Energy contracts. I don’t know about you, but they’ve been a constant topic of conversation over the past few months. On social media, on the news and even on birthdays. Because we still have a favorable contract ourselves and moved a while ago, I looked again at the current situation with an energy contract and relocation.
What should you do with your energy contract and connection? What can you do? And what should you absolutely not do?
Energy contract and relocation; these are the do’s and don’ts
What should you do, what are you allowed to do with an energy contract and your move and what should you absolutely not do? The do’s and don’ts.
What should you do if you are moving?
First of all, you need to let your energy supplier know that you are moving. This is possible from three months in advance, but must be done no later than two weeks in advance. This can often be done online via your energy supplier.
If you do not want to take your contract with you to your new home (spoiler), it is important that you actually cancel your contract. And that you conclude a new energy contract when you move.
Of course, take into account the notice period you have. Usually this is not an issue, by the way, because you often temporarily have two houses where you still want to have energy in both. So even if you communicate your move two weeks in advance, you are probably still on time with regard to the notice period, but check it to be sure.
I will discuss the different forms of energy contracts (permanent contract, variable contract and dynamic energy contract) with you below, including the possibility of saving on your energy consumption.
At the time of your move, you must in any case note down and pass on the meter readings. At least if you don’t have a smart meter, because a smart meter basically passes it on itself.
Tip: regardless of whether you have a smart meter or not… check the meter readings and write them down. From your old house and your new house. This way you know exactly the final position and the starting position. If you ever need to check something again, you have it at hand.
What are you allowed to do with your energy contract and your move?
Now the most beautiful; what can you do?
You can take your energy contract with you when you move. And that can of course be very nice if you now have a favorable energy contract.
Current energy contracts at old and new address when moving
I mentioned it above; it may be that you temporarily want to have an energy contract on your old house and on your new house at the same time.
You are already doing odd jobs in your new house and you are still sleeping in your old house. Then it’s nice if you can turn on the lights everywhere, for example.
When switching to a new energy supplier
Are you going to switch energy contracts to a new supplier for your new home? Because it produces cheaper energy, for example? Then you can simply run both energy contracts side by side. Once more; pay attention to the notice period of your old energy contract.
Here you can see which energy supplier you can choose.
Will you stay with the same energy supplier?
Will you take your energy contract with you when you move and will you therefore stay with the same energy supplier? Then it is smart to contact them by phone. Whether it can be arranged online, I don’t know, but in a telephone conversation you can certainly arrange with your current energy supplier that both houses are temporarily covered by your current energy contract.
If you no longer need energy in your old house, the energy contract can be fully transferred to your new house.
Which energy supplier do you choose when you move?
Of course I can’t determine that for you. But it is important that you keep an eye on whether your energy contract is geared to the needs of your new home when you move.
Consider, for example:
- Any solar panels in your new home
- View the consumption of the previous residents and compare their family situation with your own; when determining the installment amount, it is nice if this is done as well as possible. Just taking over the installment amount of your old house is not smart because this can differ greatly from the consumption in your new home
- Take into account a possible heat pump in your new home, existing air conditioners and/or underfloor heating in terms of electricity consumption
The energy contracts you can choose from
Let me quickly go through the energy contracts with you that you can choose from nowadays.
Vast contract
We are familiar with this energy contract from way back. A fixed energy contract is not always convenient, but in some cases it can be very nice.
One thing is certain: at least you know where you stand.
Coincidentally, just before the war with Ukraine started, we extended our permanent contract at the – then still low – rates. That was a stroke of luck, because we still have a very favorable price as a result.
Although we hardly use anything in terms of electricity with our amount of solar panels.
Variable contract
The variable energy contract has been on the rise in recent years, but there are also many people who have cut their fingers with this in recent years, moving house or not. Because even if your current contract has expired, you can opt for a new form of energy contract.
And many people have opted for variable contracts a number of years ago where the rates have increased enormously.
Are you currently ready for a new energy contract for a move, for example? Then you can assume that you cannot actually conclude a permanent contract at the moment. This is simply not offered now because the energy suppliers run too much risk.
With a variable energy contract you are not tied to your supplier because it can be canceled monthly. Unfortunately, your rates are also different every month, so you have no idea what you will be charged.
Dynamic contract
With a dynamic energy contract, things work just that little bit differently. You pay a different rate per hour if you use energy.
This can be very beneficial if you use energy precisely during off-peak hours. Like, for example, your dishwasher that you run at 02:00 at night. At that time, the demand for energy is very low, so you pay a lower rate.
This all sounds very nice, but you only know a day in advance at which times the energy is cheapest. Although off-peak hours will generally be the same every day (with the exception of weekends).
In fact, a dynamic energy contract is very useful if, for example, you have smart equipment in your new house that you can completely adjust when you move. Such as a timer on your dishwasher, on your dryer and the like, making these energy-saving products with this contract.
Which energy contract do you choose when you move?
In principle, you are free to choose which energy contract you want to conclude after your move. Except that a permanent contract is not offered by every energy supplier.
Which type of contract do you currently find most attractive?
Hi, welcome to lifestyle blog MamsatWork. I am Joyce, content creator and internet entrepreneur, married and mother of an adolescent and a teenager.
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