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Moving house checklist: energy, change of address and your mortgage

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UKUpdated 6 October 2026 · Written by BuyMeWhiskey Editorial Team · How we check facts

You can't transfer an energy account to a new address. You close the old account with final meter readings, then become a customer of the supplier already at your new home on its standard tariff, and switch if you want. Ask whether a fixed tariff can move with you, and update DVLA, HMRC, the electoral register and the council.

Use Citizens Advice's step-by-step guide to sort your energy before and after moving day.

Open the moving-home energy checklist

Energy: you don't "transfer", you close one account and open another

Gas and electricity supply belongs to the property, not to you. When you move, you settle up with the supplier at your old home and become a customer of whichever supplier already supplies the new one. Citizens Advice sets out the steps:

Before you move

Tell your current supplier at least 48 hours before you move.
Read your meters on moving-out day, give the readings to the supplier, and keep a note or photo with the date.
Give a forwarding address for the final bill. You'll have 28 days to pay it.
On a fixed tariff? Ask whether you can take it with you. Some suppliers let you keep the same contract at your new home without a fee. If you end it early instead, you might pay an exit fee.
If you have a smart meter, check that it's working in smart mode, and leave the in-home display for the next occupants.

After you move in

Contact the existing supplier at the new home. You'll automatically be on a deemed contract at their default or standard variable tariff.
Read the meters on moving-in day and send the readings, so your first bill is accurate.
You can switch tariff or supplier once you're responsible for the property. A supplier switch should take about 5 working days, so expect at least one bill from the current supplier.
Your old supplier should send the final bill within 6 weeks, and refund any credit within 10 working days of sending it. If they're late, they might owe you compensation.

Who else to tell

DVLA: update your driving licence (free), your vehicle log book and your vehicle tax Direct Debit. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don't tell DVLA about a change of address.
HMRC: update your address for Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension through your personal tax account, after you've moved.
Electoral register: register again at your new address. It usually takes about 5 minutes.
Council tax: tell your local council you've moved, and the council for your new area if it's different. They'll register you and send you a new bill.
Your bank, employer, GP, insurers and anyone else who sends you post.

If you have a mortgage

MoneyHelper says most mortgages are now portable, meaning they can move with you, but porting is still treated as a new application with fresh affordability checks. Usually only your existing balance stays on the current deal, and any extra borrowing goes on a separate deal that may end at a different time. If you fail the checks and have to go to another lender, you'd usually pay your current lender's early repayment charge. If you know you're likely to move, look for deals with low or no early repayment charges.

Worked example

Aisha moves out on 30 June. Her old energy account shows £150 in credit. Her electricity meter read 44,890 kWh at her last bill, and 45,210 kWh when she photographs it on moving-out day.

Electricity used since the last bill: 45,210 − 44,890 = 320 kWh.
At an illustrative unit rate of 25p per kWh, that's 320 × £0.25 = £80, before standing charges.
Credit left: £150 − £80 = £70. The supplier should send the final bill within 6 weeks and refund the £70 within 10 working days of that.

Her mortgage: she owes £180,000 on a fix with 2 years left and needs £40,000 more for the bigger house. If she ports, the £180,000 stays on her current rate and the £40,000 goes on a new deal. Her total borrowing is £180,000 + £40,000 = £220,000, split across two deals that end at different times. She asks her lender for a porting quote and an early repayment charge figure, then compares those with putting all £220,000 on one new deal.

Utilities when moving home: transfer or set up as a new customer?#

For gas and electricity, you close your account at the old address and become a customer of the supplier already at the new one, on a deemed contract at their standard tariff. If you're on a fixed tariff, ask your supplier whether you can take it with you without a fee. Once you've moved in, you can switch to a better tariff or supplier.

What should I do with gas and electricity on moving day?#

Read the meters at both properties on the day, take dated photos, and send the readings to both suppliers. Give your old supplier a forwarding address for the final bill. If the new home has a prepayment meter, call the supplier before topping up.

Who do I need to tell when I move house?#

Tell DVLA, because you can be fined up to £1,000 for not updating your address, and tell HMRC through your personal tax account once you've moved. Register to vote at your new address and tell the council, including the one for your new area if it's different, about council tax. Then update your bank, employer, GP and insurers.

Can I take my mortgage with me when I move?#

Usually, because most mortgages are portable. But porting is assessed like a new application, so you'll need to pass affordability checks again. Any extra borrowing is usually on a separate deal, and if you switch lender instead you may pay an early repayment charge.

Should I fix my mortgage or stay on a variable rate if I'm planning to move?#

If you're likely to move soon, be wary of locking into a deal with large early repayment charges. MoneyHelper suggests looking at deals with low or no early repayment charges. A mortgage adviser can compare porting, a new fix and a variable rate for your timescale.

What if my new home has a prepayment meter?#

Contact the supplier before you put money on it or use the key or card. Otherwise you risk paying off the previous occupant's debt. Ask them to clear any debt from the meter and send you a new key or card.

What not to do when you move house#

Don't forget meter readings, don't leave a fixed energy tariff without asking whether it can move with you, and don't put off updating DVLA. Don't sign a new mortgage deal with big early repayment charges if you might move again soon. And don't top up a prepayment meter before calling the supplier.

Keep reading

Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 6 October 2026. If a rule changes, we update the page and its date.

General information, not personal financial advice. Rules depend on your circumstances; check the official source or speak to a regulated adviser before acting.