Ending your liability for the bill
You are liable to pay for the supply under the terms of the contract until one of the following applies.
•Your contract comes to an end. If a fixed-term contract is due to end, the supplier must provide you with a statement of renewal terms no earlier than 49 days before the term is due to end.1Conditions 24.17 and 31I.1 SLC This must be separate from any other document such as a bill, statement of account or marketing material.2Conditions 22C.5 and 31I.7 SLC •You terminate your contract while you are still an owner/occupier of the premises. A contract for a fixed period may be ended at any time during that period if you give the supplier notice according to the contract and pay any termination fee referred to in the contract, if liable, unless either of the following conditions apply.3Condition 24.1 SLC ◦Your contract is of an indefinite length of time. This also applies where an initial fixed-term contract has expired and you have continued to receive a supply from the company on a rolling contract.4Condition 24.3 SLC ◦Your supplier has unilaterally varied a term in your contract. The most obvious example is a price increase. However, any other changes made to your terms which significantly disadvantage you also apply here, such as placing you on a higher tariff.5Conditions 14A.6 and 24.3 SLC
•You terminate your contract with your supplier and switch to another supplier.6Condition 14A.6 SLC See Chapter 2 for more information about this process. You do not have to pay a termination fee if you want to switch because your supplier has changed the terms of your contract unilaterally. You must notify your current supplier of your intention to switch on or before the date the variation takes effect to avoid the possibility of you being charged a termination or exit fee. This notification does not have to be in writing. If you notify your supplier orally or online, make a note of the date and the name of the person you spoke to or keep a copy of your email or online account record. You do not have to actually switch supplier or switch within a particular time frame to avoid the termination fees, you simply need to notify your intention to do so.
If you have arrears with your current supplier, you can still change supplier in theory, but you must clear the arrears within 30 days. A supplier can stop you from switching to another supplier where a debt has not been repaid for 28 days or more. This is known as a ‘debt objection’.
If you have a prepayment meter, your supplier can only block you from switching to another supplier if you owe more than £500.7Ofgem, The Debt Assignment Protocol; condition 14.6 SLC If you switch, you take your debt with you and repay it to your new supplier under a ‘debt assignment protocol’ (see here).8Ofgem, The Debt Assignment Protocol •You no longer occupy the premises. The supplier must include a term that the supply contract ends two days after you have told the supplier of the date on which you stop owning or occupying the premises.9Condition 21.1(a) SLC
Where a contract ends in this way, you remain liable for the supply of gas to the property until the date on which that contract ends.10Condition 24.2 SLC If you give your supplier a minimum of two working days’ notice, or if your supplier agrees to accept a shorter period of notice before you leave, your contract ends on the day you leave.
If you do not give your supplier notice that you are leaving, your contract will not terminate, and you will continue to be liable to pay for the supply of gas until the earlier of:11Condition 24.1(b) SLC ◦two working days after you have told the supplier you have left; or
◦the date when another person requires a supply at the premises from either the same or a different supplier.
It is always in your interest to inform the supplier that you are leaving or have left. Make sure you arrange for the supplier to take a final meter reading and also read the meter yourself so you can check your final bill in the event that a dispute arises over it. Keep a copy of any correspondence and a photograph of the meter.
•The supplier varies the terms of your contract. If your supplier increases the charges made under the terms of your contract or varies other terms of your contract unilaterally and the variations will significantly disadvantage you, the supplier must inform you of the changes made. Suppliers must give you reasonable time and notice in an appropriate form (taking into account your characteristics and preferences)12Condition 31I.3 SLC of a price rise or any other change which will leave you worse off.13Conditions 23.3 and 31I SLC The supplier must also notify you that you have the option to change supplier, that you may financially benefit from doing so14Condition 31F.4 SLC or enter into a new contract15Condition 31I.4 SLC and provide you with information, tools and services to make informed tariff and consumption choices16Condition 31F.3 SLC and avoid any changes before they take effect.17Condition 31I SLC This includes switching information, such as the cheapest available tariff, estimated annual costs and information about your existing tariff to enable you to compare tariffs across the retail market.18Condition 31F.5 SLC If you decide to terminate your contract after receiving a price increase notice, and switch to another supplier, your old supplier must terminate your contract within 20 working days of receiving confirmation that you now have a contract with your new supplier.19Condition 24.10 SLC Your old supplier cannot apply the price rise to your bill for the remainder of your contract with it.20Condition 24.11 SLC •The supplier’s licence is revoked by Ofgem. This can be for reasons including regulatory intervention or the supplier entering administration. If this happens, your contract with that supplier is terminated. Ofgem will require another supplier to continue to supply you with gas under terms directed by Ofgem.21Condition 8.2(b) SLC You then become liable to pay the new supplier under those terms. If you choose to enter into a contract with the new supplier, the terms of the contract apply from the date you enter into the contract. The same applies if you choose to be supplied by a different supplier.