Changing Your Electricity Supplier in the UK – Different Clients, Different Needs

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    Many electricity suppliers offer favorable conditions for new customers. Consumers only need 5 minutes to analyze and compare current electricity costs. Having found a more advantageous offer, it is possible to make a tariff change through a professional adviser. They are different types of commercial electricity consumers in the UK:

    Types Of Customers

    • Changing the tariff every year, getting bonuses for new customers. Changing the tariff for him a matter of a couple of minutes. 
    • Changes the tariff only if necessary when moving or after long intervals of time. 
    • Never thought about tariffs and bought electricity from a guaranteed supplier.

    Required Steps To Change The Tariff

    1. Estimating Annual Consumption:

    The simplest option is to find bills for electricity over the past few years and look at annual consumption. If there are no accounts, you can call the current electricity supplier and ask about annual consumptions. If there is no such data, or you are settling in new housing, you will have to estimate consumption. 

    When moving to a new electricity supply contract, you do not need to specify the previous supplier. The counter number can be found in the report of acceptance/transfer of the apartment/house.

    In most cases, the previous and the new supplier informs in advance the date of change of the provider, to which the indications are to be read. If you can not read the testimony, for example, due to a forced absence, the network company will assess the readings based on the data on the previous consumption.

    Required Data:

    -Annual consumption in kWh for the previous period.

    -Address of the place of consumption.

    -Data on the current electricity supplier and your customer number

    1. Search For A New Tariff

    The comparison takes into account the proposals of more than 1000 electricity suppliers, depending on the consumption you specify and the place of residence. Choosing an interesting offer, you can see the tariff in more detail. Consumer rights are protected by law, which states that the change of the electricity supplier to be free to the end user.

    When choosing a new electricity supplier, you should carefully read the proposed terms of the contract. It is important to include in your calendar the date to which you must decide to extend or terminate the contract after the expiration of the contract. Simply Switch business electricity mediates between you, and professional suppliers offer a special service, sending in advance to e-mail reminders about the need to compare electricity tariffs before the extension of the contract. It should be noted that many suppliers hope that after changing the tariff, customers will not compare offers and after a fixed deadline fixed in the contract significantly increase the tariffs.

    Compare Tariffs For The Supply Of Electricity

    Factors Affecting The Choice Of Tariff:

    • Short-Term For Cancellation: The optimal term of the contract is 6-12 months. You can also consider advantageous offers for 24 months with a fixed price for electricity.
    • The Fixed Price For A Long Term: Should be preferred only to suppliers that guarantee a price for at least 6-12 months. It is desirable that the fixed price is for the entire duration of the contract. Some suppliers use wording that allows them to still raise their fees for electricity. For example, in the case of higher taxes or deductions for electricity. With the increase in tariffs, customers have the right to change the supplier.
    • Avoid Prepayments Or Tariffs With A Mortgage: When the electricity supplier goes bankrupt, all payments made are lost, and the pledge is not refunded.
    • Bonuses:Suppliers are interested in new customers and offer various bonuses that are paid at the time of signing the contract or after the first year. Some tariffs become the most attractive about bonuses. Please note that bonuses are given, as a rule, only once and to obtain a new bonus, you will have to change the supplier.
    • Good Customer Feedback:Price is an important factor, but the service also plays an important role. It is very important that the new electricity supplier behave correctly about customers.
    • Avoid The Proposals With Fixed Consumption: The consumption of electricity varies each year slightly. At first glance, proposals with a fixed annual consumption look tempting, but there are often factors that affect consumption. As a result, customers overpay for unused kilowatts or pay at a very high tariff for exceeding the consumption limits.

    If you decide to use other comparison services or telephone services, then try not to give out to strangers or enter your data on unverified sites on the Internet: for example, the address of the place of consumption or the number of the counter. The press described cases when swindlers, having taken possession of the address and number of the meter, entered into new energy supply contracts. If you are in this situation, then the refusal of the contract imposed on you is best sent by mail with confirmation of receipt within 14 days; proof that the contract was concluded without your knowledge will cost much more effort.

    1. CHANGE OF TARIFF

    If you have found a new more favorable tariff, then all operations for changing the tariff can be carried out via your advisor agency. If you plan to write a refusal to supply electricity independently, then pay attention to the terms of termination. Many suppliers intentionally complicate the procedure of refusal, which can lead to an automatic extension of the contract in case of non-compliance with small formalities. On many sites, it is recommended to write the refusal to supply electricity, if the contract is to be extended by the old supplier in a few days. Electricity suppliers process many applications, and there is no guarantee that your application will be processed by the new energy sales company the next day.

    1. Transition To A New Electricity Supplier

    The new supplier sends in a few days confirmation of the application and all necessary documents confirming the change of tariff. Confirmation and contract can be printed or saved on a separate medium. Also, the new energy sales company is obliged to inform in writing the date of the change in the electricity supplier. The notification can be sent by mail (including e-mail) or by fax. 

    If you change your mind about switching to a new supplier, you can refuse to change the supplier within 14 days. This rule is valid only if the new contract was concluded outside the supplier’s office, for example, by phone or e-mail. The countdown starts from the moment when the client was informed of his rights to waive the contract.

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    • Tom La Vecchia

      Founder of New Theory & X Factor Media

      Founder and Publisher of New Theory Magazine and Podcast. Serial Entrepreneur who loves wine, cigars and anything that allows to people to connect and share experiences.