Utilities, Internet and Subscriptions When Moving

For electricity, internet and subscriptions when moving, you need to tell each provider your departure and arrival dates yourself, read the meters on moving day and check in advance what is available at your new address. Nothing is transferred automatically: only the residents’ registration office (contrôle des habitants) is informed by your official notification, not your providers. The slowest item to organise is usually the internet connection, which needs an installation lead time.

Electricity: notifying your departure and arrival

In most cases, household supply is provided by the local network operator: often the commune’s municipal utility, sometimes a regional company. You generally cannot choose the network operator, as it depends on the address. Both notifications therefore go to them.

• At the old address: give your departure date so that consumption stops in your name on that date.
• At the new address: give your arrival date so that the connection is opened in your name from the handover of the keys.
• On moving day: read the meter when you leave and when you arrive, and note the value (a dated photo is enough). This reading prevents you from paying for the previous or the next tenant’s consumption.

If you live in a rented apartment block, first check your lease and the service charges statement to see what is included. Gas and heating are often covered by the service charges: in that case, no action is needed on your part, other than reading the meters with the letting agency (régie) during the move-out inspection (état des lieux).

Internet, TV and phone: allow plenty of time

This is the item that needs the most advance planning. The steps are as follows:

1. Check availability at the new address. The type of connection (fibre, cable, copper) and the offers available depend on the building. Ask the letting agency or test the address on your provider’s website.
2. Re-read your current contract. Depending on its terms, you may be able to report the move and take the subscription over at the new address, or cancel it. Check the minimum term and the notice period before deciding.
3. Order the installation or activation. Allow for a delay: a socket to be activated or a technician to be sent cannot be arranged the day before.
4. Keep your old connection until the last day, so that you are not left without internet during the move.
5. Return the equipment (router, set-top box) if the provider requires it, following its return instructions.

If you work from home, plan a back-up solution (such as tethering from your phone) for the first few days at the new address.

Radio-TV licence fee, insurance and other subscriptions

A change of address does not only concern energy and connectivity. These are the main contacts you need to notify yourself.

The simplest approach is to draw up a list from your post and direct debits over the past few months: anything that arrives by post or is paid by standing order deserves a place on it. For details of the official notifications, see our guide to the change of address in Switzerland.

Mail forwarding

While you are notifying each organisation, letters will still arrive at your old address. The Swiss Post offers a paid forwarding service that sends your mail on to your new address. It is useful for not missing anything during the transition period, but it does not replace changes of address: in the long run, every sender needs to know your new address.

A simple timeline to follow

The exact deadlines depend on your contracts; this order gives you a guiding thread.

1. As soon as the date is known: re-read your contracts (internet, insurance, subscriptions) and note the notice periods.
2. Before leaving: check internet availability at the new address and order the installation.
3. Before leaving: notify the electricity network operator of your departure and arrival.
4. On moving day: read the meters at both addresses, with a photo.
5. After arriving: register your arrival with the commune and update your bank, employer and insurers.

To make sure you forget nothing else, see the moving checklist.

In French-speaking Switzerland: what varies by canton or location

The steps are the same throughout the region, but the framework varies:

• The network operator differs from one commune to another: municipal utility, regional company or other. Its name appears on your current bills; for the new address, ask the commune or the letting agency.
• Deadlines and procedures for notifying the residents’ registration office are set by the canton and the commune. Many communes offer online notification through eMoving (eUmzugCH), but not all: check with yours.
• Internet connection depends on the building and the neighbourhood. In cities, for example in Lausanne or Neuchâtel, the choice is often wider; in a mountain village or an isolated hamlet, availability should be confirmed before you commit.
• In Valais, particularly around Sion, a home at altitude or a second home may have different connections and charges: ask the owner.
• If you are arriving from abroad, you will first need an address in Switzerland to open most of these services, and your contracts back home must be cancelled according to their own terms.

Doing it yourself or getting help

A private individual can handle all these administrative steps perfectly well alone: they are phone calls, online forms and a few meter readings. The key is to start early and keep a list.

The physical side of the move is different: loading a truck, assembling bulky furniture or transporting fragile items is hard to improvise. If you would rather have help, our service passes your request to professional removal companies in the region, who provide a free, no-obligation quote. You can request a quote by describing your project, or see the page on residential moving.

Frequently asked questions