We understand it can be a confusing process trying to switch your gas and electricity when moving into a new home. This guide will help you understand all you need to know about how to switch energy supply when moving into a new home.
It is important to notify your current energy company when you are moving into a new property and finding out who your new energy supplier will be. This is important to remember so that you dont pay too much for your energy bills.
Check out our guide to find out more about the steps you need to take when setting up gas and electricity in your new home.
What to do during the moving process?
We understand that moving house can be a stressful process but dont forget to check your gas and electricity details beforehand. This will ensure you dont overpay on your gas and electricity bills and will help you save money. When leaving the property, you should take a last reading. Find out more about taking meter readings here.
Send your final meter readings to your energy supplier and make a note of the final meter reading for your own records to check against your final bill. If possible, you should let the new tenants aware of who their supplier is to save any confusion.
What to do before you move house?
Identify your current energy supplier
You should be able to find out who supplies energy from either the current tenants or the estate agent, but this is not always the case. If you are still unsure on who the supplier for your new property is, you can find out online using the gas supplier online service which can also help you find out your new gas meter number.
If you are still struggling to find out who your new gas supplier is. call the Meter Number Helpline on 08706 081524. (Charges may apply)
Alternatively, if you are unable to find out who your new electricity provider is, call your local electricity distribution company. Another way of finding this information out is on the Ofgem website.
Notify your energy provider
Contact your current suppliers and let them know that you are planning to move. You must give them at least 48hrs notice so it is best to let them know well in advance.
Some contracts may have an early exit fee depending on the energy contract type, check your current plan to see if it has an early exit fee. Talk to your energy suppliers about this as each supplier may treat these circumstances differently.
You do not have to decide immediately if you want your current supplier to set up another plan at your new property. We recommend you compare prices and deals to find the better energy deal for you by switching energy suppliers.
Lastly, you will need to make your new supplier aware of your new address to ensure a seamless billing process.
Locate your trip switch
It is essential to know where the trip switch for the property is, in the event of a power cut. The trip switch will normally be located near the fuse box, within 3m of your electricity meter.
Identify your MPAN and MPRN
MPAN is your Meter Point Administration Number and MPRN is your Meter Point Reference Number.
Your MPAN is specific to your property, is twenty-one digits long and can be found on your energy bill. It is sometimes known as a supply number but dont get this confused with your customer reference number. Your MPRN is specific to your property, is 6-10 digits long and can be found on your gas and energy bills.
What happens after you have moved into your new house?
Congratulations on moving into your new home! There are just a few more things on the checklist.
Take a meter reading at your new house to ensure your first bill is as accurate as possible. The sooner you do this the better!
Contact your supplier to make them aware of your new address and inform them of your latest readings.
It is important to note, you will be held accountable for any energy usage from the date you take over the property, not just the move in date. To begin with. your new supplier will be put you on a standard tariff, but this is normally a more expensive tariff.
You can now begin to compare energy deals, here at Utility Bidder, we can help compare energy prices and switch energy suppliers to help your find the best energy deal for you.
Potential Issues
The current energy market is extremely volatile, and the energy price cap has just come into place. As mentioned above, you will be put on a standard tariff which is capped at £1,971 until October 2022. Ensure you look at the best deal available as there are standard tariffs, fixed tariffs and much more.
If you are moving into a flat, you should double check the meter numbers with your existing supplier before you switch supplier. This is due to gas and electricity meters sometimes being mixed with different flats within the same building. This can result in flats being charged for the wrong flats electricity supply which can cause a lot of problems.
Frequently asked questions
You will pay upfront for your gas and electricity if your property has a prepayment meter. You will need to top up your prepayment meters energy tokens using a token or a key as this is a pay-as-you-go system.
You will need to contact your gas and electricity supplier if you want to change to a credit meter box. To do this, your supplier may ask to do a credit check and require all your further details. Check out our prepayment guide for more information. Some customers prefer a standard credit meter to a prepayment meter.
If your bills are included within your tenancy agreement, you will not need to set up gas and electricity contracts for your new home. Although, if this is not included within your tenancy agreement you will need to set up these contracts for your new property. Find out the previous supplier of your new home and then contact the supplier to set up a new contract in your name and from the correct date. Dont forget. you do not have to stay with the previous supplier, we can help you compare the market and change energy supplier to find a better deal for your new home.
We understand that taking a meter reading for the first time can be a daunting task. Check out our guide on taking a reading to find out more.
Response was very quick. quotes were very competitive and the advice from Liam was exactly what was needed. a great service!
Very quick & easy contact, sourced new rates quickly & transfer process was simple .
Utility Bidder takes all the hassle out of sorting through the mine field of service providers and provides a professional and time efficient way of securing a competitive price for my energy needs.
Having previously spoken with a rival broker whose consultants I felt were pressuring me into signing a contract immediately, Kirsty Schofield was a breath of air. She found a cheaper and shorter contract to suit my needs and was very friendly and efficient. She made renewing my energy contract a pleasant experience instead of a dreaded chore.”
First class service from Sarah at Utility Bidder, I have been with them for a couple of years now and wouldn’t go elsewhere and would certainly recommend.
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