First time buyers’ energy guide

Are you in the process of buying your first home? Read on to get all the tips you need as a first-time buyer. Once you've moved in, setting up gas and electricity in your new home is one of the first things to consider — but we've got you covered.

Owning your first home is super exciting – but moving can be stressful. So, we’ve put together a handy first-time buyers’ guide for everything you need to know before you move into your first-ever home.

Handy list of content to jump to!

Before you move (if you’re currently renting)

Check if there are exit fees you may need to pay, if you leave your current tariff
Let your energy supplier know you're moving
Read your meter on the day you move out and give these readings to your supplier. Read our guide to reading a meter
Give your supplier a forwarding address so you can pay your final bill

Once you've moved into your new home

Find out who the new supplier is to let them know you’ve moved in. If you're not sure who your supplier is, Ofgem can help
You can shop around for a better deal and change energy suppliers
Read the meters on your first day and give these readings to your supplier
Pay your final bill for your last property

First-time buyer energy bills

Setting up energy bills in a new home is one of the first things you should do, or you could find you're spending more money on gas and electricity than you need to.

When you move into your new home, the current energy supplier for the property will automatically transfer you to their standard tariff. This isn’t the best deal most of the time, so make sure you shop around to save more on your bill.

You could save more than you think by switching suppliers. Every household is unique and has different needs – so we have a range of energy tariffs that offer something different for everyone.

Electricity and gas quotes for first-time buyers are on top of everyone’s list – and finding the right deal can help you save cash. First-time buyers know that gas and electric bills are some of the biggest financial concerns, but you'd be surprised at the savings that can be made.

When moving house, utilities can have separate suppliers, so switching to dual fuel from a single company will save you money straight away.

First-time buyers’ checklist

How to set up gas and electricity for the first time in a new home

Setting up gas and electricity for the first time can be tricky. On day one of moving in (or as close to your move-in date as you can), here are our easy-to-follow steps for setting up gas and electricity in your home:

Find out who supplies energy to the property
Find your gas and electricity meters
Take meter readings and contact the energy supplier
Find the fuse box and trip switch
Find your meter number
Find out what tariff you’re on
Find a better energy deal

Our full moving house checklist has all the details you need.

Find out who your energy supplier is

To help find out who your supplier is, you could ask the seller or estate agent (or developer if the property is a new build) before you move in.

Find your gas and electricity meters

Meters are often found in the kitchen, hallway, or outside – when you first view a house, note down where the meter is (the estate agent should be able to give you all the details). If you can’t find your meter inside your property, then you may need to look outside. You're looking for your meter box, which is mostly likely white.

If you live in a flat or an apartment, you might find your meter on the ground floor. Each meter should be labelled with the corresponding flat – if not, you’ll need to get in touch with your landlord, and they'll be able to tell you where it is. If you have a bill, you can match the meter serial number to the front of the meter. If you own the flat and are unsure where the meter is, get in touch with your property agent or supplier.

Find out what type of meter your new home has

If you're not sure what type of meter your new home has, it may be a traditional analogue meter, a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) meter or a smart meter.

Traditional meter:

If your meter has dials or an analogue meter display with four to six black and white numbers, and some red ones - you have a traditional meter.

PAYG meter:

Traditional PAYG meters have a slot where you insert a key or card to add credit. You just need to take your electricity top-up key or gas top-up card to your local Payzone, PayPoint, or Post Office outlet – or ask a friend or family member to do this for you.

When you slot your key or card back into your prepayment meter, you'll see your credit on the meter display.

Find your local Payzone, PayPoint, or Post Office outlet.

Smart meter:

Smart meters usually show a digital display, you may also find an In-home Display in the house. This is a small portable unit, that connects wirelessly to the smart meter and shows how much energy you're using.

Smart meter with prepayment Setting:

Smart meters can also work with a PAYG function: you'll use a card or key, or an app to top up your credit.

If you're still not sure what type of meter you have, you can contact the energy supplier linked to the property or use the Citizens Advice's online meter checker.

Not on a smart meter?

If you're not on a smart meter, you could be missing out on savings plus, you'll have to give your meter reading each month to your energy company. A smart meter does all the hard work for you, by automatically giving your energy supplier your readings.

You can book a smart meter installation for your home:

Online
Email us at hello@edfenergy.com or;
Call us on 0333 006 9950.

Take meter readings and contact the energy supplier

Once you have moved in and found your meters, it’s important to take meter readings and submit them to the supplier. Otherwise, you may end up paying for energy you haven’t used. The supplier will give you all the help you need to set up gas and electricity for the first time.

Find the fuse box and trip switch

If your electricity is cut out, you need to know where your trip switch is to get everything back up and running. A trip is nothing to worry about – it’s usually a precaution to keep you safe if there is a faulty appliance.

You’ll find it in or near the fuse box, which will be just metres from the electricity meter.

Find your meter number (MPAN)

There are two types of meter numbers: Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) for electricity and Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) for gas.

The MPAN is unique to your home and is 21 digits long. It can be found on your bill and may also be called your “supply number”.

The MPRN is six to ten digits long and can also be found on your bill.

Find out what tariff you’re on

Once you know the energy supplier, it's best to find out what tariff you're on. The supplier will likely tell you what tariff you’re on. Switching can help you find a better deal.

Find a tariff to suit your needs

Moving into a new home provides a great opportunity to get an energy tariff that suits your needs, and you may want to switch energy supplier.

How you use and want to pay for your energy affects the type of tariff you might choose for your home. It's the ideal opportunity to check out different energy tariffs and get a quote to make sure you're on the best energy deal.

For example, if you have an electric vehicle, an EV tariff could be the best solution for your home. Or, you may like knowing the cost per unit of energy (kilowatt hour) remains the same, regardless of wholesale market changes - in which case, a fixed price energy tariff is best for you. Some people like to follow the wholesale market prices, and have a tariff that changes every three months. If so, a tracker tariff could be ideal. It's worth knowing, that having moved into a new home, you may have been put onto a deemed tariff. This is a type of variable energy tariff, and often the most expensive. See our price cap predictions to understand how energy prices are likely to change in the future, and help you choose the right tariff.

First-time buyer energy efficiency tips

As a first-time home buyer, you'll want to save money where possible. You can make savings by making simple changes or switches at home. Read our guide to making energy-efficient choices at home and read our top tips below to start new energy and money-saving habits from the start – for a minimal extra cost.

Not got a smart meter yet? Now's a great time to change that. With a smart meter, access exclusive tariffs, track your energy use and save money along the way!
Draught-proof any doors or windows with a cheap option like draught-excluding foam
Take showers, not baths. Showers take much less energy than baths
Keep windows shut in winter
Turn down the thermostat a little bit on your boiler and room thermostat if you have one
Replace your light bulbs with low-energy LED bulbs – they use much less energy and last much longer
Find out if your windows and doors are causing your home to be less energy-efficient

Need more first-time homeowner tips?

Check out our other useful guides for homeowners:

If you don't know dual fuel from Direct Debit, then our guide to choosing the best energy tariffs is for you
Boilers are a vital part of your home, so fixing common boiler problems is very important
Our advice on heating and keeping your home warm will help you feel cosy in cold weather
Icy weather can mean frozen pipes - find out what to do and how to prevent frozen pipes

Want to keep an eye on bills?

Smart meters allow you to easily monitor your energy usage – making adjustments to save where necessary. Sign up for a smart meter today.

Want more tips on keeping costs low?

There are lots of ways to keep energy use lower and bills down. Take a look at all of our tips to help you save energy at home.

Get a more suitable energy tariff

Property with a different supplier? No problem. With just three simple steps, you can switch to EDF.