Upon approaching the end of your fixed term contract you should receive a letter from your supplier advising that your contract is due to expire and that you are entering into your renewal period.  This is the time in which you should take action and start preparations for switching to a more beneficial supplier or tariff. Failing to do so during this period could potentially run you the risk of being placed onto a rolling tariff with your current supplier and therefore incurring higher rates.

Out-of-Contract Rates or Deemed Rates are the rates that you have to pay when you don’t have a signed contract in place with your energy supplier.  This may be because you have not actively entered into a new contract with your current supplier. In some cases it is because you have moved into new premises and at the point of moving in you did not have an active contract in place for the premises energy supplier.

Deemed Rates tend to be higher than agreed contracted rates but generally lower than Out of Contract Rates.

You should receive a letter from your energy supplier upon the approach to the end your contract advising you of such.  The letter will advise you on what action to take and when by. This is your renewal period. Failure to take such action could result in you either be automatically entered into a new fixed term contract or placed onto a rolling tariff.  Both of which will incur you higher rates for your energy.

Submitting a Termination Notice to your current supplier in the timescale permitted by your current supplier will allow you to switch to a more beneficial supplier for your energy, therefore avoiding being placed onto higher rates for a period of time at the end of your current energy contract.  Likewise, agreeing to a new contract with your current supplier during your renewal period will avoid you being placed on to higher rates at the end of your current contract.

A termination notice provides your current supplier with details of your intention to move to a new supplier. This has to be completed before any attempt is made to enter into a contract with a new supplier. It depends on your current supplier when you can terminate, and how close this date is to your contract end date. This information can be acquired by phoning your supplier or contacting Utility Renewals on 01282 610351.

There are a number of reasons why a supplier my object to the transfer of your energy supply to a new supplier.  The common two reasons are:

1: Failure to submit Termination Notice to your current supplier and in the valid time frame

2: An outstanding unpaid balance on your account with your current supplier.

For an outstanding unpaid balance, we advise that you contact your current supplier to settle your account.  Upon confirmation of this we would contact your preferred new supplier to request again to the transfer of your energy supply over to this.  This would take place at the first available opportunity. Until then and the transfer of your supply is successful, you may be placed on Out of Contract or Deemed Rates with your current supplier.

Unfortunately if the objection to the transfer of your energy supply is due to failure to submit Termination Notice to your current energy supplier, the chances are you will have been placed on to a rolling tariff with your current supplier and incurring higher rates for your energy supply for a period of time.  In this instance, you will still have the opportunity to submit a Termination Notice to your current supplier. You will however need to agree another new energy supply contract for your preferred supplier.

Few suppliers still operate the Auto-renewal of a contract, entering you into a new Fixed Term Contract on higher rates where Termination Notice has not been submitted or a renewal contract agreed.  If this is the case, then unfortunately there is not a lot you can do with regards to negotiating a new contract and will need to wait until the renewal period of the auto-renewed fixed term contract that you have been entered in to.

Providing there are no objections (see above), it normally takes around 28 days to switch suppliers.  The registration for the transfer of the supplier commences 28 days prior to the end date of your current contract.  With some suppliers this registration period may be less than 28 days.

We will manage the whole process for you, ensuring that the transfer is seamless. We always keep you up to date with what’s happening with your contract for your peace of mind.  

A meter that has been shut off at its source to prevent a supply of gas to a premises. This can be because of debt on an account, there is a leak or the meter is no longer in use (i.e the premises is empty)

A meter where the supply has been stopped but the meter has not been removed. There are many reasons why this may happen: the premises may be empty or a customer may not wish to pay a standing charge every day for a meter that is not using any electricity. A meter can be re-energised, but this will incur a charge from your supplier.

Related meters are electricity meters which are twinned and must be contracted together. Their usages are detailed separately and they can have different rates applied to each meter.