We're willing to vacuum, mop, dust and sort laundry each week, but most Australians tend to ignore comparing utilities until they move house.

When it comes to moving, loading your life's contents into the van is stressful enough. Making sure all the basic utilities and services you need to live are waiting for you at the other end is a whole other problem to tackle.

We've put together this guide to simplify the process, running you through what you need to consider before lumping your stuff in the car and leaving your old place behind for good.

Compare energy and internet bundle offers

Sort by: Name Product Bundle type Offer details Customer service rating More details Origin Internet bundle available $ 15 off /month on bundled internet service. *T&Cs apply. Must be on eligible energy plan. Additional energy bundles available. Customer service rating Go to site More info loading Fetching your data... Sumo Internet bundle available $ 15 off /month on bundled Sumo NBN or Sumo Wireless. *Must be a VIC or NSW customer Customer service rating Go to site More info loading Fetching your data... Dodo Internet bundle available $ 10 off /month on Dodo NBN plans when you add electricity or gas. *Must be a VIC or NSW customer. Electricity or gas plan must be at same address as the internet. Customer service rating Go to site More info loading Fetching your data... loading

Here's how to go about transferring your utilities

The process of disconnecting, reconnecting and transferring your utilities can sound gruelling and complicated. We've broken down the steps to make sure you've thought of everything and won't leave anything behind.

1. Your internet and phone

Check your new address's connection

Does your new address have access to the same or similar broadband speed/NBN connection as where you're leaving? Though most houses in Australia have access to broadband Internet, there are still blackspots across the country that lack the necessary infrastructure for high-speed Internet, especially in regional and rural areas.

Even if a broadband service is available at your new house, it's important to double-check the specific type of connection you can get. Depending on the technology used, you may be limited to slower broadband speeds than you're used to.

Are you on a contract?

If you signed up to your current Internet service on a long-term contract and that term hasn't ended, you will likely have to pay some form of relocation or cancellation charge as part of the moving process. Should you choose to stick with your current provider – and your new house is within reach of its network – relocating your existing service can cost as little as nothing at all or as much as a couple hundred dollars, depending on your particular provider.

But if you're moving out of your provider's service area or switching provider, you could end up paying a heavy early termination fee for the contract. This fee varies based upon how long you have left on your contract and can be as much as $500 or more with certain providers.

Will you be moving again?

Whether you're a short-term renter or simply a nomadic individual, you might want to look at signing up for a month-to-month contract if you don't intend on spending years at your new place. With month-to-month contracts, you can cancel at any time and not suffer any termination or relocation charges, saving yourself another headache come time for your next move.

What about connecting to the NBN? With more than half the country plugged into the NBN, there's a good chance your new place will fall within an area already kitted out with high-speed fibre optic cables. If that's the case, you're on easy street: any Internet plan you sign up for will be delivered over the NBN, ensuring you have a future-proofed Internet connection you won't need to replace for quite some time. However, if the NBN hasn't rolled out to your new place yet, you'll want to be careful about which Internet plan you sign up for. Since the old copper network is being disconnected as part of the NBN rollout, any non-NBN plan you sign up for will only serve as a temporary solution for your Internet needs. To avoid unexpected cancellation fees or loss of Internet access, it's important that you research a prospective provider's NBN upgrade plans. Some providers will even upgrade you from the copper network to the NBN for free as soon as it's available. To check whether the NBN is available at your new home (or if not, when it's slated for installation) simply head on over to our NBN tracker page.

2. Your energy

Give lots of notice

You'll have the smoothest transition when your energy provider(s) know you're moving a week or more ahead of time. This ensures they can have your power and gas disconnected right after you leave and hooked up at your new place in time for your arrival.

Meter access

Check that your electricity and gas meters are easily accessible. Take a reading when you move in to compare to your first month's bill and make sure everything is accurate.

Disconnection/reconnection fees

You'll have to pay a fee for cutting off your old place and hooking up your new one. More effort and money will be required if you're connecting up the new property for the first time.

Provider switch

Consider whether changing to a new provider will get you a better deal. We go into this in more detail further down.

Exit fees

If you're moving and changing provider, you may be subject to heavy exit fees if you're on certain contracts.

3. Water

Get a reading

If you're renting or buying a new home, you should make sure you get an initial water meter reading to make sure you only pay for the water you use. Unlike other utilities, water is always connected and doesn't need to be turned on and off when you move.

4. Pay TV

Check for service

When moving house, all you'll usually need to do is make sure that you can still get your pay TV service at your new address. If you can, all you need to do is hook up your set-top box in the new place, notify your provider and away you go. If you can't get service for whatever reason, your pay TV provider will likely let you cancel the service for no fee, even if you're on a contract.

Don't forget about your outstanding bills

While they may not seem as important as setting up new connections for your new home, it's still important to check that you won't be leaving behind any loose ends.

Whose name is on the utilities?

If you're renting, determine which utility bills are in your name and which are managed by your landlord/real estate. Ensure that you have your name removed from utilities at the property you're leaving so that you aren't liable for the bills.

Pay off leftover bills

Make sure you've paid off whatever you owe at the old property so it doesn't come back to haunt you. Get a clean break from any utility charges at the old address.

Moving interstate? Here's a couple of things to keep in mind

Things can get quite a bit trickier when you move interstate, particularly when it comes to energy.

Places like NSW, VIC, south-east QLD, the ACT and SA have fully competitive energy markets. This means that you can choose which provider you want and sign up for the plan that best suits you.

Elsewhere, you don't have this same freedom. Instead, the government regulates energy prices and you may notice big swings in energy costs when moving from a deregulated area to a regulated one. These swings can go either way – it all depends on where you're moving.

Moving interstate may also force you to switch from your favourite provider: not all retailers operate in all regions or offer the same services if they do.

What's in it for me if I switch providers?

If you're moving house, it's always worth considering whether now's the time to change to a whole new provider. Since you're already disconnecting your electricity, gas and Internet, it could be the perfect opportunity to find a plan with conditions more suited to your new situation.

So long as you're not locked into a contract with an exit fee, switching providers should be free. You could switch for one of the following reasons:

Lower environmental impact

A different provider might burn fewer fossil fuels, provide carbon offsets or let you source more of your power from renewables. They might offer great incentives for solar, letting you switch to green energy more easily at your new home.

Save on bills

Retailers enter or leave the market and conditions change. New competition could drive down average prices, leading to a plan that's straight up cheaper or better in every way than your current one.

Get better customer service

Some retailers are more responsive and reliable when it comes to customer feedback. If you're unhappy with your provider's service, consider switching.

Gain flexibility

Signing up for a new plan that's month to month with no lock-in contract or exit fees means you can change your mind more easily in the future or move again if you have to.

Download a printable PDF of the checklist to help you organise your move