Moving home? Your energy checklist, whether you stay or switch
Sorting energy around a move is mostly about meter readings and timing. Get them right and you only pay for what you used; get them wrong and you can be billed for a previous occupier's energy or land on an expensive default tariff for longer than you need. Here is the checklist.
Before you leave the old home
- Tell your current supplier at least 48 hours before you move, and give them your new address so they can send a final bill.
- On moving day, take a final meter reading (a photo with the date is ideal) for gas and electricity.
- Your supplier must send a final bill within 6 weeks. If you sent actual readings, do not pay an estimated final bill: ask them to correct it to your readings.
When you arrive at the new home
- Take meter readings on day one, before you use much energy.
- Find out who currently supplies the property. You are automatically on a "deemed contract" with the existing supplier from the moment you move in, whether or not you chose them.
- Contact that supplier with your move-in date and opening readings to set up your account. Locate the gas and electricity meters and check whether either is prepayment.
Deemed contracts: you can switch from day one
A deemed contract keeps your new home supplied so the lights stay on, but its rates are often among the priciest a supplier offers. The upside: deemed contracts carry no exit fee, so you are free to switch from your very first day. Compare deals straight away and move to something better if it beats the deemed rate.
If you are staying with the same supplier
If you are moving but want to keep your current supplier, tell them you are moving and set up supply at the new address. Be aware you may not keep the exact same tariff, since availability depends on the new property and region; check what they offer there and compare it before committing.
- Staying put (same supplier): give notice, final reading at the old place, opening reading at the new place, confirm the tariff available at the new address.
- Switching: all of the above, then compare from day one and switch off the deemed contract (no exit fee).
Watch-outs
If you cannot find out who supplies the new home, your local gas and electricity networks can tell you (the "Find My Supplier" service for gas, and your regional electricity operator). Take extra care with prepayment meters (note the balance and any debt on the meter, which should not transfer to you), smart meters (readings may come through automatically, but record them anyway) and Economy 7 meters (two readings: day and night). When you are ready to switch, weigh service and fairness alongside price in the supplier rankings, and check the tariff types in our fixed vs tracker vs variable guide.