Who Supplies My New Home? How to Find Your Gas and Electricity Supplier in the UK (2026)
Moved into a new home and do not know who sends the energy bill? Use this safe sequence to identify both suppliers, protect yourself from the previous occupier’s usage and only then compare your options.
For gas, search your postcode on Find My Supplier. For electricity, use the Energy Networks Association postcode finder to identify your network operator, then use that operator’s supplier lookup service. As soon as you take responsibility for the property, photograph every meter and its reading, contact the existing supplier, open an account in your name and only then compare tariffs or start a switch.
This guide covers homes in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate energy market and process; use the Utility Regulator’s moving-home guidance and its supplier contact list.
First: photograph the meters before doing anything else
Do this when you collect the keys or take legal responsibility for the home—even if the meters are smart. Your photos create a clear boundary between the previous occupier’s energy and yours.
- Photograph the full gas and electricity meters.
- Take a close, readable photograph of each opening reading.
- Capture the meter serial number if it is visible.
- Keep the original files so their date and time remain available.
- Keep proof of your move-in date, such as a tenancy agreement or completion statement.
Citizens Advice recommends giving the current supplier your opening readings on the day you move in so the first bill is based on your usage rather than an estimate.
The safe order: identify, register, then compare
Record the opening position
Take dated meter photographs and keep your move-in evidence.
Find the gas and electricity suppliers
Use the official lookup routes below. Do not assume the landlord, seller or estate agent has named both correctly.
Register with the existing supplier
Give your name, move-in date, address and opening reading. Ask the supplier to confirm the account starts from that reading.
Check the inherited terms
Ask for the tariff name, unit rates, standing charges, payment method and whether the meter is operating in credit or prepayment mode.
Compare after the account is recognised
Compare the existing supplier’s available tariffs with switching options. Ofgem says a domestic supplier switch should take up to five working days.
How to find your gas supplier
Find My Supplier
Search by postcode to identify the registered gas supplier. The service can also provide the Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) and gas transporter.
Your MPRN
The MPRN identifies the gas supply point. Save it with the meter serial number and opening reading in case the wrong meter is later attached to your bill.
How to find your electricity supplier
Your electricity network operator is not your electricity supplier. The network operator manages local wires, substations and power-cut response; the supplier bills you for electricity.
- Enter the postcode in the Energy Networks Association finder.
- Open the identified network operator’s website.
- Use its “find my supplier” service or contact it to identify the registered electricity supplier.
- Ask for or save the Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN) if available.
The MPAN identifies the electricity supply point. It is different from the serial number printed on the physical meter.
Supplier versus network operator: contact the supplier for tariffs, bills, meter readings and account setup. Contact the network operator for power cuts, damaged local equipment or connection infrastructure. Calling the wrong organisation wastes time and does not open your energy account.
Why you inherit a deemed supply arrangement
When you move into a supplied property and start using energy before agreeing a chosen tariff, the existing supplier continues supplying the home. Citizens Advice describes this as an automatic deemed contract, usually on the supplier’s default or standard variable tariff.
This does not mean you inherit the previous occupier’s account, debt, direct debit or fixed tariff. It means you are responsible for energy used from your own move-in date while the property remains with its registered supplier.
What to say when you contact the supplier
Use a clear change-of-occupier statement:
“I became responsible for this property on [date]. My opening meter reading was [reading], taken on that date. Please open a new account in my name from this reading and confirm that no balance from the previous occupier has been transferred to me.”
Ask for written confirmation of:
- your account start date and opening reading;
- the meter serial number and supply number linked to the account;
- the tariff name, unit rates and standing charges;
- the payment method and any credit check required;
- whether the meter is smart and whether it is communicating;
- what evidence is required if the supplier disputes the change of occupier.
Want the energy, broadband and mobile checks organised together?
Book a free 15-minute household-services review. We will focus on the services relevant to your move and the questions to resolve before you choose anything. There is no obligation to switch.
Do not pay the previous occupier’s bill
You are not responsible for energy used before you became responsible for the property. If a bill includes an earlier period, contact the supplier and provide the move-in date, opening reading and supporting tenancy or completion evidence. Ask for a corrected bill addressed to you from the correct date.
| Problem | Evidence to use | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Bill starts before move-in | Tenancy agreement or completion statement | Request a new account start date and corrected bill. |
| Opening reading is wrong | Dated meter photographs | Submit the reading again and ask for written correction. |
| Bill appears linked to the wrong meter | Meter serial number plus MPRN or MPAN | Ask the supplier to check the meter-to-address registration. |
| Previous occupier’s name or debt appears | Move-in evidence and new account details | State clearly that this is a new occupier account, not a transfer. |
If the property has a prepayment meter
Contact the existing supplier straight away. Citizens Advice advises trying not to use a key or card—or add money—until the supplier has registered you, because the meter may still be recovering debt from the previous occupier. Ask the supplier to remove any old debt, issue your own key or card and explain how the meter operates.
If you had to top up before contact, keep the receipt and tell the supplier. You may need proof of the date you moved in.
When should you compare or switch?
Register first, then compare. Starting a switch before the current supplier recognises the change of occupier can create avoidable billing confusion. Once the account is open, compare the complete offer rather than a headline monthly estimate:
- electricity and gas unit rates;
- daily standing charges;
- fixed or variable term and contract length;
- exit fees and payment method;
- smart-meter compatibility and customer support;
- the total household value if considering multiple services.
For the full moving timetable—including broadband installation and mobile coverage—use our UK moving-home utility checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord tell me who supplies the property?
Yes, and your tenancy agreement may name a supplier. Still verify the current registration because suppliers can change. If you pay the supplier directly, you can normally choose your supplier; if energy is included in rent and the landlord pays, the landlord controls the account.
Do I inherit the previous occupier’s tariff?
No. You normally begin under the existing supplier’s deemed or default arrangement until you choose another tariff or supplier. The previous occupier’s personal account and debt do not transfer to you.
Should I trust a letter addressed to “The Occupier”?
It can help identify the existing supplier, but verify it through the official lookup route and still provide your own opening reading and move-in date.
What if the gas and electricity suppliers are different?
That is normal. Register separately with each supplier and submit the correct opening reading for each fuel before comparing whether keeping them separate or combining them suits your household.
Can I switch immediately after moving in?
You can choose another tariff with the existing supplier or start a switch, but first make sure the existing supplier has registered you and accepted the opening reading. Ofgem says a domestic switch should take up to five working days.
Turn the move-in checks into one clear action plan
Book a free 15-minute review covering the energy, broadband and mobile questions relevant to your new home. No obligation, and no claim that switching is automatically the right decision.
Official sources
- Ofgem: Get energy if you are moving home
- Ofgem: Switch energy supplier
- Citizens Advice: Moving home and your energy supply
- Citizens Advice: Find your gas or electricity supplier
- Find My Supplier: Gas supplier and MPRN lookup
- Energy Networks Association: Find your network operator
- Northern Ireland Utility Regulator: Moving home
Reviewed against official sources on 29 August 2026. This guide provides general consumer information, not emergency, legal or regulated financial advice. Prices, eligibility, service availability and contract terms vary. Quantome Commerce Limited operates as an independent Authorised Utility Warehouse Partner and may receive commission if you choose eligible services following an introduction. Quantome Commerce Limited is not Utility Warehouse.