How to Organise Power When Moving House

As anyone who has moved house will know, your to-do list can spiral in short time. While there’ll no doubt be myriad minor tasks you’ll need to check off as you go, ensuring the power is up and running at your new address should be a priority. Whether you’ve purchased a property or are moving into a new rental, being able to flick the lights on once you walk through the door will obviously make life a whole lot easier. To help you plan ahead, Canstar Blue explores how to organise power when moving house.

It may well be that you prefer to stay with your current power provider, or it could be a good opportunity to explore other options. Either way, you should begin making enquiries once you’ve locked in a date to move. Being prepared will pay off, helping to make the move as smooth as possible.

Below we’ll take a look at:

• How far ahead you should plan when sorting out your power plan
• Why moving is a good opportunity to assess your power options
• What to keep in mind when weighing up power deals
• Other factors to be aware of when changing your address

Power priorities: How far ahead should you plan?

Planning ahead when organising power for your new address will help prepare for any contingencies and stave off potential issues further down the track. Of course, you’ll want to ensure you have power at both your current and future addresses in line with your moving plans.

For instance, you may plan on moving out on a certain date and then returning to your old property at a later point to clean and tie up any loose ends. In this case, you’ll need to allow for some overlap with your power plans at the two separate addresses.

Ideally, it will help to organise your power at least two weeks before you move, providing enough time to tackle any unexpected issues:

• Provider – as a first step, you should get in touch with your current or new provider and confirm they’ll be able to provide services at your new property. Access to the property’s unique installation control point (ICP) number (displayed on the meter box) will help speed up this process.
• Confirm dates – you’ll need to confirm both the final date you’ll require power at your current property and the start date for power at your new property (as advised above, allow for an overlap, if required).
• Meters – most properties have smart meters, allowing your provider to remotely arrange a final reading. However, if you have an older meter, you may need to supply your provider with a reading (or the provider may estimate the reading, or arrange for an inspection). Similarly, for older meters this will also apply with the first reading at your new property.
• Confirm final details – once you have moved, it will be worthwhile confirming your previous account has been closed and the amount of any outstanding balance owed.

Meanwhile, if you’re building a new house additional fees may apply to set up a new meter. It will be worthwhile confirming the process for this with your local network company and power provider.

Staying or switching: A good opportunity to weigh up your power options

Moving is a good time to weigh up whether it’s worthwhile staying with your current provider or switching to a new one. This will be particularly relevant if you are moving to an area where new tariff rates will apply.

With this in mind, you should initially confirm with your current provider if you’ll be paying the same rates, and if not have them confirm the applicable rates for your new property.

Also keep the following in mind:

• Contract – if you’re currently on a contract, you may be able to take it with you. If not, your provider may revise your rates and move you on to a new contract. If you’re switching to a new provider, an early termination fee may apply.
• Charges – you should confirm with your provider if there are any charges involved with moving your plan from one property to another.
• Staying – many providers will allow you to arrange to move addresses via your online account. It will also be worthwhile getting in touch with your provider directly regarding any specific queries you may have.
• Switching – many providers offer online bill comparison/price estimate services, which can be a handy tool when it comes to comparing different offers. As with staying, it will be worthwhile getting in touch directly with a provider if you require specific information.

Time to move: What to keep in mind when weighing up power deals

There’s a range of providers and power deals to choose from, and by taking the time to assess what the market has to offer you could end up saving on your power bills. Of course, if you’re on a contract, as a first step you’ll need to confirm if an early termination fee will apply.

From here, it will be worthwhile going over your historical usage (check your online account or get in touch with your provider directly for this information), which will provide insight into the types of tariffs suited to your usage patterns.

As advised above, many providers offer online bill comparison/price estimate services. You’ll simply need to provide your power usage details (for instance, uploading a recent invoice), with the provider then getting back to you with the details of their offer.

In addition to this, it will be worthwhile keeping the following in mind:

• Tariff – from fixed-rate tariffs (charged at the same rate 24 hours a day) to time-of-use tariffs (often divided into peak and off-peak rates), match the tariff to your household’s usage patterns.
• Fixed – fixed-term contracts see consumers sign up for a fixed period of time, locking in a set rate over the course of the contract (with an early termination fee applying if you break the contract).
• Flexible – on the other hand, flexible contracts provide more avenue for the provider to adjust their rates, however consumers are free to end their contract at any time.
• Gas – many power providers also supply gas. Keep this in mind if there is a gas connection at your new property.
• Bundle deals – similarly, many providers may offer bundle deals, pairing power with home broadband and mobile services. Keep this in mind when shopping around for a deal.

It will also be worthwhile weighing up a provider’s account management and monitoring tools (app and website), any extra perks being offered and ongoing loyalty offers when signing up for a new service.

Other factors to keep in mind when moving

In addition to the above, depending on your individual situation there are a range of other factors that could well be worthwhile keeping in mind when moving. Of course, it’s important to seek out answers to any questions you have before moving.

The following are some other factors worthwhile considering:

• Power disconnections – providers will typically keep the connection active at your old address after you move out. It won’t be under your name once you have closed your account, however it will be ready for the next people who move in.
• Current provider at your new property – just because your new property is being serviced by another provider, this doesn’t mean you can’t change. Get in touch with your current or preferred provider and they will be able to arrange the switch.
• Already moved in – if you’ve already moved, get in touch with your current or preferred provider immediately to arrange the switch and avoid doubling up on your bills.
• First power bill – it will be worthwhile confirming that everything is in order once you’ve received your first bill at your new property.
• Cancelling your move – if your circumstances change and you need to cancel your move, get in touch with your provider immediately.

Compare electricity providers with Canstar Blue

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Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ power companies compares them on customer satisfaction. The table below is an abridged version of our full results, available here.

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About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar author Martin Kovacs. Martin is a freelance writer with experience covering the business, consumer technology and utilities sectors. Martin has written about a wide range of topics across both print and digital publications, including the manner in which industry continues to adapt and evolve amid the rollout of new technologies.