Whether you can switch supplier depends on how your energy bills are set up. This guide goes through the different arrangements, when you can switch, and
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Whether you can switch supplier depends on how your energy bills are set up. This guide goes through the different arrangements, when you can switch, and what to do if your landlord overcharges for energy.
Do you pay your own energy bills?
If the energy account is in your name, you pay the supplier directly. You can switch supplier just like any homeowner, with the same rights as any customer.
To switch:
- Use a price comparison site to find a better deal.
- Contact the new supplier, and they handle the switch.
- It usually takes about three weeks.
- You do not need your landlord's permission when the account is in your name.
There is one exception: your tenancy agreement might say you must use a specific supplier. Most agreements do not. If yours does, it may be an unfair term, so get advice before accepting it.
Do you pay your landlord for energy?
Some landlords include energy in the rent. Others charge tenants for energy through a landlord-controlled meter. This is more common in HMOs and some short-term lets.
Here, your landlord is "reselling" energy. Under Ofgem's maximum resale price rules, your landlord cannot charge you more per unit than they paid the energy company. If they do, that is unlawful overcharging.
You cannot switch supplier yourself if the account is in the landlord's name. But you have the right to:
- ask your landlord how much they pay per unit
- check that against the current unit rate for their tariff
- challenge any overcharge through the complaints process, Ofgem, or Citizens Advice
Communal heating and hot water (heat networks)
Some buildings have communal heating (also called heat networks or district heating). This is common in blocks of flats and former council estates. Heat is supplied centrally and metered to each flat. With this, you cannot switch supplier on your own. You are entitled to fair pricing, clear charges, and an annual statement.
The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations give you the right to bills and information about your heat supply. From 2025, heat network customers have stronger protections and a dedicated complaints process.
Prepayment meters in rented homes
If your flat has a prepayment meter, you can still switch supplier, but it takes a little more. The new supplier arranges to move the meter onto their supply. Some tariffs are not available on prepayment meters, though this is changing.
You do not need your landlord's permission to switch on a prepayment meter if the account is in your name.
What if your landlord is overcharging for energy?
If you think your landlord charges more per unit than they pay, you can:
- Ask your landlord in writing for their energy contract or a bill showing the unit rate they pay.
- Contact Ofgem, the energy regulator, if your landlord will not tell you the rate.
- Contact Citizens Advice for advice on your options.
- Raise a formal complaint through your landlord's process, or, for social landlords, the Housing Ombudsman.
If your rent includes energy and your home is cold and poorly heated, there may also be a disrepair claim. That is separate from the pricing issue: it is about the landlord failing to keep the heating working.
Can my landlord stop me switching?
A landlord cannot lawfully stop you switching supplier if the account is in your name. Trying to, or a tenancy clause forcing you to stay with one supplier for no good reason, may be an unfair term under consumer law.
If your landlord threatens you for switching, write it down and get advice.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
Energy and heating are often linked to disrepair. If your home is poorly heated, whoever pays the bills, and your landlord is not maintaining the heating, call us on 0800 030 4669.
No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (unfair terms) (legislation.gov.uk)
- Energy Act 2023 (heat networks regulation) (legislation.gov.uk)
Related articles
- Prepayment meter, tenant rights
- Warm home discount, fuel poverty rights
- Fuel poverty, help for tenants
- How long can a landlord leave you without heating?
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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