Once you’ve agreed to an energy switch, your new and old energy suppliers will get in touch with each other to agree a switching date. Once this date has been agreed, your new supplier will send you a welcome pack outlining the terms of your new deal, as well as any next steps you need to take - the only thing you usually need to do is give them up to date meter readings to make sure your first bill is accurate.

When you switch energy supplier, there’ll be no disruption to your service, your power won’t be cut off at any point, and there’ll be no digging or drilling at your property – your gas and electricity will still get to your home through the existing pipes and cables, it’s just the company supplying it and the rates you pay that will change.

The energy switch guarantee means your switch to a new supplier should take no longer than 21 days, which includes a 14-day cooling off period, during which time you can cancel the switch without incurring a penalty.

If you own your own home, you can switch energy company any time you want. If you’re on a standard variable rate deal you can do this without having to pay an exit fee, but if you’re on a fixed rate contract you might find your supplier will charge you for ending the deal early.

If you live in rented accommodation, you should be free to switch provided your gas and electricity bills aren’t included as part of your rental payments. If this is the case, you can still ask your landlord to change energy supplier. If you choose a tariff that comes with a smart meter and you don’t already have one installed, you’ll need to get your landlord’s permission before you sign up.

If you have solar panels, you’re also free to switch supplier. If you’re signed up to a Feed-In Tariff (FIT) with one supplier, you can still switch to a different supplier than the one that makes your FIT payments.

You may find that you can’t switch energy provider if you’re in debt with your current supplier. If you’ve been in debt to your supplier for less than 28 days, this debt will be added to your final bill and you should be free to switch. If the debt is more than 28 days old, you’ll need to pay this off to your old supplier before you can switch.

If you’re on a prepayment meter and you owe £500 or less, you can switch supplier and ask for your outstanding balance to be transferred to your new energy supplier under the Debt Assignment Protocol (DAP). If you owe more than £500 on a prepayment meter, you won’t be able to switch until this debt is reduced.

Energy prices are always fluctuating, but it’s anyone’s guess when - or even if - suppliers will pass on any price changes to customers. The regular turnover of tariffs can make things even more confusing, to the point where it feels almost impossible to know when is the best time to find the best energy switch deals.

That’s where we can help out. To make sure you’re on the best-priced energy deal, we recommend comparing prices to find cheap energy deals every six-to-nine months, or at least a month before your current deal is due to end.

It’s always worth switching energy in the following circumstances:

• You haven’t switched in over a year – If it’s been a year since you last switched, there’s a good chance your fixed rate deal has ended and you’ll have been moved onto a more expensive variable tariff.
• Prices are about to go up – When one energy supplier puts up prices, the rest usually follow suit soon after. So, if you hear of any price rises on the horizon, switch to a fixed-rate deal to lock the lower rates in for 12 months or more.
• Winter is on the way – We all use more energy to light and heat our homes in winter, which means our energy bills will be higher during the darker, colder months. But you can cut those winter bills by switching to a better energy deal before the temperature drops.
• Your current deal is about to expire – Most fixed-rate tariffs lock prices in for 12 months, and will often charge a penalty if you cut the deal short and switch early. Even so, you can compare energy plans and switch to a new deal, without incurring an early exit penalty, 49 days before your current tariff’s end date.

It’s also worth noting that there are times you should avoid switching energy suppliers. If you’re tied into a fixed rate deal that has an early exit fee, you should avoid switching supplier unless the savings you can make are greater than the exit fees. If the penalty is larger than any potential savings you could make, you should wait until your fixed rate deal has 49 days left to run, when you can switch without charge.

You might also have problems switching energy supplier if you owe money to your current supplier, and might have to repay the debt before you can switch.

And switching isn't just about finding the cheapest energy supplier, you should consider another supplier if you're not happy with your current supplier's customer service or you're having billing problems.

We want to take the hassle out of switching electricity and gas for households and businesses across the UK. When switching energy suppliers, it’s worth noting that domestic energy deals differ from business energy deals, and the switching process is very different for both.

The main differences between domestic and business energy switching and supply are:

• Contract length – Although some domestic energy deal can last up to two years, most fixed rate contracts are taken out over 12 months. But business energy contracts can last up to five years.
• No dual fuel deals – Domestic customers can usually save money on their energy bills by getting their gas and electricity from the same supplier, but these dual fuel energy deals aren’t available to business customers.
• Price – Domestic and business energy prices vary for a number of reasons. One being that domestic energy suppliers buy for all their customers several months in advance, while most business energy suppliers will only buy gas and electricity once a contract is agreed, and just enough energy to last the length of the contract. If, for instance, a business agrees a three-year deal with an energy supplier, that supplier will buy enough gas and electricity for the full three-year period. Business users also have to pay additional fees, such as the Climate Change Levy, and are charged VAT at a rate of 20% compared to domestic users who are charged 5%. Even so, business can often negotiate cheaper rates than households. To get a great deal on commercial energy, run a business energy comparison with UKPower.

To find out more ways in which business energy differs from domestic, alongside a break down of how to switch business energy, check out our guide to Business vs Domestic Energy.