All you need to know about moving home as a BT customer
Sometimes it can be tricky to know the exact date of when you’re going to be moving house. We appreciate you don’t always get a lot of notice. However, once you have an inkling of a timeframe for your move, it’s a good idea to look through your options and start making arrangements. This is especially if you want your new property to get connected as soon as possible.
Luckily, not only does BT have very clear procedures for house moves, but it’s also one of the most readily available providers in the UK. Hopefully, in most cases, moving house with BT Broadband should be trouble-free.
Read on to find out more about your options and the steps to take.
BT home moves: the key points
|
|---|
Transferring your current BT contract when you change address
If you’re happy with your current BT broadband deal, and you’re just on the lookout for a simple transfer, you’ll be able to do this easy enough online using your BT login details. This should also be the same process regardless of whether you’re on a broadband only package or if you’re signed up to a bundled broadband and TV package.
Where possible, you’ll need to give two weeks’ notice to give enough time for the set-up. However, BT also does offer to support shorter notice periods in most cases.
Once you log into your account, you’ll be able to check the choices available in your area. This is the best time to make a decision on whether you’ll stick with your current contract, or you may be given options to upgrade to a new package. If you’re able to transfer your current BT contract, you’ll just need to let BT know your new address and the date you’re moving.
Making changes to your BT Broadband contract when moving home
Upgrading your BT broadband service
Take a look through your options carefully. Are you being given options to upgrade to a faster speed? If so, think about what you will actually need and be prepared to spend for the duration of a new agreement. If you upgrade your BT broadband package before a house move, you’ll need to sign a brand new contract. This means you’ll be obliged to pay for your service for another 24 months. It may not be the best choice if you’re unsure how long you’ll be in your new accommodation.
If you’re currently on a BT Broadband, BT Fibre Essential, BT Fibre 1 or BT Fibre 2 package, it may be that your new area has access to faster, full fibre download speeds up to 900Mb.
If you’re not sure whether it’s worth paying for a faster broadband speed, head over to our guide: ‘what broadband speed do you need? Do you need fast broadband?’
Downgrading your current BT broadband package
Of course, it works the other way as well. You may currently be on one of BT’s full fibre packages and find out that you can’t get those fast broadband speeds at your new address. Currently, full fibre from BT is only available to 8% of the UK.
Having to downgrade your package because full fibre isn’t available in your new property after moving house unfortunately isn’t grounds for a free cancellation. You’ll either have to live with your new slower speeds until your contract is over, or, if you’re still under contract, pay the early termination fees.
In this instance, it’s worth getting in touch with BT to discuss your options. You can do this by calling BT on 0800 783 1401.
For more information on cancelling BT and its early termination charges, visit our ‘how to cancel BT broadband’ page.
-
What is full fibre?
For customers on a standard fibre broadband package, the fibre optic cable only travels from the local exchange to the street cabinet. For there, traditional copper cabling is used to pipe data to your router. This is also known as FTTC.
For full fibre, fibre optic cables make up the entire journey. With a connection like this, you can enjoy much faster internet speeds. This is known as FTTP broadband (fibre to the property).
For more help understanding the technology and difference between services, visit our guide to FTTP and FTTC broadband.
What to do if BT isn’t available at your new address
Most people will have access to BT Broadband in some shape or form. According to stats on BT.com, 91% of the UK have access to BT fibre. Here are the few exceptions where you might not have access to BT:
- You’re moving into a new home or estate that has an agreement with another provider.
- You’re moving to Hull (in this case, your only fixed broadband provider option is KCOM).
Leaving BT if you’re out of contract when you change address
A new start! If you’re out of contract, moving home is the perfect time to reassess your needs. As long as you’re out of contract with BT, you’ll be free to cancel and start a new package with a different provider after your house move.
A few things to bear in mind; you’ll need to give at least 30 days notice to cancel BT, even if you’re no longer in contract.
Switching to another provider on the Openreach network would be an easy option, as your new provider would do all of the admin for you and help you move things over.
However, you may find you’re able to get faster speeds with a smaller, alternative network, or with Virgin Media, so it’s worth looking around.
One of the easiest ways to view the broadband deals available at your new address is to use Broadband Genie’s deals checker.
Simply enter the postcode or address of your new home into the box below
Our deals checker is clever enough to only show you the deals available to your door.
Don’t forget to make the best use of the filters to sort by factors such as contract length, price and speed.
Here are some of the best deals going at the moment from some other providers:
Leaving BT if you’re still under contract
Maybe you’re moving into a property that already has internet sorted, or you can’t get the speeds you need at your new address and would rather jump ship to a new broadband provider.
In this case, you’ll unfortunately need to pay to leave early.
BT charges a fee for each month remaining on your contract at the time of cancellation. This is minus VAT, any cost savings, and an additional 1%, or any discounts you have with the package.
One option to claw back a few pennies is to make use of a switching credit deal (currently offered by Sky Broadband or Hyperoptic).
For more tips on this topic, visit our guide: ‘how to cancel a broadband contract early’.
Frequently asked questions about moving house with BT Broadband
-
Are there any charges for moving home with BT Broadband?
There’s generally no charge for moving home and sticking with BT services. The only exception may be if there’s no BT Openreach line in your new home. There’s a connection fee of £70 for a new line installation. However, this won’t be charged if you take out a new 24-month contract.
-
Can I keep my old phone number when I move home with BT?
If you’ll be living in the same telephone exchange area, it may be possible for you to keep your current phone number. If you’re moving to a new area, it’s likely you’ll need to be designated a new number. You will also have to take out a new 12-month contract term for a telephone service at your new address.
-
Can I keep my BT email address if I cancel my contract?
If you leave BT, there are options to keep any btinternet, btopenworld or talk21 email address. You can either move to a free option, or pay for a BT premium email. For more help with this, visit our guide: ‘can I keep my email address if I change provider?’
-
How much notice do I need to give BT when I’m changing address?
You’re asked to give at least two weeks’ notice if you’re moving house and want to take your existing BT broadband service with you. However, shorter timeframes will try to be accommodated.
-
Can I take BT with me if I’m moving into rented accommodation?
BT is one of the easiest providers to move house with. Most homes in the UK should have access to a BT landline. In which case, it should just be a case of plugging your Wi-Fi router into an existing socket. If you need to have an engineer visit, or you’re interested in upgrading to full fibre broadband, we advise you get in touch with your landlord first for permission.
Further reading: ‘how to get broadband in rented accommodation’
-
How to tell BT Broadband if your house move date changes
Plans change. If you need to amend your move date at any time, log into your MyBT.com account to change your delivery, installation, and upgrade options.
-
Do I get compensation if a BT move doesn’t go smoothly?
If BT knows your service activation will be delayed by more than two days, you’ll be offered a BT or EE 4G Mini Hub, so you can make use of a mobile broadband network in the meantime. You’ll be offered unlimited mobile data.
BT is signed up to Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme. This means you'll get money back for when problems such as a missed appointment or delayed repair occurs. You'll also receive £6.10 for each day there's a delay to the start of a new service.
Expert Summary
Compared to some other broadband providers who charge a significant amount for the admin of a house move, BT’s moving address procedure is pretty straightforward.
For many cases, you should be able to log into the site with your BT account number and password and initiate a move yourself. You shouldn’t need to speak to anyone. You’ll be presented with a clear set of options available at your new address.
Of course, everyone’s circumstances are different. If you no longer need broadband at all, or you’ve decided you’d rather change providers, you’ll be able to cancel your BT service for free if you’re outside your minimum contract term.
Alternatively, if you’re still under contract and BT’s services no longer suit you, you’ll need to pay an early termination fee. Head over to our ‘how to cancel BT broadband’ guide for more tips on dealing with this.
We also have an additional guide on ‘setting up internet in a new home’ you may find helpful.