How to Close or Transfer Utility Accounts After a Death

Tell Us Once is the government's bereavement notification service. It's useful but has limits.

Tell Us Once will notify:

• The local council (for council tax and benefits)
• HM Revenue and Customs
• The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
• The Passport Service
• Some other agencies

Tell Us Once will not directly notify utility companies. You need to contact gas, electricity, water, broadband, and mobile providers separately. However, some councils use Tell Us Once to trigger notifications to local water companies, so it's worth checking with your provider.

You can access Tell Us Once at www.gov.uk/after-a-death or by calling 0345 603 7070. It's free and takes about 20 minutes online.

Deal with utilities in this order:

1. Gas and electricity - prevents bills building up; safety risk if not handled
2. Water - prevents bills building up
3. Internet and broadband - practical need for managing other tasks
4. Mobile phone contracts - continued charges are costly
5. TV licence - potential refund available
6. Subscriptions - streaming services, other ongoing charges

General Steps

For each provider, you'll need:

• Death certificate (original or certified copy)
• Account number
• Proof you have authority to handle the account (grant of probate, letter of administration, or confirmation of executorship; if you're a surviving spouse or partner living there, a death certificate plus proof of residence is usually sufficient)
• Meter readings taken on the day of death or the day you discover it
• Final address for correspondence

Gas and Electricity

The major providers are British Gas, EDF Energy, Octopus Energy, E.ON, Scottish Power, and National Grid (Northern Ireland).

What you need to do:

• Contact the provider directly by phone (fastest) or letter
• Provide the death certificate and account details
• Arrange meter reading on the day of death if possible
• Ask about final bill arrangements
• Confirm who will pay the final bill (the estate, or a surviving occupant)
• Clarify whether the account will close or transfer

Template letter:

"I am writing to notify you that [name] died on [date]. Their account number is [account number]. I enclose a certified copy of their death certificate. Please arrange to close the account and send a final bill to [address]. The meter reading on [date] was [reading]. Please contact me on [phone number] or [email address] if you need further information."

Key bereavement contact numbers:

Smart meters: If the account has a smart meter, the provider will read it remotely. You don't need to arrange a manual reading, but it's still worth taking a photo of it on the day.

Water

Contact your local water company directly. In England and Wales, there are regional companies. In Scotland, it's Scottish Water. In Northern Ireland, it's Northern Ireland Water.

What you need to do:

• Call or write to your water company
• Provide account details, death certificate, and meter reading (if possible)
• Ask whether the account will close or transfer
• Confirm who pays the final bill
• Ask about refunds for unused credit

Key bereavement contact numbers:

Water companies often have online accounts where you can submit meter readings and messages. Check your provider's website for bereavement support pages.

Broadband and Internet

Contact your internet service provider. Major providers include Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, Plusnet, and EE.

What you need to do:

• Notify the provider of the death as soon as possible to stop billing
• If the contract is in the deceased's name and there's no surviving household member who wants to continue, ask for the contract to be cancelled
• Check whether there's an early termination fee
• Ask about equipment returns (modem, router, set-top box)
• If a surviving partner or family member will take over, ask about transferring the contract to their name

Key bereavement contact numbers:

Early termination fees: If the contract has remaining time, you may face an early termination fee. This can be £30 to £200 depending on the contract. The provider might waive this given the circumstances; it's worth asking. If not, check the Probate value and whether it's worth paying to close quickly.

Mobile Phone Contracts

What you need to do:

• Contact the mobile provider immediately to prevent further billing
• Provide death certificate and account details
• Ask about final billing and any outstanding balance
• Request cancellation of the contract
• Ask whether the phone number can be released or cancelled
• Check for any early termination fees
• Arrange return of any loaned equipment (if applicable)

Key bereavement contact numbers:

TV Licence

The TV Licence is legally required if anyone in the household watches or records live television (on any channel) or uses BBC iPlayer (including catch-up).

What you need to do:

• If no one else in the household watches live TV or uses iPlayer, cancel the licence
• Contact the TV Licensing authority or apply online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk
• Provide the death certificate and licence number
• You may be entitled to a refund for unused months

The TV Licence costs £169.50 per year (since April 2024) for colour television. If you cancel partway through the year, you can claim a refund. TV Licensing will calculate this based on the cancellation date.

Contact details:

• TV Licensing: 0371 900 4411
• Online: www.tvlicensing.co.uk

If someone is still living there: If a surviving family member or partner is still living in the property, the licence can be transferred to their name. Contact TV Licensing to update the details.

Taking accurate meter readings on the day of death (or as soon as possible after) is important. This ensures the final bill is accurate and you're not charged for consumption after the death.

Electricity meter (electronic):

• Locate the meter (often in a cupboard, garage, or outside wall)
• Write down all digits shown
• Take a photo
• Note the date and time

Gas meter:

• Look for a dial with numbers
• Write down the five digits (ignore any red digits)
• Take a photo
• Note the date and time

Water meter:

• Usually located outside under a cover, or in a cupboard
• Write down all digits
• Take a photo
• Note the date and time

What if you can't access the meter? Contact the provider. They will arrange a meter reader to come out. This may take a few weeks. In the meantime, let the provider know you've reported a death so they don't issue estimated bills.

The final bill is the responsibility of the deceased's Estate. This means it comes out of any money, property, or possessions left behind before distribution to beneficiaries.

If there's no money in the estate: This is surprisingly common. If the estate has no funds, the utilities company may write off the debt, or it may be a small claim against beneficiaries (though legally, the company should have pursued the estate first). In practice, utilities often waive small final balances when death is involved.

If the surviving partner or family is taking over: The account can be transferred to their name. The utilities company will issue a final bill for the deceased (calculated to the transfer date) and a new opening bill for the new account holder.

Timeline: Expect the final bill to arrive 4 to 8 weeks after you notify the provider. Some companies are faster.

If someone is still living in the property, utilities accounts can be transferred rather than closed.

What happens:

• The old account (in the deceased's name) closes
• A final bill is issued for the period up to the transfer date
• A new account opens in the surviving person's name
• They start a fresh contract

What you need to do:

1. Contact the utility provider
2. Provide proof of death and the surviving person's ID
3. Ask to transfer the account to the survivor's name and date of birth
4. Confirm the meter reading on the transfer date
5. The survivor will need to provide: full name, date of birth, and proof of address (recent utility bill, council tax bill, or bank statement)

Switching provider or staying with the same one? If the surviving person wants to switch to a cheaper provider, they can do so. There's no penalty for switching after the account holder dies, as it's not technically the original customer switching. Switching takes about 3 weeks.

If the deceased had a fixed-term contract (common with broadband, mobile, and sometimes utilities), you may face early termination fees if you want to cancel before the contract end date.

Typical costs:

What to do:

1. Ask the provider to waive the fee given the circumstances. Many will.
2. If they won't, weigh the cost against the inconvenience of keeping the service running.
3. Check the contract terms. Some providers have bereavement clauses allowing cancellation without penalty.
4. If you're disputing a fee, escalate to the provider's complaints team.

Energy contracts: Most fixed-rate energy contracts can be cancelled without penalty once the death has been notified. The key is to contact the provider quickly. Don't wait, as delay may lock you into the fixed rate.

Settld is a free service that helps executors manage utility account closures after a death. It's available in England and Wales but not yet in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

How it works:

• You provide Settld with basic information about the deceased
• Settld contacts utility providers on your behalf
• Providers send final bills directly to Settld
• Settld handles the paperwork and coordination

Where to find it: www.settld.care

Who it covers: Gas, electricity, water, broadband, and some other services.

Settld is useful if managing multiple providers feels overwhelming, but it's not mandatory. You can handle everything yourself. The service is free because providers pay Settld a commission.

If the deceased had utilities on direct debit, you have two options.

Option 1: Cancel the direct debit

• Contact the bank to stop the direct debit
• Contact the utility to close the account
• The final bill will be sent by post
• You'll pay it from the estate funds

Option 2: Redirect the direct debit

• Only works if a surviving family member is taking over the account
• The bank updates the direct debit to the new account holder
• The new account holder becomes responsible for ongoing payments
• The final bill for the deceased will still be issued separately

How to cancel a direct debit:

• Log into online banking and cancel from there (fastest)
• Call the bank and request cancellation by phone
• Write to the bank with a signed request

The utility won't be able to continue billing once the direct debit is cancelled, so they'll stop attempting to collect and will switch to issuing invoices. This is fine.

Utility companies are not notified automatically when someone dies. Even if you register the death with the local council or use Tell Us Once, the utilities don't find out unless you tell them directly. If you don't contact them, the account will keep accruing charges. This is the biggest mistake people make, so contact them immediately.

You don't need probate to close a utility account. Utilities are not like banks. You don't need a grant of probate, letters of administration, or court approval to close an account. A death certificate and a brief explanation is enough. If you're a surviving spouse, partner, or adult child living at the property, you usually don't even need those. Just call and explain.

Some providers will refund or waive a final bill for small amounts if you ask. If the final bill is £15 or under and the estate has no funds, many companies will simply write it off rather than pursue the matter. It's worth asking, and they won't be offended.

Smart meters can sometimes cause delays. Smart meters theoretically read themselves, but providers sometimes have backlogs in processing readings after a death. If you don't receive a final bill within 8 weeks, contact the provider again. They may have misfiled the death notification.

You can act without being the executor or family member. Legally, anyone with authority can handle a utility closure. In practice, this means the person most convenient can do it. You don't have to wait for probate to be granted. Get the account holder's details (which you'll need from their papers) and call the provider.

Subscriptions and memberships can be harder to find than you'd expect. The deceased may have had subscription services you don't know about. These continue billing even after death. Check bank and credit card statements from the last few months to identify recurring charges. Search email for "subscription," "confirm my order," and "auto-renewal." Cancelling these can save hundreds over time. Our guide to managing digital accounts after a death covers online subscriptions and platform accounts in detail.

Some utilities offer bereavement discounts for survivors. If a surviving family member or partner is taking over the account, ask whether there are any bereavement discounts or loyalty benefits available. Some providers offer a month or two of credit or reduced rates.

Business broadband and utilities often have different rules. If the deceased ran a business from home, business-class broadband or utilities may have different cancellation terms or penalties. Check the contract terms carefully.

You may be liable for bills between death and notification. Legally, utilities can charge from the date of death to the date of notification. In practice, they often backdate closure to the date of death if you notify them quickly (within days). The longer you wait to notify, the more charges will accrue. This is another reason to act fast.

Equipment returns can be complicated. Broadband providers lend equipment (routers, modems, set-top boxes). You need to return these. If you don't, you may be charged a replacement fee (typically £50 to £150). Providers usually arrange collection, but check with your provider for their process. If you are also clearing the property, our guide to sorting out personal belongings covers the full house clearance process.

Once you've closed or transferred the utilities, you'll need to handle other financial and administrative tasks:

• Council Tax After a Death - stop council tax charges and reclaim overpayments
• Notifying Banks and Financial Institutions - close accounts, access funds, and manage ongoing finances
• Redirecting Post - redirect mail to prevent important documents going astray
• Tell Us Once - notify multiple government agencies in one process

Managing practical tasks while grieving is draining. If you need support:

• Samaritans: 116 123 (available 24/7, free and confidential)
• Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677 (specializes in bereavement support)
• Mind: 0300 123 3393 (mental health support and advice)

If you're struggling with the financial or practical aspects of managing a death, it's okay to ask for help. Some people hire executors or estate administration services to handle these tasks. There's no shame in that.