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A change of ownership does not, on its own, close your energy account or change your tariff. What happens to you depends on the kind of event behind the headline. The same company may keep supplying you under a new owner. Or your supplier may have stopped trading, so that a replacement supplier takes you on. Or an administrator may be running the business. This guide covers Great Britain and draws on Ofgem, the energy regulator. Ofgem’s published guidance does not set one rule for every acquisition, so the useful step is to work out which event applies to you.
Three events that get confused
News coverage often lumps these together. They work quite differently for you.
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| Event | Who supplies your energy | Does the original supplier keep operating? | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership change, supplier keeps trading | Normally the same licensed supplier | Yes | Depends on the deal and your contract; check the notice you receive |
| Supplier stops trading (supplier of last resort) | A new supplier appointed by Ofgem | No | Household supply continues; the new supplier or, in some cases, the failed supplier’s administrator deals with balances and debts |
| Special Administration Regime | The existing supplier, run by an administrator | Yes, under the administrator | Supply is not disrupted while the administrator looks at rescue, sale or transferring customers |
The Ofgem pages on supplier failure and on business customers whose supplier goes bust describe the second and third rows. They do not describe an ordinary acquisition.
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Not automatically. A sale of the company is a deal between owners. It does not by itself show that your account has closed, that you have a new contract, or that your terms are unchanged. Ofgem’s guidance does not set out a single notice, consent or contract-variation rule that covers every UK ownership deal where the same licensed supplier carries on. The rules may differ by deal structure and by whether you are a household or business customer. Your own contract and the notice you receive are the evidence to rely on.
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A worked example: Spark Energy and OVO (2018)
Ofgem’s guidance Spark Energy customers: Your questions on new supplier Ovo Energy (published 27 November 2018) shows how two separate things can happen at once.
- The acquisition: OVO acquired the Spark brand and operating company.
- The customer appointment: Ofgem separately appointed OVO to take on the customers of Spark Energy Supply Ltd after that company ceased to be a supplier. Their energy was supplied under OVO’s supply licence.
Ofgem said: “As Ovo Energy has acquired the Spark brand and operating company, customers will continue to be billed by Spark and be contacted by Spark’s customer service staff.”
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So the name on your bills can stay the same while the licensed supplier behind them is different. This describes one case. Do not assume other acquisitions work the same way.
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If your supplier stops trading
Ofgem says household customers keep receiving energy and are moved through its supplier-of-last-resort process. Balances and debts are handled by the new supplier or, in some cases, the failed supplier’s administrator. Ofgem’s failure guidance also recommends taking and keeping a meter reading, because you may lose access to old account records. That advice comes from the failure scenario. It is not an ownership-change requirement, though it is a sensible record to keep if your account login or details are changing.
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If an administrator takes over
Under the exceptional Special Administration Regime, Ofgem says the supplier continues to operate and supply is not disrupted. The administrator may explore rescue, a sale, or transferring customers. Ofgem’s business guidance says: “You don’t need to do anything – you will continue to receive energy from your supplier. Your supplier will contact you to let you know what is happening.” That wording is for this administration scenario, not for an ordinary change of owner.
What to check in the notice you receive
- Find the legal supplier name and whether that supplier still supplies your premises. A brand name alone can mislead, as the Spark example shows.
- Check your account number and any new login instructions.
- Compare the tariff and contract terms, including the end date, with what you had before.
- Look at the payment instructions, such as whether your Direct Debit mandate is changing.
- Note the customer-service contact details.
If anything is unclear, ask the supplier in writing whether your account number, tariff, contract end date, payment mandate or balance is changing. Keep the reply.
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Do I need to switch?
No. A change of owner is not a reason to switch, and Ofgem does not say it is. If you want to leave anyway, read your contract first. Ofgem advises business customers to check notice requirements, exit fees and switching windows. Its household guidance covers comparing suppliers and switching. Whether leaving costs you anything depends on your contract, so check before you act.
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- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
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