Before you leave your old property
Take final meter readings
On the day you move out (or as close to it as possible), take readings from your gas and electricity meters. Photograph them if you can, including the meter serial numbers. This is your evidence for a final bill and protects you from being charged for energy used by the next occupant.
Contact your current supplier
Let your supplier know you're moving, the date you're moving out, and provide your final meter readings along with a forwarding address for your final bill. Most suppliers let you do this online or by phone, and many ask for at least a few days' notice if possible.
Settle your final bill
Your supplier will issue a final bill based on your move-out reading. If you're in credit, this should be refunded; if you owe money, you'll need to pay the final amount. Keep a copy of this bill for your records.
Can you take your tariff with you?
Generally, no; energy tariffs are tied to a property's supply point, not to you as a customer, because tariffs and even unit rates can vary by region and by the specific meter point at an address. When you move, you'll typically need to either:
Either way, it's worth comparing for your new address rather than assuming your old tariff will simply transfer, since availability and pricing depend on the new property's postcode.
- Set up a new contract with the same supplier at your new address (which may or may not be on the same tariff terms), or
- Compare tariffs for your new postcode and switch to whichever supplier suits your new home
Moving into a new property
Find out who currently supplies the property
If you're moving into a property where you don't know the current supplier, you can usually find this out by asking the outgoing occupant, the landlord or letting agent, or by contacting the relevant network operator for your area, who can identify the registered supplier for a given meter point.
Take readings on move-in day
As with moving out, take photographed meter readings (including serial numbers) on the day you move in. This protects you from being billed for energy used before you arrived.
Contact the existing supplier to set up an account
Until you actively switch, you'll typically be on what's called a "deemed contract" with whichever supplier serves the property; this is a default arrangement that lets your supply continue uninterrupted while you sort out a proper contract. Deemed contract rates can be higher than tariffs you'd get by actively choosing one, so it's worth setting up your own contract (with the existing supplier or by switching) reasonably promptly.
Compare and switch once you're settled
Once you have an account set up and a sense of your usage at the new property (even an estimate based on the property size is fine to start with), you can compare tariffs for your new postcode just as you would at any other time.