What is a change of tenancy and how do I do one?

Last reviewed 2 September 2026 by Utilities Made Simple · independent, whole-of-market, supplier-paid — how we are paid

What the supplier needs

• The full site address and the meter serial numbers.
• The exact date occupation changed — not the date of the lease, the date the keys moved.
• Meter readings taken on that date, photographed if possible.
• The incoming occupier's company name and correspondence address, if you have it.
• A forwarding address for the final bill.

Doing it properly

1. Give notice before the date where you can — two weeks is plenty. Suppliers handle a planned change of tenancy far more cleanly than a retrospective one.
2. Read every meter on the day. Electricity, gas and water. Photograph the display and the serial number together.
3. Confirm in writing and keep the email. This is your evidence if a bill arrives later for a period after you left.
4. Check the final bill against your closing readings when it arrives.

If the dates are disputed

Evidence wins: the lease or licence, the completion or surrender date, and photographed meter readings. Without readings the supplier will apportion by estimate, which is where most change of tenancy disputes come from.

The trap on the other side

Ending liability at the old site does not end the contract if you are also moving the business. Fixed-term contracts are tied to the meter, not to you, so you cannot simply take the rate with you — see can I transfer my energy contract to new premises?

Ask an energy specialist

If your question is not answered above, send it to us. A specialist answers personally, normally within one working day. No sales call, no obligation — and if the answer is "your deal is fine", that is what you will get.