What happens if I do nothing when my fixed deal ends?

The timing is set by rules, not by the household. Suppliers must contact a customer 42 to 49 days before a fixed-term tariff ends, so the reminder arrives roughly six to seven weeks ahead of the change⁴. That window is the practical deadline: it is long enough to compare tariffs and start a switch, and it closes whether or not the household acts.

The cost of inaction is not fixed. A standard variable tariff cannot be priced above the energy price cap, which is reviewed every three months, so the ceiling moves⁶. Fixed deals can sit below that ceiling: one analysis put a number of fixed tariffs more than £200 below the predicted cap for the average home, and another estimated savings of up to 19% against standard rates⁸. The same evidence shows fixed tariffs can also be priced above the cap, so fixing is not automatically cheaper¹⁰.

You are moved onto your supplier's standard variable tariff

The move is automatic. When a fixed deal ends, the supplier places the household on its standard variable tariff, and the fixed rate contract terminates at that point¹. Independent guidance describes the same mechanism in slightly different words: a fixed-rate customer rolls onto the provider's standard variable rate when the tariff ends, and suppliers will probably move a household to the standard variable tariff when a fixed plan finishes³. The Energy Ombudsman states that when a fixed rate has expired the supplier moves the customer to the standard variable tariff, which is typically higher than fixed rates¹⁵.

There is no gap and no renegotiation. The supply continues, the meter keeps recording, and the billing simply continues at a different unit rate. A household that has never switched, has not switched for a year or more, or holds a tariff whose name includes words like "Simpler", "Flex", "Basic", "Standard" or "Variable" is likely already on a standard variable tariff, which is the same destination¹⁶.

One variation matters. If a supplier fails and Ofgem appoints a Supplier of Last Resort, the fixed rate contract ends at the moment of the transfer and the customer is placed on a standard variable tariff with no early exit fee¹⁷. That is a different route to the same tariff type, and it removes the exit fee question entirely.

For a household's energy independence, this is the point where control is weakest. The tariff is set by the supplier within a cap, the price changes on the cap's three-monthly cycle, and the household holds no fixed term and no fixed price. The only lever is the choice to move, which remains open.

What the standard variable tariff costs: the price cap sets the ceiling

The standard variable tariff is capped, but capped is not the same as cheap. Ofgem's price cap applies to default tariffs, which are the standard variable tariffs, and it applies regardless of how bills are paid, whether by direct debit or prepayment⁶. The cap is the tariff type affected by the energy price cap, and it changes every three months¹⁸. A standard variable tariff cannot be higher than the price cap¹⁹.

What the cap does not do is set a floor or guarantee a good price. Independent guidance describes the standard variable tariff as typically the most expensive type of plan, subject to price rises, and as the tariff that tends to be the most expensive a supplier offers³. The cap limits how far the default rate can rise; it does not make it competitive with the cheapest fixed deals on the market.

The relationship between fixed deals and the cap runs both ways, and the evidence shows both directions. The average fixed tariff offered in May 2026 was above the price cap, reflecting supplier expectations that the cap would increase in the future¹⁰. Against that, a number of fixed tariffs undercut the predicted cap, some by over £200 for the average home, and switching to a cheap fixed tariff was estimated to make bills up to 19% cheaper than standard rates once a reduction took effect⁸. A household comparing the two should treat the cap as a ceiling on the default rate, not as a benchmark that fixed deals always beat.

The cap does not apply to fixed-term tariffs with a fixed end date and an agreed per unit price, nor to green or time-of-use tariffs⁷. That is the structural difference: a fixed tariff is a contract price, and the cap is a regulatory limit on the default price.

What your supplier should tell you before and when the deal ends

Suppliers carry a notification duty. A supplier is required to contact a customer 42 to 49 days before the end date of a fixed-term tariff, informing them the tariff is ending⁴. Another source states the same obligation as 49 to 42 days before the end⁵. The reminder should tell the household the contract is about to end, and it is the trigger for comparing options¹.

The bill itself is the identification tool. If a bill says the contract has an end date, the household is on a fixed tariff¹. A bill also shows the tariff name, whether it is fixed or variable, any exit fees, and the unit rates and standing charges, which is where the end date and the current terms are visible in one place²¹.

Exit fees are the other thing the reminder period affects. A supplier should not charge a fee to switch supplier if the contract ends in the next seven weeks²². Outside that window, most fixed tariffs include exit fees for each fuel, payable if a customer switches to a different deal before the contract ends, and the amount varies by supplier¹³. Some fixed-rate tariffs charge a fee if the customer leaves before the contract ends²³.

Your options at the end of a fixed deal: stay, switch or re-fix

Three routes exist, and all three remain open after the deal ends. Staying means accepting the standard variable tariff, which carries no contract tie and no exit fees if the household later changes supplier¹¹. Switching means moving to another supplier or another tariff, and a fixed tariff that has already ended does not prevent this: a household can still switch supplier or tariff after the fixed term has finished². Re-fixing means taking a new fixed deal, either with the current supplier or a different one.

The lock-in during a fixed term is financial rather than contractual. Fixed deals lock in the price of energy for the length of the contract, typically 12 months, and a fixed rate tariff normally runs for a minimum of 12 months¹². Fixed energy tariffs usually run 12 to 24 months¹³. Leaving early is possible, but most fixed tariffs carry exit fees for each fuel¹⁸. One piece of official research found that 57% net of consumers could identify that exit fees may still apply to a fixed contract even when moving to another deal with the same supplier²⁵.

A practical point from official guidance is that a tariff with low or no exit fees leaves room to cancel early if circumstances change²⁶. That is a term to read before signing, not after.

For independence, the choice at deal end is the household's main lever over price. A fixed tariff fixes the unit price for a set period; a standard variable tariff does not. Neither removes dependence on the grid or on a supplier, and neither changes the standing charge, but the fixed term is the difference between a known unit rate and a rate that moves with the cap.

Standing charges and other costs that still apply on a variable tariff

Changing tariff type does not remove the standing charge. A standing charge is fixed if the household is on a fixed deal and variable if not, but it is capped by the price cap in either case²⁷. The standing charge varies by supplier, tariff and region, and the specific amount can vary depending on the supplier and the tariff²⁸. That means the daily charge on a standard variable tariff is set by the supplier within the cap, and it can differ from the fixed deal's charge.

Some tariff types handle standing charges differently. On tracker tariffs, standing charges usually stay fixed for a set period, usually 12 months¹⁸. That is a structural difference from the standard variable tariff, where the standing charge is variable.

The direct debit is the other cost that moves. A fixed tariff fixes the unit price for a period of time, but it does not protect the household from the direct debit amount increasing or decreasing¹³. When the unit rate changes at the end of a fixed deal, the direct debit is normally reassessed, so the monthly payment can change even if usage is unchanged.

Two further points bear on the end of a deal. A smart meter is compatible with Economy 7 tariffs and fixed rate tariffs, and can support newer time-of-use tariffs, allowing a tariff change without changing the meter³¹. A meter that has lost smart mode may work in smart mode again after a tariff or supplier change³². And except by switching, a household does not control the tariff the supplier sets, though it can change how much energy it uses³³.