Too often people move from one home to another without considering their energy needs. If you do not take the time to plan then you could be leaving the new tenants with free energy, and finding yourself in a dark new home.

Although every energy provider has different policies and procedures, here are some common guidelines for you to follow when you move from one home to another.

Your previous property’s gas service will not automatically stop.

Although they are likely very attentive to your needs, unless you alert them to your move they will not know about it. This means that the gas and electricity on your original property will continue, in your name, providing the new tenants with free energy and leaving you with a potentially large bill.

As soon as you know that you will be moving you should contact your energy supplier and ask them about the closing procedures for leaving a home. In most cases, they will simply ask that you contact them once you have vacated the property to provide them with a closing meter reading.

Your energy provider will also ask for your forwarding address to ensure that they can send your final bill to the correct location.

You may not have gas when you arrive at your new home

If they understand the policies of their energy provider, it is likely that the home’s previous owner will have turned off the gas meter before they left. This means that you will be arriving to a home that is without energy. The best solution is to coordinate with the previous owner to ensure that your energy provider will take over on the same day that their energy is cancelled.

If, upon arrival, you suspect that your gas has been turned off you can call Gas Emergency Services on 0800 111 999. Doing so as soon as you suspect your gas is off will ensure that an engineer can check your supply quickly.

You may have gas from another supplier when you arrive

Although you may have a preferred supplier when it comes to energy for your home, the property could be serviced by a different company. Although the process to switch servers is not difficult, it can be time consuming. That is why it is important that you know which company supplies the property before you move in.

It can take between 4-6 weeks for the service transfer to be completed. During this time, the property will continue to be served by the original provider. By starting the transfer process early, you can help ensure that upon move-in you will be serviced by the energy provider and package of your choice.

HIPs

As of the middle of 2007 all homes with 3 or more bedrooms require a Home Information Pack (HIP) in order to be sold in England and Wales).

A Home Information Package includes several important documents, such as the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).Take the time to review this document, since it can provide great information about your home’s current level of energy efficiency, it’s CO2 impact, and its typical fuel costs.