Switching your energy supplier regularly is a great way to save money. Many people now use switching services every year to make sure they are on the best deal possible. While this is great for the wallet, it can lead to confusion over who is exactly supplying you with gas and electricity.
Estimates show that 20% of UK residents do not know who supplies gas and electricity to their home. Part of this is down to the success of the switching services. As far as physical energy supplies are concerned, nothing will change. There is no interruption to a household’s gas or electric supplies, everything just continues as normal. The paperwork and procedure that goes into the switch is all done in the background.
Your energy supplier should be in contact with you on a regular basis so that you can provide meter readings and to let you know when your bill is ready. However, many energy accounts are now entirely online and those with smart meters may no longer need to provide readings. If you are not receiving mail from your supplier, it is easy to see how people can become confused.
Why do I need to know?
The first and possibly most important reason you would want to know is to make sure you are on the best deal. If you don’t know who your supplier is, there is a good chance that you are unsure of your tariff. This could mean that you are paying over the odds when it comes to your energy bills.
If you have any problems with your supply, the energy supplier should be your first point of contact. If you don’t know who that is then you will struggle to get help quickly.
You may not know who is supplying your energy but you might know when your contract with them ends. If this is the case and you intend to compare deals when it ends, knowing your supplier will help. Your new provider will deal with the switching process but they will need to know who you were with previously to get it done smoothly.
I have just moved into a new home, who is my supplier?
When you move into a new home it is not always obvious which company is responsible for that property. The majority of the time you will find letters scattered under the letterbox from the energy supplier. If this is the case then you will have a clear indication of who you need to contact. If not then you may need to do a bit of leg work to get your answer.
In these circumstances it is important to find out as soon as possible. Whichever company is responsible for that property, they will be charging you for energy at a variable rate. This will be the most expensive tariff that the supplier offers, so you will want to switch as soon as possible. The benefit of defaulting to a variable tariff is that there is no minimum term or exit fees that apply.
How to find out your supplier
It doesn’t matter if you have just moved into a new home or have simply forgotten who is supplying you. The steps detailed below will work in either case.
Remember that gas and electricity are not always supplied by the same energy company. Although dual fuel deals are becoming increasingly popular, do not assume that to be the case. You will need to confirm the supplier for both your gas and electricity.
To find out who is supplying you with gas, you have two options. You can ring 0870 6081524, for the number for the Meter Number Helpline. Alternatively, you can visit https://www.findmysupplier.energy/. Here you will need to enter your address details to find out who it is that supplies your property. This service can also be used to find your Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN), should you need it.
For your electricity supplier you will need your region’s distribution helpline number. England, Wales and Scotland are split into 8 districts, each with its own distribution number. These numbers can be found easily online and they will provide you with your supplier. The Electricity distributor can also provide you with your Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN).
Once you know the supplier for one type of fuel, you can always phone them up and ask if they are also supplying the other.
