Do you have a couple of minutes? How about 17 days?
Don’t worry, this guide is not here to confuse you, it’s here to clarify exactly how long it will take to switch energy supplier. Now, we’ve broken it down into three steps, to make it easy to understand that there’s more to a switch than just clicking your fingers. There’s a slight bit of legwork, but nothing too strenuous. You can do it all without leaving the house!
Note: If you are looking for “How do I change energy supplier?” try here.
Step one: Get your stuff together
Here are the things you need to have in order to switch energy supplier
- A Postcode
- The name of your current energy supplier
- The name of your current energy tariff
- An up-to-date meter reading
- Your bank details
- A Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) And Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN)
- Patience
Just quickly, here’s a run-through of why you need each thing:
Energy prices are partially based on your location, due to transport, network and delivery costs. You will never have full availability when you switch energy supplier, as they don’t all cover 100% of the UK, so your postcode tells you what you can choose from based on your area. You should tell the quoting system here at My Energy who supplies your energy and what tariff you’re on, so we can provide the most accurate quote possible. An up-to-date meter reading gives an indication of your consumption throughout the year and will let us recommend the best tariff for your needs.
The best way to get a great deal when you go to switch energy supplier is to do it all online, so you will need the bank details of a card that lets you pay online. An MPAN and MPRN are your unique codes for your house’s electricity and gas – get one figure wrong and you may end up changing someone else’s energy bill. Woops! Finally, you need a bit of patience, as the handover between energy companies doesn’t happen instantly, but more about that later in this guide…
Step Two: The online quote
With all of the things above collected and within arm’s reach, it’s time to head to our homepage and fill in your postcode, name and telephone number. Then, we walk you through a series of questions, for which the answers will all be either about you, or about your energy consumption. Then, once all the data has been filled in to the online form, you can move through to the list of energy companies who can supply to you, and their quoted price. You’ll find their name, their tariff name, the rating of their service, their price, and whether My Energy can hook you up to them, or you’ll have to go do it manually.
Once you choose your package, confirm it, and follow the instructions on screen. This whole process should take no more than 20 minutes, though it’s a good idea to research the available tariffs and see if there is more to these companies than first meets the eye. You may find that one offers renewable energy, while another offers a £0 exit fee, and another donates to a charity you like. It’s important that you find a good fit for you, at a price you deem cheap and fair.
Step three: Waiting for the switch
Behind the scenes, your old energy supplier and your new energy supplier are having a chat. They’re talking about how you’ve decided to move over, and they’re passing over the baton.
The time taken to switch energy supplier is usually between 14 and 21 days, with a national average of 17. During this time, you won’t notice anything change, you won’t get cut off, and you won’t notice a disturbance in the force. All will change smoothly, and you may receive a letter in the post, or a phone call to check everything is OK and to thank you for switching.
So, there you have it, now you know how long it takes to switch energy supplier, why don’t you give it a go – switch supplier and start saving money now?
