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Energy: who to call, and why you never ring them to leave

Energy is the one bill where switching is done entirely by the supplier you are moving to. The number on these pages is for questions, not for leaving.

Last verified 27 July 2026 · Next review 27 October 2026

Coverage

Suppliers we cover

E.ON Next Verified

0808 501 5200
Taken from E.ON Next’s own published pages.

British Gas Verified

0330 808 3880
Taken from British Gas’s own published pages.

Octopus Verified

0808 164 1088
Taken from Octopus’s own published pages.

OVO Verified

0330 303 5063
Taken from OVO’s own published pages.

ScottishPower Verified

0345 270 0700
Taken from ScottishPower’s own published pages.

EDF Verified

0333 006 9950
Taken from EDF’s own published pages.

General Chips describe how well-sourced a number is, not how good the supplier is. How we verify explains what each means.

The thing that surprises people

There is no cancellation line

Not because suppliers hide it, but because it does not exist. UK energy switching is initiated by the gaining supplier: you sign up with the new one and they arrange everything with the old one. Your existing supplier can only object if you owe them money.

So the numbers above are for querying a tariff, asking what an exit fee would be, or making a complaint. They are not for leaving, and any guide presenting them as a “cancellation number” has misunderstood how the market works. Verified

Free to leave

The last 49 days of a fixed tariff

Near the end of a fixed tariff you can leave free of charge even if your tariff carries an exit fee. 49 days is the common figure — British Gas, Octopus, E.ON Next and EDF all state it, and British Gas writes it as “49 days / seven weeks”, which is the same thing and explains why some suppliers quote weeks instead. Two do differ: OVO gives 53 days, and ScottishPower’s exit fee page says seven weeks in one section and six in another. If you are inside that window, an exit fee on your tariff is irrelevant — and if a supplier tries to charge one, that is worth challenging. The window is not supplier generosity — it comes from Ofgem’s end-of-tariff rules. The full explainer is here. Verified

Sourcing

Where this comes from

ClaimSourceChecked
No cancellation route; switching initiated by the gaining supplierE.ON Next’s and EDF’s own switching pages26 July 2026
No exit fee within 49 days of a fixed tariff endingE.ON Next’s and EDF’s own published pages26 July 2026
Each provider’s number and its labelSourced on that provider’s own page — follow the link for the full tableDated on each page

Bill Watch

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