Heating and electricity when you move: registration, meters and contracts

Heating and electricity are not one single moving task. What you need to do depends on the home. A house with district heating works differently from a flat with shared heating accounts. And electricity involves both the company you buy your power from and the grid company that delivers it to your home.

Here you get a simple overview of who to contact, which dates you need to know and what you should document.

In brief

When you take over a home, as a general rule you need to:

1. Find out how the home is supplied with electricity, heating and water
2. Contact the relevant companies or the managing agent
3. Notify your electricity supplier of the move no later than the day you take over the home
4. Read the relevant meters together with the seller, if possible
5. Take clear photos of the meters and keep them
6. Keep confirmations of registration and of the move
7. Check the first bill and any final statement

Borger.dk states that you must notify your electricity supplier of the move no later than the day you take over the home. If the electricity meter is not read remotely, it must be read when you move in. Where relevant, you should also read meters and notify suppliers of heating, gas and water of the move.^[1]

Start with the home, not with the companies

Before you choose contracts, you need to know how the home is supplied.

Look for information about:

• Electricity
• District heating
• Natural gas
• Heat pump
• Electric heating
• Oil
• Shared heating in the owners' association
• Water and waste water

You can often find the information in the sales listing (salgsopstilling), the energy label (energimærke), the purchase agreement (købsaftale), the property's documents or from the managing agent.

Also ask the seller or the estate agent (ejendomsmægler):

• Which companies supply the home today?
• Which meters are there in the home?
• Are they read remotely?
• Does the buyer need to register themselves?
• Does the owners' association handle heating or water?
• When are the meters read?

Also read the guide on the energy label if you want to understand the home's registered energy performance and expected consumption.

Handover day and access date are not always the same

The handover day (overtagelsesdag) is the date on which the change of ownership takes place under the agreement.

The access date (dispositionsdag) is the date on which you gain the right to use the home. In many sales the two dates are the same. But you may get access earlier, for example to paint or renovate.

If you get the right of disposal (dispositionsret) before the handover day, the purchase agreement may state that you must pay for consumption from the access date. It can also affect when insurance and practical arrangements need to be in place.^[2]

So check the purchase agreement before you give a date to a utility company.

Electricity has two separate parts

When you switch on the light, you do not notice the difference. But behind the bill there are typically two players.

The electricity supplier

This is the company you buy the power itself from. As a general rule you can choose your electricity supplier (elhandelsselskab) and type of contract yourself.

The grid company

The grid company (netselskab) owns and operates the electricity grid in your area. It is determined by the home's address and cannot be chosen freely.

So you can switch the company that sells you the power, but not the local grid company.

On the bill you may see, among other things:

• Payment for the electricity you use
• Subscription or other contract fees
• Grid tariffs
• Duties
• VAT

That is why it is not enough to look only at one price per kilowatt hour.

How to notify your electricity supplier of the move

Notify the move no later than the day you take over the home.^[1]

Typically, have this information ready:

• The new address
• Handover date or agreed access date
• Your name and contact details
• Meter number or metering point number, if available
• Meter reading, if the meter is not read remotely

Forbrug.dk recommends taking a photo of the electricity meter, even if it is read remotely. Also keep your notice of moving, and check that the company has received it.^[3]

If you are moving out of another address at the same time, you also need to make sure that your responsibility for electricity at the old address ends on the right date. Otherwise you risk remaining liable for the bill there.^[3]

How to choose an electricity contract

You can compare electricity suppliers on Elpris.dk, which Borger.dk refers to.^[1]

When you compare, look at the whole contract:

• Is the price fixed or variable?
• How often does the variable price change?
• Is there a subscription?
• Are there other fees?
• Is there a lock-in period or notice period?
• When does the contract start?
• How will you be invoiced?
• Is an introductory offer temporary?

If you choose a new electricity supplier, the new company normally handles the practical switch and notifies the previous company. Always check the lock-in and cancellation terms in your current contract.^[4]

The contract that looks cheapest today is not necessarily the cheapest for your consumption over a whole year. So compare on the same assumptions.

Heating depends on the home's heat source

Start by finding the heat source and the responsible supplier.

The table is an overview. The actual process depends on the address, the company and the type of home.

District heating

With district heating (fjernvarme), the supplier is normally determined by the area.

Contact the district heating company and ask:

• Do you need to register yourself as the new owner?
• Which date should be registered?
• Does the meter need to be read, or does that happen automatically?
• How are on-account payments (aconto) made?
• When will the annual statement arrive?
• Who should receive the reading at the change of ownership?

A district heating bill can consist of both a fixed part, which does not depend directly on your consumption, and a variable part, which depends on how much heat you use.^[5]

This means that lower heat consumption does not necessarily reduce the whole bill by the same proportion.

Natural gas

If the home is heated with gas, you need to clarify both supply and meter reading.

Ask, among other things:

• Which gas supplier did the seller use?
• Do you need to choose a new supplier?
• Who receives the meter reading?
• From which date are you responsible?
• Has the gas boiler been serviced, and is there documentation?

Borger.dk refers to Gasprisguiden (the gas price guide) if you want to compare gas suppliers.^[1]

A gas boiler is part of the home's technical installations. If you are unsure about its operation or safety, it should be assessed by a qualified professional.

Heat pump and electric heating

A heat pump or electric heating can make electricity consumption considerably higher than in a home where electricity is mainly used for lighting and appliances.

So look into:

• Previous electricity consumption
• The heat pump's age and model
• Service history
• Whether the system has separate metering
• How the home is registered with the relevant authorities and companies
• Whether any energy tax arrangements have been handled correctly

Past consumption is only a guide. It depends on, among other things, the size of the household, indoor climate, weather, the standard of the home and usage patterns.

If you want to change the heating system, you should first clarify the rules, insurance and the need for professionals. See also the guide on renovating after buying a home.

Oil and oil tank

With an oil-fired boiler, you need to think about both the supply itself and the tank.

Clarify:

• How much oil is left
• Whether the remaining stock is included in the settlement statement (refusionsopgørelse)
• The tank's type, age and location
• Whether the tank is registered correctly
• When the boiler and tank were last inspected
• Whether there is documentation of servicing and any decommissioning

An oil tank can matter for both operation and the risk of soil contamination. Get relevant technical or legal help if the documentation is unclear.

Owner-occupied flat with shared heating and water

In an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), heating and water are often handled through the owners' association (ejerforening) or the managing agent.

You typically pay on account together with the service charges (fællesudgifter), and consumption is later allocated in a heating or water account. In blocks of flats, heat cost allocators are often used to split the heating cost between the homes.^[5]

Ask the managing agent:

• Does a move-out reading need to be ordered?
• Who orders it?
• Is there a deadline?
• Who pays the fee?
• How is consumption split between buyer and seller?
• When will the next heating account arrive?

Do not assume that the process happens automatically just because heating is paid through the service charges.

Water

Water may be billed directly by a utility company or through the owners' association.

For a house, you should clarify:

• Whether the water meter needs to be read
• Who should receive the meter reading
• Whether waste water is billed together with water
• When your responsibility starts

In a flat, water may be included in the service charges, allocated by meter or calculated using another allocation key. Check the budget and the association's articles, and ask the managing agent if it is not clear.

Read the meters together with the seller

The buyer and seller normally read the water, heating and electricity meters together at handover.^[2]

For each meter, write down:

• Date and time
• Meter number
• Meter reading
• Unit, for example kWh or cubic metres
• Who was present

Take a photo in which both the meter number and the meter reading are visible. Keep the photos with the handover documents.

A remotely read meter makes the process easier, but a photo can still be useful if questions arise later about the date or consumption.

What goes through the settlement statement?

The settlement statement divides costs between buyer and seller around the handover day.

Many utility companies settle water and heating directly with the buyer and the seller. In other sales, certain amounts may be handled in the settlement statement. It depends on the supply and the purchase agreement.^[6]

It may, for example, be relevant for:

• On-account heating
• On-account water
• Service charges that include utilities
• Oil stock
• Periodic charges

See the guide on the settlement statement when buying a home to understand how the costs are divided.

A simple timeline

Two to four weeks before handover

• Find out how the home is supplied
• Contact the managing agent if you are buying an owner-occupied flat
• Look into electricity suppliers
• Clarify whether meters are read remotely
• Find the handover day and any access date in the purchase agreement
• Agree with the seller or estate agent how the meter reading will be done

No later than the handover day

• Notify your electricity supplier of the move
• Notify your heating, gas and water suppliers of the move, where relevant
• Read the meters
• Take photos
• Keep the information you submitted and the confirmations

After handover

• Check that the contracts are registered from the right date
• Check the first bill
• Keep final statements from your previous home
• Compare any on-account amounts with your budget
• Follow up on the settlement statement

Also gather the tasks in your moving plan, and remember the separate change of address.

Example 1: house with district heating

Maja and Jonas take over a house on 1 November.

They do the following:

1. Contact the electricity supplier and register the move for 1 November
2. Contact the local district heating company and ask how the change of ownership is registered
3. Agree with the seller to read the electricity, heating and water meters when the keys are handed over
4. Take photos of all the meters
5. Send the meter readings to the relevant companies
6. Keep the confirmations with the purchase agreement

When the first bill arrives, they discover that the district heating has both a fixed and a variable part. That explains why the total payment does not change in line with consumption.

Example 2: owner-occupied flat with shared heating

Sara buys an owner-occupied flat. Electricity is billed directly, while heating and water go through the owners' association.

She does the following:

1. Notifies the electricity supplier of the move for the handover day
2. Contacts the managing agent
3. Gets confirmation that the administrator will order a move-out reading
4. Asks how the next heating account will be allocated
5. Keeps the reading and the administrator's reply

So she does not register with a district heating company herself, because the owners' association is responsible for the shared supply. But she still checks the process.

Your checklist

• I know the handover day
• I have checked whether there is an earlier access date
• I know how the home is heated
• I know who supplies electricity, heating, gas and water
• I know what the owners' association or managing agent handles
• I have chosen or confirmed my electricity contract
• I have notified my electricity supplier of the move no later than the handover day
• I have notified the move to other relevant suppliers
• I know which meters need to be read
• I have photos of the meter numbers and meter readings
• I have kept confirmations of all registrations
• I know which utility costs may be included in the settlement statement
• I have checked the first bill

Common misunderstandings

The seller's electricity contract automatically becomes mine

Not necessarily. You need to make sure that you are registered correctly from the agreed date and that you have an electricity contract.

The grid company and the electricity supplier are the same

Not always. The grid company operates the grid in the area. The electricity supplier sells you the power.

A remotely read meter does not need documenting

Remote reading reduces the need for manual readings, but a photo can still document the situation on the handover day.

District heating is always transferred automatically

The process varies between companies. Contact the local company and get confirmation of what you need to do.

Heating and water in a flat require no action

The managing agent or owners' association often handles the supply, but a move-out reading and registration may still be needed.

Past consumption shows exactly what I will pay

No. Consumption depends on, among other things, the household, temperature, weather, the home and habits. The history is a guide.

Summary

You do not need to know every rule by heart. The most important thing is getting the right dates, companies and meters in place.

1. Find out how the home is supplied
2. Distinguish between the handover day and the access date
3. Notify your electricity supplier of the move no later than the handover day
4. Contact heating, gas and water suppliers where relevant
5. Read and photograph the meters
6. Keep all confirmations
7. Check the first bill and the settlement statement

Also read the guide on insurance when buying a home, so your cover is in place alongside the practical arrangements.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. The actual registration, supply and billing follow your agreement with the utility company, the managing agent and the terms of your home purchase.

Frequently asked questions