Why energy needs its own moving-day plan
Energy accounts are one of the few things a removal company cannot do anything about, and mistakes cost real money: paying for gas and electricity you did not use, or inheriting the previous occupier’s debt. This article summarises Citizens Advice’s guidance for England on dealing with your energy supply when moving home. Citizens Advice publishes separate pages for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, so do not assume the details below apply there.
Before you move
Citizens Advice says that before you move you should tell your electricity and gas supplier you are moving, giving at least 48 hours’ notice. You should read your meters on the day you move out and give the readings to your supplier, keeping a note of the readings and dates in case you disagree with your final bill. You should also give the supplier a forwarding address so the final bill can be sent, and you will have 28 days to pay it. If the final bill shows you are in credit, it says you should claim the money back.
If you are on a fixed tariff, you might be charged an exit fee to break the contract, and if you do break it you automatically go onto a standard variable tariff in your new home. Citizens Advice suggests contacting your supplier if you want to keep the same tariff at the new address, as they might let you do that without a fee.
Smart meters and in-home displays
For smart meter users, Citizens Advice says it is worth checking your meter is working in smart mode before you move, which means it sends automatic readings to your supplier. If it is not, you need to take a final reading and give it to your supplier. When you move, you should leave the in-home display, the small portable screen that shows usage and cost, for the next occupants. Note that the display is not the smart meter itself.
After you move in
You should contact the current supplier at your new home to tell them you have moved in. Citizens Advice says you will automatically be put on a “deemed contract”, which will be the supplier’s default or standard variable tariff, and that you should read your meters on the day you move in and give the readings to the supplier so your first bill is accurate.
On the old account, your old supplier should send a final bill within six weeks, and if it does not, it might owe you compensation. If you have credit left, the guidance says the supplier must refund it within 10 working days of sending the final bill, and if it does not, compensation might be due.
Switching after the move
If you want to switch tariff or supplier at the new property, Citizens Advice says you need to wait until the day you become responsible for the property. Switching supplier will not happen immediately, so you will pay at least one bill with the current supplier, and it says your new supplier should switch you within five working days. It also suggests asking to be added to the priority services register if you are over state pension age, disabled or have a long-term illness, which may bring extra support such as free gas safety checks.
Prepayment meters: the risk of inheriting debt
The guidance gives a specific warning for homes with a prepayment meter. It says to contact the current supplier straight away, and to avoid using a key or card or putting money on the meter until you have done so, otherwise you risk paying extra for debts owed by the previous occupants. If the new property has no gas or electricity supply at all, Citizens Advice points to separate advice on getting connected.
A photograph of every meter on the day you move out and the day you move in is cheap insurance. Timestamped photos, alongside the readings you gave the supplier, make any dispute much easier to settle.
What to put on your moving checklist
Set a reminder for at least a few days before completion to give notice, since 48 hours is a minimum. Decide who will read the meters on the day, particularly if you are handing over keys before the removal van arrives. Note the readings when you leave, note them when you arrive, and keep the final bill and any credit refund date in your calendar. If your supplier is slow, you can use the compensation points above.
The bottom line
In England, give your energy supplier at least 48 hours’ notice, read the meters on move-out and move-in days, give a forwarding address, and expect a final bill within six weeks and any credit back within 10 working days of it. At a new home you will be on a default tariff until you switch, and if there is a prepayment meter, contact the supplier before putting money on it.