How to Find Your Energy Supplier: A Comprehensive Guide

Our "who supplies my energy" tool uses real-time industry data to confirm the registered gas and electricity supplier to your property. This is crucial for home-movers to ensure 1) they know who to contact and set-up payment arrangements with and 2) so they can switch from an over-priced 'standard' variable tariff which all new occupants are placed on meaning hundreds of pounds can be saved.

Simply enter your postcode and choose your house number and we will tell you instantly which energy suppliers are supplying your property with gas & electricity.

Why you need to know who supplies your energy

Although there's an endless list of things to consider when moving home, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself when you get into the new place is: "who supplies my energy?"

It might not seem like a priority, but if you don't know who supplies your electricity and gas and provide them with a meter reading when you move in, you might be charged for energy used by the previous occupant.

Not only that, but the sooner you find out the name of your energy provider, the sooner you can compare energy prices and switch to a better deal and save money by making sure you're paying the best energy rates.

How do I find out who my electricity supplier is?

Whether you've just moved into a new property or you're about to do so, there are few ways to find out who provides your electricity, all of which are pretty straightforward.

The simplest way to find out who supplies energy to your new property is to ask the landlord, letting agent or estate agent before you move in. If the previous owner informed the energy suppliers they were leaving the property, they might also have left a final bill at the address, which will contain all the information you need to switch energy suppliers.

You can also call your distribution network. When you call, you'll need to be put through to the Meter Point Administration Service. To find out the name of your current supplier and your Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) - the unique 21-digit number to identify the electricity meter in your property - you'll just need to give them your address and postcode. The table below shows a list of Distribution Network Operators by region and their contact numbers.

Once you've found your current electric supplier it's time to compare electricity prices to find a cheaper deal. Or use the information along with the details of your gas supplier to switch to a dual fuel tariff.

How to find out who supplies gas to your house

To find out who your gas supplier is, other than using our tool above, you could also call the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524 and follow the pre-recorded instructions. Or simply enter your address into the Meter Point Administrations's Find My Supplier tool.

If you use the automated helpline, you can find out your current gas supplier and your property's Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) - the 11-digit number used to identify the meter at your address - by pressing number 2 and then hitting number 2 again to speak to an operator.

The call will take around two minutes, including the time it takes to listen to the automated messages about data privacy, and calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

Once you know who supplies your gas, you can compare gas prices to find a better deal.

How to let your energy suppliers know you've moved in to a property

Once you've confirmed your current gas and electricity supplier, there are two more steps you need to go through now you're in the property and legally responsible for the energy used there. It's important that you don't ignore these steps, if only to ensure you're not billed for energy you haven't used.

1. Take a meter reading and write it down to confirm what energy usage your household is liable for. You can then contact the existing energy supplier(s) and provide this information to ensure you are not billed for the previous tenants energy consumption (trust us, it happens!) and that your first energy bill is accurate.

2. Find out what tariff you are on. Usually, when a new tenant moves into a property the existing energy suppliers will automatically move the property to their standard variable tariff (SVT). This isn't good especially when you've got more important things to be spending your money on than gas and electricity. So, start an energy price comparison today and switch.

How to switch energy supplier

If you're happy with your current energy supplier, you can simply get in touch with them and ask to be switched from their SVT and onto a cheaper fixed rate tariff. Similarly, if you were happy with the supplier at your previous property you could give them a call and switch to one of their fixed rate tariffs.

But doing this means there's a good chance you'll still be paying more than you need to be for your gas and electricity.

The only way to make sure you're on the very best rates is to run an energy price comparison with TheEnergyShop.com - we compare deals from the entire energy market to make sure you find the cheapest possible tariffs.

The energy switch has no impact on your energy supply - gas and electricity is supplied through the existing pipes and cables - and simply means you pay a lower rate for your annual energy consumption.

To start your energy comparison, enter your postcode in the box on the right of the page. We'll then just need a few more details on your current deal and usage, before showing you a breakdown of the best energy tariffs available in your area. You just need to choose the one you like best, and we'll handle the rest of the switch for you.

The switch itself will be completed within the next 21 days, meaning you'll be with your new supplier and saving money before you've emptied your last box.

And that's really all there is to it. You know your gas and electricity supplier, you've taken a meter reading, you've found out what tariff you're on and you're protecting your energy bills by switching to a cheaper tariff.

How to save energy in your new home

Once you've saved money by switching to a better energy deal, you should also look at ways to save energy around the home, to help cut your energy bills even further.

Consider the following small changes to help make big savings on your energy usage and bills:

• Never leave lights on in empty rooms.
• Turn the heating off in summer - if it gets a bit cool, put another layer on.
• Wash clothes at colder temperatures.
• Never leave taps running - especially hot water taps.
• Make sure all draughts are covered up, including keyholes and under doors.

For more simple ways to save energy, check out our energy saving tips page.

If you want us to email this to you, with a few reminders along the way, email us at help@theenergyshop.com and we'll pick this up. This isn't an automated service, we'll do this manually and in person. A sort of house warming present if you like.