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The short answer
When you move into a UK flat, the energy is already connected: your job is to find out who supplies it, take meter readings on the day you move in, and give them to that supplier with your name and start date. If you pay the bills, Ofgem says you can choose a new tariff or supplier after moving in, subject to your tenancy. Typical prices are limited by Ofgem's price cap, set at £1,723 a year for a typical Direct Debit household for 1 October to 31 December 2026.
First, who pays and who supplies
Ofgem's guidance for renters starts with two questions: who is the supplier, and who pays the bills? Check your tenancy agreement or ask your landlord or letting agent. If bills are included in your rent, the landlord deals with the supplier and should include the cost of the energy you use in your rent. If you pay, the account becomes yours from the day your tenancy starts.
If nobody can tell you the supplier, look at any recent post addressed to 'the occupier', check the meter for a supplier sticker, or ask the letting agent for the previous tenant's final bill. In a block of flats on a heat network, you cannot switch heating supplier, Ofgem says, because one supplier manages the heating equipment for the whole building.
Day one: readings and photos
- Find the meters. In flats they are often in a cupboard by the front door, under the stairs or in a communal meter room.
- Take a clear, dated photo of each meter display: electricity, and gas if the flat has gas. For a two-rate electricity meter (Economy 7), record both readings.
- Note the meter serial numbers printed on the meters.
- Contact the supplier the same week with your name, move-in date, readings and how you want to pay.
- Keep the photos until you have had at least one correct bill.
The readings separate what you use from what the last occupant used. Without them, a supplier may estimate, and you can end up disputing a bill months later.
How a bill is built
Each fuel has two parts: a unit rate (pence per kilowatt hour used) and a daily standing charge (a fixed amount for every day you are connected, whether or not you use anything). Ofgem's price cap limits both for standard variable tariffs. For 1 October to 31 December 2026, Ofgem gives these average Direct Debit figures for England, Scotland and Wales:
| Fuel | Unit rate | Daily standing charge |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 26.32p per kWh | 54.83p |
| Gas | 7.97p per kWh | 29.68p |
Ofgem notes the figures include 5% VAT on gas and that there is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. Rates vary by region and by how you pay (Direct Debit, standard credit or prepayment). The cap changes every quarter, so check Ofgem's page for the current period.
A worked example
Example only, using the averages above for a 30-day month: electricity of 200 kWh costs 200 x 26.32p = £52.64, plus 30 x 54.83p = £16.45 standing charge, total £69.09. Gas of 600 kWh costs 600 x 7.97p = £47.82, plus 30 x 29.68p = £8.90, total £56.72. Together, about £125.81 for the month. Your usage will differ, and winter months use far more gas.
Choosing how to pay
- Direct Debit: a fixed or variable monthly amount taken from your UK bank account; the price cap's headline figure is based on it.
- Standard credit: you pay each bill after it arrives.
- Prepayment: you top up before you use energy. If the flat already has a prepay meter, read your rights with a prepayment meter.
Direct Debit needs a UK bank account. If you are still sorting one out, see opening a UK bank account on a work visa.
Sharing a flat, and moving out
In a shared flat, one person usually holds the account and the others pay their share to that person. Agree in writing how you split the standing charges, which are owed even when someone is away, and the usage. When anyone moves out, or when you leave, take final readings on the last day, photograph them, and give them to the supplier with a forwarding address so the final bill is accurate. Any credit on the account should be returned to you; ask for it.
Switching as a renter
Ofgem says that if you pay the bills, you can switch supplier or tariff at any time. Before you do, check whether your tenancy has a 'default supplier clause' listing suppliers you may use, whether that list can be changed, whether you need to tell the landlord or agent, and whether a 'notice and return' clause means you must switch back when the tenancy ends. Suppliers must complete a switch within 5 working days or the new supplier pays you £40. You can cancel within 14 days, and leaving a fixed tariff early may bring an exit fee.
What to check first
- Who pays: you or the landlord.
- The supplier's name and your meter readings on day one.
- Your region's rates on Ofgem's price cap page.
- Any supplier clauses in your tenancy.
- Help available if money is tight: energy help schemes.
Where Pryme fits
Many readers also pay electricity for family in Nigeria. From a Pryme account you can send naira to them, and the mechanics of Nigerian tokens are explained in how prepaid electricity tokens work in Nigeria.
Questions people ask
How do I find out who supplies energy to my new flat?
Ask your landlord or letting agent, check the tenancy agreement, or look for a supplier label on the meter or post addressed to the occupier.
Do I need to take meter readings when I move in?
Yes. Photograph each meter on the day you move in and give the readings to the supplier, so you only pay for what you use.
Can I switch energy supplier if I rent?
Ofgem says yes if you pay the bills, subject to any default supplier or notice and return clause in your tenancy.
What is the energy price cap in October 2026?
£1,723 a year for a typical Direct Debit household for 1 October to 31 December 2026, per Ofgem. It limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total bill.
Sources
- Ofgem: Switch your home energy supplier · accessed Oct 2026
- Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- Ofgem: Get help with your prepayment meter · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.