Gas and electricity (and other utilities) when moving house

After months of preparing and packing, your first night in your new home should be one to remember. That is, unless you’ve forgotten to transfer your utilities, in which case you’ll find yourself without internet, without water and without heat. Not great!

While it might seem like a hassle to transfer your utilities to your new home, it’s actually pretty simple. In this blog, we’re going to go over how to transfer your former utilities to your new address, so everything is set up and ready for when you move in.

How to Transfer Utilities When Moving

The short and simple answer? Simply inform your utility companies. If you want to remain with the same providers for gas and electric, all you need to do is give them a ring (don’t email, it will take too long) and speak to an advisor.

When speaking to an advisor, you can ask for your utilities to be transferred to your new address. Your utility company (whether it be internet, gas, electric or otherwise) will inform you of any necessary steps you’ll need to take.

When it comes to your water supplier, you won’t be able to change providers. Simply contact the water supplier for your new home and set up an account in your name.

If you wish to start over with new companies for other utilities such as gas and electric, you’ll need to take a few extra steps. The key is to plan and organise well in advance, to ensure that you’re not lacking any essential utilities when you settle into your new home. Here’s what we recommend:

Shop around for the best deal

Your move is a great excuse to find a better deal when it comes to your gas and electricity bills. Shop around online using comparison websites and find out what the best deal for you would be. In order to conduct accurate research, you should have your new home’s energy efficiency ratings on hand, along with any other relevant information.

Inform your former utility companies

Whether it’s health insurance, pet insurance or life insurance services, you should make all your insurance companies aware that you’re moving house and will no longer be contactable at your former address.

Inform your utility companies

If you find a better deal when it comes to your utilities, you then need to inform your former utility providers that you’re going to be moving house and switching providers. Failing to inform them can result in you being double charged, even if you’ve updated your address already. You need to close the utility contract entirely in order to stop being charged.

You can also take the opportunity to be smart here, and attempt to haggle with the utility company. If you’re a lifelong customer, they probably want to keep you around and might be willing to offer deals or price matches to retain your custom.

Explain to the utility company that you’ve found a better deal elsewhere, and ask if they’d be willing to match or improve the price. While there’s no guarantee that it will work, there’s no harm in asking. Don’t be discouraged if they refuse; just close your account and move on.

Pay any outstanding bills

You’ll need to pay any outstanding bills if you’re going to be switching utility providers. To do this, you can either log onto your account online (or via an app if they have one) and clear any outstanding balances. You can also give them a ring and pay by phone if you prefer.

You won’t be able to close an account with your utility company until all balances in your name are clear, so it’s important to get it done as soon as possible.

Contact the utility providers for your new home

Your next step will be contacting the utility providers for your new home. If you’re going to be sticking with the same companies used by the former owner, all you need to do is set up a new account in your name with your payment details attached. You’ll need to do this before your move-in date to ensure that you’ll have access to utilities as soon as you arrive.

If you’re going to be switching to a new provider, you should inform the former utility company at your new home. You should explain that you’ll be moving in soon, and that their account at the address will no longer be required following your move-in date. Technically, this is the former owner’s job, but it won’t hurt to check that everything is up to date.

Make sure that you don’t cancel any existing utility provision before your move-in date, either for your former home or your new one! The former homeowners might still be using the home for a few weeks before your move-in date, and they probably wouldn’t appreciate the water being cut off mid-shower!

Transferring electricity and gas bills vs Transferring water bills

Some utilities are a little different, so here’s our handy guide for transferring each one when you move house:

How to Transfer Water Bills

You won’t be able to change water supplier when you move into a new home. However, you will need to register with the company that provides water for the home and create an account. Get the name of the water provider from your estate agent or the former owner and set up an account for the day before your move-in date.

How to transfer gas and electric bills

To transfer your gas and electric bills, inform your current energy and electricity providers that you’re moving house and won’t be needing utilities at your former address. You can create a new account or contract for your new address, or simply cancel the account if you’re switching to a new provider.

How to transfer broadband/internet bills

Internet set-up can be a lengthier process when moving house. Depending on the state of the broadband at your new home, you might need to leave yourself enough time for new broadband installation.

If you’re planning on installing new broadband in your new home, try to organise it at least a month before your move-in date, so you have plenty of time to book or arrange installation. Otherwise, all you need to do is inform your internet or broadband provider that you’re moving, and to update your address.

Looking for a removals company in Maidstone or the Kent area? Get in touch with Goodfellows removals today. We also offer removals in Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and more.