Failed Energy Companies: Every UK Supplier That Has Gone Bust Since 2016
Fifty-seven UK energy suppliers have collapsed since 2016, affecting an estimated 5 to 6 million customer accounts. If your supplier goes bust, your gas and electricity keep flowing, and Ofgem’s Supplier of Last Resort process moves you to a new supplier automatically.
This page is the complete list of failed UK energy suppliers, with how many customers each affected and which company took them over. It also explains what happens to your supply, your money and your tariff, and what to do next. If you want to move on from a deemed contract, you can compare business energy suppliers once your account has settled.
On this page
How Many Energy Suppliers Have Gone Bust?
57 UK energy suppliers have failed since 2016, and 2021 was by far the worst year with 28 collapses. The 2021 energy crisis alone moved more than 4 million customers to new suppliers.
The table below shows how the failures cluster by year. Customer figures are Ofgem’s approximate totals at the point each supplier stopped trading.
| Year | Suppliers that failed | Approx. customers affected |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | ~160,000 |
| 2018 | 8 | ~540,000 |
| 2019 | 9 | ~480,000 |
| 2020 | 5 | ~215,000 |
| 2021 | 28 | ~4.2 million |
| 2022 | 4 | ~180,000 |
| 2025 | 2 | ~114,000 |
| Total | 57 | ~5.9 million |
This total counts suppliers that failed through Ofgem’s supplier-of-last-resort process. Two council-owned suppliers and a group of council white-label brands also closed in 2020, and we cover those separately below.
What Happens When Your Energy Supplier Goes Bust?
When a supplier fails, Ofgem appoints a new one to take over your account through the Supplier of Last Resort process. Your gas and electricity are never cut off, and you do not need to do anything straight away.
The Supplier Of Last Resort (SoLR) Process
Ofgem runs a competitive process and appoints a replacement supplier, usually within a few days and up to about two weeks. The Supplier of Last Resort inherits your account and contacts you once the transfer is set up.
Your Supply Keeps Running
Your energy does not stop for a moment, because the gas and electricity networks are separate from your supplier. Only the company that bills you changes.
What Happens To Your Credit Balance?
Domestic customers in credit are protected by Ofgem’s Safety Net, so any money you are owed is honoured by the new supplier. Business credit balances are not automatically covered, so companies usually have to claim through the failed supplier’s administrators.
Deemed Contracts And Your New Rate
The new supplier places you on a deemed contract, which you did not choose and which can be more expensive. There are no exit fees on a deemed contract, so you are free to switch to a better deal once things settle.
What Should You Do If Your Supplier Fails?
Take a meter reading, sit tight and wait for your new supplier to make contact. Do not try to switch until the transfer is complete, or you could complicate your final bill.
The safest approach follows four steps:
- Take a meter reading and a photo, and download any recent bills for your records.
- Do not switch supplier yet, and wait for Ofgem to appoint your new supplier.
- When the new supplier contacts you, set up an online account and check your balance.
- Once your account has settled, compare the market and move off the deemed rate if you can save.
Not sure who supplies you now? Our guide to who supplies your electricity and gas shows you how to check in minutes.
Why Did So Many Energy Suppliers Fail?
Most failures came down to a sharp rise in wholesale gas prices that suppliers had not hedged against. The 2021 energy crisis exposed dozens of small suppliers that were selling energy for less than it cost them.
Wholesale gas prices roughly quadrupled through 2021, while the domestic price cap limited what suppliers could charge households. Many challenger brands ran on thin margins with little financial buffer, so they collapsed when costs spiked.
In response, Ofgem tightened its financial resilience rules, so suppliers now face stricter checks on capital and hedging. That is one reason failures slowed sharply after 2022.
The Full List Of Failed UK Energy Suppliers (2016 To 2025)
Every UK supplier that has ceased trading since 2016 is listed below by year, with the number of customers affected and the Supplier of Last Resort that took them over. Suppliers with a live profile on our site are linked.
2016
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB Energy Supply | ~160,000 | Co-operative Energy | gbenergysupply.co.uk |
2018
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Energy | ~10,000 | Green Star Energy | Not confirmed |
| National Gas and Power | ~80 (business) | Hudson Energy | Not confirmed |
| Iresa | ~90,000 | Octopus Energy | iresa.co.uk |
| GEN4U | ~500 | Octopus Energy | gen4u.co.uk |
| Usio Energy | ~7,000 | First Utility | usioenergy.com |
| Extra Energy | ~108,000 | Scottish Power | extra-energy.co.uk |
| Spark Energy | ~290,000 | OVO Energy | sparkenergy.co.uk |
| OneSelect | ~36,000 | Together Energy | Not confirmed |
2019
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Energy | ~235,000 | OVO Energy | economyenergy.co.uk |
| Our Power | ~38,000 | Utilita Energy | our-power.co.uk |
| Brilliant Energy | ~17,000 | SSE | brilliant-energy.co.uk |
| Cardiff Energy Supply | ~800 | SSE | Not confirmed |
| Solarplicity | ~7,500 | EDF Energy | solarplicity.com |
| Eversmart Energy | ~29,000 | Utilita Energy | eversmartenergy.co.uk |
| Rutherford / Uttily Energy | ~280 (business) | Total Gas & Power | Not confirmed |
| Toto Energy | ~134,000 | EDF Energy | totoenergy.com |
| Breeze Energy | ~18,000 | British Gas | breezeenergy.co.uk |
2020
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Better Energy Supply | Not published | Voluntary exit (no SoLR) | Not confirmed |
| Gnergy | ~9,000 | Bulb | gnergy.co.uk |
| Go Effortless Energy | ~2,500 | Octopus Energy | goeffortless.co.uk |
| Tonik Energy | ~130,000 | Scottish Power | tonikenergy.com |
| Yorkshire Energy (Daisy Energy) | ~74,000 | Scottish Power | Not confirmed |
2021: The Year Of The Energy Crisis 28 failures
2021 accounts for almost half of every UK supplier failure on record. A single wave in September and October 2021 took out household names such as Avro, People’s Energy and Bulb within weeks of each other.
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Network Energy | ~360,000 | EDF Energy | greennetworkenergy.co.uk |
| Simplicity Energy | ~50,000 | British Gas | simplicity.energy |
| Hub Energy | ~15,000 | E.ON Next | hubenergy.co.uk |
| PFP Energy | ~88,000 | British Gas | pfpenergy.co.uk |
| MoneyPlus Energy | ~9,000 | British Gas | Not confirmed |
| People’s Energy | ~350,000 | British Gas | peoplesenergy.co.uk |
| Utility Point | ~220,000 | EDF Energy | utilitypoint.co.uk |
| Avro Energy | ~580,000 | Octopus Energy | avroenergy.co.uk |
| Green Supplier Ltd (Green.) | ~255,000 | Shell Energy | green.energy |
| ENSTROGA | ~6,000 | E.ON Next | enstroga.co.uk |
| Igloo Energy | ~179,000 | E.ON Next | igloo.energy |
| Symbio Energy | ~48,000 | E.ON Next | symbioenergy.co.uk |
| Colorado Energy | ~15,000 | Shell Energy | coloradoenergy.co.uk |
| Pure Planet | ~250,000 | Shell Energy | purepla.net |
| Daligas | ~9,000 | Shell Energy | daligas.co.uk |
| GOTO Energy | ~22,000 | Shell Energy | goto.energy |
| Bluegreen Energy Services | ~5,900 | British Gas | Not confirmed |
| AmpowerUK | ~2,600 | Yü Energy | ampoweruk.com |
| MA Energy | ~300 (business) | SmartestEnergy Business | maenergy.co.uk |
| Omni Energy | ~6,000 | Utilita Energy | omni-energy.co.uk |
| Zebra Power | ~14,800 | British Gas | zebrapower.co.uk |
| CNG Energy | ~41,000 (business) | Pozitive Energy | cngltd.co.uk |
| Neon Reef | ~30,000 | British Gas | neonreef.co.uk |
| Social Energy Supply | ~5,500 | British Gas | social.energy |
| Bulb Energy | ~1.5–1.7 million | Special administration (later Octopus) | bulb.co.uk |
| Entice Energy | ~5,400 | Scottish Power | Not confirmed |
| Orbit Energy | ~65,000 | Scottish Power | orbitenergy.co.uk |
| Zog Energy | ~11,700 | EDF Energy | zogenergy.com |
Note: Bulb was the only supplier placed into special administration rather than a standard SoLR transfer, because it was too large to move quickly. Its customers were later moved to Octopus Energy.
2022
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Together Energy | ~176,600 | British Gas | togetherenergy.co.uk |
| Whoop Energy | ~260 (domestic) | Yü Energy | Not confirmed |
| Xcel Power | ~270 (business) | Yü Energy | xcelenergy.co.uk |
| UK Energy Incubator Hub (Neo / Northumbria) | ~3,000 | Octopus Energy | Not confirmed |
2025
| Supplier | Customers affected | Taken over by (SoLR) | Former website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebel Energy | ~90,000 | British Gas | rebelenergy.com |
| Tomato Energy | ~23,700 | British Gas | tomato.energy |
Council-Owned Suppliers And White-Label Brands That Closed
Beyond the 57 supplier-of-last-resort failures, two council-owned suppliers collapsed and a cluster of council-backed ‘white-label’ brands closed in 2020. Their customers were not stranded, so they sit outside the SoLR list, but they belong in the wider story of UK supplier failures.
Council-Owned Suppliers That Collapsed
Robin Hood Energy and Bristol Energy were set up by local councils and lost tens of millions of pounds of public money before being wound down. Both sold their customer books through negotiated deals rather than a formal Ofgem process.
Together Energy, listed under 2022 above, was also part-owned by Warrington Borough Council. Unlike these two, it held its own licence and failed through the standard supplier-of-last-resort process.
| Supplier | Customers | What happened | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Hood Energy | ~112,000 | Nottingham City Council-owned; ~£38m loss, customers sold to British Gas | 2020 |
| Bristol Energy | ~155,000 | Bristol City Council-owned; domestic sold to Together Energy, business to Yü Energy | 2020 |
Council White-Label Brands That Closed
White-label brands did not hold their own supply licence, so their customers moved automatically when the licence holder changed. Most of the brands below ran on Robin Hood Energy’s licence and ended when it was sold in 2020, while Peterborough Energy ran on OVO Energy’s licence.
| Brand | Local authority | Ran on the licence of |
|---|---|---|
| Angelic Energy | Islington | Robin Hood Energy |
| Beam Energy | Barking & Dagenham | Robin Hood Energy |
| Citizen Energy | Southampton | Robin Hood Energy |
| Fosse Energy | Leicestershire | Robin Hood Energy |
| Great North Energy | Doncaster & Barnsley | Robin Hood Energy |
| The Leccy | Liverpool | Robin Hood Energy |
| RAM Energy | Derby | Robin Hood Energy |
| Southend Energy | Southend-on-Sea | Robin Hood Energy |
| White Rose Energy | Leeds | Robin Hood Energy |
| Your Energy Sussex | West Sussex | Robin Hood Energy |
| Peterborough Energy | Peterborough | OVO Energy |
Energy Brands That Were Acquired, Not Failed
Some well-known suppliers disappeared through takeovers rather than going bust, so their customers were never at risk. They are often confused with failed suppliers, so we have listed them here for clarity.
iSupplyEnergy is the borderline case, as its owner exited the UK and EDF took on its customers through an orderly wind-down. Some directories loosely call this a supplier of last resort, but it was a commercial customer transfer rather than an emergency failure.
| Supplier | Year | Acquired by |
|---|---|---|
| Opus Energy | 2017 | Drax Group (still trading for business customers) |
| Affect Energy | 2018 | Octopus Energy |
| Flow Energy | 2018 | Co-operative Energy |
| Green Star Energy | 2019 | Shell Energy |
| Hudson Energy | 2019 | Shell Energy |
| iSupplyEnergy | 2020 | EDF Energy |
On a deemed contract after a supplier failure?
Compare the market and move to a better fixed deal, as there are no exit fees on a deemed rate.
How Is Your Energy Protected If A Supplier Fails?
Ofgem’s Safety Net guarantees your supply and protects domestic credit balances whenever a supplier fails. It is the reason no household has been left without energy through any of these collapses.
Domestic customers are covered for outstanding credit and continued supply. Business customers keep their supply too, but should read Ofgem’s business energy guidance and move quickly to reclaim any credit through the administrators.
For a plain-English walkthrough of your rights, Citizens Advice keeps an up-to-date guide on what to do if your energy supplier goes bust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose money if my energy supplier goes bust?
Domestic customers are protected by Ofgem’s Safety Net, so any credit is honoured by the new supplier. Business credit balances are not automatically protected and are usually claimed through the administrators.
Will my energy supply be cut off?
No, your gas and electricity keep flowing without interruption. The networks that deliver your energy are separate from the supplier that bills you.
What is a Supplier of Last Resort?
It is the replacement supplier that Ofgem appoints to take on the customers of a failed company, usually within a couple of weeks.
Should I switch supplier immediately if mine fails?
No, wait until Ofgem has appointed your new supplier and your account has transferred. Once it has settled, you can switch away from the deemed contract with no exit fees.
Are business customers protected in the same way as households?
Not fully. Businesses keep their supply, but the Safety Net does not automatically protect business credit balances, so companies should act quickly to recover any money owed.
Which suppliers took over the most failed companies?
British Gas, Octopus Energy, EDF, E.ON Next, Shell Energy and Scottish Power absorbed the majority of failed suppliers.
How do I move off a deemed contract after my supplier failed?
Once your new account is set up, compare the market and switch to a fixed deal. Start by comparing business electricity and business gas prices, or use our guide to switching business energy.