Remember to take meter readings for your gas, electric (and water) when you move
When you move you have a lot going on but please remember to always take meter readings .
When you leave a property supply readings to your present supplier to get a closing bill, you may need to give them your new address so the bill can be sent there.
If you fail to notify your supplier you are leaving or don't give readings your account will remain open.
If the new tenant does not open an account on moving in, it will mean that your name is still on the bill and you could end up paying for someone else's usage. A debt will be building up in your name and you may not know about until your credit rating is impacted and you may start to receive debt collector letters. Without readings, you have no way to dispute the outstanding balance is not yours.
When you move in, also take a reading as this will show the previous tenant's usage. You need to set up a new account either with the current supplier if you know who they are or pick a supplier you wish to use for your supply. This means that the supplier can ensure a closing bill is sent to the old tenant and you will not be liable for their previous usage when they lived there. If a meter reading is supplied months after you've been living there, you could be paying for fuel that was used by the previous tenant if they also hadn't been supplying meter readings.
Resolving this can be very complex so to avoid any problems he best thing is to note down meter readings or ideally take a picture on your phone of the correct meter screens.
Don't also continue using a prepayment card that has been left in the meter - you need to register with a supplier and have a new key/card issued in your name. If you do not do this, there may be a debt for a previous tenant being recovered from the meter and you will be paying off their debt and getting less fuel for your money. If you open a new account, the meter can be re-set so any debt recovery payment can be removed.
Your name needs to be on an electric bill in August of that year as this is one of the qualifying criteria when seeing if you are eligible to get the £150 Warm Home Discount.
Don't also forget if you have a water meter or are moving into a property that has one, to supply Severn Trent with readings so a closing bill can be calculated and a new account set-up.
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