You’ve used an online energy price comparison tool and you know which supplier to switch to for energy so cheap that you can save £250 each year. With your homework done, the actual switch is the easy part, right?

The way changing energy suppliers goes for many people, though, the hard part starts after they manage to find a new supplier. They run into a number of problems when it comes to doing the actual switch. Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems to do with energy supplier switches that consumers face.

You Have No Idea Who Your Current Supplier Actually Is

At first, a problem like this can seem impossible – how can you not know? Sometimes, though, the energy suppliers have incorrect information on their records. The family who used to live in your home before you could have switched suppliers. The old supplier could have failed to update their records then. You could continue to receive bills from the old supplier while the new supplier simply delays billing its new customer. One day, you’ll get a huge bill from the new supplier even while the old supplier keeps sending you bills. You will not know which your real supplier is.

A number of other scenarios are possible, too. If you have trouble identifying your current supplier, you need to either contact EnergyWorks.org or NationalGrid.com. If it’s your gas supplier that you need to locate, you need to dial 0870 608 1524 to contact the Meter Point Administration Service.

The New Energy Company Won’t Take You On Without A Security Deposit

If you have ever had trouble paying your energy bills or if you are a new customer (perhaps you have moved to Britain from another country), the energy suppliers may have trouble trusting that you’ll actually pay your bills. In this case, they could ask for a number of guarantees that you will pay.

They could ask you to leave a deposit with them that is sometimes as high as six months’ worth of energy use. Usually, though, the deposit they ask for is smaller.

If you can find someone to sign on to guarantee that you will pay your bills on time, they could accept the guarantee as an assurance. You need to find a guarantor who stands by your ability to pay your bills, though. If you don’t pay, the guarantor will be on the hook to pay up.

You could be asked to accept a regular payment plan or a prepayment meter.

You Can’t Switch Because You Owe Too Much Money To Your Existing Supplier

If you have an unpaid bill that you have owed for more than four weeks, your current supplier could conceivably stop you from switching to another supplier until you pay up. A lot depends, though, on the kind of meter you have. If you have a prepayment meter, you can switch to a cheaper prepayment plan and move your debt (under £500) over to the new supplier. If you are on a standard meter, you could be debt-blocked from making a switch. Ofgem, though, is beginning to ask suppliers to minimise debt-blocking consumers now.

You Rent Your Home And Your Landlord Takes Care Of The Energy Contracts

If you pay your landlord for your energy consumption and not the energy company, the decision to switch will be up to your landlord. The person who holds the contract gets to switch.

If you feel that the prices that your landlord charges you for energy or too high, you can do a little research to find out if the landlord’s prices exceed the legal Maximum Resale Price. This is the amount of profit that the law allows landlords to make off giving energy to their tenants.

If your landlord allows you to directly accept a contract with an energy supplier, you can usually switch with no objections. If your landlord does object to your desire to switch energy suppliers even when you do have the contract in your name, you need to contact a lawyer or a consumer advocacy group.

If You Switch And Then Regret It

Sometimes, you could do all the energy price comparison homework you need to find the best deal; right after you make the switch, though, an energy supplier could come up with a new plan that is perfect for you. Can you get out of the deal that you’ve already signed?

If you got your new deal from a salesperson either in person or over the phone or Internet, you get a cooling off period of at least seven days.