Our Power collapse: What to do if your energy supplier fails

Our Power has added its name to a long list of small energy suppliers to go out of business in the past year.

It joins Economy Energy, One Select, Spark Energy, Extra Energy, Usio Energy, Electraphase Energy, National Gas & Power, Iresa Energy, GEN4U, and Future Energy.

Here’s our guide to what to do when your supplier goes out of business.

Sit tight

Do not worry, your energy supply will not be cut off if your provider goes bust.

Ofgem will appoint a so-called supplier of last resort to take over your account. So sit tight for now. Your new supplier will contact you in time to tell you what deals they can offer you.

It usually takes about a week for Ofgem to appoint a new supplier.

The supplier of last resort is obliged to let you know what the cheapest tariff they can offer you is. However, your tariffs will probably change from your last supplier and bills could rise. It is always a good idea to shop around.

Do not switch suppliers yourself

Wait until you hear from your new supplier before you try to switch again. If you start to switch by yourself you could fall through the cracks when your records are moved from the failed supplier to the supplier of last resort.

This could affect any credit you have with your supplier and make it more difficult for you to reclaim it.

After your new supplier has got in touch you are more than welcome to switch to a different supplier if you don’t like what is on offer.

Owed money?

If you are in credit with your energy supplier, do not worry. Your new Ofgem-appointed supplier takes on that debt to you and will make sure you are reimbursed.

Got a complaint?

The Energy Ombudsman says: “If you have complained about the supplier to the Energy Ombudsman, you can expect to receive an update about your case once a new supplier has been appointed.

“The ombudsman will work with the new supplier to establish the way forward on ‘live’ complaints in its system.

“If you would like to register a new complaint about the supplier that has ceased trading, you can contact the Energy Ombudsman to see if it can investigate your complaint.”