Cancel energy contract when moving house

When we talk about relocations, people often immediately think of moving furniture. This is of course also true because household effects also have to be moved from A to B, but when you move there is actually a lot more that needs to be arranged. In this article we explain a few things about this.

Stay with your current energy supplier or terminate the current contract?

As you have read, you can move your old (variable) energy contract and take it with you to the new home, but you can also choose to conclude a contract with a new supplier. Only many people don't know what wisdom is and we are happy to help you with this.

Switch to a new energy supplier

A move also includes administrative tasks and it is important not to forget one of the most important things. And this is canceling your energy contract! Because what are you actually going to do? Of course you not only have to cancel the energy contract at the old address, but you also have to conclude a new energy contract for the new home.

Are you moving and would you rather not take your current contract with you? Then you can of course choose another provider. It is wise to always look for the best deals first. Of course you don't want to pay too much money in the end.

You must also report the move to your old supplier so that you can indicate that you want to switch. Do this on time so that you will not run into surprises later.

In the Netherlands you can therefore go to any energy supplier in your new home. Of course, as a customer you want to register with the cheapest company and therefore compare energy contracts, which is of course very wise in advance. With today's expensive prices, you obviously want a new fixed energy contract where you don't have to pay too much.

Get started on time

Whether you want to keep your current energy contract or you want to cancel the old contract, it is extremely important to arrange this in time. If you do not do this on time, there is a good chance that you will soon run out of energy in the new house and of course you do not want this when you move into the new home. Suppliers of electricity and gas you need to have enough time to connect everything.

You can communicate your new address or cancellation with most energy suppliers about three months in advance, so try to make good use of this extra time. This way you avoid forgetting things and having to arrange them at the last minute. This will save you a lot of stress.

What exactly do you want to do?

When you move, you can choose to move your existing energy contract with you to the new address. However, it is important to first do proper research into the prices because you may not be cheaper with a new energy supplier? For many people, a move is the perfect time to make the switch.

Would you rather move your energy contract?

If you choose to stay with your current energy supplier, this is of course possible. Then reporting your move to the energy supplier is sufficient, but why would you do this?

Many people believe that switching takes a lot of time and therefore prefer to move their old (variable) energy contract with them. This way you don't have to look for a new supplier, you don't have to cancel your (variable) contract and this of course means you don't have to arrange anything. This is all a lot easier, but unfortunately this is not always the cheapest option because you may be much cheaper with another supplier.

What is the cancellation fee

When you move, it is important to first look very carefully at the conditions of your current energy supplier because you probably have no idea how your current energy contract works. Most energy contracts have a term with a fixed contract of 1 to 3 years and when this is over you usually get a contract for an indefinite period. Such contracts always have a legal notice period that you must take into account.

cancellation fee

Do you have a fixed term with your current supplier? Then it is quite possible that you would have to pay extra if you cancel this contract early. This is also known as a cancellation fee.

Don't worry about the cancellation fee

It is important to take your cancellation fee into account, but it might also be nice to know that if you have a current energy contract and want to cancel it early, new energy suppliers are happy to pay for this for you. However, it is of course important to inform yourself well about this first.

Submit final bill and meter readings

When you leave your old home and hand it over, you will be asked for the meter readings as standard. Passing on your meter readings is therefore very important. The best thing to do is to pass on the meter readings on the day of the key transfer. Take a picture of your (smart) meter and send it to us. After your move, you will receive your final bill approximately within 2 weeks.

Are the meter readings wrong? Then you can submit your other meter readings no later than 5 working days before the end of the third month of the changeover date.

A contract at two different addresses

Are you finally the new resident of your dream home? Then it may be the case that you still have to do odd jobs for a long time and therefore cannot yet live in the new home. In this case you have to continue living in the old house for a longer period of time, but at the same time you also have to do odd jobs in the new house. How do you arrange this now?

You can easily pass this on

If you stay with your own energy supplier and do not conclude a new contract, you can pass on the dates of the key transfer of both your old and new house. In this way, the energy supplier can supply energy to both addresses and it is not necessary to conclude a new contract.

Are you switching to a new energy supplier? Then you can have the contract for your new home start earlier. This means that you then have an overlap of both contracts, so that you will have energy at both addresses.

How long does it take to connect?

If you stay with your old energy supplier, you can report your move, but you must do this no later than 2 weeks before the move date. Do you really try to meet these deadlines so that you do not end up without electricity and gas later at the new address, since the previous residents have probably already canceled all this.

When you choose a new energy supplier, it can take 2 to 4 weeks before the house is connected to the new network operator. When switching to another supplier, it is very important to also pay attention to your notice period. When you cancel your (variable) contract, you usually have to deal with a notice period of at least one month. However, this differs per supplier, so always inform yourself well.

Renewable energy

With all those sky-high energy prices and the environment that we have to take better care of, it is of course also nice if you can choose sustainable energy energy that is not only good for your wallet, but also for the environment. In this case you could, for example, opt for solar energy. Solar panels are extremely popular these days and when your energy consumption is low you can even earn money with it!

Earn money with the feed-in fee

As you have just been able to read, if you generate more electricity than you consume, you can return it to your energy supplier. In this case, the energy supplier pays you for all your submitted kWhs. In the Netherlands this is also referred to as the 'feed-in fee'.

Return compensation and energy move

When you switch to solar panels after moving, it is very wise to do a good research in advance into another energy supplier. After all, there is a good chance that a new energy contract will cost you much less than your old supplier and a new supplier may pay you much more for the kWh you have surrendered. Therefore, make sure you research this carefully so that you can choose the best deal.

Dispute with energy supplier

If you have a complaint about your energy supplier, you must first resolve this with them. It is important that you first submit the complaint to the company in writing. Most suppliers have stated their General Terms and Conditions and complaints procedure on their website.

Can't figure it out together?

If you cannot come to an agreement together, you can go to the Disputes Committee. They deal with consumer complaints against their energy supplier.

Energy supplier terminates contract, is that allowed?

Your energy supplier may cancel your energy contract if you do not respond to payment reminders or attempts to agree on a payment arrangement.

You are moving..

Are you going to move? Then, as you have been able to read in this article, it is wise to look at your old (permanent) contract. It is certainly worth taking a closer look at your old energy contract. After all, you don't want to just pay too much at the new address and you might therefore be better off choosing a new energy supplier. Nobody wants to be a thief of their own wallet, right?

At Moving, we hope that we have been able to help you with this article, because when you move, it is nice to get some more information about these kinds of important matters. When you, as a customer, are well informed, you really can't do anything wrong. You know exactly what you want and how you want it. Will you take your current contract with you or would you rather opt for a new energy contract? Whatever you ultimately decide to do is always your own personal choice.

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