energy switching Archives

May 7, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

How to Switch Business Energy UK: A Small Business Guide (2026)

Last updated: 13 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

If you run a small business in the UK and you want to switch business energy, you're in the right place. Most business owners never actively choose their energy supplier. They just inherit whoever supplied the premises and carry on paying whatever lands in the inbox. That's an expensive way to run things, and once you understand why, the fix is surprisingly simple.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute business or financial advice. Energy prices change frequently. Always verify current rates directly with suppliers.

Business energy is a different world to domestic. There's no price cap protecting you, the VAT is higher, and the market is full of brokers trying to lock you into long contracts. Several of us on the CoolCuration team are freelancers or run small businesses, so we've been through this process ourselves. Here's what we learned.

Published by Stiv in Energy, Money, Money saving

Tags: business energy, business energy supplier, Climate Change Levy, energy switching, freelancer energy, octopus energy, small business UK, sole trader energy, switch business energy, VAT business energy

April 6, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Octopus vs Ovo Energy 2026: Which UK Supplier Is Better?

Last updated: 6 April 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

If you're weighing up Octopus vs Ovo for your next energy switch, you're not alone. Both are major UK suppliers, both talk a big game on green energy, and both want your direct debit. So which one actually delivers? In this head-to-head comparison, we break down pricing, customer service, green credentials, smart tariffs, and everything else that matters when choosing between Octopus Energy and Ovo Energy in 2026.

This is an opinion piece. Views expressed are the author's own and do not constitute professional advice.

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Published by Stiv in Energy, Money saving, Services

Tags: energy comparison, energy switching, green energy, octopus energy, Ovo Energy, price cap, smart tariffs, UK energy supplier

March 9, 2026 — Comments are off for this post.

Is Octopus Energy Regulated by Ofgem? UK Licensing and Consumer Protection (2026)

Last updated: 29 March 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Yes. Octopus Energy is regulated by Ofgem, the UK's independent energy regulator. That means Octopus must follow the same consumer protection rules, pricing regulations and licensing requirements as every other domestic energy supplier in Great Britain. In practical terms, this covers everything from how you're billed to how quickly you can switch and what happens if things go wrong.

Quick answer

Octopus Energy holds both gas and electricity supply licences from Ofgem.
Default tariffs are subject to the Ofgem price cap.
Switching, billing and complaint handling rules all apply.
Customers can escalate unresolved complaints to the Energy Ombudsman.
If Octopus ever failed, the Supplier of Last Resort (SoLR) process would protect your supply and credit balance.

If you're reviewing suppliers and want to see how switching works in practice, start here: Octopus Energy switch process.

Reassured and ready to switch?

The current Octopus new-customer credit is listed on our referral page, kept up to date.

See the live Octopus credit

Published by Stiv in Discount, Energy, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: consumer protection, energy switching, octopus energy, Ofgem, price cap, UK energy regulation

December 31, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

Best Referral Offers UK 2026: £400+ in Rewards (Stacking Guide)

Last updated: 10 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

I've been stacking UK referral offers for over four years, including using Sprive with my Nationwide mortgage since October 2021. This guide is based on what's actually landed in my own accounts.

Looking for the best referral offers UK can earn you in 2026? Honest answer: most people grab one sign-up bonus, forget the rest, and leave easy money sitting on the table. This guide is different. It's a practical stacking plan you can work through in an afternoon, with every UK referral offer we trust organised by category so you know exactly what to tackle first.

We've personally tested these offers across banking bonuses, free shares, energy switching credit, broadband deals, cashback layers and mortgage overpayment tricks. Done properly, you're looking at £400+ in total rewards without doing anything sketchy. Furthermore, several of these keep paying month after month.

Affiliate note: This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

Financial disclaimer: Anything involving investing is not financial advice. Capital at risk: the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Offers can change without notice, so always do your own research before signing up to any product.

Start with the biggest single win

If you only do one this week, the Octopus Energy switch is the easiest one to claim: real bill credit, no shares and no lock-in.

Switch to Octopus Energy

Published by Stiv in Discount, Finance, Money, Money saving, Referral Guides, Saving, Services, UK Deals

Tags: 2026, bank bonuses 2026, cashback, cashback deals, energy switching, free money UK, free shares, investment bonuses, money saving, referral codes UK, referral offers, referrals, sign up bonuses, sign-up bonuses, uk fintech

November 26, 2025 — Comments are off for this post.

UK Energy Price Cap January 2026: What Happened and What to Do Now

Last updated: 9 June 2026

By Stiv · Design, technology and personal finance

This article contains affiliate or referral links. If you click through and sign up I may earn a commission or referral bonus at no extra cost to you. It does not affect my editorial view.

The energy price cap in January 2026 rose by 0.2% to £1,758 per year for a typical dual-fuel household. At the time, that small rise was enough of a nudge to make switching to a fixed tariff worthwhile. Since then, the picture has moved on considerably. Ofgem has confirmed the April 2026 cap will fall to £1,641, which changes the calculation again — though the case for switching to Octopus Energy remains strong.

Update — March 2026: The April 2026 cap has been confirmed. We have published a full breakdown of what the new figure means and whether now is the right time to switch.

Read: April 2026 energy price cap — the drop, the risk, and the £50 switch offer

Get £50 credit when you switch to Octopus Read more

Published by Stiv in Discount, Saving, Services, UK Made

Tags: energy price cap, energy switching, fixed tariff, January 2026, octopus energy, Ofgem, UK households