Bristol Energy customers transferred to British Gas. What can you do about it?

Notice

Bristol Energy has announced that they have ceased trading. Current customers will be transferred to British Gas. The supplier is a new victim of the UK energy crisis. While Bristol Energy was known for its strong local orientation, they still were not able to outlast the UK’s energy crisis.
Last updated: November 2022

As a consequence of the UK energy crisis, Bristol Energy has had to cease operations. To help you in these challenging times we made this guide on what to do if your energy supplier goes bust.

On this page, we will help customers of Bristol Energy on what to do next now that their supplier has ceased operations. We provide important information on their new British Gas energy supply. This includes the tariffs they have been switched there, the other British Gas tariffs they are potentially allowed to switch to. Ultimately, we provide info on the conditions of their switch such as the handling of the final Bristol Energy bills. Also, we outline the possibilities to switch again if they are not satisfied with British Gas’ energy supply.

Bristol Energy Bristol Energy
Founded 2015
Closed 2022
Email customercare@bristol-energy.co.uk
Phone number 0808 281 2222
Log in www.bristol-energy.co.uk/user/login
Address 100 Temple St, Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6AG, United Kingdom
Number of customers 76,000

Next steps for customers

Right now, there is not that much that Bristol Energy customers can really do to change the situation. There are certain actions that they can undertake to minimize risks at the moment. In this article, we go over the factors that led to Bristol Energy’s fall as well as what steps to take.

Bristol Energy has gone bust: What should customers do?

For now it is best to wait until you hear from British Gas. They will contact you to inform you with the rates that you will be paying to them, and with them you can discuss the options you have.

I’m a Bristol Energy customer: Will my energy supply be interrupted?

No, the UK energy market has procedures that make sure that your home will not be without gas or electricity. Ofgem will automatically transfer you and the other customers of the supplier that went out of business to a new supplier. In this case the new supplier is British Gas.

What happened to Bristol Energy?

Bristol Energy went bust because they faced remarkably high costs of wholesale energy in the UK. What also did not help them were the limitations in prices set by Ofgem and the energy price cap. They could only partly offset the increased costs onto the customers. As a result Bristol Energy was losing money on every customers and after a while officially went bust on the 1st of January, 2021.

Should I continue to pay Bristol Energy?

You have to keep paying Bristol Energy whenever you get any bills from them. Bristol Energy will be in charge of your energy supply until the transfer process to British Gas is completed. British Gas will then give detailed instructions regarding paying debts or receiving credit from your previous supplier.

I had credit on my Bristol Energy account. Will I be refunded?

British Gas will take care of handling the credit outstanding with Bristol Energy. Which in practice often means that they take on all existing credit and debt at Bristol Energy.

I was in debt with Bristol Energy. Should I pay it?

British Gas will handle any debt outstanding with Bristol Energy. It is likely that they will take on existing debt at Bristol Energy. If that is the case, your debt will stay exactly the same, only that you now owe it to British Gas.

Will my bills go up at British Gas?

Probably they will. Given the current market conditions and the recent rise of the Energy Price Cap, energy prices are rising substantially. In general, Ofgem will settle you on a deemed contract with the new supplier, which in this case is British Gas. In these circumstances it is impossible for you to choose your own plan. It is possible sometimes however, that you can request information at British Gas on what the different options are.

Will I be able to keep the same contract?

No you will be automatically transferred to a different contract at British Gas. You will be contacted by British Gas when the transfer is completed, they will provide the contract details.

When will British Gas contact me?

There is no specific date known on when they will contact you. But it is likely that it will take at least a few weeks. When you don’t get contacted by British Gas within a week or two after the official announcement, we advise you to reach out to their customer service to verify whether everything is set up correctly.

British Gas tariffs

Being the largest supplier of energy, British gas offers a wide range of plans and tariffs.

British Gas average annual total tariff costs

Below are the average total annual costs for the most popular British Gas tariffs. These costs assume that the household has a standard meter and the tariffs are listed as dual fuel packages, but each gas and electricity tariff is also available individually!

Below you can find the cost information associated with these tariffs.


Plan name Tariff type Is the tariff live? Average electricity annual cost (£/year) Average gas annual cost (£/year) Average total annual cost (£/year) Exit fees (£/fuel) Green tariff**
Standard Variable £ 1,274.92* £ 1,481.07* £ 2,755.99* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Fixed - 12 months £ 1,274.92* £ 1,481.07* £ 2,755.99* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Fixed - 24 months £ 1,087.49* £ 1,481.07* £ 2,568.56* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Green - Fixed 12 £ 1,298.93* £ 1,505.09* £ 2,804.02* £ 75.00 ✔️
/ Green - Fixed 24 £ 1,298.93* £ 1,505.09* £ 2,804.02* £ 75.00 ✔️
/ Prepayment Variable £ 1,298.93* £ 1,505.09* £ 2,804.02* £ 75.00 ✖️

* Prices differ on a postcode basis, this table therefore displays national averages
* Based on the official TDCV : 2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year
** A Green tariff means the supplier injects in the grid the same amount of renewable energy that is consumed.
Prices incl. VAT.


British Gas Variable Rate Tariffs

British Gas currently only offers one variable tariff, and that is the standard variable tariff. This means, as mentioned above, that prices on this tariff can rise or fall almost daily to match the ongoing cost of energy in the UK. This variable tariff is less stable because prices can rise or fall frequently, but there are no contract or exit fees, so customers can change their tariff plan at any time without penalty.

The costs associated with this tariff can be seen here:


Plan name Tariff type Type of fuel Is the tariff live? Standing charge (p/day) Unit rate cost (p/kWh) Average total annual cost (£/year) Exit cost (£/fuel) Green tariff**
Standard Variable Electricity 42.01 p* 38.67 p* £ 1,274.92* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Standard Variable Gas 31.85 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,481.07* £ 75.00 ✖️

* Prices differ on a postcode basis, this table therefore displays national averages
* Based on the official TDCV : 2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year
** A Green tariff means the supplier injects in the grid the same amount of renewable energy that is consumed.
Prices incl. VAT.


British Gas Fixed Rate Tariffs

British Gas currently offers 4 different fixed rate tariffs, all of which vary in different ways to meet the needs of as many different customers as possible.

The pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:


Plan name Tariff type Type of fuel Is the tariff live? Standing charge (p/day) Unit rate cost (p/kWh) Average total annual cost (£/year) Exit cost (£/fuel) Green tariff**
/ Fixed - 12 months Electricity 42.01 p* 38.67 p* £ 1,274.92* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Fixed - 24 months Electricity 42.01 p* 32.21 p* £ 1,087.49* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Green - Fixed 12 Electricity 48.59 p* 38.67 p* £ 1,298.93* £ 75.00 ✔️
/ Green - Fixed 24 Electricity 48.59 p* 38.67 p* £ 1,298.93* £ 75.00 ✔️
/ Fixed - 12 months Gas 31.85 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,481.07* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Fixed - 24 months Gas 31.85 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,481.07* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Green - Fixed 12 Gas 38.42 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,505.09* £ 75.00 ✔️
/ Green - Fixed 24 Gas 38.42 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,505.09* £ 75.00 ✔️

* Prices differ on a postcode basis, this table therefore displays national averages
* Based on the official TDCV : 2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year
** A Green tariff means the supplier injects in the grid the same amount of renewable energy that is consumed.
Prices incl. VAT.


British Gas Prepaid Tariffs

In addition to the variable and fixed tariffs, British Gas also offers a prepaid tariff where you can top up as much energy as you want to pay for. The unit prices for this tariff plan are not fixed, similar to the variable tariffs, so the cost of this tariff can go up or down if the cost of energy in the UK goes up or down.

Costs associated with this tariff plan can be seen here:


Plan name Tariff type Type of fuel Is the tariff live? Standing charge (p/day) Unit rate cost (p/kWh) Average total annual cost (£/year) Exit cost (£/fuel) Green tariff**
/ Prepayment Variable Electricity 48.59 p* 38.67 p* £ 1,298.93* £ 75.00 ✖️
/ Prepayment Variable Gas 38.42 p* 11.37 p* £ 1,505.09* £ 75.00 ✖️

* Prices differ on a postcode basis, this table therefore displays national averages
* Based on the official TDCV : 2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year
** A Green tariff means the supplier injects in the grid the same amount of renewable energy that is consumed.
Prices incl. VAT.


British Gas Economy 7 Tariffs

British Gas offers several E7 tariffs for customers who have Economy 7 meters in their homes, which is also known by some as dual flow.

As mentioned above, these tariffs have two separate charge rates, one for peak consumption periods and one for off-peak periods.

Pricing on these tariffs can be seen here:


Plan name Tariff type Type of fuel Is the tariff live? Standing charge (p/day) Day Rate (p/kWh)* Night Rate (p/kWh)p* Average total annual cost (£/year) Exit cost (£/fuel) Green tariff**
/ Economy 7 - Standard Variable Economy 7 27.48 p* 22.42 p* 13.28 p* £ 639.30* £ 0.00 ✖️
/ Economy 7 - Fixed 12 months Economy 7 30.78 p* 24.05 p* 12.41 p* £ 668.02* £ 40.00 ✖️
/ Economy 7 - Fixed 24 months Economy 7 32.96 p* 37.52 p* 17.65 p* £ 966.40* £ 50.00 ✖️
/ Economy 7 - Green fixed 12 Economy 7 33.00 p* 37.52 p* 17.65 p* £ 966.55* £ 50.00 ✔️
/ Economy 7 - Green fixed 24 Economy 7 37.89 p* 37.52 p* 17.65 p* £ 984.41* £ 50.00 ✔️
/ Economy 7 - Prepayment Economy 7 37.89 p* 37.52 p* 17.65 p* £ 984.41* £ 50.00 ✖️

* Prices differ on a postcode basis, this table therefore displays national averages
* Based on the official TDCV : 2,900.00 kWh of ⚡ and 12,000.00 kWh of 🔥 per year
* Assuming the average Economy 7 tariff user consumes around 58% of his energy on peak and 42% off peak.
** A Green tariff means the supplier injects in the grid the same amount of renewable energy that is consumed.


Can I switch suppliers right now?

You can switch suppliers but given the ongoing situation with the energy crisis, we do not recommend switching.

Do I have to stay with British Gas?

You are not obliged to stay, however, following the soaring prices of gas and electricity, switching probably will not help you save money. It might be best for now to wait to see what will be the best course of action.

What happens if I was in the process of switching suppliers when Bristol Energy went bust?

Nothing should influence the process. You should still be moved further in the switching process to your new supplier. It is best to do nothing for now unless your old or your new supplier contact you. Everything should be handled automatically normally.

Who were Bristol Energy?

There is a big choice of energy suppliers in the UK, including many smaller providers outside of the Big Six. These suppliers try and offer something a little bit different to the large corporations, and one of the most unique was Bristol Energy.

How were they founded

Bristol Energy was a relatively new supplier started by Bristol City Council, with the aim of providing affordable energy across the UK. All the profits made by the council went back into the local community.

Their other main selling points were its clean fuel mix and focus on providing a good customer service and reasonably priced tariffs. Despite not having the financial backing of some other providers, Bristol Energy was starting to make a name for itself.

Who owned Bristol Energy?

The company was founded in 2015 with around £27 million of public funding and was until closure owned and run by Bristol City Council. Although it was set up to provide simple and transparent energy pricing for residents of the city, you can actually have your energy provided by them no matter where you live in the UK.

The supplier also received around €2 million a year in the form of a grant from the European Investment Bank and the European Commission to fund renewable energy. Although the company made losses in the first few years, the continuing support of the council meant it was able to stay afloat and attract more customers until their closure following the 2021 energy crisis.

 

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As well as providing energy for the people of the city and those around the UK, Bristol energy also created jobs in the local area. There were around 180 people are employed by the company in the city

What were the options for customers at Bristol Energy

Bristol Energy offered multiple tariffs for its customers, with gas, electricity and dual fuel mix options available for domestic use, as well as gas and electricity tariffs for businesses. They had a standard variable tariff but also offered two fixed-rate tariffs. All of the above offers were 100% green and renewable electricity and had a 50% gas carbon offset. Customers were also able to choose between receiving a digital or hard copy bill

How was Bristol Energy´s fuel mix

They were committed to providing green energy. The aim was to provide 100% renewable energy. They offered 100% green electricity and low carbon gas. In the year from April 2018 to March 2019, Bristol Energy provided 79% of its energy from renewable sources. The remainder came from natural gas, with small amounts from coal and nuclear power.

Bristol energy fuel mix

Was Bristol Energy any good?

Bristol Energy ranked 9th out of 35 UK energy suppliers. While they were not the cheapest, they did offer a good customer service and their commitment to renewable energy was also considered as a plus point.

Was Bristol Energy cheap?

Bristol Energy prided itself on offering honest, open and affordable energy services. But were they really that cheap? The answer is that it depended. If you were on the standard variable rate then the tariff was just below the Ofgem price cap and even their fixed tariffs were not the cheapest on the market. Yes, there were more expensive providers out there but Bristol was not able to compete with the most affordable providers such as Octopus and Bulb.

How many customers does Bristol Energy have?

Bristol Energy had around 76,000 customers before closing down.

Bristol Energy customer reviews

In a Which? survey, Bristol Energy came 9th in a customer poll of the 35 best energy companies in the UK as voted for by around 9,000 people. It shared this position in the table with Coop Energy, Ovo Energy and Engie.

It achieved an overall customer score of 73%, gaining five stars for bill accuracy, four stars for value for money and customer service and three stars for bill clarity and digital tools.

Customer service was rated as good to excellent, with 86% of all those surveyed giving it these marks.

Overall, customers particularly liked:

  • Face to face service for local customers
  • The good prices
  • Friendly customer services

However, they did not like:

  • A poor selection of digital tools

Did Bristol Energy do smart meters?

Bristol Energy supplied and installed smart meters as part of their service. Since may 2019 they had been using the SMETS2. However, only customers with priority were able to use smart meters.

How to contact Bristol Energy?

If you want more information on how to handle the transition or your final bills, you can get in touch with Bristol Energy in any of the following ways:

Contact centre Phone number Email address
Customer care 0808 281 2222 (Mon-Fri 8.30 am to 5.30 pm) customercare@bristol-energy.co.uk
Sales and renewals 0808 189 4072 (Mon-Fri 8.30 am to 5.30 pm) salesandrenewals@bristol-energy.co.uk
Business 0808 168 3888 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) business@bristol-energy.co.uk
General enquiries 0808 281 2222 (Mon-Fri 8.30 am to 5.30 pm) customercare@bristol-energy.co.uk

You can also get in touch by reaching out on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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FAQ

Should I switch supplier now?

We do not advise you to switch supplier as prices are currently very high and new rates are not likely to be lower at different suppliers.

I was in the process of switching from Bristol Energy, what will happen?

Your switch will still happen, you probably do not have to do anything as your new supplier will still take care of the switching process.

Should I do anything now that Bristol Energy has gone bust?

Probably the best is to wait until British Gas will contact you with more information. Then you can be in touch with them to discuss the options there are.

Will my rate go up at British Gas?

Given the consequences of the energy crisis, the prices of new plans are likely to rise. As such, your rates at British Gas will probably be higher.

Updated on 29 Jan, 2024

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