Basic services

Basic supply refers to the provision of energy (electricity or gas) to all domestic customers who have not entered into a specific contract with a supplier – for example, following a move house.

The fallback supply, on the other hand, comes into effect automatically if your previous supplier is suddenly unable to supply you (e.g. in the event of insolvency) or if your network access has been terminated. It is intended as a ‘safety net’ to ensure you are never left in the dark.

Your default supplier is always the energy company that supplies the most domestic customers in your network area. This is usually the local municipal utility. You can easily find out exactly who this is by contacting the relevant network operator or searching online using your postcode.

By law, the temporary supply is limited to a maximum of three months. During this time, you have the opportunity to take your time finding a new electricity or gas tariff. If you do not take any action by the end of the three months, you will automatically be switched to the (usually slightly cheaper) basic supply offered by your local provider.

Yes, that’s one of the biggest advantages. The basic service has a statutory notice period of just two weeks. This means you’re extremely flexible and can switch to a provider offering better terms at any time.

Tip: The alternative service doesn’t even have a notice period – you can terminate it at any time without notice simply by taking out a new contract.