Set up your energy bill when you move home
Short answer
Take opening gas and electricity meter readings on move-in day, confirm the current supplier, review tariff details and estimated costs, then choose the next steps for your new account.
24h
Good window for opening meter photos
2
Fuel types to check where relevant
5
Working days a switch takes once cooling-off ends
When moving into a new home, start with the address, opening meter readings, and current supplier details. Taupia helps organise the setup steps and compare available energy options from one place.
Before you set anything up
You are already on a tariff, and it is probably the expensive one
Moving in without choosing a tariff puts you on the existing supplier's default tariff. Ofgem states that default and deemed tariffs are usually among a supplier's most expensive. They are covered by the price cap, which from 1 October 2026 is £1,935 a year on the like-for-like consumption basis, or £1,723 on Ofgem's own current basis. Both describe the same unit rates, and a cap is a ceiling on rates rather than a good deal.
Energy setup without scattered admin
Taupia helps you turn the move-in address into a clear energy setup workflow, then keeps provider details, estimated costs, and next steps together.
- Add your move-in address so Taupia can help identify relevant supplier details.
- Record opening readings and keep photo evidence with your setup notes.
- Review available tariff options, estimated monthly costs, contract terms, and renewal timing.
- Keep supplier emails, first bill checks, reminders, and next actions in one place.
Energy bill setup steps when moving into a new home
Five steps, in the order that keeps your first bill accurate. The opening reading is the one that matters most, because it is the line between the previous occupier's usage and yours.
- 1
Add your move-in address
Use your full new address and move-in date so the setup flow starts from the right property and billing period.
- 2
Capture opening readings
Take timestamped photos of gas and electricity meter readings on move-in day, including smart meter screens if available.
- 3
Confirm current supplier details
Taupia helps organise current supplier details where available so you know who covers the property before choosing next steps.
- 4
Review available options and estimated costs
Compare tariff details, standing charges, unit rates, estimated monthly costs, contract length, and exit terms before selecting.
- 5
Approve your preferred next step
Confirm the option you want to proceed with and keep the account setup, emails, and first bill checks together.
The tariff you were placed on, and whether the cap covers it
Setting up energy at a new address is not starting from nothing. Supply continues from the day you take responsibility, and the incumbent supplier bills you on their basic terms until you choose otherwise.
- Ofgem describes a default tariff as the basic tariff a supplier offers when you have not chosen one, most commonly a deemed tariff that is standard variable.
- Standard variable tariffs are exactly what the Ofgem price cap covers, so a mover who has chosen nothing is normally a capped customer.
- The cap limits unit rates and standing charges. It does not limit your total bill, and the headline figure describes a typical home rather than yours.
- Default tariffs normally carry no exit fee, so comparing does not commit you to anything.
- Cap periods start on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, so a move near one of those dates spans two sets of rates.
Check your first energy bill after moving
- Match the bill start date to your move-in date.
- Check opening readings against your photos.
- Review tariff name, unit rates, standing charges, and payment method.
- Check whether a cap change fell inside the billing period, and that the split between old and new rates matches your readings.
- Save renewal and fixed-term dates so the account does not drift unnoticed.
Energy setup questions when moving home
Do I need an old bill to set up energy after moving?
No. Start with your new address, move-in date, and opening meter readings. A previous bill can help, but it is not the only way to begin.
Am I on the energy price cap after moving in?
Usually yes. If you have not chosen a tariff, you are supplied on the existing supplier's default tariff, which Ofgem describes as most commonly a deemed tariff that is standard variable. The price cap covers standard variable tariffs. The exceptions are heat networks, heating oil and LPG, business supply contracts, and tenancies where energy is included in your rent so you do not hold the supply contract at all.
Should I switch energy straight after moving in, or wait?
There is normally no exit fee on the default tariff you were placed on, so waiting keeps your options open rather than locking you in. The argument for waiting is that one full billing period gives you a real usage figure for a property you have never lived in, which is what makes a fixed-tariff comparison meaningful. The argument against is that the default is usually among the supplier's most expensive tariffs, so waiting has a running cost.
Will Taupia always lower my energy bill?
No. Taupia helps you compare available options, estimated costs, and setup steps, but actual bills depend on usage, tariff terms, and market conditions.
What should I do if the first bill uses estimated readings?
Compare it with your opening photos and submit a correction to the supplier if the dates or readings do not match.
How do I get a new electricity supply?
In most cases you do not need one. If the property already has a live supply, you take over the existing account by contacting whoever supplies the address rather than arranging anything new. A genuinely new connection, for a new build or a property that has been disconnected, is arranged through your local network operator rather than a supplier, and it takes considerably longer than opening an account.
How do I set up gas and electric for a new home?
Photograph the gas and electricity meters on the day you move in, find out who currently supplies the address, then open an account with them using your move-in date and those readings. Once the account is in your name you are free to compare tariffs and switch if a better one is available.
What happens to my gas and electric when moving home?
Your existing tariff does not travel with you. You close the old account with a final meter reading, and at the new address you start on whatever the current supplier charges there, which is usually a deemed tariff. Nothing changes without your approval, so review that tariff before deciding whether to stay on it.
Plan the rest of your move-in bills
Use these internal guides to keep energy setup connected to the wider move-home workflow.
Start here
Price cap when you move in
RecommendedWhich tariff you were placed on, what the cap protects, and when to switch.
Switch declined after moving in?
Why a move-in switch gets objected to, and the wording that clears it.
Move-home hub
Return to the main Taupia move-home hub and bill cards.
First-time renter bills setup
The main guide to setting up bills when renting: what each bill is and what drives its price.
Move-in bills checklist
See the full order for council tax, water, energy, broadband, and mobile setup.
Broadband setup guide
Coordinate energy setup with broadband activation and installation timing.
Start your move-in energy setup
Use Taupia to organise energy setup, compare available options, and keep first bill checks in one place.