How to Notify So Energy After a Death in the UK

How to Notify So Energy After a Death in the UK

If the person who died had a So Energy account, contact So Energy when you are ready so they can stop sending bills or emails in the deceased person’s name and help decide what happens to the supply. You can usually begin before you have every document, but it helps to gather the account number, supply address, a meter reading and a copy of the death certificate.

This guide explains what to prepare, how to contact So Energy, and how to avoid disrupting the energy supply if someone is still living at the property.

Before you contact So Energy

You do not need to solve the whole estate before making the first call or email. The aim at this stage is simple: let So Energy know that the account holder has died, make sure the account is handled sensitively, and agree what should happen next.

Gather what you can, without delaying unnecessarily:

• the person’s full name
• the So Energy account number, if you can find it
• the supply address
• the date of death
• your name and relationship to the person who died
• your phone number and email address
• an up-to-date meter reading, if it is safe and practical to take one
• what is happening to the property, such as whether it is occupied, vacant, rented or being sold
• the name and contact details of the executor or administrator, if that is someone different from you

If you use GetPassage to build a post-death admin plan, add So Energy to the utilities section alongside water, council tax, broadband and home insurance. Keeping these together reduces the risk of closing one account while another service still depends on the property being maintained.

How to contact So Energy bereavement support

So Energy’s public bereavement guidance says you can contact them by phone on 0330 111 5050 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, or email help@so.energy.

In your first message, keep it factual and short. For example:

I am writing to let you know that [full name], the account holder at [address], has died. Please update the account and let me know what information you need to manage the supply and billing from here.

Include the account number if you have it. If you do not, the address and the account holder’s name should help them locate the account.

Does So Energy need a death certificate?

So Energy’s bereavement guidance says they ask for a copy of the death certificate. Their public article is clear that this should be a copy, not the original.

They say a scanned copy can be emailed to help@so.energy. Their postal address for a copy is:

So Energy, Care of Apogee, 6–8 Bonhill Street, London, EC2A 4BX

Keep the original death certificate safe. Many organisations may ask to see evidence of the death, and original certificates are easier to manage if you retain control of them and send copies where accepted.

What happens if someone is still living at the property?

This is the point to handle carefully. Do not simply close the account if a spouse, partner, family member, tenant or buyer needs the energy supply to continue.

Tell So Energy who is now responsible for the property and whether the supply needs to remain active. Depending on the circumstances, the account may need to be transferred, updated or closed after a final bill. The right route depends on whether the person owned or rented the property, whether someone else lives there, and who is legally dealing with the estate.

If the property is still occupied, ask:

• whether the account can be changed into another name
• whether a new account needs to be opened
• what happens to any credit balance or debt
• whether a final bill will be issued up to the meter reading date
• whether direct debits should continue temporarily or be cancelled

Avoid cancelling payment arrangements until you understand the consequences. If the supply continues but payments stop, arrears can build up and create more work for the estate later.

What if the property is empty or being sold?

If the property is vacant, So Energy may still need the account to stay open while the estate is being administered. Empty homes can still use energy for heating, security systems, lighting, dehumidifiers or visits by family and agents.

Take a meter reading as soon as you reasonably can. Then keep a note of later readings, especially if the property is being cleared, marketed or transferred. Photographs of meters can be useful because they show the reading and date together.

Ask So Energy how they will handle billing while the property is empty. If there is a credit balance, ask what evidence they need before refunding it. If there is a debt, ask for a final statement and do not pay from your own money unless you are certain you are personally responsible. Estate debts are usually dealt with from estate funds, not by relatives personally.

What if the person rented the property?

If the person rented their home, the landlord or letting agent may also need to know what is happening to the utilities. That does not remove the need to contact So Energy, but it can affect who takes responsibility for the supply after the tenancy ends.

Tell So Energy:

• the date the property will be vacated, if known
• whether keys have been returned
• whether the landlord or agent will take over responsibility
• the final meter reading when the tenancy ends

If you are not the executor or administrator, explain your role clearly. So Energy may need authority from the person dealing with the estate before they can discuss certain account details.

Handling credit, debt and final bills

Energy accounts can end with a credit balance, an amount owed, or neither. Ask for a clear statement showing charges, payments and the final meter reading used.

If there is credit, ask how it will be returned and what documents are needed. If there is debt, ask whether it is being claimed against the estate. Keep all bills and correspondence for the executor or administrator, because utilities form part of the estate’s final housekeeping.

Do not assume that a named relative automatically becomes liable for the bill. Liability depends on the account, occupancy and legal circumstances. If there is uncertainty, ask So Energy to explain in writing who they believe is responsible and why.

A simple checklist

Before contacting So Energy, do the following if you can:

• find the account number
• take a meter reading
• confirm whether the property is occupied
• identify the executor or administrator
• scan or copy the death certificate
• write down your contact details and relationship to the person who died
• keep a copy of every email, bill and letter

This does not have to be perfect. The important thing is to open the conversation and stop the account being treated as if nothing has happened.

Final thought

Energy accounts are easy to overlook because they feel ordinary compared with probate, funerals and banks. But they matter: the wrong action can interrupt a supply, create avoidable bills, or make an empty property harder to manage.

Contact So Energy when you are ready, explain the situation plainly, and ask them to confirm the next steps in writing. One calm, organised email can prevent several months of confusion later.