How to connect and disconnect electricity and gas when moving house

Before moving out of your current home, you’ll need to contact your energy provider so they can disconnect your old home’s gas and electricity supply.  By doing so, you’ll avoid paying for the energy used at your old place after you’ve moved.

If you have a separate gas-only plan with another provider, you’ll need to contact them separately so they can disconnect it when you move.

Your new home may need to be connected to the power supply. While it’s smart to plan ahead, our comparison service offers same-day or next business day electricity connections if you’ve left your connection to the last minute. When organising your connection, simply select the earliest date available for the address you are moving into and we will present any valid options we have available.

If you also need gas connected, this will typically need to be arranged at least three business days before the move-in date. Note that the gas may continue to remain connected if someone was living at the property before you moved in.

It’s also worth noting that you don’t necessarily have to sign up for the same energy provider you used in your old home when you relocate; in fact, they may not even be available in your new area, or there may be cheaper plans on offer from other providers.

To help ensure a smooth transition when moving homes, here are a few extra tips for organising your utilities:

• If you live with housemates and the energy bill is in your name, you need to organise who’ll be the new account holder before moving out. To transfer the account over to them, contact your energy provider prior to moving house.
• Ensure there is clear and safe access to the meter (or meters, if you have electricity and gas) at your new house – this is essential when your energy provider is organising the connection to your home. Clear and safe access means making sure any pets are housed securely, that there are no bushes or trees blocking the meter and that any potential tripping hazards are cleared.
• On moving day, write down the meter readings for your old and new homes. Doing so will show you if your provider is charging you the correct amount for your usage.
• You’ll need to provide accurate property and account details for the connection or disconnection to take place when you are applying for a new energy plan. This includes your full name, the address, your move-in and move-out date, a form of identification and whether there are any access instructions the technician needs to be aware of.
• To help stay on top of all the small details, it’s helpful to have a moving house checklist that you can refer to.

It can take two or more business days to connect electricity, although some energy providers can sort the connection in a single business day. Meanwhile, gas connections typically take a few days.

Electricity and gas can generally only be connected on business days, not on weekends or public holidays. If the connection needs to take place outside of business hours, it will incur a much higher connection fee.

To arrange an urgent electricity connection, you’ll need to contact your chosen provider to find out if it’s possible, and what the process is.

You can compare energy plans with Compare the Market online if you do need an urgent connection, and we may be able to offer you one. Keep in mind you may incur a higher connection fee to expedite a same-day connection service and that it will depend on certain eligibility requirements depending on the state you live in and who your preferred retailer is.

There may be a connection fee when you connect electricity or gas to your new home, but this will depend on your chosen energy provider. This will be included in your first bill at your new property, which will differ between providers and energy plans. This is one reason why it’s important you check your options and compare energy providers to make the most of your budget.

Electricity bills generally arrive quarterly; however, if you have a smart meter or have the option in your plan, you could receive bills monthly. The first electricity bill you’ll receive after moving will be from your previous provider for the electricity you used at your previous address until the day you disconnected, and this could take a couple of weeks to arrive.

Gas billing works in a similar manner, except in Victoria where gas bills arrive every two months.

The billing period between different addresses is not necessarily the same. When you receive an electricity or gas bill, you’ll be able to see the billing period listed somewhere on the page. After you move into your new home, the first bill could take anywhere from 10 to 100 days to arrive. The billing period is already in place when moving into a new home, so you slot into the existing cycle rather than starting at the beginning of a new billing cycle. Therefore, your first bill is from your move-in date could arrive any time between 10 to 100 days.

If your new address has gas appliances (such as stoves, ovens and water heaters), you’ll also need to organise a gas connection when moving.

Here’s what to think about when moving to a house with gas appliances:

• If your new home uses LPG cylinders, you’ll need to check what size cylinders are connected and organise a replacement if they’re empty.
• Consider whether you want to stay with the same provider if you’re connected to natural gas and had it at your previous property, or if you want to compare plans to find something cheaper.
• Be sure to shop around and compare electricity and gas plans separately for the most cost-effective plans. You may find that combined gas and electricity plans are available; however, these are usually more expensive.

If you plan to move interstate, you should first be aware of how energy rules differ across Australia since the energy sector is regulated by individual states and territories.

For example, New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria (VIC), South Australia (SA) and South East Queensland (QLD) enjoy full retail competition, as the energy sector in these states is deregulated. Deregulation means the government has opened the market to competition, so you’re free to choose your energy provider.

However, in regional Queensland and Western Australia (WA), energy regulations are different. As energy can cost more for providers to service regional areas, energy regulation keeps customers in these locations from being charged overly inflated prices. For example, in regional Queensland, prices are regulated by the state government, but only Ergon Energy operates in the area (which is the distributor and retail arm of the Queensland government). In Western Australia, the state government also regulates the energy and, just like regional Queensland, customers can’t choose their electricity provider, but they can choose their gas provider.

Full retail competition exists in the Northern Territory (NT) and Tasmania (TAS), but your choices for providers are limited compared to other deregulated states.

Usually, prices will be notably different when moving between a regulated market and a deregulated market, or even between deregulated markets. As a result, your energy costs may change depending on where you decide to live.

Learn more about Australia’s energy regulations.

To find the cheapest electricity and gas plans on the market, you can use our comparison tool online. The tool is easy to use with only a few key details required, and then will present you with a range of options available.

If you’re moving into a rental property, the process for connecting electricity and gas is essentially the same as a new home.  The only difference is that some rental properties may include the cost of electricity and gas in your rent payments; you can find this information in your rental agreement. In that case, you only need to organise a disconnection at your old address, as your landlord will sort out the energy connection at the rental property.

Some rental properties may even have your utilities connected already; so, you may still need to contact your electricity retailer to place the contract under your name, or compare providers to find one that’s more suitable for your lifestyle.

If you are moving to a place with solar panels, you may be able to save money on your power bills.  This is because solar panels are a renewable energy source and by using solar power to generate electricity, you reduce the amount of power you need from the local grid (where power is wired to your home from power stations).

Having solar panels also means you can take advantage of feed-in tariffs, where you get paid by your energy provider for the excess electricity you generate from your solar panels and feed to the grid as detailed in your energy contract.

When comparing electricity plans via Compare the Market, you should select ‘yes’ when prompted as to whether your new property has solar. This will allow you to compare the fees and charges across the market as well as the solar feed-in rate offered.

If you’re building a new home, you’ll need to organise a new energy connection from your house to the grid. To do this, the energy distributor in your area will need to be contacted – but you don’t need to do this yourself.

The builder of the home (either the owner or a construction company) can contact your the distributor on your behalf to register the electricity meter. You may then need to pay to help cover the cost of extending the grid and connecting your new home, which can take several business days.

Another method is to find an electrical contractor or qualified electrician capable of connecting you to the electricity network. Usually, they can even submit a connection application for your new home on your behalf.

Once this is done, you will be able to shop around for the most suitable plan to match your tariff and potential usage.