How moving house can affect your power bill

Why might you check power costs before moving house?

Moving into a new home often means new usage patterns and different appliances. This makes it the perfect time to check you're with the power company and plan that is right for your household needs.

Your new home may have a different power rate, so knowing your likely power costs early can help you plan ahead.

Reviewing power companies can be useful, helping you search for lower prices or a sign-up credit.

A plan that might appear to cost a little more initially may offer better value in the long term, depending on your power use or daily supply charges at your new address.

A well-insulated home or efficient heating system can help you use power more effectively, even in a larger space.

By doing a quick check, you’ll be better placed to choose a plan that fits your new home and lifestyle, and reduce the possibility of an unexpectedly high bill.

How can I work out how much power I might use?

Billy is a free tool that helps you estimate your future power usage at a new home. Billy helps you consider:

• The number of people who live at your home: More people mean more showers, laundry, cooking, and device use, which all shape your overall power needs.
• How you heat your water: Water heating is a major part of most power bills, so the system you use can have a big impact on your daily energy costs.
• How you heat your home: Different heating types use energy differently, so understanding your setup helps you predict winter usage and keep costs down.

Where else can I check my likely power costs?

There are independent tools that can help you get a clearer picture of what other running costs you might have at your new place.

• The EECA Home Energy Savings CalculatorExternal Link, opens in a new tab lets you enter details about your home, appliances, location, and usage to estimate running costs.
• You can also use the Efficient Appliance Calculator External Link, opens in a new tabon the EECA website to compare the running costs of different brand-name appliances and see how your choices might affect your bill.

What else can change the price I pay for power?

Even after you move in, several factors may affect your actual bills. Understanding them helps you manage costs and negotiate with your power company.

• Rural vs urban supply: Some rural connections have higher line charges because electricity has to travel further, with fewer homes to share the cost of poles and wires.
• House efficiency: A well-insulated home with modern glazing and good draught-stopping uses significantly less electricity.
• Age and type of appliances: Older hot-water cylinders, inefficient heaters, older appliances, and even filament light bulbs can increase running costs.
• Billing plan and meter type: Smart meters, off-peak rates, and different plans (such as fixed vs variable) all affect cost. Some plans may look cheap but have high fixed charges.
• Lifestyle and occupancy change: If you’ll work from home more at your new place, or your household size is changing, your usage could shift significantly.