Moving Home – Step by Step Guide to Connecting Electricity, Gas and more

Connecting Electricity and Gas when Moving Home

When moving home you can sometimes take your current electricity and gas plan with you but keep in mind this isn’t always possible. This is when you should do some research and explore some other offers. With so many   out there it’s possible to find a much better deal than you’re currently on. Whatever energy provider you choose to go with, you must:

• Provide your current energy provider your new address so they can mail your final bill to you. Alternately get it emailed to you.
• Record your meter readings before you move. This way you can check them against your final bill.
• Record your meter readings at your new place so you can then compare these against your final bill.
• Look out for any electrical or gas faults and malfunctions and report within the first 48 hours.

Connecting Electricity and Gas when Renting

As a tenant, it’s important to be aware of your rights when moving into a rental property. Different states and territories in Australia have different tenancy laws so ensure you are familiar with them. In Victoria in March 2021 there was new legislation passed which now makes it mandatory to have electricity and gas safety checks in place at rental properties. For more information   Apart from these safety checks in place when it comes to connecting electricity and gas at a rental property you must:

• Pay any outstanding energy bill from your previous rental
• Find out if your energy along with water is separately metered. If there is no separate meter, your landlord must pay all installation and initial costs of connecting electricity along with gas and water.
• Make your landlord or real estate agent aware of any possible electrical or gas faults within the 24 to 48 hours to ensure it’s taken proper care of.

Connecting Electricity and Gas for Newly Built Homes 

Before moving into your brand-new built home, you want to ensure that you’ve sorted out your electricity and gas. To this effectively you must:

• Speak to your builder to ensure that a service line has been installed and further works have been completed to have electricity and gas at the property.
• Ensure your builder has used a licensed electrical and gas contractor to identify what further worlds need to be carried out at the property.
• Contact your energy provider to inspect your property before connection takes place.
• Always report any electrical faults and malfunctions upon moving in. An electrical report may need to be undertaken.