How to Switch Electricity Suppliers

If you have found a new supplier for your electricity then the whole process of switching is actually very easy. Here’s our guide on what’s involved and how long it will take.

You may think that to switch electricity suppliers to get a lower bill is a difficult process but it’s actually easy and most of the work is done for you. This quick guide will show you what’s involved then below some information you’ll need when hunting down the lowest prices to make an informed decision on which electricity provider you want to go with.

The electricity switching guide

We could make this very long but it’s easy. Here’s what happens:

• You decide on the new supplier for your electricity by shopping around or using a price comparison site
• You sign up for a new contract online or telephone the new company with the information of your household
• You have at least a 7 day cooling off period by UK law – although some of the electricity companies allow a little more time
• Your new provider will make all the necessary changes and contract your existing supplier to make the transition
• Within about 6 weeks the transfer would have taken place
• In the meantime you’ll likely to have received a contract from the new company asking you to sign for it and send it back (they’ll need this just to ensure you want to do what you have signed up for)
• Your new bill will arrive shortly

And that is it. You should have no disruption in power during this time. There will be no changes in your metre or the connections to your home because all the energy suppliers use the same equipment. The only thing you will notice is the lower bills because you have undertaken to switch electricity suppliers to keep your costs as low as possible.

Other notes when you switch electric providers:

If you pay by direct debit then this should be cancelled by your existing supplier but it’s worth actually contacting your bank after the switch just to ensure that it still not live so you are not paying both companies.

If you have an outstanding balance then you should settle it as soon as possible and sometimes suppliers may object to the switch if you have a long outstanding debt so clear that quickly.

Most electric companies don’t tie you into long contracts so you should be able to switch as many times as you want. Beware though on some fixed priced contracts and capped contracts you may have a small termination fee so it’s best to check what tariff you are on and if any penalties apply. Generally however there are none.

Before switching your electric

When you are shopping around make sure you take 2 bills and take the average and include one for the winter where consumption is generally much higher. Prices vary across the regions of the country so ensure you are getting quotes for where you live. If you are using a price comparison site and your company is the cheapest check the tariff that is offered because although your supplier may be the cheaper of all of them you may not be on the rates that are provided.

Other easy ways to save are to always pay by monthly direct debit and most of the companies are offering discounts if you manage your account online and don’t receive any paper bills.

So that’s our easy guide on how to switch electricity suppliers so now it’s your turn to find a cheaper tariff to save money on your electric bills.