British Gas, Octopus, EDF and OVO customers urged to check for £126 refund

Households are being told to check to see if they could be owed a refund worth an average of £126 each if they have moved house and switched energy supplier.

Anyone who has moved house within the last five years is being urged to check their old emails as they may be owed money, and this could be with any energy supplier including British Gas, Octopus Energy, EDF, OVO, or other firms. According to new data from energy regulator Ofgem, around £240million of unclaimed credit balances in closed accounts are waiting to be returned to consumers. Both Ofgem and Energy UK, the body which represents suppliers, are encouraging consumers to check old letters and emails for final bills, and to contact their supplier if they think they could be due money. Ofgem figures show 1.9 million closed accounts still have credit in them.

Ofgem figures show 1.9 million closed accounts still have credit in them. £240 million of credit divided across 1.9 million accounts would be an average of £126.32 per household waiting to be claimed.

More than 90% of closed account balances are returned automatically and suppliers always try to get any outstanding credit balances back to consumers when they close an account. But if a person moves house and doesn't update them with their new contact details, it means their outstanding credit can't be returned.

As such, people are being urged to check letters and emails for final bills, or log into their old accounts, and contact their supplier if they think they're owed a refund.

Tim Jarvis, director general for retail at Ofgem, said: "Moving house requires a lot of life admin - and it's understandable that some things will be missed. But with almost two million closed accounts currently in credit, the message is clear - if you've moved in the last five years, reach out to your old supplier, provide them with the correct information, and you could be due a refund.

"Suppliers work very hard to return money to people when they close an account - due to the rules Ofgem has put in place, it's in their interests to do so.

"However without the right contact details, they're stuck. That's why we're working together to get the message out and return money to the people entitled to it."

Under Ofgem's rules, suppliers are required to issue a final bill within six weeks of an account being closed and refund within 10 working days, but delays can happen when customer details are missing and a refund cannot be made.

When contacting suppliers, consumers should share their full name, previous address, account number (if known), switch details, and contact information to help locate old accounts.

Ed Rees, Energy UK's Head of Retail Policy, added: "We know that energy bills remain a challenge for many households and suppliers are working hard to support customers, including making sure any credit on closed accounts is quickly returned.

"It's always important to keep your contact details up to date so your supplier can provide support when you need it and so they can also then return unclaimed funds promptly.

"There are a range of easy ways to get in touch, including email and webchat, and we'd encourage customers to contact their supplier if they need help or advice.

"If you're moving, switching or closing an account, remember to keep your direct debit active until your final bill has been settled to avoid leaving money unclaimed."