Tomato Energy goes bust with households moved to British Gas – here's what you need to know

You'll be transferred to British Gas automatically – don't switch just yet

Here are the key need-to-knows:

• British Gas will take over and your energy supply will continue as normal. Under energy regulator Ofgem's 'safety net' rules, when a supplier fails, a new one is appointed to take over, known as the 'Supplier of Last Resort' (SoLR).
  
  In this instance, British Gas has been appointed and started to supply Tomato Energy customers' gas and electricity on Sunday 9 November.

• You'll be moved on to a bespoke tariff that is equivalent to British Gas' standard variable tariff (SVT). British Gas told us that "all Tomato Energy customers" will initially be placed on to this bespoke tariff – though we've asked for confirmation on whether this include pre-paid users. We'll update this story when we know more.
  
  SVTs are governed by the Energy Price Cap, which sets a maximum amount energy suppliers can charge for each unit of energy and daily standing charges.
  
  Once the transfer is complete, British Gas has said it's planning to offer an exclusive tariff to Tomato Energy customers. You don't, however, have to stick on any tariff British Gas offers you, as you'll be free to switch to a new deal with another provider if you choose – and you won't be charged exit fees.

• If you're on a pre-payment meter you can still use your existing device, buy energy at any of your usual outlets and top-up as normal. Any balance on your meter will remain available for you to use. You'll be sent a new British Gas key or card once your new account is set up.

• Wait to be contacted by British Gas before switching. This is to avoid complications with the account transfer process. Once the transfer is complete, you're free to switch to another provider. If you do decide to switch, do a bespoke comparison to find your cheapest tariff – don't just stick on the British Gas default tariff, as it's likely you'll be paying more than you need to right now.

• If you've already started a switch to another provider, your switch will continue. You don't need to do anything. If you have outstanding credit it will be paid to you by British Gas once it takes over your Tomato Energy account.

• If you were in the process of switching to Tomato Energy, the switch should still go through. However, you will then be automatically switched to British Gas.

If you have any questions in the meantime, you can contact British Gas on 0800 015 2216 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturday, 9am to 2pm). British Gas also has some information about the move on its dedicated webpage.

Take meter readings now

To ensure British Gas can bill you accurately, make a note of your gas and electricity meter readings as soon as possible. It's a good idea to take a photo of the meter readings as evidence, and email it to yourself. You can then give these to British Gas when it contacts you.

If you have a smart meter, British Gas has said that in most cases it should continue to operate in smart mode and be unaffected by your transfer to British Gas. However, some older models of smart meter may lose some functionality, so you may need to take meter readings manually and submit them to British Gas.

You should also try to download any recent bills received from Tomato Energy and save these for your records, in case of any future bill disputes.

Any energy credit you have will be protected

If your Tomato Energy account is currently in credit, Tomato Energy's administrators will provide British Gas with the details of what you're owed as part of its process of closing Tomato Energy. British Gas will then apply that amount to your new British Gas account. You can then request a refund of this credit if you wish.

To be on the safe side, try to download a copy of your latest bill or statement showing this credit, or take a screenshot of your account balance for your records.

If you'd already started a switch to another energy supplier before the firm went under, British Gas should get in touch to arrange a refund of any credit – even if you haven't been switched to it – but this can take a while.

If you owe Tomato Energy any money, you will still have to pay it. Payments will either go to British Gas or Tomato Energy's administrators. British Gas will let you know how this works once it has fully taken over.

Had a solar tariff? This WON'T be transferred automatically

If you had a solar export tariff through Tomato Energy – which pays you a set rate for electricity you generate from solar panels but don't use yourself – this will NOT be automatically transferred to British Gas under Ofgem's rules.

Instead, you'll need to find a new energy provider to export your solar energy to. For help with this, see our Best solar export rates guide.

If you have a 'Tomatopia' contract – where you had solar panels and/ or a battery installed by Tomato Energy in addition to your electricity supply – your energy supply will transfer over to British Gas as part of the SoLR process.

It is not yet clear how the transfer process will work for the remainder of your solar panels contract. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Tomato said it would email users soon "with clear explanations on what happens next". We'll update this story when we have more details.

You don't need to cancel your Direct Debit

There's no immediate need to cancel your Direct Debit – and it's probably easier if you don't. Ofgem says British Gas will contact you to explain how it will take over your account, including any Direct Debit arrangements.

If you've already cancelled your Direct Debit, there's no need to reinstate it. British Gas will explain what to do once it gets in touch with you.