Energy Transfer When Moving House

A step-by-step guide to energy transfer

What to do before you move out:

• Tell your current energy supplier.
• Take a meter reading on moving day.

You’ll need to let your energy supplier know at least 72 hours before moving, and you’ll need to tell them the date that you’re moving. They will ask for a final meter reading to be submitted on your moving day, so make sure you’ve got these ready.

This ensures that you’re not responsible for the energy used from when you leave the property until when the new homeowners or tenants move in. Your current energy provider will also want a forwarding address from you to send your final bill to (for that property).

At this point, you can also let them know that you’d like to take them with you to your next property, although legally you can’t confirm this until you’ve moved in.

What to do when you move in:

• Take a meter reading.
• Find out which energy supplier is in the new home.
• Contact your ‘old’ energy supplier with the meter reading.
• Take and supply the current household energy supplier with a meter reading, and the address for your current property.

If you’re not sure who supplies energy to your property, visit theFind My Supplier website which will be able to let you know if you input your address and postcode.

Once you’ve taken a meter reading (or one for gas and one for electricity) you’ll be able to give this to the current supplier to make sure you’re not charged for any of the interim energy usages between the old occupants leaving and you moving in.

Get ahold of your ‘old’ energy supplier with your meter readings, and tell them that you’d like them to take over the energy supply in your new property. Generally, they’ll be able to handle the switchover process from the current supplier, without any haggling or awkward phone conversations!

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Can I keep my current energy plan if I move home?

Normally, yes. However, even if you stick with the same energy supplier, there are quite a few factors that will affect whether or not the transfer will be straightforward or if you can stay exactly on the same tariff (with the same standing charges and unit prices). These include:

• Whether your new property has a prepayment meter, or not.
• The location of where you've moved to.
• If your new home is gas, electric or dual fuel (and whether or not this matches your old home).
• The size of your new home compared to your old home.
• Your new estimated energy consumption.

As you’re essentially starting from scratch, you’ll generally be placed on the most recent version of your current tariff. However, this won’t be possible if you’ve moved from an electricity-only household to a dual fuel household, if you’ve moved into a different region or if you’ve got a different meter than your old property. If you’ve moved from a flat to a house, for example, your estimated energy usage and monthly payments are very likely to increase.

All of these factors (fuel type, area and payment methods) will have an impact on the tariffs available to you. It’s well-known that the cheapest energy tariffs are usually dual fuel tariffs paid by monthly direct debits, but moving between regions can impact rates and charges. For example, you’ll usually get cheaper standing charges in Edinburgh than you would in Merseyside - due to the availability of local distribution networks and volume of energy produced.

So, if you’ve moved to a new region you may find that your tariff goes up in its base cost, which may make you consider switching energy suppliers to find a cheaper deal.

Moving into a home with a prepayment meter

If your new home has a prepayment meter installed, and you’d rather pay by direct debit (and aren’t in significant energy debt), there are a few things you can do. The first step is getting in touch with the current energy supplier, and asking them to:

• Take any debt off the meter, so you’re not liable for this
• To send you a new prepayment card or key, so that you’re able to top-up initially (even if you want to switch ASAP)

The issue with having a prepayment meter that you want to shift is that you’ll probably need to use it in the interim until they disable or remove it. Prepayment meters are installed to stop vulnerable households from going into energy debt, as well as helping households to get themselves out of energy debt with low weekly repayments.

Energy suppliers have to jump through quite a few hoops to install prepayment meters and show that it’s the best for that particular customer, so if you’re free of energy debt, there is no reason at all why you should have to use one.

The other consideration is that prepayment tariffs generally mean that you’ll pay more and that you’re at risk of your gas and/or electricity running out if you’re not used to topping up regularly. If this is the case, you might want to consider switching from prepayment to direct debit. So if you find yourself in a new home with a prepayment meter installed, it’s best to get in touch with the energy provider as soon as you can to rectify this.

How to switch energy suppliers when moving homes

If you want to switch energy suppliers at the same time as moving home, the process is very similar.

To start, you’ll need to

1. Tell your current energy supplier
2. Take a meter reading on moving day.

Whether you want to take your energy supplier with you or not, they’ll present you with a final bill. If you don’t know who currently supplies energy to your new property, you may wish to wait until you’re sure if you want to switch energy suppliers once you’re aware - usually after moving in.

Legally, you can’t switch or transfer your energy to your new property until you live there, so the process is the same. Your final bill marks the end of your agreement with your previous homes’ energy supplier and the people who lived in your new home before you will have a final bill from their energy provider. However, according to the market regulator, the office of gas and electricity markets (OFGEM), you might be able to receive compensation if there is a problem while in the process of switching suppliers.

However, Your first task is to get in touch with the new household’s current energy supplier to give a meter reading on the day you move in. Before deciding on whether to continue with that supplier or to switch to a cheaper deal, it’s worth also asking them the following:

• Their unit rates
• Daily standing charges (if any)
• Tariff exit fees (if any)
• Your monthly estimated bill

Once you have this information, you’re in the prime position to compare electricity prices and find a cheaper tariff for your new home.

If you need a hand switching and comparing energy plans, you can ask Switch Plan for help! Switching your energy provider with Switch Plan takes less than 10 minutes, and it all starts with a quick phone call where we learn more about you and your household. Once we’ve found the ideal tariff for you, we can take care of the switching process and let your old energy supplier know. This is the ideal solution for when you’re moving home, giving you one last thing on your busy to-do list.

• Give us a ring on 0330 818 6223
• One of our experts will then carry out a free price comparison to find your the best deals from the best energy suppliers, based on your needs
• We will then switch over your energy subscription for you and cancel your previous plan.

How long does it take to switch energy providers?

Once you’ve signed up with your new supplier, it takes an average of 21 days for your new supplier to take over your energy supplier. You’ll have a 14 working day cooling-off period to change your mind, and after this, you’ll be switched over as soon as your provider is able - usually within 21 days.

It’s worth knowing the following:

1. If your energy doesn’t switch within 21 days
2. You are switched by mistake or without asking
3. Or a supplier is late refunding a credit balance after your final bill.

You will be owed ‘automated switching compensation’ which is between £30 to £60 and has to be paid within ten working days.

Read More:

• EPC Register
• Moving house checklist
• Property inventory
• Moving into a new build

FAQ

Will my energy bill go up after moving house?

Your energy bill might go up, but it could also go down. This will depend on several factors such as your location in the UK because some areas have higher average energy costs than others.

Can I keep the same tariff after I move?

This will depend on the nature of your new property compared to your old one. For instance, if your new property has an Economy 7 meter and your previous tariff was a dual fuel tariff, it will be impossible to transfer the same tariff to your new property.

Will staying with the same supplier save me money?

It may, but it's worth exploring alternative options just to be sure. There could be cheaper options from a local supplier that you previously were not aware of.