How to switch broadband, energy and bank accounts faster in the UK

Broadband customers now only need to contact their new provider; energy switches are meant to finish in five working days, and bank transfers are guaranteed in seven. The practical question is no longer whether you can move, but whether the price difference is big enough to make moving worth it.

Broadband and landline: One Touch Switch cuts the legwork

Ofcom announced its One Touch Switch process in September 2021. The system was live by 12 September 2024. The change applies across networks and technologies, removing the old need for customers to coordinate between providers or figure out which network sits behind a package.

Under the new system, broadband and landline customers only need to contact the new provider. Switching can be completed in as little as one day where possible, a major shift from the slow handover that used to make people tolerate bad service or an overpriced contract for too long. In the year after launch, Ofcom counted 1.6 million people switching landline or broadband providers using One Touch Switch, and more than 300 providers offering the service.

One Touch Switch moves the admin burden onto the incoming provider, so the customer’s job is largely reduced to choosing the new deal.

Energy: a five-working-day limit, with compensation if suppliers miss it

Energy switching in Great Britain has also been tightened. The new supplier handles the switch, so the move can happen at any time and should take no longer than 5 working days.

The most meaningful consumer protection arrived on 1 April 2024, when suppliers were required to pay compensation if they take longer than 5 working days. Delays are no longer just an annoyance for households waiting to move to a better tariff; they create a direct cost for the supplier.

Energy switching remains less frictionless than broadband switching because it depends on the supplier’s process rather than the customer doing everything in one place. If the supplier misses the 5-day mark, there is now a financial consequence.

Bank accounts: seven working days, free, guaranteed

The Current Account Switch Service has turned what used to feel like a risky account migration into a standardised transfer. The move takes 7 working days, is free, and is guaranteed. The Current Account Switch Service puts the number of successful switches at more than 12 million.

The new bank handles payments, transfers the balance, and closes the old account. If anything goes wrong and you incur charges or interest because of a problem in the switch, those costs are refunded. The guarantee reduces the risk of missing a salary payment, a direct debit, or a card transaction.

The seven-day clock also makes the decision easier to time. You do not need to plan a long overlap between accounts, and you do not need to spend weeks manually moving money and cancelling instructions.

What the reforms change, and what still matters to your bill

These reforms do not create savings on their own. They make it easier to capture savings that already exist in the market, whether that means a cheaper broadband package, a more competitive energy tariff, or a current account with lower fees or better terms. The money saved comes from the gap between your existing deal and the one you can now reach without a drawn-out transfer.

For households facing tighter budgets, the reforms also reduce the cost of testing the market. A better broadband offer, a cheaper electricity or gas deal, or a bank account with better day-to-day terms no longer requires an administrative commitment measured in weeks.