If I switch energy supplier, will my energy turn off between providers?

If you switch suppliers, you could get yourself a better deal on your energy and save up to £300 on your energy bills. So, why wouldn’t you switch?

Well, sometimes people are put off by the perceived hassle this entails. Let’s face it, researching and comparing tariffs, swapping your details over and setting up direct debits sounds time-consuming and laborious. That’s why, here at Switchcraft, we make it simple to switch energy supplier. We are the energy comparison website that makes switching your deals ridiculously easy.

We take your details once, then we switch energy for you. But we don’t just do it once, we do it over and over again – without you having to do a thing – so you can rest easy knowing you’ve always got the best energy deal around.

Will the energy suppliers turn my energy off?

A common question, from people looking to switch, is whether their energy will turn off during the switch. In short, no, your energy supply will not turn off when you switch your energy from one provider to another. There’s no service stoppage at all and you can carry on living life as usual. Sunday roasts, hot baths and the next episode of your favourite Netflix show are all still on the menu.

You can crack on with life as though nothing is happening – when, in fact, you’ll be doing a great job saving money on your energy bills! So, how does this work? Well, we’ve put together a brief explanation of how the energy market works to help you see the bigger picture.

Switching suppliers in the UK

Most energy in the UK is generated at large power stations which connect to the national transmission network. The energy suppliers then buy the energy at wholesale prices and sell it on to customers like you. It’s all the same energy, all from the same place originally. It’s just charged for by different energy suppliers on different tariffs. So, when you head to an energy comparison site and ‘switch’ energy supplier, all that really changes is your payment plan.

What does this mean for you? 

Essentially, what this means is, while you may choose to change your ‘supplier’ to find a better tariff, you’re still getting the same energy, from the same source. It’s just a different organisation charging you for it. When you switch energy providers, your existing supplier will keep charging you for energy up until your agreement with new supplier starts. The new supplier will then start charging you for energy.

But there’s no actual change in the physical energy supplied – it doesn’t get turned off or swapped to a different cable or pipe. No physical work needs to be done, no-one needs access to your home – no new pipes or excavation work! Your energy is delivered in exactly the same way as it always has been. So, there is no gap in your energy provision when you change suppliers – you won’t ever go without – there’s just a change in how you pay for it.

How does billing work?

People also worry that they might get billed twice when they switch. But that is not the case. The energy supplier you’re leaving will only charge you for energy used up until the date you switch. The new supplier will then charge you for energy used from this date onwards. There’s absolutely no crossover, so no risk of being charged twice.

How long does the switch take?

It usually takes around 17 days for the switch to complete (including a 14-day cooling off period) and then you’ll be good to go with your new supplier. So. Easy. And you don’t need to do a thing. At Switchcraft, we like to think we’re a different type of energy comparison website. We don’t just do switching, we go out of our way to make switching easy. So, while your switch is happening, you can get on with your life, with nothing to worry about.

Get to that yoga class, take the dog for a walk, get that promotion you’ve been working towards. And while, you’re busy living life, we’ll be saving you money on your energy bills.

Switch your energy supplier

To get the best deals, you need to switch energy providers. Compare energy deals and see how much you could save on your next energy bill.