Moving house and switching

Mulder00

I just want to make sure that I am doing the right thing...

We just moved into a property which has dual fuel with British Gas. I've already checked and compared that for the area and the way in which we use electricity and gas (this house has a very different energy efficiency profile compared to our old place), I will be switching to nPower.

Now I need to just make sure that I'm going about this the right way:

1. Phone up British Gas and tell them that I'm the new occupier (the place has been empty for a while) and give them the meter readings.
2. I'm assuming I must make it exceptionally clear to them not to put me on any tariff with cancellation fees as I will be switching.
3. Phone nPower immediately afterwards and tell them that I want to switch to them.

I then pay British Gas from 1 November (our official move in date) up until the day of the switch and then nPower from then onwards?

Basically just want to make sure that I have to contact British Gas first?

matelodave

Yes phone BG as soon as possible to ensure that you don't end up paying for the previous users electricity - they would normally put you onto their standard tariff.

You then phone or otherwise communicate with nPower to sign up for the switch onto your chosen tariff. nPower will ask you for a meter reading on or about the date they take over the supply. Make sure you take a record of all the readings just in case there is any dispute or arguments later on - a dated photo of the meter could be helpful.

BG should bill you for the electricity that you've used from 1st Nov through to the time that nPower take over your supply.

Then you should make a note in your diary to read the meter at least once a month, record it yourself and send the reading to nPower once a month as well. Check every bill against the meter readings and make sure you get them adjusted if they are incorrect. Hopefully you'll then only pay for what you use and you wont get any nasty surprises.

Make sure you do it with the water meter as well if you've got one, you don't want to pay for the previous users water either

macman

Yes, you can't commence a switch until you have an account with the existing supplier.

Mulder00

Thanks all. Setup my account with BG and told them I'm going to switch, so they were okay with it. We don't have a water meter here...(and we're low users of water )

nPower

Mulder00 wrote: »

I just want to make sure that I am doing the right thing...

We just moved into a property which has dual fuel with British Gas. I've already checked and compared that for the area and the way in which we use electricity and gas (this house has a very different energy efficiency profile compared to our old place), I will be switching to nPower.

Now I need to just make sure that I'm going about this the right way:

1. Phone up British Gas and tell them that I'm the new occupier (the place has been empty for a while) and give them the meter readings.
2. I'm assuming I must make it exceptionally clear to them not to put me on any tariff with cancellation fees as I will be switching.
3. Phone nPower immediately afterwards and tell them that I want to switch to them.

I then pay British Gas from 1 November (our official move in date) up until the day of the switch and then nPower from then onwards?

Basically just want to make sure that I have to contact British Gas first?

Hi Mulder00

Thank you for your post. The advice given by matelodave is excellent, completely accurate. Thank you . Monthly meter readings are helpful when it comes to calculating your direct debit amounts/ monthly usage.

If you have any issues, please let me know and we'll be more than happy to help.

Kind regards

David