Energy contract and relocation – the do’s and don’ts!

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, in the news and even on birthdays. Because we still have a favorable contract ourselves and moved some time ago, I reviewed the current situation with an energy contract and a relocation.

What to do with your energy contract and your connection? What can you do? And what absolutely must not be done?

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 to do if you move?

First, you must inform your energy supplier 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 through 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 terminate your contract. And that you enter into a new energy contract when you move.

Of course, take into account the notice period you have. Usually that’s not a problem, by the way, because you often temporarily have two houses where you still want to have power in both. So even if you communicate your move two weeks in advance, you’re probably still on time regarding the notice period, but check it to be sure.

The different forms of energy contracts (fixed contract, variable contract and dynamic energy contract), I’ll talk about it with you below, including the possibility of saving on your energy consumption.

During your move, you must in all cases record and transmit the meter readings. At least if you don’t have a smart meter, because a smart meter basically passes it on to itself.

Tip: Whether or not you have a smart meter… check meter readings and write them down. From your old house and your new house. This way you know exactly the end position and the starting position. If you ever need to check something again, you have it at your fingertips.

What can you 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 an advantageous energy contract.

Current energy contracts at the old and at the new address during the move

I mentioned above; you may temporarily want to have an energy contract on your old house and 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. So it’s good if you can turn on the lights everywhere, for example.

When switching to a new energy supplier

Are you going to change your energy contract with a new supplier for your new home? Because it produces cheaper energy, for example? Then you can just perform the two energy contracts side by side. One more time; pay attention to the notice period of your old energy contract.

Here you can see which energy supplier to 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? It is therefore advisable to contact them by telephone. I don’t know if this can be arranged online, but in a phone conversation you can certainly agree 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 home, the energy contract can be fully transferred to your new home.

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 the adaptation of your energy contract to the needs of your new home when you move.

Consider, for example:

• All the solar panels in your new home
• View the consumption of former residents and compare their family situation with yours; when determining the amount of the deposit, it is good that this is done as well as possible. Simply taking over the amount of installments from your old house is not smart because it can be very different from the consumption of your new house
• 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 review with you the energy contracts you can choose from these days.

Permanent contract

We have known about this energy contract for a long time. A fixed energy contract is not always practical, but in some cases it can be very pleasant.

One thing is certain: at least you know where you are.

Coincidentally, just before the start of the war with Ukraine, we extended our open-ended contract at the – then still low – rates. It was a stroke of luck, because we always have a very advantageous price.

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 many people have also cut their fingers in recent years, moving or not. Because even if your current contract has expired, you can opt for a new form of energy contract.

And many are those who opted a few years ago for variable contracts whose prices have increased enormously.

Are you currently ready for a new energy contract for a move, for example? In this case, you can assume that you cannot conclude an open-ended contract at the moment. It’s just not currently being offered because the energy providers are taking too much of a risk.

With a variable energy contract, you are not tied to your supplier as it can be terminated monthly. Unfortunately, your rates are also different each month, so you have no idea what you will be charged.

Dynamic contract

With a dynamic energy contract, things work a little differently. You pay a different hourly rate if you use energy.

This can be very advantageous if you use the energy precisely during off-peak hours. Like, for example, your dishwasher that you run at 2:00 p.m. At that time, the power demand is very low, so you pay a lower tariff.

This all sounds great, but you only know a day in advance when energy is cheapest. Although off-peak times are generally the same every day (except weekends).

Indeed, a dynamic energy contract is very useful if, for example, you have smart equipment in your new house that you can fully adjust when you move house. Like a timer on your dishwasher, on your dryer and the like, making these energy efficient products with that deal.

Which energy contract do you choose when you move house?

In principle, you are free to choose which energy contract you wish to conclude after your move. Except that a CDI is not offered by all energy suppliers.

What type of contract do you currently find the most attractive?