You May Be Due A Share of £240 million Due To Unclaimed Balances On Old Energy Supplier Accounts

1st November 2025

Have you switched energy suppliers in the last few years. Many people have left unclaimed balances in the old electricity or gas supplier accounts.

What you or other former energy-customers should do regarding the roughly £240 million (often quoted "£250 million") owed on closed energy accounts in the UK.

According to the regulator Ofgem, there are about 1.9 million energy accounts which have been closed but still hold credit balances (i.e., the customer paid more than they owed) that haven't been reclaimed.

The total amount of unclaimed credit is around £240 million

These are accounts that have been "closed" — for example when someone moves home, switches supplier, or otherwise ends their contract — and for one reason or another, the final refund of credit hasn't reached the former customer.

Under Ofgem's rules: suppliers must issue a final bill within six weeks of account closure and must refund any credit within 10 working days of that final bill being sent.

Why it happens

There are several reasons why credit remains unclaimed

The customer moves house or changes supplier and does not provide forwarding contact details, so the supplier can't contact them to issue the refund.

The direct debit or payment method may have been cancelled, so the supplier does not have bank details to process the refund.
Ofgem

The final bill may not have been triggered (meter read delayed, account closure not properly handled).

The amount may be small and overlooked by the customer, so they don't chase it.

The supplier may make attempts, but without correct contact details the refund cannot be completed.

What this means for customers

If you have moved home in the last five years or changed energy supplier, you might be owed a refund from an old energy account. The average could vary - for some it might be only a few pounds; for others, more than £100.

Even if the account was "closed" long ago, you still are entitled to the credit. Suppliers remain obliged to return the money.

This is more relevant now because many households are under cost pressures, so any unclaimed refund may help.

What it means for suppliers / market

Suppliers need to maintain processes to track and return credit balances even after the customer relationship ends.

Because many accounts are closed due to switching or moving, managing the "exit" or "handover" process is important: final meter reads, forwarding addresses, bank details, updating records.

From a regulatory perspective, Ofgem is drawing attention to this issue — making sure the rules (final bill within 6 weeks, refund within 10 working days) are respected and that funds don't just sit unclaimed.

The fact that nearly 2 million accounts have unclaimed credit indicates both a systemic issue of "orphaned" accounts and an opportunity/obligation for suppliers to better engage with former customers.

What you should do (if you think you might be owed)

Gather your old supplier information: account number (if you have it), previous address, dates of account closure, name used on account.

Contact your former supplier (or suppliers) to ask: "Do you hold any credit balance on my closed account?"

You might not have to give all details - often the supplier can search by previous address + name.

If you moved recently (last five years), check old emails/letters for a final bill or refund notification you might have missed.

Even if you don't remember the supplier name, you can start with the big ones (or your previous region) and ask if they have your details.

Keep in mind: time may have passed, but you are still entitled. Don’t assume it’s too late.

If the supplier refuses or doesn’t respond, you may contact consumer-advice organisations or Ofgem for guidance.

Outlook

Ofgem and industry body Energy UK are pushing out communications so more consumers check whether they are owed refunds.

As the energy market remains under cost pressures (high bills, inflation, etc.), this kind of "hidden refund" issue becomes more sensitive: people will be more aware of any money owed to them.

Suppliers may need to invest more in “exit processes” and tracking of old accounts to reduce the scale of unclaimed credit.

It also raises questions about how deeply the “closed account” issue runs: if 1.9 m accounts owe £240m, that’s on average about £126 per account — which suggests a meaningful average amount per person.

Major UK Energy Suppliers — How to Check for Unclaimed Credit
Supplier How to Check for Refunds / Closed Accounts Contact / Link
British Gas Use the online form “Claim a credit balance from a closed account.” You’ll need name, address, and old account number if available. britishgas.co.uk/credit-balance-refund

E.ON Next Online request form for credit owed after switching or moving home. eonnext.com/help/credit-balance-refund

EDF Energy EDF provides a simple form: “I have moved out or switched and believe I’m owed money.” edfenergy.com/credit-refund

Ovo Energy Refund form for ex-customers; can search by old address if account number is unknown. ovoenergy.com/help/credit-refund

Octopus Energy Contact via web form or email: hello@octopus.energy
— state your old address and dates. octopus.energy/help

Scottish Power Online “closed account refund” service; also reachable by phone 0345 270 0700. scottishpower.co.uk/credit-refund

Shell Energy (Now part of Octopus Energy) — same contact route as above if your old supplier was Shell. octopus.energy/help

Bulb Energy (in administration) Handled by Octopus Energy; same refund process as above. octopus.energy/bulb

So Energy / Utility Warehouse / Ecotricity Each has a “final bill and credit refund” form on their customer-support page. so.energy/help7

, utilitywarehouse.co.uk/help
, ecotricity.co.uk/help

How to Make a Refund Claim

Go to the supplier’s “credit refund” page (links above).

Enter your old address, account holder name, and approximate account dates.

If you have an old bill or email, use the account number — speeds up verification.

If you can’t find the right supplier, check which company served your area previously via Energy Networks Association
.

Tip
Even if your old supplier no longer exists, your refund is still claimable — the successor company (like Octopus taking on Bulb or Shell customers) is responsible for repaying credits.