Which utilities do you need to switch when moving house?
Short answer: 20 items, from alarm or security monitoring company notified of the move through to water account updated with the local council. The complete Utilities Switch When Moving checklist is written out below — and the exact same 20 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Utilities Switch When Moving checklist — all 20 items
- Alarm or security monitoring company notified of the move
- Bank and IRD address updated
- Broadband installation booked (can take weeks, book early)
- Connection dates confirmed so you're not without power on night one
- Driver licence address updated
- Electoral roll address updated
- Employer notified of new address for payroll and tax purposes
- Final meter readings photographed at the old address
- Gas account transfer or new connection booked
- GP and dentist details transferred or new ones found
- Insurance address updated for home and contents
- Mail redirect set up with NZ Post
- New meter readings photographed at the new address
- Old utility accounts confirmed closed, not just forgotten
- Power account transfer or new connection booked ahead of move day
- Rates account updated with new owner or tenant details
- School enrolment sorted if changing zones
- Subscription services (streaming, meal kits) address updated
- Vehicle registration address updated with NZTA
- Water account updated with the local council
The moving truck gets booked weeks out; the utilities get remembered the first dark evening in the new house. Power, internet, gas, water — each has its own lead time, and broadband is the cruel one: installation queues can run weeks while the household lives on mobile data and regret.
This switch list runs every service in one sweep: power and gas moved or re-signed (moving is the one moment providers compete for you — make them), broadband booked the day you have a moving date, water and rates sorted, and the address updated everywhere from bank to electoral roll. Final meter readings photographed on both sides, and nothing follows you but mail.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "book the broadband" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
Which utilities do you need to switch when moving house?
You need 20 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from alarm or security monitoring company notified of the move through to water account updated with the local council — and the same 20 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=utilities%20switch%20when%20moving opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Utilities Switch When Moving list (20 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.