The impact of not paying my bill

Switching energy supplier if you owe money to your supplier

You might be able to switch supplier if you owe money to your current gas or electricity supplier. It depends when they sent you the bill you haven't paid.

You have the right to switch if your supplier either:

• sent you the bill less than 28 days ago
• haven't sent you a bill

If your supplier sent you a bill more than 28 days ago, you can't switch until you pay the bill.

The rules are different if you haven't paid a bill because you think it's wrong. If you've complained to your supplier about the bill and they agree there might be a problem with it, they should let you switch.

If you think your bill is wrong and you haven't complained yet, you can challenge your supplier's decision not to let you switch. Check how to complain here

If you have a prepayment meter

There are different rules for switching supplier if you pay in advance for your gas and electricity. 

You can switch supplier unless you owe more than £500 for gas or £500 for electricity. 

You’ll need to ask the new supplier to agree to transfer your debt along with your supply (this is called the ‘Debt Assignment Protocol’).

Further help

If you’re having problems switching your supplier, contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.

If you’re struggling to pay your energy bills or top up your prepayment meter you might be able to get extra help. Check if you can get grants and benefits to help pay your energy bills.