What to do with an energy account after someone dies
Dealing with an energy account is rarely the first thing on anyone’s mind after a bereavement, and it doesn’t need to be. There’s no legal deadline forcing you to call the supplier the same week, though sorting energy account bereavement admin sooner does stop confusion over who’s responsible for the bill.
As executor or next of kin, you’re entitled to tell the supplier what’s happened and take over management of the account, generally without needing to produce probate at that first stage. The rules here sit somewhere between formal Ofgem regulation and ordinary good customer service, and it helps to know which is which before you call.
Do I need probate before I can speak to the supplier?
No, not usually. Most suppliers will speak to a next of kin or executor and update the account once they’ve confirmed who they’re dealing with, well before probate is granted. If a call handler insists otherwise, ask to be put through to their dedicated bereavement team, which every major supplier now runs.
Energy account bereavement teams exist specifically because standard customer service scripts aren’t built for this conversation, and a specialist team is usually faster and considerably less painful to deal with than the general call centre queue.
Will the supplier charge an exit fee to close the account?
Often not, but be careful how this is framed. Waiving an exit fee after a bereavement is a common supplier concession rather than a formally published Ofgem rule, so it isn’t guaranteed by law the way some other protections are. Ask directly, and don’t assume silence means no fee is coming.
Most suppliers do waive it in practice once a death has been confirmed, particularly on a fixed tariff that would otherwise still be mid term. It’s worth getting any waiver confirmed in writing rather than taking a verbal assurance on trust, since a concession that was promised on the phone can otherwise get lost between departments.
Any money left in credit belongs to the estate
In full, no matter how the account is titled going forward. This is the one part of the process with a hard rule behind it, so it is worth knowing precisely.
Under Ofgem’s guaranteed standards, once a final bill is issued the supplier must refund any credit balance within 10 working days. If they miss that deadline you are automatically owed £30 in compensation, and if they then fail to pay that £30, they owe a further £30 within 10 working days of the breach.
That money forms part of what the executor is responsible for distributing. In practice, refunds can take longer to actually land once probate and account closure both go through, but the 10 working day clock starts from the final bill, not from probate. If it has passed, you are not asking a favour when you chase, you are claiming something owed.
Switching supplier or staying put are both fine
There’s no requirement to keep the deceased’s tariff running as it was. If the property is being kept on and someone else is moving in, it’s a natural moment to compare energy deals from scratch rather than simply relabelling the same account.
If the property is being sold or left empty in the meantime, ask the supplier about a temporary vacant property tariff rather than leaving a live account with nobody managing it. Our Priority Services Register guide is also worth a look if anyone remaining in the household has additional support needs the supplier should know about.
What if there’s a partner or family member still living there?
A surviving partner or family member can usually stay on supply without interruption while the process runs in the background, since suppliers won’t cut anyone off mid process. The account simply needs renaming once probate or the necessary authority is sorted.
If the surviving household member is now managing money and bills alone for the first time, our energy hardship grants guide is worth checking too, since eligibility sometimes changes along with a change in household circumstances.
Energy account bereavement checklist
- Contact the supplier’s bereavement team directly rather than the general line.
- You generally don’t need probate to notify them or update the account.
- Ask specifically about an exit fee waiver and get it confirmed in writing.
- Any credit balance belongs to the estate and must be refunded within 10 working days of the final bill, with £30 owed automatically if it isn’t.
- Decide whether to switch supplier or keep the tariff once the account is in someone else’s name.
| What’s a rule and what’s a concession | Status |
|---|---|
| Credit refund within 10 working days of final bill | Ofgem guaranteed standard |
| £30 automatic compensation if that deadline is missed | Ofgem guaranteed standard |
| Speaking to executor or next of kin without probate | Standard supplier practice, not a published Ofgem rule |
| Exit fee waived after a death | Common concession, not guaranteed by law |
| Dedicated bereavement support team | Standard across major suppliers |
Frequently asked questions about energy account bereavement
- Who is responsible for the energy bill before the account is updated?
- The estate is generally responsible for charges up to the point the supplier is notified and the account is formally transferred or closed.
- What if the credit refund doesn’t arrive?
- The supplier has 10 working days from issuing the final bill. Miss that and £30 compensation is owed automatically, without you having to claim it, and a further £30 if they fail to pay the first.
- Can a supplier refuse to talk to me if I’m not next of kin?
- They may ask for evidence of your authority to act, such as being the named executor, before discussing account details in detail.
- Does the Priority Services Register transfer automatically to a new account holder?
- No, it needs re registering under the new account holder’s name if they have their own support needs.
- What if the deceased was in debt to the supplier?
- Any debt is settled from the estate, not by family members personally, and the bereavement team can talk through repayment from the estate’s funds.
- Is there a time limit on notifying the supplier?
- No fixed legal deadline exists, though notifying promptly avoids ongoing charges building up on an unmanaged account.
None of this needs to be dealt with immediately, and every major supplier has a team built for exactly this conversation. Ask for it by name, get anything important confirmed in writing, and don’t assume a concession is a legal right until someone’s told you otherwise. It’s one of the smaller jobs on a long list, and it’s meant to be one of the easier ones too.
Sources
- Ofgem, Customers entitled to automatic compensation for switching problems. The 10 working day credit refund standard, the £30 automatic compensation, and the further £30 if that payment is missed.
- Ofgem, Check if you are owed money on your energy bill. Reclaiming credit balances on closed accounts.
Checked 24 September 2026. Exit fee waivers and pre probate account handling are supplier practice rather than published Ofgem rules, and are described here as such.
