Rebel Energy Has Gone Bust - What's Next For Customers?

Who is Rebel Energy?

Rebel Energy is a UK energy supplier based in Bedford. It was founded in 2019 by Dan Bates. Rebel Energy has around 80,000 domestic and 10,000 commercial customers. Bates "had a vision for an energy company with strong moral foundations, that cared about society and the people within it, and created sustainable profits by helping people and the environment."


What did the CEO, Dan Bates say:

"It is with a heavy heart I am writing this.


Rebel Energy has been facing a perfect storm of rising wholesale costs during Jan and Feb together with the pressure of the cost of living crisis on our customers. This, combined with Ofgem recently placing a Provisional Order on the business, triggered a sequence of events which meant last week we identified that we needed to attract significant additional investment to address an unexpected forecast cash shortfall in April. 

 

Regrettably, we have not been able to raise the required capital in the short period of time to secure the future of the business and we are now starting, in conjunction with Ofgem, its Supplier of Last Resort procedure, which ultimately means that Rebel Energy will be going out of business. However, all customers will be continue to receive gas and electricity while this process is carried out. 

 

Rebel Energy set out to be a different type of supplier, aiming to make things fairer for customers and the planet. We hope we were able to make a difference to the customers we served and have appreciated your support over the last few years. " - Dan Bates CEO - REBEL ENERGY GROUP LIMITED via LinkedIn

When did Rebel Energy go bust?

Rebel Energy went bust on Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, the same day as the average household bill rose by £111 due to the energy price cap. 

Why did Rebel Energy go bust?

Founder Dan Bates said in a social media post "Rebel Energy has been facing a perfect storm of rising wholesale costs during January and February together with the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis." Rebel Energy could not raise enough capital to recover and secure the business's future.

What's next for current Rebel Energy customers?

Director for markets at OFGEM, Tim Jarvis, told customers: "Rebel Energy customers do not need to worry. I want to reassure them that they will not see any disruption to their energy supply, and any credit they may have on their accounts remains protected under Ofgem's rules."


OFGEM has appointed British Gas to be the new supplier for Rebel Energy customers. There will be no interruption to your gas or electricity supply whilst this supplier switch takes place. Once you have switched to British Gas you will be moved to their variable tariffs, which are much higher than a fixed-rate tariff. Once your transfer has gone through, you are now free to move to whatever supplier you wish. If you are already in the switching process, this will go forward normally. If you were in the process of switching to Rebel Energy, the switch would still go ahead as normal, just to British Gas instead of Rebel Energy.


You should make sure that you are not caught out by the newly appointed supplier's variable tariffs and make switching a priority. Start shopping around for the cheapest fixed rates on the market - Get a Quick Quote. 

What do you need to do if you are a Rebel Energy customer?

Take meter readings - To ensure the new supplier bills you correctly, you should take a picture of your meter readings. If you have a smart meter and the new supplier does not support it, you will also have to take a manual meter reading. Make sure you also have a copy of any recent bills from Rebel Energy to prepare for any possible future billing discrepancies.


Don't worry about your credit - If you are in credit, this will be protected. If you are currently in credit with Rebel Energy, then this will be refunded to you by your British Gas. Make sure you have a copy of a bill or a screenshot of your account to show where it says you are in credit. If you are currently in the process of switching to a different supplier, then British Gas will be in touch to arrange the refund, even if this is not your new chosen supplier. If you are currently in debt with Rebel Energy, this will still need to be paid by either Rebel Energy or British Gas. British Gas will be in touch to arrange this once the new supplier has been announced. 


There is no need to cancel your direct debit - British Gas will be in touch to explain how your account will be taken over, including details about direct debit payments. If you have already cancelled your direct debit, then there is no need to set it up again. British Gas will let you know what you need to do. If you don't currently have a direct debit set up, you should prioritise getting new energy quotes. You will be moved onto the British Gas' standard credit tariff, which is normally much higher than fixed direct debit tariffs. 

How can Purely Energy help?

If you are a Rebel Energy customer and have any queries about what you should do next or would like help lowering your energy costs, contact us at 0161 521 3400 or email us at Info@purelyenergy.co.uk. Alternatively, get a quick quote.


This Article was written by Harvey Rowlinson & Megan Glover of Purely Energy. If there are any suggestions or questions - Please get in touch with us.