Moving to a new house need advice.

mcctank

Hi I'm moving to a house where i will be responsible for the bill paying for the first time.

Was looking for some advice on how to deal with the gas and electric. Do we sort it out before we move in, Or is there a grace period they keep the lights on for so we have a chance to work out who to go with..Its all new to me and with two other people relying on me i really dont want to get it wrong. and help is appreciated

jbainbridge

First thing you do when you get the keys is to take meter readings (don't forget the water meter if there is one). When you move in you become a customer of the current supplier - so the electricity and gas will be on. Your vendor should have noted in the property information form who the supplier(s) are.

As soon as you can - say a day or so later ring the suppliers and give them your opening meter readings. Then when you have more time do a comparison and consider switching!

GingerBob_3

You'll be in a deemed contract with the incumbent supplier. If you ring them up they may try to harvest personal information such as full name, pervious address and DoB, possibly (probably) to carry out a credit check. Don't divulge any of this. In fact, to make it easy for yourself, send the details of the meter readings by post (recorded delivery). Provide only your surname and title.

mcctank

Thank you so much for the quick and clear replies! really appreciate it!

ExtraMask

You'll need to find out the current supplier, contact their moving home team and supply meter reads. They'll ask personal info, which they're obliged to as they're providing a service they'll be invoicing you for and its to guard against people not paying or committing fraud, hence the credit check. Credit checks can only be done with your consent.

If you've no agenda there's no reason to withhold this information, you can request a marketing surpression to avoid any unwanted contact or details being shared with third parties.

Things you'll require:

- date you got the keys for the property
- meter reads
- knowledge of heating system (helps with estimating consumption)
- bank details (most suppliers offer discounts for direct debit)

A lot of people view direct debits as negative, like its giving the energy company control of their bank, they're just paranoid. If there's ever an incorrect amount taken the DD guarantee entitles you to a full immediate refund through an indemnity claim with the bank.