How to Set Up Utilities When Moving House?

Utilities are one of those things that are easy to leave until last when you’re moving house, and easy to regret doing so. Arriving at a new property with no power, no water, or no internet is a genuinely miserable way to start. Here’s a straightforward step-by-step guide to getting everything sorted without the stress.

Why setting up utilities early matters

If you don’t contact the energy suppliers at your new property, you’ll automatically be placed on a deemed tariff, the default rate applied when no account holder has registered. According to Ofgem, deemed tariffs are often significantly more expensive than standard market rates. Getting your account set up promptly avoids paying over the odds from day one.

Step 1: Notify your current suppliers

At least two weeks before your move, contact all your current utility suppliers, gas, electricity, water, and broadband, to let them know you’re leaving. Ask them to:

• Close your accounts from your moving out date
• Issue a final bill to your new address
• Confirm any credit balance will be refunded

This prevents you from being charged for usage after you’ve left, and ensures a clean break with each supplier.

Step 2: Take meter readings on moving day

This is the most important practical step of the entire process. On the day you leave your old property, take final meter readings for gas, electricity, and water. Then, as soon as you arrive at your new property, take readings there too.

Submit the readings from your old property to your outgoing suppliers and the readings from your new property to the incoming suppliers. Take dated photographs of each meter as backup in case there’s ever a dispute.

Without these readings, you could end up being charged for someone else’s usage, or the previous occupants could be charged for yours.

Step 3: Find out who supplies your new home

In most cases, a property will already have energy and water suppliers in place from the previous occupants. Here’s how to find out who they are:

• Electricity: Use the Find My Supplier tool or contact your regional electricity network operator.
• Gas: Contact Xoserve or call 0870 608 1524 to find the gas supplier for your new property.
• Water: Your water supplier is determined by your location. Use the Water UK postcode checker to find out who supplies your area.

Step 4: Register with the suppliers

Once you know who supplies the property, contact them to register in your name. Provide your move-in date and the meter readings you took on moving day. This ensures billing starts accurately from the moment you moved in, not from some arbitrary earlier date.

If you’re not happy with the existing suppliers or their tariffs, you can register briefly to establish your account and then switch, but you do need to register first.

Step 5: Consider switching providers

Moving house is one of the best times to review your energy tariff. You’re not obliged to stay with the existing supplier, and comparison sites to check whether a better deal is available.

When switching, make sure:

• The new contract starts from your move-in date to avoid any gap in supply
• You’re not subject to an exit fee from any existing tariff
• The deal you’re switching to is fixed or variable, and you understand what that means for your bills

The average UK household can save a meaningful amount annually by switching to a more competitive tariff, particularly if they’ve been on a default deemed rate.

Step 6: Sort broadband

Broadband is often the utility people forget to plan for, and it’s the one that causes the most frustration when it’s not ready. Installation can take two to four weeks depending on the provider and the infrastructure at the property.

Check early whether your current provider can transfer your service to the new address. If not, use a comparison site to find the best deal available at your new postcode.

What about other utilities like internet?

A few other things to tick off alongside your main utilities:

• Council tax. Contact your new local authority to register and set up payments. You’ll also need to notify your old council that you’ve left. This isn’t automatic.
• TV licensing. Update your license address at tvlicensing.co.uk. If you watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer, this is a legal requirement.
• Address updates. Update your address with your bank, the DVLA, your GP, HMRC, and anyone else who sends you post.
• Home insurance. Make sure your buildings and contents insurance is updated to your new address before or on moving day. Your existing policy won’t automatically cover a new property. Lemonade’s home insurance is straightforward to update through the app.

Before we go

Setting up utilities when moving house is straightforward if you approach it in the right order. Notify existing suppliers early, take meter readings on the day, register at your new address promptly, and use the move as an opportunity to shop around for better rates. Broadband needs the most lead time, so book that one first.

Setting up utilities FAQs