Ceased trading · November 2021

Bulb Energy archive

Customer service contacts, current plans, real customer reviews and our editorial verdict on Bulb Energy.

Founded 2015 ~1.6 million UK households at its 2020 peak (~1.5 million at the November 2021 collapse); no Texas customer figure disclosed 1 state served

Ceased trading · 22 November 2021

Bulb Energy no longer serves US households

Bulb's UK parent, Simple Energy Ltd, ran out of working capital in autumn 2021 after wholesale gas prices roughly quadrupled and it could not pass costs through under Ofgem's UK retail price cap. It entered Special Administration on 22 November 2021 — the first ever use of the UK Energy Supply Company Administration regime, funded by a UK Treasury loan. The UK customer book was transferred to Octopus Energy on 20 December 2022. The Texas subsidiary (Bulb US Inc.) was legally ringfenced and excluded from the Octopus deal; its consumer-facing storefront went quiet from 2022 and Bulb has no public Texas storefront as of May 2026. Former Texas customers were moved to other REPs through PUCT Provider of Last Resort transitions.

Founded

2015

Years in the US market

Customers

~1.6 million UK households at its 2020 peak (~1.5 million at the November 2021 collapse); no Texas customer figure disclosed

Households served

About

Who is Bulb Energy?

Registered as Simple Energy Ltd (trading as Bulb); US subsidiary Bulb US Inc., Bulb Energy uses this legal name for state public-utility-commission filings and customer contracts. The trading name on bills is the shorter, more recognisable form.

Bulb Energy was founded in 2015. The supplier operated under retail-electric-provider licences until its closure, with billing and service history publicly documented.

Bulb Energy is part of the Simple Energy Ltd (Bulb), United Kingdom — UK parent of the Texas REP subsidiary Bulb US Inc. group, which provides shared governance, financial backing and a broader pool of expertise in wholesale-market trading, hedging and regulatory work.

Service area

Where Bulb Energy operates

Electricity

1 state

Service availability varies by zip code within each state. Eligibility depends on your local utility's deregulation status — check on Bulb Energy's website with your zip code before enrolling.

Timeline

Bulb Energy — key moments

2015

Founded as Simple Energy Ltd (trading as Bulb) in August 2015 by Hayden Wood and Amit Gudka in the UK, marketing a single 100% renewable electricity tariff with a flat per-kWh structure.
2018

Launched a Texas REP subsidiary, Bulb US Inc., serving ERCOT deregulated zones — the start of Bulb's US operation.
2020

Grew to about 1.6 million UK households at its peak and expanded internationally, operating subsidiaries in Spain, France and Texas.
2021

UK wholesale gas roughly quadrupled in autumn; with retail prices capped by Ofgem and limited hedges, Bulb ran out of working capital and entered Special Administration on 22 November 2021 — the first ever use of the UK Energy Supply Company Administration regime, funded by a Treasury loan and keeping supply on for about 1.5 million homes.
2022

The UK customer book was transferred to Octopus Energy on 20 December 2022. The Texas subsidiary was ringfenced and excluded from the deal, and its Texas storefront went quiet.
2023

Octopus Energy completed migration of former Bulb UK customers under Ofgem's "Last Resort Supply Direction". The Texas, Spain and France subsidiaries were not part of the deal and the Texas consumer brand did not return.

Frequently asked

Bulb Energy — answers to common questions

Your supply has not been interrupted. Log in to your new supplier's portal as soon as possible to set up your account, confirm payment details and download any final Bulb Energy statements.