Moving House Utility Overlap
Everything You Need to Know When Moving Home & Organising Utilities
A utility overlap is very common when moving home.
If it’s not managed correctly it can mean having two sets of direct debits going out for the same service
When we talk about your moving home utility overlap, we’re typically speaking about these four services:
- Council Tax
- Water & Sewerage
- Energy
- Broadband
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about overlapping utilities and how to prevent it.
If you’re moving home you may wish to start with our moving home utilities checklist which will cover everything you need to do when moving home.
Online Utility Home Setup
We’ll also cover:
- What do you do about gas and electric when you move house?
- Can you change energy supplier as soon as you move in?
- What do you do with utility bills when you move house?
- How do I transfer utilities when moving?
- When to tell utilities you are moving?
What is a utility overlap?
Let’s start with a definition.
Overlapping utilities happens when you move home and there is a period ‘of overlap’ where you pay utilities for both your new and previous residence.
Sometimes it will just result in more administrative work and in other times people will accrue costs they can’t recover.
We’ll go through each of the Utilities and exactly what you need to do to avoid overlap.
Can I update all utilities at the same time?
At SlothMove we’re all about innovation and making home moving simple.
Through our free-to-use home setup service you can setup and close down your council tax, water & sewerage, energy, and broadband at once.
We will update these institutions and setup everything for your new home. And whilst you’re at it, you can update your address across all of your accounts (Boots, Tesco, TV Licencing etc…)
Online Utility Home Setup
STEP 1
About you
Enter your previous address, new address and the date you moved home
STEP 2
Home Setup
Setup your council, water & sewerage, energy, broadband and more
STEP 3
Submit
Click submit and we'll take care of the rest, sharing any next steps by email
Below, we’ve listed things by utility and how to avoid the overlap. for when you’re moving home.
Council Tax
Both your previous & new council need to know
Water
We'll also need to update your water & sewerage
Energy
We need to close down your previous account & setup one
Broadband
Cancel or transfer your previous broadband contract
The first step is to contact your current broadband provider and let them know that you’re moving home.
Ask them what they require to close-down the account.
They will usually ask you to mail back your equipment (which is why it’s best to reach out to them a few weeks before the move).
Your broadband company will also try and get you to ‘port over’ your broadband contact to the new property.
If you’re somebody who wants the best deal this is something that you shouldn’t do.
The best broadband contracts and offers are reserved for those who are moving home – so stay strong and we’ll get onto how to get a rockin’ broadband deal for your new place.
Some broadband providers will make you pay a cancellation fee or simply charge you the remainder of the contract. There ways around this, such as moving to an area they don’t cover (typically Virgin). So, check to see if you can can reduce your exit fees that way.
Council Tax Overlap
Council tax overlap happens when you move home and neglect to inform your previous council.
Even if you’re moving home within the same area you still need to inform your local council that you’re moving.
You can update both your previous and new council about your home move online using our moving home service.
How to stop Council Tax overlap
- 3 weeks before your home movehead over to SlothMove’s home setup service
- Enter your postcode and SlothMove will show you both your new and previous council
- Complete the rest of your home setup and click submit
- SlothMove will inform both your new and previous Council about your home move
If you have already moved in, you can still use the service. With Council Tax it’s typically best to update your Council three weeks before your move in.
If you weren’t responsible for paying Council Tax, you just need to inform your new Council. If you were responsible for paying Council Tax, once you inform that Council they will generate a final bill (or refund).
If you are moving within the area of the same Council, the amount of Council Tax you pay may change. Therefore, it’s important you check the Council Tax band of the property. You can see the Council Tax band for your property by entering your postcode here.
If you’re moving into a new build property, your Council will need to come out and make an assessment on its value. If other people on your estate have moved in already, it’s always worth checking with your neighbours for a heads-up.
Update Your Water & Sewerage
How to stop overlapping water payments
When moving home you also need to let your water & sewerage providers know.
If you haven’t informed your previous water & sewerage providers know you have moved home you may still be paying for the water supply to two properties.
To avoid this, call up your local water provider (or use our service) and let them know you’re moving home. Provide them with the final move-out date and where you’re moving to.
For your previous water supplier
Your previous water and sewerage supplier will generate a final bill (or refund). If you have a meter, make sure you take meter readings on the day you leave the property to ensure billing accuracy.
If you keep the supplier informed in advance of your move you will reduce your chance of having ‘overlapping bills for water’.
If you have an outstanding amount to pay you may receive that invoice after you have moved into your new home. That is fairly typical and is something to expect.
For your new water supplier
If you’re moving out of your previous supplier geography (or have never been responsible for the water before), call your new supplier once you move in to let them know. You will then setup a DD
If you aren’t sure who your water provider is, you can find out on Water.org or our online platform will populate it for you automatically with your postcode.
Avoid paying for energy at two properties
One of the most frustrating things about moving home can be finding out you’re paying for energy at both your previous home and your new one.
When it comes to your energy there are two things you should do. One is optional and the other is recommenced but not mandatory.
If you would like to know what kind of price is typical for your energy you can check our guide here.
For your previous energy supplier
You will want to close down your account and let your energy supplier know that you’re moving home. They will ask for a forwarding address or email (if they don’t have it already) so that they can pass on your final bill or refund.
If you have a previous energy supplier it’s best to take meter readings on the day you’re leaving – this will help with accurate meter readings. If you use our service, you can actually text us the meter readings and we’ll pass those on for you.
Now, to avoid paying for two energy suppliers simultaneously you need to close down your previous energy account when you move out at the latest. This will generate the final bill and should be the last you speak to them.
For your new energy supplier
It’s easy to forget that the incumbent supplier (the supplier of your new home) won’t know who you are when you move into your new home.
They can’t issue you a bill as they don’t know who you are, though you will likely receive letters “to the occupier”.
When you move into a new property you will be automatically put onto a standard variable tariff or a ‘default tariff’. These are typically very expensive per Kwh energy consumed.
You can save hundreds of your energy bills by setting-up your new home with a trusted supplier. You can use our home setup service which compares the entire market for the best offers. This can be done up to three weeks before you move home.
And the sooner you do it, the more you’ll save.
How to avoid paying for broadband at two properties when you move
When it comes to preventing overlap with your utilities when you move home broadband is typically the trickiest.
The reason this feels a little more complicated is because broadband contracts are usually 12 or 18 months long.
And we don’t tend to plan our home moves around our broadband contacts (well, most of us don’t). So, more often than not you will be in a situation where you are moving and have a period of time left on your broadband contact.
Your previous broadband contract
The first step is to contact your current broadband provider and let them know that you’re moving home.
Ask them what they require to close-down the account.
They will usually ask you to mail back your equipment (which is why it’s best to reach out to them a few weeks before the move).
Your broadband company will also try and get you to ‘port over’ your broadband contact to the new property.
If you’re somebody who wants the best deal this is something that you shouldn’t do.
The best broadband contracts and offers are reserved for those who are moving home – so stay strong and we’ll get onto how to get a rockin’ broadband deal for your new place.
Some broadband providers will make you pay a cancellation fee or simply charge you the remainder of the contract. There ways around this, such as moving to an area they don’t cover (typically Virgin). So, check to see if you can can reduce your exit fees that way.
Setting-up broadband in your new home
It may still be cheaper to pay the cancellation fees and setup a new contract just because of how lucrative these new joiner offers are. In fact, you can compare the entire market for new offers on broadband using our broadband comparosin here.
If you’ve yet to book broadband, you may wish to use our home setup service which can help you compare the entire market and get excellent deals there.
When you do setup and close down your previous supply you will avoid overlaps. This is also the case if you ‘port’ your supply over.
As with all of the others, there will usually always be a final bill to pay. The key is starting this process four weeks before you leave home.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ll now take a look at some of the other questions you may have in relation to your utilities when moving home
What do you do about gas and electricity when you move house?
When you’re moving home you need to inform your previous electricity & gas supplier that you’re moving home. Provide them with meter reads on the day you move out to get an accurate bill. It’s also good practice to setup energy in your new home (your supply doesn’t follow you). When you move you will be placed on a standard variable tarriff which means ‘expensive’ in plain speak. SlothMove can help you set everything up in your new home (including energy, council tax, water & more) and will inform your previous supplier.
Can you change energy supplier as soon as you move in?
You can change your energy supplier when ever you like. If you’re moving home you can change your energy supplier three weeks before you move into your new home. If you’re looking to compare the market SlothMove’s home setup portal can compare the entire market and setup your council, water, energy, broadband and more for you.
What do you do with your utility bills when you move house?
When you move house you need to let all of your utility providers know you’re moving (Council, Broadband, Water, Energy, TV Licencing). Those companies will produce a final bill (or refund) and you will close down the account. You can either call them all individually or SlothMove can help you update them all automatically online.
How do I transfer utilities when moving?
Thanks to new technology you can transfer all of your utilities (broadband, gas, electricity, council tax, water etc…) online simultaneously. SlothMove is a home setup service that will enable you to transfer all of your utilities in one place and removes the needs to have lots of conversations with lots of different companies.
When to tell utilities you are moving?
The best time to tell your utility companies that you’re moving is about 3-4 weeks before you move date. This will provide enough time to send back modems etc… You will need to provide meter readings on the day you move out – you can do this easily by text with SlothMove’s home setup service.
Transferring Utilities Without Two Payments
As we have seen, it is simple to avoid utility overlap when moving home. You don’t have to pay two sets of broadband bills, two sets of council tax etc… However, it is important to act earlier rather than later. The ‘golden zone’ is around three weeks before you move in. This will typically give you plenty of time to organise all of your bills and close your accounts. You will always leave with a final bill, but if you update your utilities early you can avoid two simultaneos payments.