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Sorting the switch over in your electricity and gas supply in good time can save you money and hassle. Here’s how to take over utilities when moving house.
When you move house, there are steps you’ll need to take to ensure you don’t keep paying utility bills for the house you’re leaving and to make sure your utilities are all set up smoothly in your new home. To do this, you’ll need to think about the following essential utilities:
Read on for details on each.
For more advice on getting ready for moving day, see our moving house checklist.
Here are the steps involved in setting up gas and electricity in a new home in the UK:
Before you move house you should:
While you’ll want to take over the existing utilities when moving house, that doesn’t mean you can’t shop around for a cheaper or better supplier to switch to. Don’t assume the previous owner did their research and was on the best deal.
Use our handy tool to instantly compare energy suppliers to check what’s available for you. At the moment, the choice of deals still isn’t huge so you may not find a deal that’s cheaper than what you’re currently paying. But if that’s the case, keep checking as deals may change over time.
If you’re moving into a new build house, in order to set up gas and electricity you should:
Are you buying a new build home? Read our list of what to do in the run up to and on your move day.
You should contact your new energy supplier as soon as possible after moving into your new home. They’ll create a new account for you. Next, use our free tool to compare energy suppliers to see if you can save cash by switching to a cheaper deal.
If you’re a first time buyer and have been paying utility bills in a rented property, you’ll have experience in setting up utilities and paying bills. If you haven’t rented property before or if your rent was inclusive of bills, then make sure you follow the steps in this guide to set up your gas, electricity, water, council tax and broadband.
If you’ve signed up to a fixed energy tariff, you might be charged an ‘exit fee’ if you end your contract early, even if this is because you move house. So ask your energy supplier if you’ll need to pay. However, your supplier may let you keep your existing contract and tariff at your new home fee-free. So it’s best to give them a ring to find out where you stand.
When you move house, another utility you’ll need to consider is your water bill.
You’ll need to tell your existing water company when you’re planning to move out, check your supplier’s website for details on how to do this. If you have a water meter, give at least 5 working days’ notice so they can arrange a final meter reading. Tell your water company your new address.
You’ll need to contact the water company supplying your new house when you move in. If you’ve moved areas and you’re not sure you can check who your water supplier is. If your new home has a water meter, take a reading as soon as you move in.
Your sewerage might be supplied by a different firm to the one supplying your water, so you could get a separate bill. Or your water supplier may include sewerage charges on their bill on behalf of the sewerage company.
When you’re taking over utilities when moving house, don’t forget about council tax. You’ll need to tell the council at the address you’re leaving and register for council tax at your new address. Find out if you can cut the cost of council tax with our guide Can I get a council tax reduction?
Not sure who to you’ll pay council tax to in your new home? This government webpage can tell you.
If you’re buying a new build, it may not have a council tax band straight away. When you contact the council to say you’ve moved in, it will arrange for your property to be assessed and allocated a council tax band. Your council may issue you with a temporary statement with a provisional banding applied. There’s no legal obligation for you to pay a council tax notice which is based on a provisional valuation but it should make your council tax bill easier to afford when it comes if you do.
With electricity, gas and water, you can simply turn up to your new house on moving day and take over the existing utilities. But it’s not quite as straightforward with broadband and TV. You’ll need to plan in advance or you could end up without a connection for days or even weeks.
When you’re moving house it’s a good idea to research your broadband options, such as whether you’re planning to take your current broadband to your new house or take out a new deal, in advance.
But while it’s a good idea to give as much notice as possible, it’s advisable not to book your broadband switch until you exchange contracts. At this point, your completion day is fixed.
If you’re not satisfied with your current broadband provider, you want to switch to a cheaper deal, or if transferring your broadband to your new home is not possible, you may consider cancelling or switching your broadband. Here are some points to consider:
Find out more on what you should consider in our guide Broadband and moving house explained.
Gas and electricity suppliers generally need a minimum of 48 hours’ notice if you’re moving house. But you can notify suppliers up to 28 days in advance.
Contact the current energy supplier. Try not to put any money on the meter until you’ve done this or you’ll risk paying extra for any debts owed by the people who lived there previously. But if you do need to put money on the meter before speaking to the supplier, tell them you’ve done this. They should pay you back for any extra charged you’ve paid, although you’ll need to prove when you moved in.
You should ask the energy supplier to take off any debt off the meter, give you a new prepayment key or card and to send you information on how the meter works.
In some cases you’ll need a new electricity meter installed, such as if you’re completing a self-build project.
If you’re a British Gas customer and you’re moving house, the process works in the same way. You need to tell British Gas your address and moving dates and ideally supply your meter readings.
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