So, you own a microbusiness? Perfect!
You will be pleased to know, or perhaps find out, that being a micro-business actually gives you more freedom and protection than other, larger businesses and even other SMEs. This means that it is easier for you to arrange and negotiate a more convenient and beneficial energy contract for your business.
It is important you take advantage of this, then. Switching your supplier can massively benefit your company and reduce your spending, meaning you can reinvest more of your money into your business (where it is of far more use to you).
Here at Niccolo, we understand small business, and we know how to support you. When you switch over to us, you are switching to a supplier who wants the best for you as opposed to larger suppliers who will happily treat you as a generic customer.
So, as British Gas is clearly not offering you what you want anymore, let us show you how easy the process is to switch over to us.
Am I a Microbusiness?
There is additional support in place within the energy market for microbusinesses. Generally, this is because microbusinesses are considered to be at higher risk of detrimental contracts than larger businesses with more funds and the capacity to have large, specialised account teams.
This means you get longer to switch your contract than other businesses so that you can be more sure, secure, and take your time to find the perfect deal for you.
To switch successfully, all you must do is have a new deal lined up whilst you still have more than 30 days remaining on your current energy contract. For this reason, it is a good idea to regularly remind yourself, or keep a note in your diary, of when your contracts are due to end. This switching window is unique only to microbusinesses and helps make it easier for you to not accidentally miss the switching window and being tied into an expensive roll-over contract with your current supplier.
However – there is additional support, too. Do not worry about potentially forgetting a date.
Your current supplier will contact you around 60 days before your contract expires. As well as this reminding you to look or agree on a new contract, the correspondence from your current supplier should also contain the following information:
| Your yearly energy consumption (average) | |
| Your meter information | |
| The notice period of your contract | |
| The details of your current deal | |
| How your current deal compares to any new deals on offer |
It is important that you know this information as your potential future suppliers will ask you for it. As well as this, it is information you need to begin comparing and assessing suppliers so if for some reason your supplier does not contact you then be sure to ask them for it.
You qualify as a microbusiness if you:
- use less than 100,000 kWh of electricity a year, OR
- use less than 293,000 kWh of gas a year, OR
- have fewer than 10 employees (or the full-time equivalent of 390 contracted hours, perhaps split across more than 10 staff) AND your yearly turnover (or balance sheet) is less than £2 million.
How can I leave British Gas?
The groundwork has been done, you have been comparing deals within your switching window and now you are ready to leave British Gas. Let’s have a look at exactly what you need to do.
To leave British Gas as a microbusiness you MUST:
- Give them 30 days’ notice of your intention to leave,
- Check you are not still in contract with them before starting a new contract,
- Express that you wish to cancel your contract,
- Submit a final meter reading so that your account can be settled, and the final bill can be issued,
- Ensure that you have paid any and all outstanding bills.
The Process: If you are within your 60-day renewal window
British Gas will contact you when you have 60 days left of your contract. After this correspondence, you are classed as customers within their last 2 months with British Gas, and so the following process to leave applies:
- Log in to your online account (if you had not already made one before this point you must create one, so have a recent energy bill to hand for easy access to the relevant information),
- Click the link on the red banner that says ‘View Renewal Options’,
- British Gas will present you with your renewal prices as incentives to stay (they offer a 10% reduction in costs if you renew your contract, for example),
- Read these and then select the button which says ‘I wish to leave British Gas’,
- Clicking this button automatically sends British Gas a notice saying that you are wanting to cancel your contract. This will be processed by British Gas and you will not need to send a separate request to leave them after clicking the button.
The Process: If you are outside of your 60-day renewal window
If you are outside of your renewal window (potentially ending your contract early, or after the renewal window has expired and you have been placed on deemed rates) then there is a different process to follow:
- Contact British Gas directly and negotiate the contract end with a member of staff.
British Gas can be contacted for this purpose via the following methods:
| Phone Number* | 0330 100 0537 |
| Email Address | mybusinesscontract@britishgas.co.uk |
| Postal Address | British Gas, Business Terminations, Winnall Down, Alresford Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1FP |
*active Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm
Final Payments and Settling
Now you have notified British Gas of your intentions to leave, they will request that you submit a final meter reading so they can draft your final bill:
- If you have an online account, log in to submit the meter reading,
- If you do not have an online account, click here to submit the meter reading.
After this has been submitted you will be contacted with the information for your final bill payment to cover any and all outstanding payments. To pay this amount you can either log in to your account or click here.
You may discover that your account is in credit, meaning your previous supposed charges were too high and you have overpaid. If this is the case then you will be refunded and you can click here to find out how to contact British Gas about beginning that process.
How do I join Niccolo Gas?
Within the aforementioned 60-day renewal period, or earlier should you wish to exit your contract early, you should begin comparing deals. After comparing potential deals you can contact Niccolo and enquire about starting your contract.
To get a contract prediction you will need to provide your annual energy consumption as well as some additional details. This will all be explained in more detail when you get in contact with us:
| Phone Number* | 0131 610 8868 |
| Online Quote Request | Here |
| Email Address | info@niccolo.co.uk |
| Postal Address | Niccolo Gas, Hudson House, 8 Albany Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3QB |
After you have agreed a contract with us, that is when you would get in touch with British Gas and begin the process of leaving.
In order to finish the process of joining Niccolo, the following will be required:
| Provide a contact email address, as we issue e-bills | |
| Provide a meter reading on the first day of your contract* |
*We ask for a photo rather than just a submitted reading as it helps us smooth any potential issues over with your old supplier regarding your usage.
Switching to Niccolo from British Gas will take a minimum of 15 days, but we do all the legwork during this time. In the month following your switch to Niccolo we will be in touch with your log in details for the Niccolo Online Portal as well as your first energy bill.
There you go – you have successfully switched your supplier and will begin your new and improved contract with Niccolo Gas!