Comparing Gas & Electricity
How to switch suppliers when you owe money
3 min read
You can still switch gas and electricity suppliers if you’re not fully paid up on your bills as long as things haven’t gone too far. Here is what can happen if you are in arrears, and what to do about it.
Make a regular switch
If the amount that you owe has not gone over a certain threshold then you simply follow the exact same switching process as anyone else.
- Enter your details into our assessment or upload a bill to get an estimate of your current costs.
- Choose the best electricity and gas plan that meets your needs.
- Enter your details such as MPRN/GPRN, address, Eircode, and bank details
- Your new supplier will handle the rest
What’s on your final bill
When you switch electricity suppliers you will be issued a final bill by your current supplier. This contains the money you owe from the start of the current billing period until the day you switch over.
If you have any outstanding balance on your account, this will be added to the final bill. Under standard payment rules, this bill must be paid within 14 days.
Don’t get your account flagged
One thing that can prevent you from switching is if your debt exceeds the limit set by the CRU. There are two things that can put a flag on your account. If your arrears cross a certain threshold, or if you have gone too long without paying a bill.
- Debt threshold: If the amount of money you owe exceeds €225.
- Timeframe: If you have not paid your electricity bill in 60 days or more since its due date.
New supplier decides what to do
If your current supplier has put a debt flag on your account it doesn’t mean that you are automatically blocked from switching. It is up to your new supplier to decide whether or not to accept the switch.
Clear your arrears
If you are unable to switch suppliers because of the debt flag, you must clear the money owed to your current supplier to get it removed. Electricity suppliers are required by the CRU to engage with customers who are having difficulty paying their bills. This may include offering advice or structured repayment plans for clearing money owed.
Switching makes bills easier to manage
If you are having difficulty keeping up with electricity bills then switching could be the best option to deal with this. The extensive discounts offered to new customers can substantially reduce your annual bills when you switch. This will generally require you to pay by direct debit and use online billing if you do not do so already.
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