What if your energy switch can't go ahead?

Has your energy switch not been able to go ahead as planned? This can happen on rare occasions. It can be hugely frustrating when it does, so here are a few of the reasons why an energy switch might be rejected and how to resolve them if they do.

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• Your chosen supplier is already supplying your energy
• Your meter information does not match the information in the national database
• Your address appears to have a business meter
• Your meter isn't supported by your chosen supplier
• How you could benefit from the Switching Compensation Guaranteed Standards
• Supplier contact information

Your chosen supplier is already supplying your energy

When you put the switch through, you may have accidentally selected the wrong current supplier for one or both of your fuels. One home can have two energy suppliers (one for gas and one for electricity), so it could be that one supplier provides your gas and a different supplier provides your electricity. In order for a switch to go ahead, the correct suppliers for gas and electricity must be known.

The fix:

Find out who your suppliers are for each fuel. If you have different suppliers for your gas and electricity but want to do a dual-fuel switch, make sure you state who supplies which fuel type during your switch.

Your meter information does not match the information in the national database

Suppliers have access to the meter details of households in a national database. This includes which meter belongs to which household, and the type of meter it is (such as an Economy 7 or Economy 10 meter). When the information submitted doesn't match the information that the supplier can see, the switch cannot progress until the inconsistencies have been addressed.

The fix:

Contacting your current energy supplier means you can check with them the information that they hold about your household and its meter(s). Suppliers have the ability to update the national database, so if there's something that isn't correct, you can amend it through them.

Your address appears to have a business meter

Uswitch can only switch energy for domestic meters; those with business meters do not have access to the same deals as households. If you want to switch energy for a business, visit Uswitch for business.

If you weren't aware that your property had a business meter, it could be there from the previous occupiers, or it may be listed incorrectly in the national database.

The fix:

In a case like this, the best course of action is to contact your current energy supplier so you can check the information it holds about your household and its meters. Suppliers have the ability to update the national database, so if there's something that isn't correct, you can amend it through them.

If you find out you have a business meter in your property that you didn't know about, your supplier can also talk you through the options around having it changed.

Your meter isn't supported by your chosen supplier

When switching through a price comparison website, you may find that the supplier you want to switch to doesn't support the meter you have. This is usually because certain price comparison websites do not support energy switching with Economy 10 meters.

The fix:

You can always contact suppliers directly to see if they support your type of meter and can offer you a deal. However, if you would like access to a wider range of tariffs, you may be better off contacting your current supplier to discuss your options for changing your meter.

How you could benefit from the Switching Compensation Guaranteed Standards

If you have any issues when completing your switch, your supplier may be obligated to compensate you for the inconvenience you experience. Ofgem has made the Switching Compensation Guaranteed Standards a compliance requirement for suppliers starting on 1 May 2019, with customers set to receive at least £30 per problem. The measure is designed to alleviate customers’ fears about something going wrong during their switch.

Supplier contact information

If you need to get in touch with your supplier to resolve any of the issues listed above, this is the information you need.

Supplier	Contact details
	Phone: 0330 60 62 675
	Phone: 0330 088 5754
	Phone: 0115 846 0438
	Phone: 0808 281 2222
	Phone: 0800 980 6005
	Phone: 0300 303 0635
	Phone: 02921 321 191
	Phone: 0800 954 0693
	Phone: 0800 111 4568
	Phone: 0800 458 7689
	Phone: 0800 030 2302
	Phone: 0800 056 7777
	Phone: 0800 408 6716
	Phone: 0800 280 8000
	Phone: 01158 572 572
	Phone: 0330 403 0040
	Phone: 0345 301 4905
	Phone: 0330 102 7901
	Phone: 0800 408 6701
	Phone: 01926 320 700
	Phone: 0800 103 2769
	Phone: 0800 092 0202
	Phone: 0800 644 4451
	Phone: 01252 494 141
	Phone: 0333 344 4109
	Phone: 0800 254 0004
	Phone: 0800 145 6699
	Phone: 01920 486 156
	Phone: 0800 520 0202
	Phone: 0800 161 3650
	Phone: 0800 830 3670
	Phone: 0333 405 5555
	Phone: 0330 202 0298
	Phone: 0800 023 4171
	Phone: 0330 124 1500
	Phone: 0345 078 3208
	Phone: 0330 0414 902
	Phone: 0800 073 3000
	Phone: 0808 164 1088
	Phone: 0843 770 5011
	Phone: 0333 103 8657
	Phone: 0808 168 4534
	Phone: 0800 103 2702
	Phone: 0800 5999 440
	Phone: 01312 855 510
	Phone: 0800 408 6706
	Phone: 0800 009 3719
	Phone: 0800 121 6699
	Phone: 0800 030 4567
	Phone: 0800 316 0316
	Phone: 0800 027 0072
	Phone: 0330 111 5050
	Phone: 0800 408 6711
	Phone: 0345 026 2658
	Phone: 0800 028 1020
	Phone: 0333 150 1699
	Phone: 0333 344 2686
	Phone: 0333 210 7070
	Phone: 0330 3337 442
	Phone: 0333 777 0777
	Phone: 0345 557 7878
	Phone: 0800 022 3553
	Phone: 0800 952 0001

Need some assistance?

If you're still having trouble fixing your switching issue, you can contact our Customer Care Team, who are available Monday to Friday 8am - 5pm:

Telephone: 0800 6888 557 Email: customerservices@uswitch.com

Compare energy prices here

It's a good idea to compare energy regularly to see what the latest prices mean for you, even though there are fewer deals available. Enter your postcode to get started.

Your postcode