Some properties – particularly rental houses – will already be connected to the electricity grid when you move in. If that’s the case, all you will need to do is call your electricity retailer to update your account and billing information from your previous address. Most retailers allow you to do this online or via their app.
If the property has been vacant for some time, however, then it has likely been disconnected from the grid and you will have to call your energy retailer to organise a reconnection. Provided you give your electricity provider enough notice, then you should have electricity when you walk through the door.
Of course, moving house provides the opportunity to switch electricity providers if you wish. In this case, you will still need to call the retailer or switch online to ensure you have power when you move in. It’s best to organise this at least a week before moving in, if possible.
To organise an electricity connection, simply call or visit the website of your preferred electricity retailer and let them know your new address and what day you want electricity connected. We suggest you organise for electricity to be connected about a week before the move to ensure you have power from the moment you walk through the door. You will ordinarily need to provide notice of at least three business days, unless the connection is urgent (see below).
A ‘moving fee’, more accurately referred to as an electricity disconnection/reconnection fee, is a charge by your electricity distributor (not your retailer) for connecting your new home to the energy grid. This charge can be anything from $10 to $100, depending on your state and electricity distributor.
Only customers in South East Queensland need to be home when a technician attends the property to set-up your electricity connection. Generally speaking, customers in all other states do not need to be home when the electricity is connected, however, you must ensure that electricity is turned off at the main switch and there is clear access to your energy meter. Some distributors may have additional requests that they will inform you of prior to the connection date.
Renters ordinarily have the same ability as homeowners to choose their electricity supplier. Subject to the tenancy agreement, renters can set up the electricity connection and have the electricity supply under their own name. You generally only need the landlord’s approval if major work to the property is requited to set-up the connection.
If you’re moving house within the next day, you can contact your electricity retailer for an ‘urgent connection’. Most major energy companies have a 13-hundred phone number that you can contact to book a connection as soon as possible. Urgent electricity connections usually incur additional fees however, so it is better to sort out your connection well in advance of the moving date.
To disconnect, simply call your electricity retailer and let them know which day you are moving and want to disconnect your supply. We recommend that you organise to be disconnected the day after you move out to ensure that you don’t lose power half way through your last day at the old property.
If you’re moving into a property with a body corporate – such as an apartment or townhouse – then you usually have no control over your electricity supplier. For this reason, it’s important you understand who your electricity retailer will be before signing a lease on an apartment.
It’s common these days for real estate agents to offer to set-up some of your utilities when you move, on your behalf. While this is undeniably convenient, real estate agents will only offer electricity contracts from their partners and they may not be the best value for customers. We recommend using Canstar Blue’s electricity comparison tool to find the cheapest electricity deal for your area.
The process for setting up a new electricity connection doesn’t vary that much from state-to-state, but customers moving to Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory or rural Queensland should understand that they will not be able to choose their electricity retailer. The providers for these respective regions are:
It’s also worth mentioning that not all energy retailers operate across all states, so be sure to enquire with your retailer if they operate in the state you’re moving to.
For electricity customers in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and South East Queensland, you are free to switch electricity retailers at any time – including while you’re moving. If you want to change providers, then call your current electricity retailer a few days before you move and let them know when you want the power disconnected. You can then call your new retailer and organise for them to connect electricity to your new home.
As one of Australia’s largest electricity retailers, AGL is well-resourced to offer customers a smooth moving experience. Electricity customers with AGL (or planning to switch) receive the AGL ‘Power-on Guarantee’ as well as an online tracker to check the progress of your move. AGL’s Power-on Guarantee promises customers that their electricity will be connected by midnight on the agreed move-in date, otherwise they will receive up to $250 of credit per day for related expenses incurred until the power is switched on.
EnergyAustralia says it usually takes two days to get you connected to electricity, which is slightly faster than what most other energy retailers promise. Better yet, electricity customers will receive EnergyAustralia’s ‘Move-In Lights on Guarantee’. This means EnergyAustralia will ensure that power is on the day you move in, otherwise you will receive $100 credit on your next electricity bill.
Origin Energy promises fast online sign-up and regular SMS updates to keep you in the know about your electricity connection. Better yet, the retailer says that it can have you connected in just one day, provided you make contact earlier than 1pm the day before.
Once you have set-up your electricity connection, you’re all set – at least for now. Electricity prices are always changing, so it is worth checking in with Canstar Blue every few months to see if there’s a better deal on energy out there for you.
While virtually all properties have an electricity connection, not all homes will have a mains natural gas connection. In fact, since natural gas is particularly effective at heating, connections are only common in Australia’s cooler regions such as south WA, Victoria, SA, Tas, the ACT and parts of NSW.
You should enquire with the real estate agent prior to moving in as to whether or not a property has a gas connection. Otherwise, look at the property’s hot water system, heater or oven to see if there is a gas label. If not, check the meter box – If there are two meters, then that indicates the property has both an electricity and gas connection. If in doubt, contact your preferred gas provider and it will be able to check its system to see whether your address has a gas connection.
If you move into a new property with an existing gas connection, then all you need to do is contact your energy provider with some of your details handy and it will sort out the rest. If your new place doesn’t have a mains gas connection, then you should just stick to electricity for time being. Even if your property is near enough to a mains gas line, organising the construction of a new gas connection can be expensive and time-consuming, so it is best not to worry about this until after you have moved and settled in.
Moving fees are charges for disconnecting gas at your old property and connecting gas at the new property. These fees are charged by your gas distributor and are usually in the vicinity of $10 to $60, depending on your state and natural gas network.
Similar to electricity, you will only need to be home when natural gas is connected if you live in parts of Queensland. While some distributors have additional requirements, customers in other states generally only need to ensure that the technician has clear access to the gas meter.
It usually makes no difference whether you’re renting or buying. Subject to the tenancy agreement, renters can switch natural gas providers at any time. With that said, you will need the landlord’s permission if the property requires any construction work to install a gas connection.
If you’re moving within the next day or so, you can call your energy company to organise an urgent gas connection. While this costs a little extra, the gas company will usually have you set up by around midday the next day.
You’re usually unable to choose your gas retailer if you’re moving into an apartment, townhouse or any property with a body corporate. For this reason, it’s important to enquire about your gas retailer with the real estate before you move in.
You can disconnect natural gas from your previous property by contacting your retailer over the phone, online, or using its app (if applicable). Simply let them know what day you’re leaving and they will sort out the rest. We recommend you organise the disconnection for the day after you move out to ensure your gas connection isn’t cut off too early.
Most major real estate agents will offer to sort out some of your utility connections on your behalf when you move. While this is convenient, they are not necessarily the best deal available. For this reason, we recommend you err on the side of caution when a real estate offers to set up your utilities. Instead, you can compare providers and prices at Canstar Blue:
The process for setting up a natural gas connection is very much the same across most states. Keep in mind that gas connections are fairly uncommon in rural WA, NT and Qld. Further, some states have more gas retailers to choose from than other states.
You’re not required to stay with your old gas company when you move house. If you want to switch retailers while moving, simply call your old gas provider and organise for them to disconnect your property. Then call your new provider and ask them to connect your new property.
AGL is one of Australia’s largest gas retailers, so it should know a thing or two about gas connections. While gas connections aren’t covered by AGL’s Power-on Guarantee like electricity is, AGL customers still receive access to the provider’s online tracker to check the progress of their gas connection.
EnergyAustralia says it takes just five minutes to organise your connection – all you need to provide is a form of ID and your email. EnergyAustralia takes just two business days to set up your connection, but its connection guarantee doesn’t apply to gas customers.
Origin Energy retails natural gas right across Australia. Origin customers are promised fast online sign-up and regular SMS updates to keep you up to date on the move. Origin says its natural gas connections can take up to three business days, unless the connection is urgent.
Once the gas connection is setup and the account is put under your name, then you’re all done. You may receive your first bill a little earlier than expected due to the billing cycle and this bill may include any moving fees. Be sure to compare gas providers every few months to make sure you continue to receive the best deal.
If you have a home phone and want to continue the service after you move, simply call your provider and let them know. Alternatively if your provider has a customer app or web portal, you can sign in to make a relocation request. You will need to give your phone company a few days’ notice to organise the disconnection of the old property and reconnection at the new property.
If you’re switching providers, you will need to let your current provider know which date you want to terminate your connection. You will then need to make another call to your new provider to reconnect the phone when you move.
To relocate your internet service, you will need to contact your internet provider and let them know what day you want to be disconnected at the old property and reconnected at the new property. Keep in mind that different broadband technologies (i.e.: NBN, Cable, ADSL2+ etc) have varying availability in different locations, so enquire with your internet provider to see what’s available at your new place.
If you want to change broadband providers, you will need to contact your current provider and let them know when you want to disconnect. You then should call your new broadband provider and let them know when you want to be reconnected at the new property. Be mindful that you may have to pay a termination fee to the old broadband provider if you’re under contract.
Customers with mobile broadband or home wireless must contact their provider to update their address and billing information. While there is no need for a technician to attend your property, it is still a regulatory requirement that your provider knows its customer’s address. Mobile broadband and home wireless operates on the 4G network which has limited coverage in some areas, so you should contact your provider to check the coverage at the new location to ensure service availability.
Yes, you can switch providers. In fact, moving house is the perfect time to review your phone and internet service to see if you’re still getting the best deal. Simply contact your current provider and let them know when you want to disconnect your service. After that, get in touch with your new provider and let them know when you want to reconnect at the new property.
It will take at least 10 business days to get connected. The time it takes to organise your connection will vary from provider to provider. It also depends on the complexity of the connection and your location.
You can take your home phone with you when you move and it is relatively simple to set-up once your home is connected. You will also need to bring your modem when you move to a new place, provided that you remain on the same broadband technology. If you’re changing technology – for example if you upgrade from ADSL2+ to NBN – you will likely need to purchase a new modem when you move. Your broadband provider can usually supply the new modem at a reduced cost to what you’d pay for one in store.
Some providers charge a ‘relocation fee’, which is a one-off payment for changing your address. This fee is usually between $50 and $150. Additional fees may apply where the connection requires extra work or you’re upgrading your service.
If you decide to switch and you’re under a fixed-term contract, then you may also be charged a termination fee. This fee varies dramatically depending on your provider and your contract.
Renters can choose their internet provider in exactly the same way a homeowner can. That said, renters should avoid plans with long-term obligations and exit fees. See our guide for internet plans for renters.
Renters should also keep in mind that they will need the landlord’s permission if the property requires physical work to connect the phone or internet.
Once the technician has been out to connect your phone and internet then you’re all set. Keep a special eye out for your first bill as it will include any additional fees incurred for the move. If you aren’t sure about something on the bill, don’t be afraid to call your provider to ask about it.
Finally, it’s important not to become complacent. Sure you had a good deal when you signed up, but the telco market changes rapidly. Be sure to compare plans and providers at Canstar Blue.
