Business Change of Tenancy
Moved into or out of business premises? Tell every energy and water supplier in five steps, with the emails written for you.
Step 1 of 5: Premises
Where are you moving in?
Type the postcode and we'll find every meter registered there.
Why the change of tenancy matters
When a business moves into premises, the energy and water meters stay registered to whoever was there before. Until the supplier is told, you are using energy on someone else's account, and when it catches up it bills you from the day you moved in at its deemed rates. A change of tenancy fixes the name on the account. It is also the step that most often holds up a switch: until it is done, the current supplier usually objects to any new contract. Our guide to change of tenancies explains the process in full.
Every supplier does it differently. Some take an email, some only their own online form, one only a phone call and one only a web chat. The tool knows the route for each, checked on the suppliers' own websites, and the documents each one asks for. The rules on what gets a request turned down (an unsigned lease, a rates bill in a different name, a lease for another address) come from the change of tenancy cases Purely Energy has handled for its own customers.
Not sure who supplies a meter? The tool finds it, and so do our who is my supplier tools. While the change goes through you pay the supplier's out-of-contract rates, so it pays to get a business energy quote at the same time. Moving water too? See how business water supply works.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a change of tenancy?
- A change of tenancy (also called a change of occupier) moves the energy or water account for a meter from the business that was there to the one that is there now. The supplier closes the old account on the move date and opens a new one in your name from that day. It is the only way to change the name on a supply: a new contract alone will not do it, and until it is done the old occupier's account keeps running.
- What documents do suppliers ask for?
- Nearly every supplier wants proof of the move: the whole lease, signed and dated by you and the landlord, or the TR1 or completion statement if you bought the building. Most also want a photo of each meter showing its serial number and the reading on the day you moved in, and many ask for a business rates bill or insurance certificate in your exact business name, plus your landlord's name, phone and email. A few ask a new business for photo ID. The tool shows exactly what your own suppliers ask for.
- How long does a change of tenancy take?
- It depends on the supplier. Their own published timescales run from about 5 working days to up to 8 weeks. Across Purely Energy's own change of tenancy cases, the median was 20 days from sending the request to the supplier confirming it. Sending everything in one go, with the lease signed by both parties, is the quickest route: a missing document restarts the clock.
- Will I have to pay the previous occupier's bills?
- No. Anything the previous occupier owes stays with them, and your account starts on the day you moved in. If letters about their debt arrive at the premises, tick the box in the tool and your email asks the supplier to put any chasing on hold while it processes the change.
- What will I pay until the change of tenancy is done?
- The supplier bills you from the day you moved in on its deemed (out-of-contract) rates, which are typically far higher than negotiated rates. You can agree a contract at any time without a termination fee, but a switch to a new supplier is usually blocked until the account is in your name, so send the change of tenancy first and get prices at the same time.
- Can I use the tool when I am moving out?
- Yes. Choose moving out and the tool asks for what suppliers need from an outgoing occupier: the lease surrender or sale documents, a final meter reading, the new occupier's or landlord's details and your forwarding address. Keep your direct debit running until the final bill is paid.
- Does it work for water?
- Yes. In England the business water retailer handles the change, and the tool finds the retailer registered to each water supply at the premises. In Wales most businesses cannot switch water retailer, so the change goes to Welsh Water. Many premises have no separately registered water supply, which is normal.
- What happens to the documents I upload?
- Each document is read once by an AI model to pick out the names, dates, signatures and meter readings, then discarded. Nothing is stored on our website. The checks on your documents are fixed rules, every detail we read is shown to you to correct, and the PDF pack is made in your own browser. You send the emails yourself, from your own mailbox.
Moving in? Get off deemed rates
We compare fixed business energy prices from 30+ suppliers, so your new premises is on a contract as soon as the account is in your name.