How to Notify Good Energy After a Death in the UK

How to Notify Good Energy After a Death in the UK

If the Good Energy account holder has died, contact Good Energy with the person’s name, address and date of death, plus your own contact details if you are handling the account. Meter readings are helpful, but Good Energy says it can use estimated readings if necessary.

This is one of those practical jobs that can feel small and overwhelming at the same time. You are not just “dealing with a bill”; you are trying to keep a home running, prevent debt building up, and avoid cancelling something that someone else in the property still needs.

What Good Energy asks for first

Good Energy’s bereavement guidance says you should tell them:

• the name of the person who has died
• the supply address
• the date they died
• meter readings, if you can get them
• the executor’s name and contact details where the account was in the deceased person’s sole name

If you cannot safely access the property or find the meter, do not delay the notification just for a reading. Explain the situation and ask Good Energy to use an estimate until a reading is available.

Before you contact Good Energy

Gather what you can, but do not turn this into a paperwork marathon. A short call or message with the core information is usually enough to start the process.

Information	Why it helps
Account number	Speeds up locating the right account
Full supply address	Helps if you cannot find the account number
Date of death	Confirms the point from which the account needs reviewing
Meter readings	Helps produce a fair bill or refund
Executor or administrator details	Gives Good Energy the right person to correspond with
Direct debit details	Helps decide whether payments need cancelling or changing

If the home is empty, take gas and electricity readings as soon as you reasonably can. If the property is still occupied, make sure the energy supply is not accidentally interrupted while admin is being sorted out.

If there is more than one person on the account

Good Energy says that if there is more than one named person on the account, liability automatically falls to the others listed. In plain English, the surviving account holder or holders normally become responsible for the ongoing energy account.

You may be able to keep the same account, or Good Energy may open a new one depending on the circumstances. If the direct debit used the deceased person’s bank account, tell Good Energy that the bank details need changing. Do not assume an existing direct debit can safely continue: the bank may freeze or close the deceased person’s account once notified.

The practical aim is simple: keep the supply active, move responsibility to the right person, and avoid payments being taken from an account that should no longer be used.

If the Good Energy account was in the deceased person’s sole name

If the account was only in the name of the person who died, Good Energy says it will need to know when the property has been sold or transferred as part of the will or probate process. In the meantime, it needs meter readings and the name and contact details of the executor so bills can be sent to the right place.

This does not necessarily mean probate must be complete before you speak to Good Energy. It means Good Energy needs a responsible contact while the property and estate are being dealt with.

Ask clearly for:

• confirmation that the death has been noted on the account
• where future bills will be sent
• whether the account should remain open while the property is occupied or being sold
• what happens to any credit balance
• whether any direct debit will be cancelled

Good Energy’s guidance says that if there is a credit on the account, it can refund this to the executor. Keep a note of any refund promised and where it will be paid.

Direct debits and credit balances

Energy accounts can easily drift after someone dies. A direct debit may keep taking money even though the property is empty, or it may fail because the bank account has been frozen. Neither outcome is ideal.

If the direct debit came from the deceased person’s account, tell Good Energy and the bank. If someone else is staying in the property, ask Good Energy how to set up a new payment method. If the property is empty, ask whether a reduced or revised payment plan is appropriate until the final position is clear.

If the account is in credit, ask for the refund process in writing. If there is a balance to pay, ask for a final or interim bill and check whether it covers actual or estimated readings.

If the person who died was renting

Good Energy’s guidance says that if the deceased person was the only person liable for the account and they were renting, Good Energy will need the executor’s contact details and the landlord’s information because a new account will need to be opened for the landlord.

This is worth handling promptly. The executor is not usually trying to become personally responsible for the property’s future energy use; they are helping close off the deceased person’s responsibility and pass the account to the right party.

If you are the landlord, ask what opening reading Good Energy will use for the new account. If you are the executor, keep evidence of the date the tenancy ended or the keys were returned if that becomes relevant to billing.

What if the property is empty?

An empty property still needs careful utility handling. Heating may need to stay on low in cold weather to reduce the risk of frozen pipes. Standing charges may continue. Estimated bills may be wrong if usage has dropped sharply.

A sensible sequence is:

1. take meter readings and photos if you can
2. tell Good Energy about the death
3. confirm who should receive bills
4. review any direct debit
5. keep the account open until sale, transfer, landlord takeover or closure is agreed
6. request a final statement when responsibility ends

If there are many organisations to notify, GetPassage can help you keep a simple checklist of who has been contacted, what they asked for and what still needs chasing.

Keep a clear record

For estate administration, record the date you contacted Good Energy, the name of anyone you spoke to, and the outcome. Save copies of bills, refund confirmations and meter readings.

This matters because utility balances are part of the estate’s practical finances. A small credit should not disappear. A small debt should not become a bigger problem because bills were sent to the wrong address.

Key points

• Contact Good Energy with the deceased person’s name, address and date of death.
• Meter readings help, but Good Energy can use estimates if needed.
• Joint account holders normally take over liability.
• Sole-name accounts need an executor or administrator contact.
• Direct debits may need cancelling or replacing.
• Credit balances can be refunded to the executor.
• Rented properties need landlord details so a new account can be opened.

Handle the notification early, but do not panic if you do not have every document. The priority is to tell Good Energy, keep the supply safe, and make sure future bills go to the right person.