If you’re thinking of switching your business energy, you may have questions regarding how long it will take. Both the length and complexity of the process will vary depending on whether you use a third party, such as a consultancy, to find the right tariff and switch your services.
Here’s a quick and easy guide to the timescales of your business energy switch.
If you’re currently tied into a fixed-term deal, we would usually advise you to wait until your contract ends before switching. It’s therefore important to check the terms and conditions of your contract before you shop around.
At Tritility, we can still help clients who are on fixed-term contracts. We can lock in prices up to two years in advance so that when your current deal ends, you will seamlessly move onto the new tariff.
If you’re on an ‘out of contract rate’ or a ‘deemed rate’, meaning you are not tied in for a specified term, you can begin the switching process straight away.
If you’re dealing directly with suppliers, finding the right energy product can take a little time. This is because you ideally need to:
- Gather the necessary data, including your historical usage, and provide this to various suppliers
- Obtain a number of quotes from different suppliers
- Weigh up the cost of each proposed tariff against any other requirements you might have, such as a supplier’s green credentials or add-on services
Suppliers’ rates may change while you’re deciding which one is right for you. Where this happens, they will need to update the quote they gave you previously.
If you’re using a third party such as Tritility, all this leg work will be done for you. After your initial call, we would ask you to sign a letter of authority, which enables us to act on your behalf. This can be signed digitally in order to speed up the process. We will gather all the necessary data and obtain quotes from suppliers who match your requirements.
The process will begin straight away, and although different suppliers work to varying timescales, we’ll usually have your quotes back within two or three working days.
Suppose you’re not tied into a contract. In that case, we usually allow 30 days for the new provider to take over your energy supply once you’ve signed the new contract. This gives them time to complete all necessary checks and to review any objections from your old supplier. However, this may take less than 30 days, depending on the circumstances.
If you’re on a fixed-term contract with your old supplier, your new services will begin when the fixed term ends.
Depending on your circumstances, we could have your new services up and running in as little as five weeks. With our business energy procurement guide, we aim to shorten the business energy switch process as much as possible by promptly handling any issues that crop up. Our consultants are experts at matching your business needs to your energy tariff and will handle all the admin for the duration of your contract. All you need to do is send us your meter reads each month, and we’ll do the rest.
If you’d like to chat to an expert about how to save money, cut waste and improve your carbon footprint, get in touch. Our friendly team will be happy to help. We can also explain more about the process for switching your business energy, including process and timescales.
Contact us today to find out more about how our business energy services could save you time and money and help you to manage your carbon footprint.