THERE’S loads to think about when you’re moving home, from unpacking your belongings to setting up new utility suppliers.
But top of your to-do list should be sharing your new address with official organisations and government departments.
Forgetting to update your address could hurt your finances
In the worst case you could end up being hit with a fine worth hundreds of pounds, if you forget.
You also need to make sure the council, your bank and energy company all have the correct contact details for you so that you don’t end up out of pocket.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at savings provider Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Updating your address after moving house can feel like a full time job.
“But it’s important to make a list and work through it carefully, or you could end up missing vital letters – or even racking up fines.
“It’s not cheap, but it’s also worth considering setting up redirection services – ideally for a year.
“That way if you forget something, even if a company sends a letter just once a year, it will remind you that you need to update the address.”
Here is a checklist of the important organisations to contact…
The DVLA
Updating your driving licence with your new address should be a top priority.
Failing to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of new contact details can mean a fine of up to £1,000.
The information is needed if you’re in an accident and speeding fines will also be sent to the address on file.
If you miss paying a fine, you could be prosecuted and end up with six points on your licence.
It’s free to make the change with the DVLA and should only take five minutes online.
And while doing this, take a moment to update your vehicle log book.
Insurance companies
You will need to tell your car insurer when you move.
Unfortunately, this usually means an admin fee of around £20-£30.
Your new location could also impact your premium.
In some cases, this could happily mean a cheaper policy – whereas in others you may have to pay more.
Failing to tell your insurer could mean you have difficulty in getting a claim paid, so it’s an important job to do.
You will have to take out a new policy for the property. But do make sure you tell your previous home insurer you want to cancel the policy to hopefully get a refund for the remaining duration of the cover.
Local council
Council tax is paid in advance, so you should let your local authority know when you move home to get a refund if it’s due.
You could miss out on getting this money back if the council doesn’t know where to find you.
You also need to tell your local council if you get housing benefit.
Benefits
You need to tell the relevant department for your benefits when your address changes.
A change of circumstances can affect how much you are entitled to.
You could miss out on extra money if you’re due more. Or could have to repay cash if you’re due less.
If you are found to have withheld information you could even be prosecuted for benefit fraud.
Reporting changes depends on which benefit you get.
For example, if you receive Universal Credit you will need to update through your online account.
Or through your online child benefit account if you receive these payments.
HMRC
You should also tell the tax office about address changes otherwise you could miss contact about tax codes or other updates.
If you don’t pay a notice for tax due, you could end up with a fine.
On the flipside, you could miss getting a refund if HMRC contacts you to say you have paid too much.
Energy suppliers
Try to tell your current energy supplier before you move home – you can let them know well in advance.
Make sure you take a final reading before you leave – it’s worth taking a photo for evidence, should you need it.
This means you’ll get an accurate final energy bill.
If your account is in credit, you’ll be due a refund.
On the other hand, if you don’t tell them you could end up paying daily standing charges.
Student loans company
If you are repaying a student loan, make sure they have up to date contact details.
This is important because the company contacts you towards the end of your loan.
If you don’t realise you could end up overpaying your loan and then have to go through the process of reclaiming the cash.
Banks and credit card companies
Banks send out information on rate changes, charges or fees.
You can switch to paperless billing to get a lot of this information digitally.
However, replacements cards are automatically sent to your address, so it’s important to make sure your address is correct.
Pet microchip
If you move home, you need to contact the microchip company to update the details for your pet.
It’s now law that dogs and puppies must be microchipped by the time they’re eight weeks old.
And you could be hit with a £500 fine if you fall foul of the rules.
Post Office redirection
You will need to tell your doctor, dentist and employer of a change in address.
This is on top of all the other companies you deal with to avoid missing communications.
Loyalty schemes often send vouchers through the post, for example, that you will miss out on if your details are wrong.
It’s a good idea to set up a Post Office redirection for mail for around a year after you move.
It takes the pressure off trying to remember all the companies that you need to contact.
And you can then contact companies as and when letters are redirected.
It costs from £33.99 to get mail directed for three months or you can pay £68.99 to use the service for a year.
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