Energy When Moving House: Meter Readings, Who You Pay and the First Bill

On moving day, energy is the easiest thing to get wrong and the slowest to fix. Two meter readings and one phone call are most of the job. Here is the order to do it in.

Before you leave the old home

1. Tell your current supplier your moving date, ideally a couple of weeks ahead.
2. On the day you leave, read the gas and electricity meters and photograph them with the date visible.
3. Give the supplier the readings and your forwarding address, so the final bill is accurate and reaches you.

On the day you arrive

1. Read both meters before you use anything, and photograph them.
2. Find out who supplies the property: ask the previous occupier, the landlord or the agent, or use the official meter point lookup services for gas and electricity.
3. Contact that supplier with your readings and the date you moved in. Until you do, you are on their deemed contract, which is usually their standard variable tariff.

The deemed contract

When you move into a property, you are automatically supplied by whoever supplied the previous occupier, on a deemed contract. It keeps the lights on, but it is rarely the cheapest tariff. Once your account is set up you can move to a fixed or variable tariff with that supplier or switch to another; there is no exit fee from a deemed contract.

Prepayment meters and smart meters

If the new home has a prepayment meter, ask the supplier for a new key or card in your name so you are not paying off the previous occupier's debt. A smart meter still needs the opening reading confirmed; check the in-home display matches what the supplier has.

The first bill

It will be estimated unless you gave readings. Compare the opening reading on the bill to your photograph. If they differ, ring the supplier before paying; a wrong opening reading means paying for energy used before you moved in.

How Wisemium helps

Start your move with the postcode of the new address and Wisemium sets your household up around it. Add the energy bill when it arrives. Wisemium keeps your tariff end date on record so you can see when it needs attention, and when there is something worth acting on it takes you through its energy partner journey. Wisemium does not list energy tariffs itself; the options you see depend on your address.