Move-home guide

How do I change the account holder on a household bill?

Short answer

It depends on the bill. Energy suppliers can add a named person, but taking over a bill in someone else's sole name usually means a new account. Mobile numbers move by transfer of ownership. Many water companies close the account and open a new one. Until a change is confirmed, whoever is named stays responsible.

Updated 15 October 2026

2 days

How long an energy supplier can usually charge you after you tell it you're leaving

25%

Council tax discount when only one adult is left at home

3 months

How long EE wants a number active before it can be transferred

Whose name goes on house share bills?Housemate moving out: the bills handover

When a housemate leaves, a partner moves in or a relationship ends, every bill needs the right name on it, and each provider handles the change differently. This guide sets out, bill by bill, whether it is a name change or a new account, what the provider needs, and who stays liable until it is done.

Is it a name change or a new account? Bill by bill

Bill	Name change or close and reopen?	What the provider needs, and who stays liable until it is done
Energy	Adding a named person is usually a change on the account: OVO does it with both of you on the call, and Octopus from an email sent from the account's address with the new person copied in. MoneyHelper says taking over a bill in an ex-partner's sole name means closing it and opening a new one.	A meter reading on the changeover day and the leaver's forwarding address. Whoever is named stays responsible until the change is made, and Shelter says an energy company can usually charge you for up to 2 days after you tell it you are leaving.
Broadband	Varies by provider. EE transfers the account holder name when you and the new holder call together. Virgin Media asks someone taking over from a holder who has moved out to contact it: the old equipment goes back, and the new person picks a current deal with new equipment.	Vodafone's transfer form asks for a credit and ID check on the new holder and every plan paid off. Until the change is made, Shelter says the person named on a bill is usually responsible for paying it.
Mobile	Usually a transfer of ownership, which keeps the number. EE, O2 and Vodafone each offer one, and EE and O2 want the current and new owner present.	Device plans paid off first (O2, Vodafone), no balance owed and a number active for 3 months (EE), and a credit check (EE, Vodafone). O2's new owner must already have an O2 contract, and the current owner pays any costs until the number moves.
Water	Often close and reopen in England and Wales. Welsh Water closes the account and opens a new one to add or remove a name, and Yorkshire Water does the same when a joint bill payer becomes the only one. In Scotland, water comes with council tax.	The leaver tells the water company and someone still living there sets up an account, as Thames Water puts it. Thames Water says all adult tenants are responsible for water charges unless the landlord tells it otherwise. Northern Ireland households pay no domestic water charges.
Council tax	Neither. There is no account holder to swap: the council works out who is liable from who lives there. Joint tenants with the same interest in the home are jointly and severally liable and can all be named on the bill.	Tell the council the date someone moves in or out. If one adult is left, they can apply for 25% off. In a shared house the landlord usually pays. Northern Ireland has domestic rates instead.
TV Licence	GOV.UK sends address changes, cancellations and refunds to the TV Licensing website. One licence covers a home on a joint tenancy agreement.	With separate tenancy agreements, anyone who watches TV in their own room needs their own licence. Watching or recording live TV without one can mean a fine of up to £1,000.

Transfer or new account

Why does it matter whether the account moves or closes?

A transfer keeps the account. A new account starts again from a meter reading, often after a credit check.

When a couple separates, MoneyHelper says taking over an account that was in both names should be straightforward, but both of you stay responsible for anything owed up to that point.
Taking over a bill that is only in the other person's name means the old account is closed and a new one set up, it says.
Whoever is named stays responsible in the meantime. Shelter says the person or people named on a bill are usually responsible for paying it.
New holders are often credit checked. EE and Vodafone both check the new owner of a mobile account, and O2's new owner must already have an O2 contract.
Get every change confirmed in writing, with the date it takes effect. The table above links each provider's rules to its own help page.

Housemates

What happens to the bills when a housemate on them moves out?

The accounts follow the tenancy, so agree the leaving date before anyone gives notice.

In England, GOV.UK says one joint tenant can usually end a joint assured periodic tenancy without the agreement of the others. Since 1 May 2026 most private tenancies in England are rolling, so talk to the house and the landlord first.
If a joint tenant wants to stay after giving notice, all the other joint tenants and the landlord must agree. The landlord can sign a new tenancy agreement with those staying.
Energy: the leaver gives the supplier at least 48 hours' notice and a meter reading on the day, and whoever stays sets up their own account from that date.
Water: Thames Water, for example, asks the leaver to tell it they are moving out, and someone still at the property to set up an account.
Council tax: tell the council the date. In Scotland, mygov.scot says you must tell the council when another adult moves into or out of your home.
What housemates owe each other for the old bills is a question for the house, not the supplier. Our guide to whose name goes on house share bills covers it.

Sources: GOV.UK: assured periodic tenancies, how to end your tenancy (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Renters' Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap (applies to England) (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: moving home (read 15 October 2026); mygov.scot: registering for Council Tax (read 15 October 2026)

Whose name goes on house share bills

Couples

What changes on the bills when a couple moves in together?

Council tax: GOV.UK says spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill. In England and Wales the law treats an unmarried couple living together the same way (Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 9).
The 25% discount is for someone who lives on their own, so tell the council when a second adult moves in. GOV.UK says that if you get a discount by mistake and do not tell the council, you could get a fine.
Energy: adding a partner to the bills makes them responsible too. OVO calls this making them financially liable, and needs both of you on the call.
TV Licence: GOV.UK says one licence covers the whole household on a joint tenancy agreement.
Decide whose name goes on each account, or put both, and how you will split the bills. Our guide to splitting bills fairly covers the options.

Sources: GOV.UK: who has to pay Council Tax (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 9 (England and Wales) (read 15 October 2026); mygov.scot: registering for Council Tax (read 15 October 2026); OVO: help with your account (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 15 October 2026)

Split bills fairly with housemates

Separating

How do we untangle the bills after a break-up?

Take gas and electricity readings on the day one of you moves out, so the person leaving is not charged for energy they did not use, MoneyHelper says.
A bill in both names: the person staying can usually take it over online or by phone, though you both stay responsible for anything owed up to that point.
A bill only in your ex-partner's name: the old account has to be closed and a new one set up in yours.
Water often works the same way. Welsh Water, for example, closes a joint account and opens a new one in the name of the person who will carry on living there.
Work out how the bills paid from a joint bank account will be paid from now on, as MoneyHelper advises.
If you are now the only adult at home, apply for the 25% council tax discount.
If you are leaving because you do not feel safe, GOV.UK has a separate process to register to vote anonymously, and Royal Mail has a separate redirection application for domestic abuse.

Sources: MoneyHelper: sort out joint accounts, bills and other finances with your ex-partner (read 15 October 2026); Welsh Water: add or remove a name from an account (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: who has to pay Council Tax (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: register to vote (read 15 October 2026); Royal Mail: redirect your mail (read 15 October 2026)

Step by step

How do I change the names on our bills, step by step?

Six steps that work for a housemate leaving, a partner moving in or a break-up.

1
List every bill and whose name it is in
Energy, water, broadband, mobile, council tax and the TV Licence. Note each provider, the account number and any contract end date.
2
Agree the changeover date
Use the day someone moves out, moves in or takes over. In England, check the tenancy first, because one joint tenant's notice can usually end it for everyone.
3
Take dated meter readings
Photograph every meter on the changeover day, so the old account closes and the new one opens on the same reading.
4
Ask each provider how it handles the change
Some move the account into a new name and others close it and open a new one. Ask what each needs, such as both people on the call or a credit check.
5
Tell the council who now lives there
Council tax follows the people living in the home. Apply for the 25% discount if only one adult is left.
6
Get every change confirmed in writing
Keep each confirmation, its reference number and the date the change takes effect.

Sources: Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: assured periodic tenancies, how to end your tenancy (read 15 October 2026); OVO: help with your account (read 15 October 2026); Welsh Water: add or remove a name from an account (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: who has to pay Council Tax (read 15 October 2026)

Your own name

What if I have changed my own name?

After a marriage, civil partnership, divorce or deed poll, the account stays yours and only the name changes.

EE asks for your marriage or civil partnership certificate, decree absolute or deed poll certificate, and says a passport or utility bill alone is not proof of a name change.
Virgin Media takes a change of details form with a copy of the certificate or deed poll, and aims to change the name within 48 hours of receiving them.
British Gas asks you to chat to it to update the name after a change of surname, and EDF says to get in touch to change the name on your account.
Update the name with each provider separately. A change at your bank does not reach your energy or broadband accounts.

Sources: EE: changing an account in the case of a life event (read 15 October 2026); Virgin Media: change account holder details (read 15 October 2026); British Gas: changing the name on your bill (read 15 October 2026); EDF: change your details in MyAccount (read 15 October 2026)

Where Taupia fits

How can Taupia help when the names on the bills change?

Taupia keeps your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, so the list of accounts to change is already written.
In a shared home it splits each bill by the rule your household sets and tracks who has paid. It never moves money, and changing the split does not change who the supplier bills.
It compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and switches once your household approves.
Council tax and water stay with the council and your water company. Taupia does not set up council tax or switch water.
Taupia is free.

Account holder FAQ

Questions about changing the name on a bill

Can I take my name off a household bill without the other person?

Often not. EE and O2 want both people present to transfer an account, and OVO needs both on the call to add a liable person. If you are moving out, tell each provider your leaving date and give a final reading. Shelter says an energy company can usually charge you for up to 2 days after you tell it you are leaving.

Is it a name change or a new account when a housemate leaves?

It depends on the bill. Mobile numbers usually move by transfer of ownership. Several water companies close the account and open a new one, and so do some broadband providers. For energy, MoneyHelper's guidance on separating says taking over a bill that is only in the other person's name means closing it and opening a new one.

Who pays the bill until the name is changed?

The person named on the account. Shelter says the people named on a bill are usually responsible for paying it, and O2 says the current owner of a mobile number pays any costs until it moves. Agree in writing how the house will cover that bill until the change goes through.

Do we need to tell the council when someone moves out?

Yes. Council tax follows who lives in the home, not whose name is on a bill, so tell the council the date someone moves in or out. If only one adult is left, they can apply for a 25% discount. In a shared house the landlord usually pays, Shelter says.

How do I change my name on a bill after getting married?

Ask each provider, and send the evidence it asks for. EE asks for a marriage or civil partnership certificate, a decree absolute or a deed poll, and says a passport or utility bill alone does not prove a name change. Virgin Media aims to change the name within 48 hours of receiving its form.

Does one housemate giving notice end the tenancy for everyone?

In England, usually yes. GOV.UK says one joint tenant can usually end a joint assured periodic tenancy without the others' agreement, and since 1 May 2026 most private tenancies in England are rolling. The landlord can sign a new agreement with those staying. Wales and Scotland have their own rules.

Related guides

Sort out the rest of the change

Liability, the handover and the paperwork that goes with it.

Start here

Whose name goes on house share bills

Recommended

Who answers for each bill, and what to do when a housemate stops paying.

Official references

MoneyHelper: sorting out finances with your ex-partner
Official
Joint bank accounts, bills and credit after a separation.

Cite this page

Taupia. "How do I change the account holder on a household bill?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/change-name-on-bills

Re-split the bills from the changeover date

Taupia splits each bill by your house's rule and shows who has paid, without moving any money. It is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

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