Can I switch energy supplier if I owe money?
Short answer
Usually, if the debt is recent. Your supplier can block a switch once a bill it sent you has gone unpaid for 28 days. On a prepayment meter you can switch owing up to £500 on each fuel, if your new supplier agrees to take the debt on. A debt you genuinely dispute should not stop you.
Updated
28 days
How long a billed debt must go unpaid before your supplier can block a switch
£500
Prepayment debt per fuel that can move with you to a new supplier
5 days
Working days a switch should take, or your new supplier pays you £40
Owing money does not always stop a switch. What matters is how old the debt is, whether you pay by prepayment, and whether the debt is really yours. This guide sets out Ofgem's rules, the supply licence behind them and what to do if your supplier blocks you.
When can my energy supplier stop me switching?
When a bill it has sent you has gone unpaid for 28 days or more.
- Ofgem says you can still switch if you have been in debt to your supplier for less than 28 days. Anything you owe is added to your final bill.
- Once you have been in debt for more than 28 days, you cannot switch. Ofgem says you need to repay the debt first.
- The clock starts with the bill. The supply licence lets a supplier block a switch over charges it demanded in writing at least 28 days earlier that are still unpaid.
- Citizens Advice puts it the same way: you can switch if your supplier sent the unpaid bill less than 28 days ago, or has not sent you a bill at all.
- Apply while an older bill is unpaid and Citizens Advice says the switch will probably be rejected, which can take a few days.
Sources: Ofgem: switch your home energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026)
Can I switch with debt on a prepayment meter?
Yes, if you owe £500 or less on each fuel and your new supplier agrees to take the debt on.
- Ofgem says you can switch with a prepayment meter if you owe your supplier up to £500.
- The limit is per fuel. Ofgem says the gas and electricity supply licences require your old supplier to let a debt of up to £500 per fuel move to a new supplier when a prepayment customer switches. The limit rose from £200 to £500 per fuel in July 2015.
- The electricity licence says charges 'equal to or less than £500' must be capable of being moved, so a balance of exactly £500 on a fuel still counts. Citizens Advice says you cannot switch if you owe more than £500 for gas or more than £500 for electricity.
- The debt moves through an industry process called the Debt Assignment Protocol. You keep repaying it, but to your new supplier instead of the old one.
- Your new supplier has to agree. British Gas says a new supplier may not offer the process or may decline to take the debt, and that it handles balances between £20 and £500 per fuel this way.
- Once you have agreed with your new supplier that the debt can move under the protocol, the licence says your old supplier cannot block the switch.
Sources: Ofgem: switch your home energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: Debt Assignment Protocol remedy letter (20 February 2017) (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026); British Gas: switching supplier with debt on a Pay As You Go meter (read 15 October 2026)
What if I pay by Direct Debit or on receipt and owe money?
The £500 transfer is for prepayment only. On a credit meter, the 28-day rule decides it.
- British Gas says the Debt Assignment Protocol only applies to prepayment customers, and asks credit customers with debt to arrange an affordable payment plan.
- If the unpaid bill is less than 28 days old, you can switch and the balance goes on your final bill, which you then pay to your old supplier.
- If it is older, pay it or agree a plan before you try again. Ofgem says you can ask your supplier to agree a payment plan, a payment break or a reduction, and to review your payments.
- Ask about your supplier's own tariffs too. When a supplier blocks a switch, the licence requires it to offer advice on debt management, energy efficiency and any of its other tariffs that may suit you better.
Sources: British Gas: switching supplier with debt on a Pay As You Go meter (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: switch your home energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: get help with your home or business energy bills (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026)
Can my supplier block a switch over a debt I dispute or that is not mine?
Not over a genuine dispute or its own error, and a previous occupier's bill is not your debt.
- The supply licence says a supplier should not block a switch where the whole debt is a genuine dispute or the result of its own error, where it is reasonably practicable not to. If it finds that out after blocking you, it must help the switch go through.
- Citizens Advice says that if you have complained about the bill and the supplier agrees there might be a problem with it, it should let you switch. If you have not complained yet, you can challenge its decision.
- Debt run up before you moved in is not yours. Citizens Advice says you do not have to pay for energy used before you moved in, and to send a copy of your tenancy agreement if the supplier asks for proof.
- Switch declined after a move? Our guide covers the paperwork that clears a previous occupier's balance.
Sources: Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: check if you're responsible for paying an energy bill (read 15 October 2026)
What should I do if my switch has been blocked?
Find out why in writing, then pay, agree a plan or dispute it.
- The licence says your supplier must tell you it has blocked the switch, why, and how to dispute or resolve it, as soon as reasonably practicable.
- Citizens Advice says that if the supplier does not explain, or you disagree, you should make an official complaint. On prepayment, it has a template letter to set out your right to switch.
- Complain in writing and keep copies. Citizens Advice says the supplier should send a decision letter or a letter of deadlock within 8 weeks.
- The Energy Ombudsman can take the case after 8 weeks, or sooner with a deadlock letter. It is free, and you must escalate within 12 months of receiving a deadlock letter.
Sources: Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: complain to your energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Energy Ombudsman: frequently asked questions (read 15 October 2026)
How do I get a blocked switch moving?
Six steps, from checking the date on the bill to the Energy Ombudsman.
- 1
Check how old the debt is
Find the date of the oldest unpaid bill. If it was sent less than 28 days ago, you can switch and the balance goes on your final bill.
- 2
Pay it or agree a payment plan
If the bill is more than 28 days old, pay it or agree an affordable plan with your supplier, then try the switch again.
- 3
On prepayment, ask to move the debt
If you owe £500 or less on each fuel, ask your new supplier to take the debt on under the Debt Assignment Protocol.
- 4
Dispute a debt that is wrong or not yours
Complain in writing. A supplier should not block you over a genuine dispute or its own error, or over a previous occupier's bill.
- 5
Ask for hardship help
Ask your supplier about a payment break, a reduction or its hardship fund, and get free debt advice before you apply for a grant.
- 6
Take it to the Energy Ombudsman
If the supplier has not resolved your complaint after 8 weeks, or sends a deadlock letter, the Energy Ombudsman can investigate for free.
Sources: Ofgem: switch your home energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026); Energy Ombudsman: frequently asked questions (read 15 October 2026)
Can a hardship fund or grant clear my energy debt?
Sometimes. Start with your supplier, then the funds open to anyone.
- Ofgem says you can ask your supplier for access to financial support, called hardship funds, and whether it has schemes or grants for energy costs or energy debt.
- Citizens Advice lists supplier funds from British Gas, EDF, E.ON Next, Octopus, OVO, ScottishPower and Utility Warehouse. The British Gas Energy Trust gives grants to anyone, not only British Gas customers, once you have had debt advice.
- Some funds want evidence first. Citizens Advice says E.ON Next and EDF ask you to complete a budget sheet with an adviser approved by the Financial Conduct Authority.
- Ofgem points to free debt advice from MoneyHelper, and to Breathing Space in England and Wales or a debt moratorium in Scotland, which stop creditors taking action while you get advice.
- Ofgem's Debt Relief Scheme, which would write off some debt built up from April 2022 to March 2024, was still awaiting a decision on 15 October 2026.
Sources: Ofgem: get help with your home or business energy bills (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: Debt Relief Scheme statutory consultation (read 15 October 2026)
Do these switching rules apply in Northern Ireland?
No. They are Ofgem's rules for England, Scotland and Wales.
- The 28-day rule, the £500 prepayment limit and the Debt Assignment Protocol come from the gas and electricity supply licences Ofgem regulates.
- In Northern Ireland the Utility Regulator regulates electricity and gas, and Citizens Advice publishes separate Northern Ireland advice on switching when you owe money.
Sources: Ofgem: Debt Assignment Protocol remedy letter (20 February 2017) (read 15 October 2026); Utility Regulator: regulating electricity, gas and water in Northern Ireland (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026)
How can Taupia help if I owe my supplier money?
- Taupia keeps your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, so you can spot an unpaid bill early.
- It compares energy deals from 19 suppliers covering around 90% of the GB market, and switches only once your household approves.
- In a shared home it splits each bill and tracks who has paid, without moving any money.
- It does not apply for hardship funds or negotiate debts. For that, talk to your supplier and a free debt adviser.
- Taupia is free.
Which debts stop a switch, and which do not?
The rules above in one table, from Ofgem, the supply licence and Citizens Advice.
- On a credit meter, time decides it: under 28 days since the bill, you can switch.
- On prepayment, the amount decides it: up to £500 per fuel can move with you if your new supplier agrees.
- A genuine dispute or a supplier's error should not block a switch, and a previous occupier's debt is not yours.
Sources: Ofgem: switch your home energy supplier (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: electricity supply standard licence conditions, condition 14 (consolidated to 1 August 2025) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: switching if you owe your energy supplier money (England) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: check if you're responsible for paying an energy bill (read 15 October 2026)
Can I switch with this debt?
| Your situation | Can you switch? | What happens to the debt |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid bill sent less than 28 days ago | Yes | It is added to the final bill from your old supplier. |
| Unpaid bill sent more than 28 days ago | Not until you pay it, unless you genuinely dispute it | Pay it or agree a plan with your supplier, then switch. |
| Prepayment, £500 or less on each fuel | Yes, if your new supplier agrees to take the debt | It moves to your new supplier, and you repay them instead. |
| Prepayment, more than £500 on a fuel | Not until it is £500 or less | Pay some of it off, or agree a plan, to bring it down. |
| A debt you dispute, or a supplier's error | It should not stop you | Complain in writing; the supplier should let the switch go through. |
| A previous occupier's debt | Yes, because it is not your debt | Give your move-in date and ask for it to be taken off your account. |
Questions about switching when you owe money
Can I switch energy supplier if I owe money?
Yes, if the debt is recent. Ofgem says you can switch if you have been in debt to your supplier for less than 28 days, and the amount goes on your final bill. Once a bill has gone unpaid for more than 28 days, you need to pay it before you can switch, unless you genuinely dispute it.
Is the £500 prepayment limit per fuel?
Yes. Ofgem says the supply licences let a prepayment customer move up to £500 of debt per fuel to a new supplier, so you could owe £500 on electricity and £500 on gas. Citizens Advice says you cannot switch if you owe more than £500 for either fuel. Your new supplier must agree to take the debt.
Can my energy supplier stop me switching?
Only in set cases, mainly when a bill it demanded in writing has gone unpaid for 28 days or more. On prepayment it cannot block you over £500 or less per fuel once your new supplier agrees to take the debt. If it does block you, it must tell you why and how to dispute it.
Can I switch if the debt belongs to the previous tenant?
Yes. Citizens Advice says you do not have to pay for energy used before you moved in. Give the supplier your move-in date and an opening meter reading, send your tenancy agreement if it asks for proof, and ask for the old balance to be taken off your account before you switch again.
What happens to my energy debt when I switch?
It does not disappear. On a credit meter, debt less than 28 days old goes on the final bill from your old supplier, which you then pay. On prepayment, debt moved under the Debt Assignment Protocol transfers to your new supplier, and you repay it to them instead.
Do these switching rules apply in Northern Ireland?
No. They come from Ofgem, which regulates energy in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland the Utility Regulator regulates electricity and gas, and Citizens Advice publishes separate Northern Ireland advice on switching when you owe money. Ask your supplier which rules apply to your account.
Clear the way to switch
Guides for a blocked switch, a prepayment meter and help with the debt itself.
Start here
Why was my energy switch declined?
RecommendedWhat to say when an old balance at a new address blocks your switch.
Prepayment meter in your new home
Changing to credit, landlord permission and what prepayment costs.
Previous tenant's energy bill
Debt on the meter and bills that are not yours to pay.
Where Ofgem's Debt Relief Scheme stands
Who the scheme is meant for, and the help you can get now.
Winter energy bill help 2026/27
Every winter scheme, who qualifies and the key dates.
Cite this page
Taupia. "Can I switch energy supplier if I owe money?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/compare-energy-prices/switching-with-energy-debt
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