Your energy supplier has gone bust

You’ll still have gas and electricity if your energy supplier goes out of business. 

The gas and electricity regulator, Ofgem, will announce who is taking over your old supplier. They’ll usually announce who your new supplier is within a few days.

You can check if your supplier has gone bust and who your new supplier is.

Wait for your new supplier to contact you. They’ll explain what will happen with your account. If you don’t hear from your new supplier within 2 weeks, contact them.

If you’re a Bulb customer

Bulb has been taken over by Octopus Energy. You don’t need to do anything. Your account will be moved to Octopus Energy. Your credit balance will be protected during the transfer and the cost of your energy will stay the same.

You should:

• keep paying your direct debit as normal - don’t cancel it because Bulb will still bill you for your energy

• top up your meter as normal if you have a prepayment meter

• keep paying any repayments as normal, if you’ve got a repayment plan

If you get the Warm Home Discount, you’ll still get this from Bulb.

While you’re waiting to hear from your new supplier

If you have an online account, it’s a good idea to log into it, check your balance and download any bills. 

Before your new supplier contacts you, you should:

• take meter readings - it’s useful to take a photo of your meter readings too

• keep any old bills you have - these can help prove your payment history, credit balance or debt

• make a note of your account balance - you’ll find this on your most recent statement

If you don’t have an online account or can’t access it at the moment, wait until your new supplier contacts you. They should be able to tell you how much credit you have or how much you owe them.

If you pay by direct debit you don’t need to cancel it. Your direct debit details will move to your new supplier and your old direct debit will end.

If you do still want to cancel your direct debit, wait until your new account is set up.

If you’ve already cancelled your direct debit, don’t try to set up a new one. Wait until your new supplier contacts you - they’ll help you set up a new account.

Important

Switching to a different supplier

Don’t switch tariff or supplier until your account is moved to the new supplier. You might find it harder to get any money you’re owed if you switch before this happens.

If your account is in credit

If your account is in credit your money is protected, unless you’re a small business customer. Your new supplier will tell you how you’ll be paid back.

If you’re a small business customer

If you’re a small business customer, Ofgem will try to choose a supplier that can refund some or all of your credit, but this is not guaranteed. Wait for your new supplier to contact you. They’ll tell you what will happen to your credit.

If your new supplier can’t refund your credit, contact your old supplier’s administrator. The administrator will take control of your old supplier and handle their debts. You can find their details on your old supplier’s website.

Contact the administrator to register as a creditor - this is someone who is owed money. You’ll need to prove your account with the old supplier was in credit. 

You can do this with past bills or statements. If you have an online account, it’s also a good idea to log into it to check your balance and download any bills or statements.

The administrator may be able to repay some of your credit. This can take a long time - sometimes more than a year. The amount you get depends on how much the old supplier owes to all of its creditors.

When you know who your new supplier is

Your new supplier will write to tell you when your new account has been set up. 

Your new supplier will put you on a new tariff - it might be more expensive than your old one. They might tell you whether or not it’s their cheapest deal. If they don’t, you should contact them to make sure you’re on the best tariff for you.

You can switch if you’re not happy with your new supplier or tariff. You can do this without paying an exit fee.

You won’t find many energy tariffs at the moment - this is because of changes in the energy industry.

Don’t switch tariff or supplier until your account is moved to the new supplier. You might find it harder to get any money you’re owed if you switch before this happens.

Read our advice about switching to a different supplier.

If you asked to switch from a supplier just before it went bust

You’ll still move to the new supplier you chose. You won’t need to do anything.

The supplier that’s taken over your old supplier should pay you back any money you’re owed when you move.

If you pay by direct debit, you don’t need to cancel it straight away. Your direct debit details will move to your new supplier and your old direct debit will end. 

If you do still want to cancel your direct debit, wait until your new account is set up.

If you’ve already cancelled your direct debit, don’t try to set up a new one. Wait until your new supplier contacts you.

If you were switching to a supplier when it went bust

Wait to hear from the supplier that’s taken over the supplier that went bust. They should tell you whether:

• they'll take over your account

• you'll stay with the supplier you were switching away from

If your switch went through and you've already paid in advance for your energy, your money is protected. The supplier that's taken over the supplier that went bust should pay you back any money you're owed.  

If the supplier you were switching from is still active, you can also contact them to check if they know whether your supplier is changing.

If you complained to your old supplier and it hasn’t been resolved

You should raise the complaint again with your new supplier. It might take a while for your information to be moved from your old supplier to your new supplier. This means your new supplier might not be able to look into your complaint straight away.

If you’ve complained to the energy Ombudsman, they’ll contact you about their decision.

If you have problems with your meter

You should contact your new supplier to report any problems. You can get their contact details from their website. 

It might take a while for your information to be moved from your old supplier to your new supplier. This means your new supplier might not be able to look into your problem and get back to you straight away.

If you were in debt to your old supplier

If you were paying a debt to your old supplier you’ll still have to pay this back. 

Wait for your new supplier to contact you. If they’re taking on your debt, they’ll let you know. 

If the new supplier isn’t taking on your debt, you’ll have to pay an administrator instead - this is an organisation that takes over a company that goes bust.

If your new supplier takes on your debt

Your new supplier will usually contact you to arrange a payment plan. If you’re struggling to pay, they have to help you find a way to pay. 

You should try to negotiate a deal that works for both of you. Find out what to do if you’re struggling to pay your energy bills if you need help with this.

If you have to pay an administrator

The administrator will collect debts for your old supplier. You might get a bill from the administrator instead of your old supplier. 

If you were using a prepayment meter to pay off your debt, you might not be able to use the meter to pay the administrator. They’ll tell you how to pay.

You might be asked to pay all of your debt back at once. This is because administrators don’t have to follow the same payment rules as energy companies. 

You should still try to negotiate a payment plan with the administrator. They should consider this even if they do not agree to it. Speak to your new supplier if your debt means you’re struggling to pay your energy bills. 

If you get a bill you didn’t expect

Check the bill against your old bills and statements. If you’re not able to pay, contact the company that sent you the bill to discuss your options.

The bill might be from:

• your new energy supplier

• an 'administrator' or 'insolvency practitioner'

• a 'debt purchaser'

An administrator or insolvency practitioner is an organisation that takes over a company that goes bust.

A debt purchaser is a company that buys the debt owed to your old supplier. This means the money is now owed to them.

When a debt purchaser buys your debt, you should get letters explaining the situation from both them and the administrator or new supplier. The letters should explain they have the legal right to collect the money owed.  

If you’re worried the bill might be a scam, contact your new supplier. They’ll be able to tell you if it’s genuine.

If you get a bill that includes energy you used over a year ago

You might not have to pay for all of it. Under ‘back billing’ rules, a company can’t charge for energy you used more than 12 months ago. 

The back billing rules apply to all the companies that might send you an energy bill.

The back billing rules don’t apply if:

• you were sent a bill before the year passed and you didn’t pay

• you‘ve acted unreasonably, for example not allowing your supplier to access your meter

If you think a company is charging you for energy used over a year ago, there are things you can do.

If a direct debit payment accidentally goes to an old supplier

Your new supplier is responsible for refunding any money you’re owed - including any accidental direct debit payments to the old supplier.

If you’re having a problem sorting this out you can complain to your new supplier, and to your bank.

If you’re worried about paying for your energy

You might be able to get help from the government and your energy supplier. Check what grants or benefits you could get to help you pay your energy bills.

You can also check what to do if you can’t afford to top up your prepayment meter.

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, check what extra help you can get.

Get more help

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service if you need more help - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone or online chat.

You can also contact the consumer helpline if you think an administrator has treated you unfairly or aggressively.