Gas and electricity when you move house

Energy is two separate jobs, like council tax: close the account at the home you're leaving, and open one at the home you're moving into. The supplier at the new place is usually not your supplier, and you don't choose it on the day. You inherit it.

At the home you're leaving

1. 1

   Give your supplier at least 48 hours' notice

   That's Citizens Advice's figure. Tell them the date you're moving out and give them a forwarding address for the final bill.

2. 2

   Read the meters on the day you leave

   Give the readings to your supplier and keep a note of them with the date. A dated photo of each meter is the easiest record. It's your evidence if the final bill doesn't match.

3. 3

   Check your tariff before you go

   On a fixed tariff you might be charged an exit fee for leaving early, and you'll go onto a standard variable tariff at the new home. Ask first: some suppliers will move your existing tariff with you without a fee.

4. 4

   Leave the in-home display

   If you have a smart meter, the little screen that shows your usage belongs with the house, not with you. Check the meter is sending readings automatically before you go. If it isn't, take a final reading yourself.

Your old supplier should send the final bill within 6 weeks, and you'll have 28 days to pay it. If you're in credit, they must refund you within 10 working days of sending that final bill. If either is late, Citizens Advice says they might owe you compensation.

Finding out who supplies the new home

Ask the seller, or your landlord or letting agent if you're renting. That's usually the quickest route. If nobody knows:

• Gas: search the postcode on the Find My Supplier website, or ring the Meter Number Helpline on 0870 608 1524 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm; 7p a minute plus your phone company's access charge). You can ask them for the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) too, which a new supplier may ask for.
• Electricity takes two steps. Find the area's network operator (the company that owns the cables) on the Energy Networks Association website, then search for the supplier on that operator's site, usually by postcode.
• If one company supplies both, the gas route is the easier one to follow.

At the new home

Contact the current supplier and tell them you've moved in. You'll automatically be put on a "deemed contract" on their default or standard variable tariff, whether you contact them or not. Citizens Advice is clear that you usually have to pay for energy you use even without having signed anything. So leaving it for weeks doesn't save money; it just means the first bill is estimated.

Read the meters on the day you move in and give those readings to the supplier. That is what separates your usage from the previous occupier's, and you shouldn't have to pay for energy you didn't use.

If the new home has a prepayment meter

• Ask them to take any debt off the meter.
• Ask for a new key or card in your name.
• Ask how the meter works, and what to do if it goes wrong.
• If you'd rather pay after you use it, you can ask about switching a smart meter to credit mode. You'll probably need to pass a credit check. Renters don't need the landlord's permission, but may have to change it back at the end of the tenancy.

Switching to a better deal

You can switch tariff with the current supplier or move to a new one, but only from the day you become responsible for the property. It won't happen instantly, so expect at least one bill from the supplier you inherited. The new supplier should complete the switch within 5 working days.

Where MovePlan fits

MovePlan (myhousemoveplan.co.uk) puts these into your dated plan: confirming final-read dates with your suppliers ahead of the move, meter readings at the old home before you leave, and readings and opening an account at the new one on the day. It doesn't contact any supplier for you, and none of its 13 letters is for energy, because this is a phone or online job and a letter would only slow it down. £14.99 once, not a subscription, for a 180-day plan. For everyone else on the list, see who to notify when moving house.