House Moving: Changing utility suppliers

AMO

Hi all,

We are moving house and on the Legal Society legal form we specify our provides for gas, electric, water and telephone/broadband. The same applies to the owners of the house we are buying from.

1) Do we simply tell our utility providers that we are moving house on a specific date and let them sort out the meter readings and bill us a final bill?

2) When we go to our new property, we don't have to worry about the existing suppliers right? We just ring up the suppliers we want and then supply the meter reading on the day right?

Thanks.

DVardysShadow

No.

You are on a 'deemed contract' with the existing supplier of the property you move to for 28 days after moving in. Only after the 28 days are you free to change supplier

Yorkie1

You take meter readings on the day you complete on your old property and let the utility companies know.

You take meter readings on the day you complete on your new property and let the utility companies know (as per the Property Info form). You will be on a deemed contract with those suppliers for 28 days and can start a transfer to anyone else as DVS describes.

Don't forget the water meter.

If you write all the meter readings down, don't forget to date the piece of paper and keep it until you've had at least your first proper bill (I've kept mine for at least a year so I can do an annual consumption comparison). Some people also recommend taking piccies, but check they look OK and you know which meter is which, for which property!

G_M

AMO wrote: »

1) Do we simply tell our utility providers that we are moving house on a specific date and let them sort out the meter readings and bill us a final bill?

2) When we go to our new property, we don't have to worry about the existing suppliers right? We just ring up the suppliers we want and then supply the meter reading on the day right?

Thanks.

1) No need. Nowadays all utility suppliers use Microsoft's new "Psychic account closure" software. They will know what date you are moving on before you do yourself and will make all the arrangements automatically.

2) Again, the new supplier will know your name and bank details and will set up a direct debit without you needing to do anything.

DVardysShadow

G_M wrote: »

1) No need. Nowadays all utility suppliers use Microsoft's new "Psychic account closure" software. They will know what date you are moving on before you do yourself and will make all the arrangements automatically.

2) Again, the new supplier will know your name and bank details and will set up a direct debit without you needing to do anything.

Yes, Microsoft software has moved on way beyond needing to ask "Where do you want to go today?".

If you have not moved to the house where the software expects you to be, you don't get your final bills for the accounts at the old house and you end up with defaults and CCJ's even if you never intended to move.

Blackpool_Saver

I just moved house and am a professional house mover (joke) read meters at both, gas/water/elec , supply old to your suppliers supply new to existing, arrange which supplier you want they then poach you from the existing supplier at new property

bryanb

G_M wrote: »

1) No need. Nowadays all utility suppliers use Microsoft's new "Psychic account closure" software. They will know what date you are moving on before you do yourself and will make all the arrangements automatically.

2) Again, the new supplier will know your name and bank details and will set up a direct debit without you needing to do anything.

Does this still work for people with mac computers?

SternMusik

bryanb wrote: »

Does this still work for people with mac computers?

May do, unless there has been a unicorn sighting nearby.

Blackpool_Saver

bryanb wrote: »

Does this still work for people with mac computers?

no, but it works on hidden channels on the tv

AMO

Does the above advice apply only to gas, electric and water?

With telephone and broadband do we have to do that manually?

Thanks.

Yorkie1

Yes, that's right. Let your phone / broadband supplier know in advance - look at their website for details.

Often you find that you are without phone and/or broadband for a while after a move. It sucks but there doesn't seem to be any way round it (probably depends on your supplier).