Business energy guide

Business energy contracts when moving premises

Moving business premises can affect supplier arrangements, final bills, opening readings, contract visibility and responsibility for old and new sites. The key is to manage both premises clearly, not just the new one.

Last reviewed: 15 May 2026

Part of the CNG Switch Business Energy Guides library.

Quick answer

When a company moves premises, business energy arrangements usually need to be reviewed for both the old site and the new site. The business should record final meter readings, confirm move-out and move-in dates, identify suppliers, check MPANs and MPRNs, and understand whether any contract, deemed or out-of-contract terms apply.

Business energy contracts are linked to supply points

Commercial energy contracts are normally connected to specific supply points rather than simply following the company wherever it moves.

Those supply points are identified through:

• Electricity MPAN numbers
• Gas MPRN numbers
• Meter serial numbers
• Supply addresses
• Supplier account records

This means a relocation should be treated as an energy administration project, not just a property move.

Related guide: business energy contracts for new premises.

Old premises may continue generating costs

Businesses sometimes assume energy costs stop automatically when they leave a property. In practice, old premises may still generate invoices if the supplier has not processed the move-out properly.

Old sites may continue to create:

• Standing charges
• Final invoices
• Estimated billing corrections
• Previous balances
• Supplier correspondence
• Disputed usage charges

This can happen where final readings were not provided, the move-out date was unclear, supplies remain active or internal responsibility changed during the move.

Final meter readings matter

Final meter readings help confirm where the outgoing business’s responsibility should end.

On move-out day, businesses should record:

• The final electricity reading
• The final gas reading
• The meter serial number
• The supply address
• The move-out date
• Photographic evidence of the meter, where possible

This helps reduce confusion if a supplier later issues estimated charges or if another occupier moves in after the business has left.

New premises may already have supplier arrangements

When moving into new premises, the energy supply is usually already connected. However, this does not necessarily mean the new occupier has a suitable fixed contract in place.

The new site may have:

• An existing supplier
• A previous occupier account
• Deemed rates
• Out-of-contract pricing
• Multiple meters
• Historic billing arrangements

Related guide: what is a deemed business energy contract?

Opening readings at the new site

Opening readings help separate the new occupier’s energy use from the previous occupier’s usage.

On move-in day, record:

• Opening electricity readings
• Opening gas readings
• Meter serial numbers
• Photos of the meters
• The exact occupation date
• The supplier details, if known

These records are particularly important if the first bill appears higher than expected or if the supplier uses estimated readings.

Why MPAN and MPRN records are important

MPAN and MPRN numbers help identify the actual electricity or gas supply point.

• MPAN: electricity supply number.
• MPRN: gas supply number.

During relocations, these details help confirm which meter, site and supplier account the business is dealing with.

Related guides: what is an MPAN number? and what is an MPRN number?.

Moving premises often creates visibility challenges

During commercial relocations, businesses often prioritise fit-out works, IT, staffing, customer continuity, equipment, signage and lease arrangements.

Energy arrangements may receive attention only when bills or supplier communications begin arriving unexpectedly.

Common relocation issues include:

• Old site bills continuing after move-out
• New site deemed rates
• Missing final readings
• Missing opening readings
• Incorrect billing addresses
• Unclear supplier responsibility
• Duplicate billing across old and new premises

Why renewal dates still matter during relocations

Moving premises does not automatically remove supplier renewal obligations or contract risk.

Businesses may still need to check:

• Existing contract end dates
• Supplier notice periods
• Termination windows
• Early exit terms
• Standing charge exposure
• Rollover or out-of-contract risk

Related guides: when should you renew a business energy contract? and business energy rollover rates explained.

Why multi-site businesses face greater complexity

Businesses operating multiple locations often manage different suppliers, contacts, renewal dates, billing structures, MPANs and MPRNs.

Relocations can increase complexity further if site records are not managed centrally.

Multi-site businesses should check:

• Which sites are opening, closing or relocating
• Which suppliers are linked to each site
• Which accounts need final bills
• Which sites need new contracts
• Whether any sites are on deemed or out-of-contract terms
• Whether standing charges are still being billed on closed sites

Related guide: how multi-site businesses manage energy contracts.

How different sectors experience relocations

Energy risk during a move depends on how the business operates.

• Retail businesses may relocate stores, open temporary units or manage several premises during refurbishment.
• Office-based businesses may restructure occupancy, IT systems, heating and cooling demand.
• Warehouses may relocate logistics-heavy, lighting-heavy or refrigeration-led operations.
• Hospitality businesses may face kitchen, refrigeration, hot water and customer continuity requirements.
• Manufacturing businesses may move machinery-intensive operational environments.
• Care homes require stable operational continuity during property transitions.

Moving premises energy checklist

When relocating, businesses should check:

• Final readings at the old site
• Opening readings at the new site
• Old site supplier account closure
• New site supplier details
• MPAN and MPRN numbers
• Meter serial numbers
• Contract end dates
• Standing charges on old and new sites
• Billing contact details
• Move-out and move-in dates
• Whether deemed rates may apply
• Whether any out-of-contract exposure exists

Why adviser-led reviews matter

Commercial relocations can make energy arrangements difficult to manage internally, particularly where several suppliers, multiple sites or overlapping occupancy dates are involved.

Adviser-led reviews help businesses improve visibility across:

• Current contracts
• Supplier arrangements
• Standing charges
• Operational supply records
• Renewal timelines
• Old site closure
• New site setup
• Potential deemed, rollover or out-of-contract exposure

CNG Switch is not a comparison website or instant quote platform. Our adviser-led approach focuses on operational visibility, contract understanding and practical business energy support.

FAQs

Moving business premises?

If your business is relocating or your current energy setup feels unclear, CNG Switch can help review supplier arrangements, old site closure, new site setup and contract planning.

No guaranteed savings. Available options depend on supplier criteria, usage profile, contract timing, property status and business circumstances.