Energy FAQ

For an accurate quote, it’s best to have a recent utility bill in front of you as we’ll need to know your current consumption or expenditure along with you current tariff and postcode. If you don’t know how much energy you use we can still get you an estimate.
Then, if you find a tariff you’d like to switch to, you’ll just need to complete a form with details about you, your property and bank account if you are planning to pay by direct debit. Rest assured our web pages are secure, and your details will be encrypted and held securely.

To find the best deal for you we need to know how much energy you currently use and compare this with the tariffs available today.
So we can work out how much you currently use and spend, we need to know your current suppliers, current tariffs, your current payment method and either your current spend or consumption. It is better to tell us the consumption figure as this allows a more accurate calculation.
To work out the cheapest tariff for you to switch to, we need to know your supply area and preferred future payment method.
We also ask for your email address so that we may contact you about your results. We may also use your email address in line with our privacy policy.

If you don’t have a recent bill to hand we will help you estimate your usage on our online form.

After you’ve completed the switch application, you’ll receive an email from us to confirm the supplier you’ve chosen to switch to.

Within the next 10-14 working days you should then hear from the new supplier. If they don’t hear from you, you’ll still transfer suppliers after your cooling-off period is complete – so you really only need to contact them if you want to cancel your switch.

Your new supplier will arrange the transfer for you. You do not need to contact your previous supplier. Once you have signed up for a new supply contract, your new supplier will let your previous supplier know on what date the change is taking place. You should ensure that you pay your final bill promptly. If you pay by direct debit or standing order, please make sure you cancel these arrangements once the final bill has been paid.

No. Your new supplier will arrange the transfer for you. You do not need to contact your previous supplier. Once you have signed up for a new supply contract, your new supplier will let your previous supplier know on what date the change is taking place. You only need to send your old supplier meter readings on the day of your switch and ensure that any outstanding bills are paid. If you pay by direct debit or standing order, please make sure you cancel these arrangements once the final bill has been paid.

Absolutely not. Your new supplier will use exactly the same wires, pipes and meters that you currently use. Your new supplier will also contact your existing supplier to arrange for the transfer of your supply. You will be asked for meter readings that will be used to both open your new account and close your old one and you will need to pay a final bill for your usage up until the point of transfer (this can take up to 6 weeks to arrive which could result in paying 2 companies at the same time). Your energy supply will not be interrupted and no physical work will need to be done to your property and the pipes will stay the same.

Your old supplier will send you a final bill for the period up until your switch date. On that day, your new supplier will take over. The actual date that you are charged by your new supplier will depend on the billing terms agreed with your new supplier.

Just to make sure you are not charged incorrectly we advise you call your bank and cancel your direct debit to your old supplier after the final payment is taken.

As of January 2015, the majority of switches will take roughly 17 days (three days plus a two-week cooling off period). Your new supplier will contact you to let you know your exact switch date. However please be aware that in certain circumstances some switches can take up to 6 weeks.

Your new supplier will only start charging you from the switch date so you won’t pay twice for the same thing. Your new supplier will contact you after you’ve switched to give you your switch date.

If you’re on a fixed plan it may include a cancellation penalty if you switch before the end of the fixed period, so check the terms and conditions of your plan. Even if your plan has cancellation fees most suppliers will waive them if you switch within the last 49 days of your plan.

If you change your mind, and want to cancel your switch, you must contact the new supplier directly. Please allow 2 working days for your new supplier’s system to be updated with your switch request before contacting them.

Today – We’ve sent you email confirmation of your switch. Please save this email for reference.

7 to 14 days – You will be contacted by your new supplier to notify you of your new switch date. Please note you have a 14 day cool off period from the date you made your application to switch to cancel this switch if you wish. To cancel please contact your new supplier directly.

Up to 6 weeks – On the day of the switch, take a meter reading and send this to your old supplier. Pay your final bill and cancel any Direct Debits.

Switch complete – Start saving on your energy bills!

If you are in credit when you switch supplier, the money should be refunded to your account. But it’s worth keeping an eye out for the payment and chasing it up if necessary.

If you have a prepayment meter and an outstanding balance your current supplier may object to your request to switch. However, if your outstanding balance is £500 or less per fuel, you may still be able to switch by agreeing to move the outstanding balance to your chosen supplier. For this option to progress your current supplier will need to share details of your outstanding balance with your chosen supplier. Your weekly repayment rate will remain unchanged, should the switch be successful.

If your outstanding balance is more than £500 per fuel, your switch cannot be processed online and you should contact your current supplier to understand your options.

If you pay by cheque, cash or Direct Debit, it depends on the supplier and you should contact them for more details.

In that case, do not worry about applying for a dual fuel contract. Please select the option to compare ’Electric only’ at the top of our form.

There are two main benefits – price and convenience.

• Companies offering dual fuel packages will sometimes offer you an additional discount if you buy both gas and electricity from them. This can vary from being a fixed reduction in the overall bill to a special rate for one or other of the fuels you take.
• The benefit of convenience associated with dual fuel is that you only need to deal with one company should there be a bill query, complaint or when moving home. Certain suppliers will also offer the convenience of a single bill.

Sometimes we cannot switch you directly to a new tariff on our website because

• a tariff may be unavailable to you due to your current circumstances e.g. you are currently receiving your gas and / or electricity from the supplier or
• we do not have a commercial relationship with the supplier.

However we include all plans in your results to ensure we offer you a fair and full comparison.

Ofgem is the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. They are a non-ministerial government department and an independent National Regulatory Authority, recognised by EU Directives. Their principal duty is to protect the interests of consumers, both present and future. They do this in a variety of ways including:

• promoting value for money
• promoting security of supply and sustainability, for present and future generations of consumers, domestic and industrial users
• the supervision and development of markets and competition
• regulation and the delivery of Government schemes.

They work effectively with, but are independent of, government, the energy industry and other stakeholders within a legal framework determined by the UK government and the European Union.

They are not an advice agency nor are they a statutory regulator. Other bodies such as Consumer Direct, Citizens Advice, local authority trading standards and the Office of Fair Trading play these roles.

Ofgem is the best place to find help dealing with your energy supplier or to learn more about the energy industry in general. www.ofgem.gov.uk

Increasing your energy efficiency at home can be simpler than you think. There are plenty of ways to save energy and money that won’t affect your lifestyle. Find more information on how to power your home efficiently from the following websites:

• Energy Saving Trust
• Energy Company Obligation
• The government’s energy grants calculator
• National Energy Action
• National Energy Foundation
• Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Your MPRN (Meter Point Reference Number) is the unique identifying number of the gas meter at your property. It is a 10 digit number, sometimes referred to as an “M” number, and can be found on your gas bill (generally on the back of the bill). If you can’t locate your MPRN on the back of your gas bill or on your meter, you can call the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524.

Your MPAN is the unique identifying number of the electricity meter at your property. It is often referred to as a “Supply Number” or “S” number, and it can be found on your electricity bill (generally on the back of the bill). If you can’t locate your number, you should contact your current electricity supplier.

Some suppliers do not require you to provide this information to complete a switch and can look up this information for you.

The bulk of Britain’s gas supplies are transported around the country by the National Grid. But in some instances, the job is done by an independent gas transportation (IGT) firm. About one million customers are currently served by an IGT, which is a small percentage of UK households.

An IGT is more likely to operate the gas distribution system if you live in a newer home that was built after 1995 when the market was opened up to competition. For example, IGTs frequently supply gas to modern housing developments because they offer competitive rates to house builders and developers to install a gas connection.

To make absolutely sure whether or not your gas is delivered by an IGT, you can look at the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) on your gas bill. If the MPRN is 10 digits long and begins with 74, 75, 76 or 77 then you are supplied by an Independent Gas Transporter. Alternatively you can call the Meter Point Administration Service on 0870 608 1524.

There is nothing wrong with IGTs.To transport gas a firm must hold a licence and satisfy strict safety requirements. However they can work out more expensive for customers because the energy supplier must pay both the National Grid and the IGT for the gas supply.Some energy suppliers will not accept new customers with an IGT, some will charge a fee and some will absorb the extra cost.

You should bear the charges in mind if you are comparing energy prices. Comparison websites cannot detect whether your address is served by an IGT, so the deals that come up on the screen will not include any extra costs. If you are currently supplied by an IGT, it’s best to call your chosen new energy supplier to check whether or not there are any additional charges before switching.

A kWh stands for kilowatt-hour – the unit used to measure energy use. 1 kWh will power 40 watt bulb for 25 hours

The Personal Projection estimates how much you’re likely to pay for energy over the next 12 months. It takes into account the end date of a tariff if its fixed term, and the tariff you would roll on to at the end of a fixed term. This figure includes any discounts and VAT.

Tariff Information Labels (TILs) are a simple breakdown of the key details relating to energy tariffs for gas and electricity. TILs are printed on consumers’ Annual Statements and energy bills and are available to view on energy providers’ websites as of 31st March 2014.

Ofgem introduced TILs to make it easier for consumers to understand energy tariffs and make them easier to compare.

The supplier must provide at least 30 days’ notice in writing to announce significant changes in the terms of contract. You will then have a further 14 days to decide and let your existing supplier know whether you intend to end your contract and switch to another supplier. If you do decide to move within this timeframe, you will continue to be billed for the energy you use at the old contract terms until such time as you transfer to your new supplier. You will not be liable for any cancellation fees.

If you are unhappy with any price increase, please come back to us to see if we can get you a better deal.

If your complaint is regarding the supply of gas or electricity arranged via this website or the process of switching to a new supplier, then you should complain directly to that energy supplier. The relevant energy supplier will have its own complaints procedure. If you require their contact details please contact our customer relations team who will be happy to assist you.

We cannot answer complaints on behalf of an energy supplier or accept responsibility for any such complaints. We recommend that you visit the website of the energy supplier and follow their complaints procedure if you wish to make a complaint against them.

If an energy supplier is unable to resolve a complaint to your satisfaction and you have received a “deadlock” letter, or if your complaint is 8 weeks old or more you can contact the Ombudsman Services: Energy. This is a free, independent body that looks into complaints between customers and their energy suppliers.

Ombudsman Services: Energy contact details
Telephone: 0330 440 1624 (Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm)
Website: www.ombudsman-services.org/energy
Address: Ombudsman Services: Energy, PO Box 966, Warrington, WA4 9DF
Email: enquries@os-energy.co.uk

Under the terms of their supply license, suppliers must offer you help and advice if you have difficulties paying your bills. You should contact your supplier as soon as possible to discuss available options if you think that you may get into difficulties paying your bill.

Energy suppliers send us their new rates as they become available. We also monitor the market for changes. Click here to see when rates were last updated.

Quotezone’s energy comparison service is completely free for you to use. We have agreed deals with some gas and electricity suppliers to receive a small commission payment when a customer chooses to switch through us.

Click here to see a list of the companies with which we have commercial agreements

You could get £140 off your electricity bill for winter 2020 to 2021 under the Warm Home Discount Scheme.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme for winter 2019 to 2020 closed on 31 March 2020. The 2020 to 2021 scheme will open on 12 October 2020.

The money is not paid to you – it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill, between September and March.

You may be able to get the discount on your gas bill instead if your supplier provides you with both gas and electricity. Contact your supplier to find out.

The discount will not affect your Cold Weather Payment or Winter Fuel Payment.

Eligibility

There are 2 ways to qualify for the Warm Home Discount Scheme:

• you get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit – known as the ‘core group’
• you’re on a low income and meet your energy supplier’s criteria for the scheme – known as the ‘broader group’

How you apply for the Warm Home Discount Scheme depends on how you qualify for the discount.

Pre-pay or pay-as-you-go meters

You can still qualify for the discount if you use a pre-pay or pay-as-you-go electricity meter.

Your electricity supplier can tell you how you’ll get the discount if you’re eligible, for example a voucher you can use to top up your meter.

Park (mobile) homes

Applications for winter 2019 to 2020 have now closed.

Fill in the Park Homes Warm Home Discount application form to be contacted when the scheme reopens.

Energy Suppliers

The following suppliers are part of the scheme:

• Affect Energy – see Octopus Energy
• Angelic Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Atlantic – see SSE
• Avro Energy
• Beam Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Boost
• Bristol Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• British Gas
• Bulb Energy
• Citizen Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Co-op Energy – see Octopus Energy
• E (Gas and Electricity)
• E.ON
• Ebico – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Ecotricity – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• EDF Energy
• Fosse Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Great North Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Green Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Green Network Energy
• London Power – see Octopus Energy
• Lumo
• M&S Energy – see Octopus Energy
• npower
• nPower Select
• Octopus Energy
• OVO
• Powershop
• Pure Planet
• Qwest Energy – see Octopus Energy
• Ram Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Roar Power – see Octopus Energy
• Robin Hood Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Sainsbury’s Energy
• Scottish Hydro – see SSE
• ScottishPower
• Shell Energy
• So Energy
• Southern Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Southern Electric – see SSE
• Spark
• SSE
• Swalec – see SSE
• Symbio Energy
• The LECCY – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Tonik Energy
• Utilita
• Utility Point – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Utility Warehouse
• White Rose Energy – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’
• Your Energy Sussex – only if you’re eligible for the ‘core group’

Will my supply be cut off?

No, Ofgem will move you to a new supplier. Your energy supply won’t be disrupted and a new supplier will be appointed to you. They advise that you take a meter reading and not to do anything until they have appointed a new supplier and they have been in contact with you.

Who will choose my new supplier?

Ofgem will choose your new supplier, following a competitive process designed to get the best deal for you.

When will I know who the new supplier is and the date I’ll be switched to them?

Ofgem will make a decision on a new supplier as soon as possible and will announce these details on their website.

Ofgem will ask suppliers to bid to become the new supplier, so they can try and get the best possible deal for you in the circumstances.

After they have chosen them, you will be moved onto a new contract with the new supplier. It should only take them a few days to appoint a new supplier.

During this time, Ofgem’s advice is to sit tight, don’t switch and wait until your new supplier contacts you. This will make sure the process is as hassle free as possible for you, including securing the return of any outstanding credit balance you may have.

Once you have been contacted by your new supplier, you should ask them to put you on their cheapest deal or shop around if you are not happy with them. You won’t be charged exit fees.

For more information visit Ofgem’s guide https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/extra-help-energy-services/ofgem-safety-net-if-your-energy-supplier-goes-out-business