Landlords are being encouraged to engage with proposed changes to the way energy accounts are handled when people move home.

Recent headlines suggest landlords could have to pay tenants’ unpaid energy bills. Understandably, this will concern anyone letting a property. However, the detail matters, and there are two related developments landlords should understand.

What is being proposed?

The government’s energy debt strategy proposes legislation requiring landlords to provide energy suppliers with timely, accurate information when tenants move into or out of a property.

Where neither the tenant nor the landlord supplies the necessary information, landlords may become liable for energy charges associated with the property. This is a proposed reform requiring legislation, rather than a new blanket requirement for landlords to settle a departing tenant’s unpaid bills.

Alongside this, Ofgem is consulting on guidance for energy suppliers about the moving-home process. This includes circumstances in which a smart meter could be switched remotely to pay-as-you-go when an outgoing customer has notified the supplier but a new customer has not made contact. The consultation also considers communications, suitability checks and protections for consumers.

Why should landlords get involved?

At Boydens, we believe accurate billing and clear communication benefit landlords and tenants alike and we work with service providers to ensure utility companies are updated when a tenant moves in or out.  Any additional responsibilities must be practical, proportionate and supported by reliable processes from energy suppliers.

Landlords can provide valuable evidence about what happens during a tenancy change. For example, have you supplied tenancy details and meter readings, only to continue receiving incorrectly addressed bills? Have you struggled to get a supplier to acknowledge a change of occupier?  Will the utility provider even take the details you provide due to GDPR issues.

These experiences can help explain where the process needs improvement.

When responding, consider highlighting:

• Proof of notification: How should suppliers acknowledge information and allow landlords or agents to demonstrate that it was provided?
• Supplier errors: What protection should apply where accurate information is supplied but not processed correctly?
• Unexpected departures: How should the process accommodate tenants leaving without notice or providing incomplete information?
• Continuity of supply: How can changes to meter payment settings avoid difficulties during void periods or at the start of a tenancy?
• Clear responsibilities: How should landlords, tenants, managing agents and suppliers each contribute to a workable process?

The current Ofgem consultation focuses on supplier guidance. The government’s proposed landlord notification duty is a related legislative development, so responses should distinguish between the two.

Make your experience count

Whether you own one rental property or a larger portfolio, we encourage you to read the proposals and respond. Explain what happened, what difficulties it caused and what would have made the process work better. 

Ofgem expressly invites landlords to participate. The consultation closes on 9 December 2026, and responses should be emailed to [email protected].

Read the consultation and supporting documents on Ofgem’s website.

This is an opportunity to help shape a process that works in practice. We encourage landlords to use it.