Moving into new house - Utilities

Marshall_Man

Hi all,

So another silly FTB question as well as my first post so please be kind

Basically we should be exchanging/completing in the next few weeks (once the vendor gets round to clearing a second charge but that's another long story!), and just wondered how to sort out and set up the utilities...

I understand that I'll need to take a meter reading but specifically:

1. How to do find out who the previous occupier (was a tenant) used? Do I need to notify them?

2. Do I need to use the previous provider or can I use anyone? Or is it generally easier to keep going with them?

3. How do I work out what tariff I should be on? I'm assuming I can go on a 'standard' one to start with and then switch in a few months after finding the best deal?

The utilities would be gas, electric, water and phone (broadband). Luckily when I had a viewing I spied a sky router which is handy as that's the firm I'd like to use.

Any help appreciated

G_M

It is generally easiest to continue with the existing supplier initially. Contact them on the day with a meter reading and open an account.

One you've been there a few weeks, shop around and switch in the usual way.

Are you using a solicitor? He will send "Enquiries before Contract" which asks (amongst other things) who supplies the services. See sample:

http://www.oyezstore.co.uk/forms/templates/05220.pdf

drdpj

Marshall_Man wrote: »

Hi all,

So another silly FTB question as well as my first post so please be kind

Basically we should be exchanging/completing in the next few weeks (once the vendor gets round to clearing a second charge but that's another long story!), and just wondered how to sort out and set up the utilities...

I understand that I'll need to take a meter reading but specifically:

1. How to do find out who the previous occupier (was a tenant) used? Do I need to notify them?

It should be on the property information form. One of the standard solicitor's questions. You can phone up to find out who the supplier is though:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/consumer_w/consumer_energy_supply_e/problems_switching_energy_suppliers/finding_out_who_your_gas_or_electricity_supplier_is.htm

2. Do I need to use the previous provider or can I use anyone? Or is it generally easier to keep going with them?

Initially yes, but you can just sign up on the standard tariff then decide who you want to change to at your leisure.

3. How do I work out what tariff I should be on? I'm assuming I can go on a 'standard' one to start with and then switch in a few months after finding the best deal?

Yup

The utilities would be gas, electric, water and phone (broadband). Luckily when I had a viewing I spied a sky router which is handy as that's the firm I'd like to use.

Any help appreciated

Not sure about phone unfortunately, but I'd have thought you'd be hitting that with a blank slate - if it's wired for cable you have the choice of virgin too. Water you're just stuck with whoever the provider is for the area.

Affinity99

When we received the fixtures and fittings from our vendors it had their utility suppliers on there , we have decided to stay we who we are already with as we have a good deal and have already notified them that we are completing on the 10th septemeber

Sarahspangles

Firstly consider signing up to a cashback site as some of them do cashback on energy comparison sites. Then once you have exchanged click through them to compare prices for gas and electricity. It doesn't matter if you don't know who supplies now, they can find out. It can be a few weeks before the switch takes place, I'm currently looking at 5 weeks. For water you won't have a choice but consider a meter if there isn't one. BT need a fair bit of notice too, but I don't know about Sky.

For the current move I am getting cashback for switching power suppliers, a £50 voucher for taking out insurance (with the provider I was going to use anyway) and I've bought all the paint I need on a 15% off weekend with a BOGOHP deal on top.

Marshall_Man

Thanks for the help guys!

On the property information form the vendor as put "British Gas?" as he probably does't know as he's the landlord. I guess I hope that they are currently the suppliers or it'll be a lot of phoning around!

Sarahspangles

Well if you wait until you move in, they are likely to send a letter "To the Occupier" not long afterwards. Or if you do a price comparison and choose a provider, the new provider can find out from some online register not available to consumers.

G_M

Why not ask the tenants? By the way, what guarantee do you have the tenants will move out as planned?

If the tenants have already gone, then the owner must have taken over the utilities - so he'll know who!

dgtazzman

If you just switch supplier from the outset, your new supplier can see on the system who the old supplier is by the meter numbers and will notify them of the switch, so in theory you can just ask your new supplier who the old supplier was and save a lot of hassle.

You can then contact the old supplier by phone and register yourself with them, tell them you have already initiated a switch. They will ask you for the initial meter readings and contact you when the switch is complete for the readings then, at which point they will send you a one-off bill for the period you were still with them as it generally isn't worth setting up a direct debit for the 4 to 6 week switching period. This is how it all happened in our case, though we knew beforehand who the old supplier was.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

Some rotten advice already here.

It's very important on the day you move in you take a meter reading (photograph it if possible), and inform the incumbent supplier.

Waiting for an indeterminate period of time for a letter, or allowing the incumbent supplier to find out from "some online register" would be incredibly foolish. See the energy sub-forum of this website for examples where people haven't been pro-active regards their gas and electricity supply.

Why? Well, if you don't give them a meter reading and inform them you've moved in, it gives an energy firm carte blanche to estimate the bill. This may be a good estimate, or it may be a bad one. It doesn't really matter, as if you don't give them a meter reading, you can't dispute it. Energy firms only have to read the meter once every 2 years, everything else is down to the consumer. They also can't intuit when people move houses, and more often than not the outgoing tenant won't inform them.

Once you've registered, as people have said, you can then commence the switch to a new supplier. Look at a price comparison site for the best deal, and switch via a cashback site to maximise revenue.

It'll ask for your consumption, which you won't know as you've never lived there, but the UK average is 13,500 KWh gas, and 3,200 KWh elec, assuming GCH. Adjust up or down dependent on the size of your home/how warm you like it.

Marshall_Man

Luckily the tenants have gone - made sure of that before agreeing to exchange!

They left on the first of August so I assume that the Landlord hasn't bothered to take over the utilities as he's planning to see asap.

It's vacant at the moment so hopefully I can give the readings and just switch.