Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful times in a
person's life. On top of packing, cleaning and moving your
belongings you may actually have to change or reselect your
utilities providers too.
More often than not, home owners or renters will need to do the
following, when it comes to utilities, when they move in to their
new property:
- Connect gas, electricity and telephone,
a period of days or weeks in advance.
- Setting up water account. Water should
always be connected to the property, unless the home is brand new.
It should only be a matter of calling the water company and
changing the name on the account.
In Australia, utilities providers vary from state to state. Some
states have various electricity providers and retailers. It is not
uncommon for electricity to be provided at wholesale, to
electricity retailers by companies. In turn the electricity
retailers offer the utility to customers at retail rates.
When you have to select your utilities providers there are some
tips and hints that will help you ensure you are getting the best
service for your needs.
In some states, like Victoria and New South Wales for instance,
there are many electricity providers all vying for your business.
Choosing which one is right for you is a matter of research and
careful analysis.
Some electricity retailers also provide gas and the chances are
they will be able to offer you a better deal if you opt for
both.
Important questions to ask each company when comparing gas and
electricity providers are as follows:
- What are their rates?
- Are their peak and off-peak rates applicable?
- Does the price differ between seasons?
- How will you be charged? When?
- Is there a fixed contract? What are the charges if the
contract is broken?
- How will your electricity use be calculated?
There are energy services comparison sites and hotlines
available if you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of
information you are receiving from different providers.
Choosing your telephone provider isn't quite so difficult in
Australia. Majority of phone lines are rented from Telstra
throughout the country.
However, you can get different phone plans from other companies
but when you do this you will still have to rent the line directly
from Telstra to connect your home phone.
An alternative worth considering when connecting your phone, are
internet companies and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIPs
are cheap internet-based phone services that charge for calls made
concurrently with your internet service.
When choosing utilities, it is vital that you take the time to
research and compare the different providers. Many companies offer
a fixed term contract which you will be committed to for the agreed
period.
So make sure you're comfortable and clear with what you've
committed to and the level of service you are to receive, when
signing up with any utilities provider.