Switching Electricity Supplier

Thinking of changing your electricity supplier? There are considerable savings to be made by changing to a new deal.

Switching electricity suppliers step-by-step

Before switching, check with your supplier to find out if you’ll incur a fee for cancelling your current energy deal. Exit fees are common with fixed rate tariffs if you switch early. However, all suppliers should now allow you to leave up to 49 days ahead of your tariff’s end date without incurring a penalty.

To before contacting new suppliers, you’ll need the following information:

Your postcode.
Current gas and electricity supplier, and the name of your tariff (look at your latest bill, or contact your supplier).
How much you spend (or use in kilowatt hours – kWh) on electricity. You can find this on recent bills or the annual energy statement sent by your supplier.
Your bank details if you decide to switch and want to pay by direct debit.

The simplest way to compare multiple electricity suppliers is to use an online comparison site such as Compare the Market, Money Super Market or uSwitch. Simply visit one of these sites, input the information above and see how much you could save.

Select the tariff and supplier you want, and follow the instructions to complete the switch. If you’re unsure, check out this guide to energy tariffs by Which? that lists pros and cons of the different types of tariff.

Your new supplier will organise the switch. You’ll need to submit meter readings to them when requested, and settle outstanding bills with your old company. The process typically takes 2-6 weeks.

Switching electricity suppliers step-by-step

During a survey two thirds of Which? members said us they had never switched electricity suppliers. If you’ve not switched your electricity supplier in the last couple of years, you’ll almost certainly save money on your energy bills by moving to a different deal. Of those who have switched, nine out of ten people in the same survey found the process straightforward.

Most people can easily switch energy suppliers – even if you have a prepayment meter. With energy suppliers routinely launching new plans and tariffs, even regular switchers should run a comparison every six months, to ensure they’re still on the best deal.