Contact electricity or gas suppliers (or both) to let them know when you will be moving in. Our energy switching company, Citrus Energy, can provide you with impartial and independent advice on which supplier to use and they can give you information on how to pay your bills and how to budget for your fuel costs.
We are happy for you to have a power card or quantum meter installed. If you do not know who supplies the gas or electricity to your home, you can get this information from Citrus Energy. You can visit the Citrus Energy Website here:
Contact your phone company if you want to arrange for a phone service to be provided or reconnected.
Let your local council know that you are moving. You will need to fill in a form for council tax.
If you are on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, you must let the local council know when you are going to move in and when you will stop being legally responsible for rent on your current home – this might not be the same date that you move out. You might be able to get Housing Benefit paid on two homes during your notice period. Speak to your housing officer if you receive benefit or think you might be entitled to it.
Make a list of everybody who will need to have your new address, for example, bank, building society, schools, work, friends and family. You can arrange to have your mail redirected by Royal Mail, though they charge for this service. You can get details from your local post office.
- Take meter readings and let the electricity or gas suppliers know that you have moved in and what the reading was. Citrus Energy can help with this;
- Find out what day the bins are emptied and where you have to leave them; and
- Take time to work out how you would get out of the house in a fire or other emergency
At the time you sign up for your new tenancy, your local area team will make an appointment to carry out a technical demonstration. This will involve:
- Explaining how your heating and hot-water system works
- Making sure you are aware of how to check your smoke alarms
- Showing you where your water stopcock is and how to use it
- Demonstrating any other items in your home such as showers, ventilation systems and so on.
If you get mail for the previous people who lived in your home, please do not send it on to us. Return it in the post (and mark it ‘Gone away’).
We strongly advise you to get contents insurance to cover you in case there is a fire, theft or flood (as well as other risks). Details of the scheme run by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and an application form is available from your local office Welcome Pack.
As part of our aim to help you get the most out of your tenancy, we leave a welcome pack in your home. We also give you a number of important documents when you sign up for your tenancy. You should keep these documents in case you need them in the future.
After your tenancy starts, a member of our staff will visit you at home to find out if you have any problems that need to be dealt with. It is also an opportunity to make sure that you are not having any issues with rent, rent arrears, Housing Benefit or repairs or any disputes with neighbours. We can also explain in more detail the information we gave you when you signed your tenancy agreement. We will also ask you to fill in a short questionnaire to give us feedback on the service we provided when we gave you your new tenancy.
As well as the services we provide for all tenants, we can also refer tenants who need extra help at certain times in their lives to a wide range of other agencies providing support and advice. If you are finding it difficult to cope with your household responsibilities, you can get help with claiming benefit, managing your bills, settling you into your new home or sorting out problems with your neighbours. If you want more information, you should contact any of our offices.