Sainsbury's Energy customers moved to British Gas – here's what you need to know

On 5 February, Sainsbury's Energy announced that all of its customers would be moved to British Gas, and that it would not be taking on any new customers. 

It has now confirmed that as of Sunday 7 April, all customers had been moved to the big six firm. 

Sainsbury's Energy operates under its own brand but until recently was actually a white label of British Gas – in other words, it was the same company but used a different name.

All Sainsbury's Energy customers should use this move as a trigger to check if they can save by switching, as many are being ripped off. Check for any exit fees, as explained below, then use our Cheap Energy Club to find your cheapest and save £100s/yr.

How are Sainsbury's Energy customers affected?

If you were a Sainsbury's Energy customer, your contract should have automatically moved to British Gas, but your account number, tariff and payments will stay the same. 

Any outstanding debt or credit associated with your Sainsbury's Energy account should also have been moved to your new British Gas account.

If you have a smart meter, readings will continue to be taken automatically. 

Can I leave my tariff penalty-free?

The shift to British Gas is a good opportunity to check if you can switch and save. This will depend on the type of tariff you're on:

• If on a standard variable tariff, you can leave penalty-free at any time. On typical use, the British Gas standard variable tariff is £1,254/yr (the same as Sainsbury's Energy's) while the cheapest standard variable on the market today is £880/yr. So use Cheap Energy Club to switch and save £300+/year.

• If on a 'temporary' tariff, you can leave penalty-free at any time. Depending on the start date of the temporary tariff, a typical user could save £180+/yr. Use our Cheap Energy Club to switch and save.

• If on a fixed tariff, you'll need to check the terms and conditions to see if there are any exit fees – these vary depending on your tariff but can be about £30-£40 per fuel. These will still apply even though you've been moved to British Gas.

  Even if there are exit fees, it could be worth checking if you can switch and save, factoring these in. Also remember that you can leave any fix penalty-free if you're in the last 49 days of the tariff. 

  Use our free Cheap Energy Club to do a full market comparison and see if you can save by switching.

What's happening to Sainsbury's Energy?

Sainsbury's has said it will soon announce a partnership with another energy provider, and once again start providing gas and electricity using the Sainsbury's Energy name.