve been in your home for a while, you may be wondering who your electricity or gas supplier is. If you don’t know, then don’t panic; there are a number of ways that you can find out.

How to find out your electricity and gas supplier

The first and easiest option to find out who supplies your electricity and gas if you’ve just moved to a new property, is to simply ask the letting agent, landlord or the previous tenant of your property.

If the previous tenant of your property has called the electricity or gas supplier to let them know they’re moving, it is likely that the supplier will send you a letter in the near future addressed to ‘The Occupier’. This letter should provide any details you need about your supplier.

If you’ve already been living in your property for a while, or if the previous tenant hasn’t told their electricity or gas supplier that they’re moving on, you may need to contact your local electricity distribution company to find out who supplies the electricity to your property. If you don’t know who your local distribution company are, you can usually find them in the phonebook under ‘electricity’, or check our table below for a list of numbers. To find out who your gas supplier is, simply call the Meter Point Administration Service line on 0870 608 1524.

Useful organisations

Consumer Focus

Consumer Focus is the consumer watchdog responsible for protecting the interests of electricity and gas consumers.

The Consumer Focus website has:

• a database of information about consumer rights
• an ‘Ask a question’ facility which lets you ask a new question online if you can’t find the information you need in the database
• a range of fact sheets and consumer leaflets to download
• information about changing your fuel supplier
• information about which supply companies operate in your area and the prices they charge
• information about price comparison services
• information about how to use less energy and cut your fuel bills.

Go to: www.consumerfocus.org.uk.

Consumer Direct

Consumer Direct is a telephone and online consumer advice service, supported by the Office of Fair Trading and local authority Trading Standards services.

Consumer Direct can give you help and advice about energy issues. This includes advice on how to change your gas supplier as well as how to deal with your gas supplier if you have a complaint.

You can make a complaint about your gas supplier to Consumer Direct if you have been disconnected, are threatened with disconnection or are considered to be a vulnerable customer.

The advice and information is free, but telephone calls to Consumer Direct are charged at 0845 prices.

Tel: 0845 404 0506
Website: www.consumerdirect.org.uk

The Energy Ombudsman

If you have a complaint about your gas supplier which you have not been able to sort out directly with your supplier, you can make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. You must have complained to your gas supplier first.

The Energy Ombudsman also deals with complaints about electricity suppliers.

You can contact the Energy Ombudsman at:

PO Box 966
Warrington
WA4 9DF

Tel: 0845 055 0760 or 01925 530263
Fax: 0845 055 0765 or 01925 530264
Textphone: 18001 0845 051 1513 or 18001 01925 430886
Email: enquiries@energy-ombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.energy-ombudsman.org.uk.

Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)

Ofgem is an independent regulatory body, set up by the government to promote competition and monitor and regulate the activities of companies in the gas and electricity industries. Ofgem also monitors suppliers’ codes of practice and tries to ensure that the needs of vulnerable customers are met. They cannot deal directly with consumer complaints. Their Consumer Affairs team deal with enquiries about their policies. They can be contacted on: 020 7901 7295 or by email at: consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk.

Gas Safe Register

The Gas Safe Register is an independent organisation which promotes gas safety. Anyone who installs or services gas equipment must register with the Gas Safe Register. The Gas Safe Register ensures that the Gas Safety Regulations and the British Standard Codes of Practice are met, although it does not prosecute firms itself but refers the case to the Health and Safety Executive.

If you wish to complain about a gas installer, or want details of a gas installer registered on the Gas Safe Register, contact the Gas Safe Register on: 0800 408 5500. Their website is: www.gassaferegister.co.uk.

If you have a complaint about your gas supplier, you should take this up first with your gas supplier.

However, the complaints process is different for customers who have been disconnected or are threatened with disconnection, or who are considered to be vulnerable. You should try to sort the problem out with your gas supplier first but, if you get into difficulties, you should take your complaint to Consumer Direct.

Complaining to your supplier

Your supplier must have a procedure for dealing with complaints. You should be able to get a copy of this procedure from your supplier’s website. The procedure should include names and contact details of all available sources of independent help, advice and information.

If you need help or advice about making a complaint or dealing with your gas supplier, you can contact Consumer Direct or look on the back of your energy bill. However, Consumer Direct will not be able to handle your complaint for you.

You can make a complaint about any of the services or products provided by your gas supplier. If you aren’t happy with the way they have dealt with your complaint, you can also complain about this.

You can complain by phone, in person or in writing – including by email.

Once you have complained, your supplier must tell you the steps they will take to sort out your complaint how long those steps are likely to take. If you aren’t happy with the way your supplier is handling your complaint, you can ask for an internal review.

If your supplier is unable to sort your complaint out to your satisfaction, they must tell you this in writing. This is called a letter of deadlock. Once you have been sent a letter of deadlock, if you want to take the complaint further, you can contact the Energy Ombudsman. If you have not been sent a letter of deadlock, you must wait at least eight weeks (twelve if your supplier is one of the smaller energy companies) before you can contact the Energy Ombudsman.

Complaining if you’re vulnerable

Some gas consumers are considered to be vulnerable. This might apply to you if it would be unreasonable to expect you to make a complaint on your own because:

• you are mentally or physically disabled
• you lack basic language or reading skills in English. It won’t apply if you have access to interpreting facilities
• you have particularly difficult personal circumstances. For example, you may have been recently bereaved
• there is a particularly urgent need to sort out your problem and you are unable to do this in time
• your problem is especially complicated.

If you are vulnerable and you haven’t been able to sort out your problem directly with your gas supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct for contact details or look on the back of your gas bill.

Where appropriate, Consumer Direct will refer your case to the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus, who will take up your complaint with the gas supplier.

You should get a response from your supplier within ten working days after your case was referred to Consumer Focus. The vast majority of complaints should be resolved within 35 working days.

If you’re not satisfied with the way Consumer Focus has dealt with your complaint, you can complain to the Energy Ombudsman – see below.

Complaining to the Energy Ombudsman

You can complain to the Energy Ombudsman if you have been sent a letter of deadlock by your gas supplier. If you have not been sent a letter of deadlock, you can make a complaint if your complaint to the gas supplier has been going on for at least eight weeks and your supplier is one of the following companies:

• E.ON
• British Gas
• EDF
• Npower
• Scottish Power
• Scottish and Southern.

If your gas supplier is not one of these companies, you must normally wait twelve weeks before you can complain to the Energy Ombudsman.

The Energy Ombudsman can investigate complaints brought by domestic customers and small business customers. A small business customer is one with either:

• annual usage up to 200,000 kilowatt hours of gas, or
• up to ten employees and with an annual turnover of up to two million euros.

You must make your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of the date of the letter of deadlock from your gas supplier, if you got one. If you didn’t get a deadlock letter, you can make a complaint to the Ombudsman at any time between eight weeks and nine months after the date you complained to your supplier, if your supplier is one of the companies mentioned earlier. If your supplier is not one of these companies and only joined the Energy Ombudsman Scheme after October 2008, you have between 12 weeks and nine months to complain.

You can complain to the Energy Ombudsman by letter, fax, telephone or online.

The Energy Ombudsman will be able to arrange one of the following:

• for you to get an apology
• for you to get an explanation
• for your problem to be sorted out
• in certain circumstances, for you to get financial compensation.

A gas supplier can authorise its officials to enter premises to inspect the gas installation and appliances. If a gas leak is reported, it will be made safe free of charge. Made safe can often mean simply turning the supply off. If an appliance is faulty and has to be disconnected, you will be responsible for buying a replacement and getting it installed. National Grid (formerly Transco), the main public gas transporter, runs a 24 hour freephone national gas emergency service on 0800 111999.

Safety checks for tenants

Landlords must ensure that any gas appliances installed by them are maintained in a safe condition.

Safety checks for older people, disabled people and people with long-term ill-health

The gas supplier will provide a free gas safety check of appliances and fittings for some older people, disabled people or people with long-term ill-health. One free check a year can be requested. The check includes a basic examination and very minor work. Any additional work must be paid for. For more information about other free services you might be able to get from your gas supplier.

Buying and installing gas appliances

Anyone supplying a gas appliance must ensure that it is safe and that it meets European safety standards.

Anyone installing or repairing a gas appliance or equipment must be registered with the Gas Safe Register. They must carry an ID card listing the types of gas work which they are competent to carry out.

Gas arrears and disconnection

If you have gas arrears, you risk being disconnected. However, it is very unusual to be disconnected if you fail to pay your gas bills.

If you have gas arrears, seek help from an experienced adviser, urgently if you have been threatened with disconnection, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

Steps your supplier must follow before disconnecting you

A gas supplier must follow standard licence conditions, one of which sets out how it deals with customers who have difficulty paying. A gas supplier cannot issue a disconnection notice until at least 28 days after issuing a bill. You must be given at least seven days notice of disconnection. If you can’t pay your bill, contact your supplier straight away. You should be offered an arrangement to pay off the arrears at a rate you can afford. If you can’t afford to pay off the arrears in this way, they must offer to install a prepayment meter.

Some groups of customers may have extra protection from being disconnected. This may apply to you if you:

• are of pensionable age
• have long-term ill-health
• are disabled
• have severe financial problems.

Disconnection – complaining to Consumer Direct

If you have been disconnected, or are threatened with disconnection, and have not been able to sort things out with your gas supplier, you should contact Consumer Direct on: 0845 404 0506.

Disconnection includes where something has gone wrong with your prepayment meter so that you’re unable to make a payment or have made a payment but your gas supply still isn’t working.

Where appropriate, Consumer Direct will refer your case to the consumer watchdog Consumer Focus, who will take up your complaint with the gas supplier.

A complaint about disconnection is considered a priority case and should be sorted out on the next working day after it has been referred to Consumer Focus. If you are on a prepayment meter, your gas supply should be restored within four hours.

If you’re still not happy with the way your complaint has been resolved, you can make a complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

Other help you can get

The Home Heat Helpline offers advice on energy efficiency and fuel debts to low income consumers. The Helpline’s advisers can help identify where free energy efficiency measures might be available and can also ensure that vulnerable customers are not at risk of fuel supply disconnection. You can contact the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99.

Some energy suppliers have set up independent charitable trusts which give grants to some of their customers to help them pay for gas arrears. You can also get grants to pay for electricity arrears and other household bills.

For more information, visit  the www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk.

Gas bills

Who is liable to pay the gas bill

The person who requested a supply of gas will be liable to pay for it and their name will appear on the gas bill.

If your name is not on a bill but you are asked to pay it, consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

Paying the gas bill

Gas suppliers must allow you to pay your bill in a variety of ways, for example, by cash, cheque, postal order, or monthly direct debit. Unless you have joined one of the payment schemes detailed below, the bill is due to be paid in full when you get it.

If a gas company has failed to send out a gas bill, they aren’t allowed to bill you for any amount which dates back longer than a year. However, this only applies if you have tried to contact them to arrange payment and have not obstructed any attempt by the company to read your meter or to resolve queries over billing.

Regular payment plans

Ask your gas supplier for information about payment schemes. Some gas suppliers offer a discount to customers who pay their bills by direct debit, standing order, a fixed payment budget scheme or a flexible payments scheme.

Direct debit, standing order and fixed payment budget schemes

With these schemes, your annual use of gas is estimated, usually based on previous consumption, and you pay this amount by equal instalments throughout the year. If you pay by direct debit or standing order, the payments will be made automatically from your bank account, either monthly or quarterly. If you use a fixed payment budget scheme, you must pay the agreed amount to the gas supplier at the specified times – this is usually weekly but may be fortnightly or monthly.

At the end of the year, you may have a balance owing or a credit. Any amount owed will be taken into account when calculating the next year’s instalments or, if large, will usually have to be paid. Refunds of credits are normally made at six monthly or annual reviews.

If your direct debit has been increased by your supplier and you feel that the amount of the increase is unreasonable you may want to challenge the amount of the increase. You should ensure that your payments have been assessed on the amount of energy actually used and not estimated amounts. You should tell your supplier about any changes in your circumstances which may lead to a decrease in the amount of gas you use.

Flexible payments schemes

The gas supplier may offer a flexible payments scheme, which allows you to pay any amount at any time. You may find this is a useful payment option if your income is variable. Check carefully the terms of the scheme, for example, how the payments are worked out and what happens if you build up a credit or go into arrears.

Reduced rates for low-income or vulnerable customers

Most gas suppliers offer reduced rates to low-income or vulnerable customers, such as older people, or people with long-term ill health. These reduced rates are known as social tariffs.

Each supplier has its own set of rules about who qualifies for the reduced rates. For more information, contact your gas supplier and ask for details of their social tariffs.

Meters

A gas supplier must provide an appropriate meter to a customer who asks for one. There are two main types of meter:-

• credit or quarterly meters, where you use the gas and pay for it later
• prepayment meters, where you pay in advance for your gas supply.

Credit meters

Most customers will have a credit meter and will receive bills four times a year. This is known as quarterly billing. The gas supplier will call to read the meter at regular intervals or contact you and ask you to read the meter and pass on the reading. The meter must be read at least once every two years.

Prepayment meters

If you have difficulty paying for your gas, you can ask for a prepayment meter to be installed. If you’re in arrears, you should be offered a prepayment meter as an alternative to disconnection.

You can ask for a prepayment meter if you’re not in arrears, but you may have to wait until one becomes available.

In most areas, electronic prepayment meters are the only available prepayment meter option.

The main types of prepayment meters are:

• token meters
• key meters
• card meters
• smart card meters.

The gas supplier will give you a list of the places you can get the card, token or key charged, which may include vending machines. The meter will record the amount of gas used.

The advantages of using a prepayment meter are:

• it can be a useful way to budget if you’re on a low income
• it can be used to pay off arrears as an alternative to disconnection.

There are several disadvantages to using a prepayment meter. These include:

• you’ll usually pay more for your gas than if you had a credit meter. Prepayment meters are normally the most expensive way to pay for gas
• if you can’t afford to buy tokens or recharge your card or key, you won’t have any gas
• you may have to pay transport costs to get to the nearest charging point
• you can’t spread the cost of the larger winter bills over the whole year
• the meter can be set to recover arrears. This means you’ll have to pay for using gas and for your arrears at the same time
• you’ll have to pay more towards the arrears when you’re using more gas.

Meter readings

Your gas supplier must read the meter at least once every two years. If the gas supplier has been unable to gain access to read the meter it will leave a card for you to fill in with your own reading. If you are disabled, chronically sick or of pensionable age, you can ask the gas supplier to read your meter every three months. The gas supplier must inspect and test the meter at least once every two years.

If you are disabled, chronically sick or of pensionable age and find it difficult to read your meter because of its position, you can ask the gas supplier to move the meter, where reasonably practicable, free of charge.

If you think the meter reading is wrong

If you think the meter reading given on your bill is wrong, take your own reading. If this shows the meter has been misread, inform the gas supplier of the correct reading and a revised bill will be sent. If you think the meter is faulty, report the matter to the gas supplier, who can arrange for the meter to be tested.

If you have had an estimated reading, read the meter yourself and contact the gas supplier to give your own meter reading. You will then get an adjusted bill.

In some cases, if your house has been divided into flats, there may be a mix-up over the meters. Check with your supplier that the serial number on your meter matches the one that the bill relates to.

If you have a gas debt, you may not be accepted by a new supplier.

If you’ve owed the money for less than 28 days, for example, you haven’t paid a recent bill, you will still be able to change supplier. The money you owe will be transferred to your new supplier.

You will also be allowed to change supplier if you use a prepayment meter and have a debt of up to £100. Your debt will be transferred to your new supplier. For more information about changing your supplier when you have a debt, contact Consumer Directped, consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

In some circumstances the gas supplier will refuse to connect the gas supply until you have provided suitable financial security. You may be asked to:-

• join a regular payment plan
• agree to have a prepayment meter
• provide a guarantor
• make a cash deposit

The gas supplier will normally only require security in certain circumstances, for example, if you are a new customer and cannot provide proof of your identity or previous address or have a poor payment record at your present or last address.

Guarantors

If you name a guarantor, the gas supplier will check whether their record of gas payments is satisfactory. The guarantor will be legally responsible for paying your gas bills if you don’t pay. In practice, the gas supplier will only require the guarantor to pay the bill if you don’t pay and cannot be traced. The gas supplier will review the arrangement after one year. At that point, if you have paid your bills in full, a guarantor will no longer be necessary.

Deposits

The maximum deposit you can be charged is the two highest quarters of gas used (estimated if necessary). The gas supplier must only request a ‘reasonable’ amount as a deposit. If you believe that the amount of the deposit is unreasonable, take the matter up with the gas supplier. If you are still not satisfied, you can make a complaint . The gas supplier will review the deposit after one year. If the bills have been paid in full, the deposit will be returned within two months of the end of the year.

Moving home or changing gas supplier

When you move to a new home, tell the gas supplier the date you want to take over the supply. If it has to be reconnected, the supplier may make a charge. Consumer Direct (see under heading Useful organisations) can advise on whether a charge should be made and what is a reasonable amount. If the supply has not been disconnected, read the meter and inform the supplier of the reading. Keep a copy of the reading.

If you want to change your gas supplier, notify both the current and the new gas suppliers. Both will want a final meter reading taken on the day you change suppliers. Some suppliers will send a meter reader; others will ask you to read the meter and send the reading to them. In either case, keep a note of the meter reading in case there is a dispute later.

• supply gas as soon as reasonably practical; and

continue to supply gas for as long as you want it

Choosing a gas supplier

You can change your gas supplier if you want to. If you are thinking about changing to another gas supplier, bear in mind that prices, policies and services offered by the different suppliers will vary. You should carefully check the information and contracts of the different suppliers and compare these to your current gas supplier to make sure that you choose the best deal for your needs.

Find out:-

• how you will be charged for your gas supply
• if cheaper tariffs are offered for particular payment methods, for example, if you pay by direct debit
• what service standards the gas suppliers offer, for example, for repairs or extra help for older or disabled customers
• the gas suppliers’ policies, for example, on debt and disconnection.

Dual fuel offers

Most gas and electricity suppliers are licensed by Ofgem to supply customers with both gas and electricity. Some gas suppliers supply both fuels under one contract, while others give one contract for gas and another for electricity.

Suppliers who make dual offers will often give a discount off the total bill. However, this does not necessarily mean that gas and electricity under a dual offer will be cheaper than that bought from separate suppliers.

Guidelines a supplier must follow when they sell you gas

When a gas company sells you gas, it must stick to certain standards.

Most suppliers have signed up to a code of practice produced by the Association of Energy Suppliers (AES). Sales agents must follow the guidelines in the code. The guidelines cover all methods of selling gas, including door-to-door sales (doorstep selling) and telephone sales (distance selling). Some of the guidelines included in the code of practice are:

• all advertising and promotion of gas companies must be accurate, fair and reasonable. This means that sales agents, adverts and publicity materials can’t give you false or misleading information
• sales agents must only call at your home between 9.00am and 8.00pm, unless you’ve specifically asked them to call outside these times. If they are visiting sheltered accommodation, they must contact the warden first
• sales agents must identify themselves by producing ID without being asked
• the sales agent must make sure you have understood the contract, including any right to cancel (see below) before you sign
• the sales agent must make sure that the person signing the contract is responsible for paying the gas bill
• you must be given a copy of the contract.

If the sales agent doesn’t follow the guidelines, you may be entitled to compensation. If you have a complaint about the way you have been sold gas, you should take this up first with the company concerned. Ask them for a copy of the code of practice and use the information in this to help you make your complaint.

Cancellation rights

If you sign a contract to buy gas from someone who has called at your home, you may have the right to cancel the contract if you change your mind. You will be able to cancel the contract as long as you cancel within seven days of signing it. This is regardless of whether you invited the sales agent to call at your home.

If you sign a contract to buy gas over the phone, you may also have the right to change your mind.