Compare and switch your gas and electricity

It’s easy to switch supplier and 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.

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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.

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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.

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