Daniel O'Connor
Moving home is exciting, but the admin can feel relentless. Utilities and council tax are two of the easiest things to overlook in the flurry of boxes and van hire — and two of the most expensive to get wrong. A few simple steps on moving day will keep your bills accurate and your paperwork tidy.
Take meter readings before you hand back the keys
Your final bill at the old property and your first bill at the new one both depend on accurate readings. Without them, suppliers estimate your usage, and estimates have a habit of landing on the wrong side of what you actually used. Read the meters on the day you move out, and again on the day you move in.
- Photograph every meter — gas, electricity and any water meter — making sure the serial number and the digits are clearly visible in the shot.
- Note the date and time each photo was taken. A phone timestamp is ideal, but a written record in a notebook works just as well.
- Check the new property on arrival, before the heating goes on or appliances are plugged in, so your opening reading reflects the previous occupier's usage, not yours.
- Record the meter serial numbers too. They prove which meter belongs to which property if there is ever a mix-up.
Tell your energy supplier you are leaving
Contact your current supplier as soon as you have a moving date. Give them the closing meter readings, the date you are leaving and a forwarding address so the final bill can reach you. Under the standard rules, energy suppliers must issue a final bill within six weeks of your move away, though in practice it is often sooner.
Keep your direct debit running until that final bill is settled. Cancelling it early does not speed anything up — it simply leaves you with a payment to make by card at the least convenient moment.
At the new property, you are free to choose a different supplier, but you cannot simply ignore the one already supplying it. The existing supplier remains responsible for the supply until any switch completes, so set up an account with them, give them your opening readings, and then switch if you want to. Take a second set of photos when you do.
Sort out water and household services
Water is not a market you can shop around in, but you still need to tell the local water company about both moves. Close your old account with a final reading if the property is metered, and open a new one at the address you are moving to.
- Broadband and landline: check your contract for notice periods before you cancel, as leaving early can trigger a fee. Arrange the new connection as soon as you have a completion date.
- TV Licence: it covers a property, not a person, so update your address when you move. If you no longer need one, cancel it and claim a refund for any unused full months.
- Contents insurance: cover does not automatically follow you to a new address, so arrange it for the day you move in.
Update your council tax address promptly
Council tax is charged per property, so it cannot move with you — you need to close one account and open another. Tell your old council you have left, giving the date and a forwarding address, and tell the new council you have arrived. Do this within days rather than weeks, as delays can lead to recovery letters or a summons before you have even unpacked.
Ask about the payment options. Most councils let you spread payments over twelve months instead of ten, which softens the monthly cost. Check your valuation band against neighbouring properties, and claim any discount you are entitled to — a 25% single person discount if you are the only adult in the property, or a disregard for full-time students. If you rent, check your tenancy agreement: the tenant usually pays council tax, unless the bills are included in your rent.
Keep the paperwork until the final bills arrive
Every time you speak to a supplier or council, save the confirmation email or reference number. Note who you spoke to, the date and what was agreed. This trail is worth its weight in gold if a bill later arrives addressed to the previous occupier, or a charge appears that you do not recognise.
Once your final bills land, compare them against your photographs. If the closing readings do not match, query it straight away — most suppliers have a window for disputes, and evidence from moving day usually resolves things quickly.
A simple moving-day routine
- Photograph all meters at the old property before the van is loaded.
- Photograph all meters at the new property before anything is plugged in.
- Submit readings to both suppliers the same day, and keep the confirmations.
- Email the old and new councils with your move dates.
- Locate the stopcock, fuse box and boiler in the new home, and note any faults.
- Set a reminder for six weeks' time to chase anything that has not arrived.
It takes perhaps an hour in total. That hour protects you from estimated bills, disputed charges and awkward letters arriving months later — and lets you get on with the far more enjoyable business of settling in.
