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PARTLY

As of 13 August 2026, AI can only partly switch your energy supplier.

This still needs a person who signs their name to it.

Can you do it?

5 minutesto a draft.

30 minutesto something you’d act on.

Cost, all in£0

Skill neededchat-fluent

Who has to check ityou

What the alternative costsThe supplied data gives no price for a human alternative; switching yourself through a supplier is the practical alternative.

If this goes wrong: you choose unsuitable terms, enter incorrect meter details or miss an exit condition, and the mistake can cost money or delay the switch.

What to actually do

  1. Hand it to a person

    The route this page recommends

    A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

  2. Use a tool built for this

    Second choice
  3. Do it yourself

    The distant third

    A chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

    How to actually do it

    1. Open your latest energy bill and current tariff information, then note the supplier, tariff name, payment method, meter readings, annual usage, tariff end date, exit conditions and any outstanding balance.
    2. Remove passwords, full account numbers and unnecessary payment details, then paste the remaining bill information and your preferences into the prompt.
    3. Ask the chatbot to produce the comparison checklist and list every missing fact rather than asking it to choose from invented or stale prices.
    4. Obtain current quotes directly from suppliers or a trusted switching service, then compare each quote against the chatbot's checklist, including tariff terms, payment method, meter requirements, exit conditions and estimated usage basis.
    5. Ask the chatbot to turn the verified details of your chosen supplier into a short switching message, and compare every figure and contract term in that draft against the supplier's current offer.
    6. Submit the switch through the supplier's official website or telephone service yourself, giving consent and the required account and meter information only there.
    7. Save the confirmation, opening readings and agreed terms, then contact the new supplier if its confirmation differs from the offer you approved.

    Prompt

    Help me prepare to switch my UK domestic energy supplier, but do not claim that you can access my account, obtain live prices or complete the switch. Use only the information I provide and clearly mark anything missing or uncertain. Extract my current supplier, tariff name, payment method, electricity and gas meter readings, annual usage, tariff end date, exit conditions and any outstanding balance from the information below. Then give me a checklist of the exact facts I must compare in current supplier quotes, questions to ask each supplier, and a short message I can send to the chosen supplier. Do not recommend a supplier without current, account-specific evidence, do not invent prices or savings, and do not tell me to share passwords, payment details or full account numbers. Explain what I must check before giving consent and what confirmation I should keep.
    
    My bill or tariff information:
    [PASTE DETAILS HERE]
    
    My preferences and constraints:
    [FOR EXAMPLE, FIXED OR VARIABLE TARIFF, PAYMENT PREFERENCE, SMART METER, VULNERABILITY OR ACCESS NEEDS]

    Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.

What it gets wrong

  • AI cannot access your supplier account, verify your identity or give consent on your behalf.
  • AI cannot guarantee that a quoted tariff, exit condition or eligibility rule is current without evidence from the supplier.
  • AI cannot take responsibility for an incorrect meter reading, payment instruction or contract choice.
  • AI cannot detect every account-specific issue, such as a disputed balance, debt arrangement or vulnerability support requirement.
  • You still have to obtain live quotes and complete the supplier's switching process yourself.

What caps this at PARTLY: private data access, consent and privacy and verification cost.

How we scored this

Five axes, each scored nought to two by hand: ten means AI carries the task cleanly, and the thresholds that turn a total into YES, PARTLY or NO are published in the methodology. Each axis name links to its definition.

AxisScore (0–2)
Output1
Inputs1
Verification1
Liability1
Effort delta1
Total5 / 10

FAQ

Can ChatGPT switch my energy supplier?
Partly. It can organise your bill details, prepare comparison questions and draft a message, but it cannot access your account, verify you or give consent to the supplier.
Is it safe to use AI to change energy supplier?
It is reasonable for preparing a checklist, but do not paste passwords, full account numbers or payment details into a chatbot. Check every tariff term and submit the switch through the supplier's official channel.
What information do I need to switch energy supplier?
Gather your current supplier and tariff, payment method, meter readings, annual usage, tariff end date, exit conditions and any outstanding balance. The new supplier may also ask for your address, contact details and meter information.
Should I use AI to choose the cheapest energy tariff?
No, not on its own, because AI may not have current or account-specific prices and may misunderstand your usage. Compare live offers yourself and check the terms before giving consent; this is not professional advice, and a serious dispute may need a qualified energy adviser or Citizens Advice.

Nearby answers

Assessed by gpt-5.6-luna (gpt-5.6-luna) on 2026-08-13, second-checked by an independent model. Wrong somewhere? Email [email protected] and it gets re-checked.

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