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The Ultimate Moving House Utilities Guide 2024

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Making sure to transfer your utilities when moving house is important for two reasons: so that you have gas, electricity, water and internet in your new home; and secondly so that you don’t get landed with massive bills from your old property!

What utilities do I need?

If you’re moving within Australia, the main types of utilities you need to concern yourself with are gas, electricity, water and internet. Make sure you are well informed about what current utilities you have by asking yourself the following questions:

  • Who is your current supplier?
  • What current utilities package do you have?
  • What were your last meter readings?
  • If you are renting a new place, are any utilities already included in the rent?
  • Do you want to move your current supplier with you to your new location, or switch suppliers completely?

Sirelo Tip! If you decide to switch suppliers, be aware that if you exit your contract early you may incur an early termination fee.

Electricity

Electricity works a little differently depending on your state in Australia, so this is important to consider if moving interstate. The government imposes no restrictions on the energy industry in NSW, ACT, VIC, SA and South East QLD, and so you are free to choose and compare your energy provider. However, in Regional QLD, TAS, WA, NT and TAS, the government regulates the energy sector so you cannot choose your energy provider.

Therefore, it is important to inform your energy provider of your intention to move and you must also give them plenty of notice. You will also need to discuss whether you will change electricity providers or not. If you decide to close your account, give them an end date, and then call your new energy supplier to set up a new account.  Unfortunately, you will most likely need to pay an electricity connection fee to get your power hooked up in your new home, whether you stay with your current provider or not.

electricity utilties

Gas

In Australia you can generally combine your gas and electricity deal with the same company to save money, but you mustn’t be complacent and settle for a lower offer just because it’s combined. Below you can find a list of the top gas and electricity companies in Australia:

If you want to find the best deal for you, follow these steps:

  1. Take a reading of your gas and electricity meter.
  2. Fill in your new postcode on an online price comparison site
  3. Find the best deal in your area
  4. Book a contract online or over the phone
  5. Speak with your old supplier to let them know you will be switching, and pay any overdue balances and leave a forwarding address.
  6. Check when your utilities at your old place will be switched off, and when they will be activated at your new address.

Water

If you are renting a property in Australia, then you probably will have your water costs included in the rent amount. However, if you buy a house in Australia, then the water supplier you have will depend on where you live. Below we list some of the biggest water suppliers in Australia:

A comprehensive list of water suppliers can be found on the Australian Government National Water Commission website. To transfer an account when moving into your new home, contact the relevant water supplier and provide them with your name, address, bank account details and date of your planned move.

Internet

The first thing to decide is whether you want ADSL2+ broadband or NBN. Ask yourself:

  • How much data do you need?
  • How fast should your internet plan be?
  • Should you get a contract or not?

Then, decide if you want to switch from your current provider. Sometimes you will have to, but if you’re still only part way into a 12 or 18 month contract, then it makes the most sense to call your existing provider to see if they can move your internet to your new location. A few examples of internet providers are:

Sirelo Tip! If you decide to stay with your provider, make sure that switching addresses won’t start a new minimum term contract

We hope this article has helped you with switching utilities when moving house. If you need further assistance with your removal, we recommend giving the articles we have linked for you below a look. We wish you the best of luck during your move!