Two houses during move. Utilities?

[picklesdragonisawelshdragon]

This is probably a very amateur question...

What happens about utilities in a second house which you are not ready to move in to? For a few months DM will be popping in, measuring, decorating, getting carpets fitted etc.

Will a bill from the current supplier be sent by post at some point?

Does she formally open a utilities account when she moves in, and pay the difference in the meter reading?

Will they cut the power and gas to the house at some point?

I'm hoping someone will have done similar and will know the routine!

You need to take over the utilities accounts - water, council tax, electric, gas - as soon as the property becomes yours. Where you then spend your time is not their problem.

Does it matter who you get them with? Who had them before?

And the standing charge just runs as usual, does it?

I've just realised I've always moved into new builds or empty properties, so always started from scratch.

Recently moved. My experience this time was that I needed to find out which electric company. Cause whoever you get to supply your electricity, they need to transfer that property from the previous supplier.
Can be done by consulting a national database, but way easier to simply ask previous occupants.

Some broadband and phone companies insisted on being given the landline number . So again, ask previous occupants.

And yeah, you get to pay the standing charge. Unless you ask them to cut the service and suspend the account. That would be appropriate for the landline, ( but check they'll not charge to reinstate) but you'll need electric and water if popping in. Best to leave heating on a frost setting, so a sudden cold snap is not damaging.

The buildings insurer's need to be informed that the building is unoccupied. They may be fine with this, or may impose a limit ( often household insurance only covers you if buildings not left unoccupied for more than eg 30 or 60 days. Somewhat illogically, insurer's often say a single night camped out in an otherwise empty building counts as occupation, and resets the clock. Although they may also require a minimum level of furnishing- a bed, a table and chair, some kitchen stuff. ).
I've probably made insurance sound too complicated.
It's just that if you had a flood or fire, and a loss adjuster turned up to an obviously empty property, and you hadn't told them, you'd have a problem.So tell them.

Great, thank you. We may not be able to find out from previous owners- it's been empty a while. We've taken pics of the meters etc.

DM is at a distance, I'm going down in two weeks to sort this kind of thing out for her.
Landline can wait until she's ready to move in- and really only essential for her tv and wifi.

She's not finding the process of moving out of her current house very easy. 30 years, and DF built it.

Thanks very much!

Oh, and we've sorted insurance already.

contact all the suppliers and take over the accounts. Then you can switch gas and elec if liked. The direct debit will be set to the usage of the previous occupants until a record is built up.

you've no choice with water company but if it isn't on a meter, tell the company what is going on. Some of them have 'tea and toilets' tarriffs (Severn Trent don't even charge!) as long as no-one is actually living there. Once someone moves in, let them know.

BTW daft not to have a landline, mobiles are not a reliable source of communication. Keep a corded phone in the house, which will work in a power cut.

Mobiles are not a reliable source of communication? What planet have you been living on.

We've not had a house phone for probably a good 10 years.

Planet UK here.
Lucky you. My landline is essential, not
everyone has a reliable mobile signal. Or cable broadband for that matter.

The stamp duty is higher on a second home so ensure you reclaim the additional cost back when the first house is sold.

Thanks everyone. I'm falling at the hurdle of finding out who the last bill was with, the utilities search thing is saying 'not registered'. I'll wait til I'm there to do anymore, I think.
I'm sure they'll make themselves known to us when we owe them money, as well!

oh dear, London-types again. No, sweetybumps, even if your brick phone is charged (every day, remember...) the networks are not reliable. you need to watch the news sometimes to see how often they break down.

and of course a power cut takes out the repeater towers. The landlines are unaffected.

it's so cute that people never leave their urban bubbles and then think everyone else lives in one.

I'm on the Staffordshire border and we haven't had a landline for at least 5 years.

I don't think it's helpful to argue about landline/mobile. We all live in different places with different set ups. A friend has no landline, but between the (many) adults in the house they have phones on about 6 networks.
My actual house blocks mobile signals, regardless of network.

I'll let DM make up her own mind, and she'll be influenced by the packages available for broadband and tv, as that seems to come all together these days.

of course it isn't helpful - but the 'I never go further than a mile from a coffee shop' lot are a bit daft. And of course the rest of us are laughing at the brick-in-the-back pocket look.