Outline your budget
Firstly, it’s a good idea to draft a budget and ideally one with a bit of wiggle room to allow for any unexpected issues or changes. The more detailed here the better, including pre-move expenses, as well as the cost to communicate the change to all those invested in the move.
And in addition to obvious property and insurance costs, you’ll likely want to budget for IT equipment, fixtures & fittings, office furniture, decorating, and anything else required to refurbish the space to fit your company brand and culture. With this in mind, it may be a great opportunity to take an eco-friendly approach, sourcing sustainable and recycled products and materials that lower your carbon impact.
For the day of the move, you might also want to factor costs for packaging materials, special delivery items, moving insurance in case anything gets lost or broken, and van hire (or professional movers).
Create an itinerary
Planning the run up to the move date and keeping deadlines for individual tasks will help you be prepared and prevent making costly ad hoc decisions. By tracking progress throughout you can aim to minimise business downtime, maintain productivity and prevent lost sales.
Regular updates with staff are a great way to boost morale and keep everyone in the loop. Socialising a floorplan can spark interest and manage staff expectations, especially important for those that might be concerned about the change. Assigning a project manager or move champion will ensure responsibilities are shared and the move is carried out as planned.
Communicate the move
You’ll want to communicate the move both internally and externally, look upon this as a chance to engage a wider network in the use of your new work space. If you have the budget, you may opt to host a welcome event to celebrate this and invite key customers, partners, suppliers and any other external parties that have a relationship with your business.
Compile a list of those to contact and give plenty of advanced notice in case they need to update account records, delivery logistics or any other relevant action. Also, ensure that any sales and marketing literature, digital and social media such as your website, and other business listings are updated with your new address.
Managing your energy supply
Along with other service providers, it’s best to let your energy supplier know as soon as possible when moving premises. If you’re a SmartestEnergy Business customer, we’ve made it really easy to process your enquiry, just follow the below checklist.
(Please note if you’re closing the business or do not have a new address, you should still follow the steps below when leaving the premises.)
1. Notify us online via SmartWeb
Our online account service allows you to complete your request in just a few steps, at a time that is convenient to you. Once logged in, just go to the Moving Premises page, where you can provide details of the move, including a forwarding address. There is also a section on Moving Premises in our Help & Advice page with some useful customer FAQs.
Alternatively, download and complete our Moving Premises Form and send this by email to cots.business@smartestenergy.com. If you require assistance and would like to speak to someone, you can call our Change of Tenancy Team on 01903 703424 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.00pm).
2. Provide a meter reading
It’s really important that you provide a meter reading either on the day of the move or as close as possible. The best way to do this is by taking a photo of the meter/s. You can send this to us via the Contact Us page of SmartWeb or by email to meterreadings.business@smartestenergy.com. Please ensure you include your account number and meter serial number.
We would also recommend taking a meter reading at your new address on the day to ensure that you are billed accurately for your energy usage by any existing supplier.
3. Taking a new supply with us
We’d be delighted to continue supplying your gas/electricity when you make the move. Please contact our Change of Tenancy Team on 01903 703424 (Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm) or by email to cots.business@smartestenergy.com to discuss our competitive fixed options, including renewable energy products.
To setup a new account with us we will just need you to provide a few documents:
- A copy of your new lease
- A copy of your business rates
- A copy of a supplier invoice (if available)
- Latest meter readings at the new premises
4. Provide new tenant information
The final step is to let us know any contact details that you have about the new tenant, the landlord, or third party that will be taking over the old premises. This can again be provided through the Contact Us page of SmartWeb or by email to cots.business@smartestenergy.com. Please ensure you include your account number.
Frequently Asked Questions
A collection date will be displayed on your final invoice from SmartestEnergy Business, if you pay by Direct Debit, it is important that you leave this in place so that the collection can be processed. Do not cancel this as you may incur further charges. In some circumstances, we may agree a collection date if a separate payment arrangement has been put in place.
If you are owed a credit, this will be refunded to you once any outstanding invoices have been cleared on your account. This will be automatically calculated and normally takes around 30 days after the final invoice has been issued to complete the refund process.
We will send your final invoice to your forwarding address. We will also ask you to give us details of the new tenants, landlord or other third party taking over the old premises.
This will be refunded to you once any outstanding invoices have been cleared on your account. This will be automatically calculated and normally takes around 30 days after the final invoice has been issued to complete the refund process.
