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Moving House: Gas and Electricity

When moving house, you’ll have a long list of administrative tasks to complete, from adding your name to the electoral roll to arranging a new broadband contract. But amid the unpacking and change of address notices, you shouldn’t forget to deal with your gas and electricity supply. If you’re in a fixed energy contract, you might be able to port it to your new property. Otherwise, moving house is a great chance to reevaluate your energy supply and hunt for a better deal.

Lauren Smith
Mike Rowe
Written by Lauren Smith
Edited by Mike Rowe
10 November 2025
9 mins read

Can I keep the same energy tariff when moving house?

In most cases, you can keep the same energy supplier when moving to a new property, especially if you’re on a default tariff.

However, you may have cleverly locked in a cheaper rate with a fixed rate tariff, lasting a year or more. Whether you can transfer this fixed rate tariff to the new home, keeping your current rate and avoiding any exit fees, depends on your energy supplier and where you’re moving.

Some energy suppliers will happily transfer your fixed-rate energy tariff to your new home. Reportedly, British Gas, EDF, and Octopus all permit you to shift contracts to a new home, but you should check with your supplier directly to make sure.

Other companies, including SSE and OVO, have location-specific rates and typically won’t permit you to transfer your fixed tariff when you move.

If you’re unable to move your fixed contract to your new home, your supplier may charge you an exit fee. But some waive this in the case of home moves.

You should always contact your energy supplier about your specific circumstances as transfers of energy tariffs are at their discretion.

Additionally, moving home is a great time to reconsider whether your current supplier is the best fit for you and hunt for a better deal.

What to do with your energy supply when moving house

Follow this checklist to ensure a smooth transition with your energy accounts when moving house:

1: Before moving

  • Notify your current energy supplier that you’re moving

    Give them at least 48 hours’ notice.

  • See if you can transfer your fixed rate tariff

    If you’re locked into a fixed rate tariff, you'll probably want to bring it with you to your new home. Some energy suppliers permit this while others don't and may try to charge you an exit fee.

  • Provide your supplier with a forwarding address

    This is so they can send you your final bill for the property.

  • Leave details of the property's current supplier for future residents

    This will make their home move easier.

2: When moving

  • Take meter readings at your old property on the day you move out

    Give them to your supplier and also make note of the numbers and date in case there’s a dispute about your final bill.

  • Take meter readings at your new home on the day you move in

    To ensure that you only pay for the energy you consume and not any used by the previous residents.

3: After moving

  • Find out the current supplier of your property

    You might be able to get this information from the previous owner, the landlord, the letting agency, or the estate agent. Otherwise, there are ways to identify the current supplier, using the internet or contacting Meter Number Helpline or your regional electricity distribution network operator (DNO). The supplier will also send you a bill within a few weeks, addressed to the “The Occupant” or “The Resident.”

  • Consider switching suppliers

    Once you move in, you’ll be on a deemed contract with the existing supplier of the property, paying their standard rate. However, another supplier might offer prices or services that suit you better and you may want to switch. You can initiate a switch on the day you take possession of the property. Once you select a new supplier, the handover should be completed within five working days. That means you will have to pay the old supplier for at least a few days' worth of energy.

  • Pay your final bill for your old property

    This should be forwarded to you. You have 28 days to pay it.

When do I need to inform my energy supplier of my move?

You should notify your current energy supplier that you’re moving at least 48 hours before your departure. You should tell them the date of your move and your new address so they can forward your last bill. Some energy suppliers offer web forms where you can log your move, while others require you to phone them.

Additionally, you should take a meter reading on the day you move out and provide it to your old energy supplier so you don’t end up covering the new residents’ energy use.

What do I do if I don’t know who my energy supplier is?

If you don’t know the energy supplier of your old or new home, don’t panic. It’s fairly easy to identify the company supplying a property with gas and/or electricity.

You likely know the supplier of the home you’re leaving, but if you’ve forgotten, check recent bills they’ve sent you or bank statements for any direct debits you’ve set up. Energy bills are usually paid monthly, so you will have had recent contact with them.

How to find out the energy supplier of your new home

It’s more likely that you’re trying to identify the supplier of your new home. The former owner, landlord, or letting agent may be able to provide you with this information. But you might have to find out on your own.

To identify a home’s gas supplier, you can:

  • Use the Find My Supplier website, entering your postcode and selecting your address

  • Phone the Meter Number Helpline, on 0870 608 1524, and provide your address.

To identify a home’s electricity supplier, you need to:

  • Contact your area’s electricity distribution network operator (DNO), the company that owns and manages the electricity grid in your area. DNOs have search engines on their website, telling you your energy supplier if you enter your postcode and address. Alternatively, you can phone them.

  • If you don’t know your region’s DNO, you can find this out by using the Power Cut 105 website and entering your postcode.

Remember that the electricity and gas suppliers of the property might be different.

You’ll also eventually be sent a bill from the energy supplier(s) of the home, which you’ll be responsible for paying. However, the bill might take a few weeks to reach you.

What can I do if my new home has a prepayment meter?

Some households pay for their energy in advance, by topping up prepayment meters, also called pay-as-you-go (PAYG) meters. The residents may have selected prepay meters in order to keep on top of their energy spending, may have been unable to qualify for a credit meter due to their finances, or have had it imposed on them by their energy supplier due to debt.

However, prepayment tariff prices are typically higher than those offered to customers with credit meters. You also have to keep track of your meter balance and top it up, with keys or cards in local corner shops or by using an app, so you don’t run out of energy.

Therefore, most people prefer credit meters, which allow them to pay for their energy after its use, often through direct debits, but also potentially via card payments over the phone or online, cheques, or cash at Post Office locations.

If you’ve moved into a property with prepayment meters and don't want to pay for energy this way, you’ll need to have them swapped for credit meters. On newer smart meters, the supplier can simply flip a switch to change it from prepayment to credit mode. However, older meters will need to be physically replaced.

As soon as you move in, contact the current energy supplier for the property and ask them to replace the meter. Unless you personally have large debts for the energy usage at your previous property, they should comply. Big energy suppliers won’t charge you for the meter replacement, although some smaller suppliers might.

In general, the energy supplier should not hold you responsible for any debts the previous occupant of the home left on the prepayment meter or prevent you from switching to a credit meter on account of their debts. However, it’s important not to use the keys or cards the previous resident of the property was using to top up the meter and may have left with you. Doing so may make you liable for the debt they’ve left on the meter. Instead, contact the supplier and ask for new keys or cards, which you can use to top up the meter while you’re waiting for your credit meter to be installed.

Additionally, if you’re a tenant, your landlord can’t prevent you from replacing a prepayment meter with a credit meter.

Can I switch energy suppliers if I’m renting?

If, as a renter, you’re paying for your energy directly, your landlord cannot prevent you from switching to any energy supplier of your choosing. In some cases, the tenancy agreement will name a "preferred supplier." This provision doesn't necessarily prohibit you from choosing another company, but you should notify your landlord or the letting agent before doing so. You may also have to return the supply to the original company at the end of your tenancy.

However, under some tenancy agreements, the landlord pays the energy company themselves and then passes the charges on to you, as part of your rent. In these cases, you won’t be able to switch the energy supplier unless the landlord agrees and arranges it.

You’ll also want to ensure your landlord isn’t overcharging you: legally they shouldn’t charge you more for energy than they’re paying for it, which is known as the maximum resale price.

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