new house - taking over the utilities

Halude

Hello all,

myself and my partner are getting the keys to our first house on Friday,

our concern is we dont want to pay for the previous owners utility bills,

Would it be a case of ringing up their utility company and give them the metre readings and we carry on from that point?

and would that be a good time to try get a good deal / tariff off of them?

any advice would be gratefully welcome.

Cheers
Halude

Clueless101

Yes, you'll be in a deemed contract with the current supplier from the day you move in (own the house) - just ring them with the opening meter reading that you take the day you move in (own the house). Make sure you take the reading yourself to ensure it's correct. You can then either switch to a cheaper supplier or stay with the same supplier, but switch to a cheaper tariff (as they will automatically put you on the most expensive one).

Halude

thank you for your comment, yes it will be my first job as soon as we get the keys,

thank you for letting me know that they automatically put you on the highest tariff, i will haggle them down straight the way, or go on the comparison websites,

Cheers
Halude

Clueless101

Sorry, I meant they will put you on their standard tariff, so while it may not be their most expensive tariff, it will definitely be one of their more expensive and you'll be able to get a better deal switching

Andy_WSM

Take a photo of each meter on your camera phone and keep it safe. You may need it at a later date if there is a dispute about the previous occupiers final & your start readings not marrying up.

macman

Utility suppliers don't do haggling. Pick the cheapest tariff without an ETC and then hit the comp sites.