Can I just transfer my existing energy contract to my new business address?

No, not directly. Your contract is tied to the NMI at your current site, not to your business name, so moving to a new address means closing the account at the old NMI and opening a fresh one at the new NMI. It can feel like one smooth process if a broker handles both ends for you, but behind the scenes it's a close and a new sign up, not a transfer.

How much notice should I give before moving premises?

Aim to notify your retailer with your final meter read details at least around 20 business days before the move. That gives them enough time to organise a proper final read at the old site and get the new connection billing correctly from day one, rather than leaving it to an estimate.

Will I be charged an early termination fee if I move before my contract ends?

If you're still inside a fixed contract term at the old site, yes, an early termination fee can apply. You may be able to avoid it by negotiating a transfer or assignment of the contract, or by asking your retailer to waive the fee if you sign a new contract with them at the new site, though neither is automatic and any waiver needs to be confirmed in writing before you rely on it.

What's different about moving my business interstate?

You land on a completely different distribution network, for example Energex or Ergon Energy in Queensland versus AusNet, CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena or United Energy in Victoria, versus Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy or Essential Energy in New South Wales. That changes the network charges on your bill no matter who your retailer is, and your current retailer may not even operate in the new state at all.

Can my current retailer just keep billing me at the new interstate address?

Only if they actually operate in that state, so don't assume they do. It's worth treating an interstate move as a genuinely new comparison against the retailers and network charges that apply at the new site, rather than expecting your existing rate to simply follow you.

Does it cost anything to get the move sorted for me?

No, there's no charge to your business either way. Smarta Switch is paid a commission by the retailer once a switch completes, so whether we're closing out your old account, comparing the market for the new site, or both, it costs you nothing to ask.

Switching business energy when you move premises

I’m Joe from Smarta Switch. Every few weeks I get a call from a business owner mid-move: outgrowing the current site, closing one location to open in a better spot, or picking up the whole operation and planting it in another state. The question is always some version of “what happens to my power?” The honest answer surprises most people: your energy contract doesn’t move with you. Here’s exactly what does happen, and how to handle it without a gap in supply or a fee you didn’t see coming.

We’re paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you.

The one-line version

Your contract is tied to the site, via its NMI, not to your business name or your ABN. It can’t simply follow you to a new address.
Moving premises means closing the account at the old site and opening a new one at the new site, even if you stay with the same retailer.
Notify your retailer with your final meter read details around 20 business days before the move, to avoid a gap or a billing dispute.
Still inside a fixed contract term? An early termination fee can apply at the old site, unless you negotiate a transfer or get a waiver confirmed in writing.
Moving interstate is the bigger version of this problem: different network, different charges, and your current retailer might not even operate where you’re going.

Why your contract can’t just follow you to the new address

Every electricity connection in Australia runs off a NMI, the National Metering Identifier for that exact site. (What a NMI is and where to find yours.) Your energy contract is signed against that NMI, not against your business name, your ABN or you personally. So when you move premises, there’s no “update my address” button sitting behind the scenes. What actually happens is two separate events:

The account at your old NMI gets closed, with a final bill based on a final meter read.
A new account gets opened at the new NMI, either with the same retailer or a different one, priced fresh against that site.

If you’re using a broker to run both ends, this can feel like one smooth process from where you’re sitting, one phone call, one form. (What a Letter of Authority does and doesn’t authorise.) But underneath it’s genuinely a close and a fresh sign-up, not a transfer, and that distinction matters for timing and for what happens to your existing contract term.

If there’s gas on site too, it works the same way, tied to the MIRN rather than the business.

The timeline: give your retailer enough notice

Standard practice is to notify your retailer with your final meter read details at least around 20 business days before the move. That’s enough runway for them to schedule a proper final read at the old site and get the new connection billing correctly from day one.

Leave it later than that and two things tend to go wrong:

A mess at the old site, because there’s no time left to organise an actual final read, so the retailer estimates it instead.
A billing dispute down the track, because an estimated final read is exactly the kind of number that gets argued over once you’ve moved on and stopped paying close attention.

Twenty business days is a bit under a month. As soon as your move date is locked in, that’s the moment to put the call in, not the week the removalist turns up.

Still inside a fixed contract? The exit fee trap

Here’s the part that catches businesses out. If you’re still inside a fixed contract term at your current site when you move, the contract doesn’t disappear just because you’ve left the building. An early termination fee can apply, the same as it would if you broke the contract for any other reason.

There are two real ways around it:

Negotiate a transfer or assignment of the contract. Some retailers will let the remaining term transfer to whoever takes over your old site, or in some cases assign the contract itself across to your new address. Whether this is on the table depends entirely on the retailer and the fine print of what you signed.
Ask for the exit fee to be waived if you sign a new contract with them at the new site. Retailers will sometimes do this to keep your business rather than lose you to a competitor. It is not automatic. You have to ask for it specifically, name the fee, and get the waiver confirmed in writing before you rely on it. A friendly “yeah, that should be fine” over the phone isn’t something you can hold anyone to later if it doesn’t show up on the final bill.

If neither option is available, weigh the exit fee against what a genuinely better contract at the new site would be worth. Sometimes wearing the fee and switching properly still leaves you ahead.

Moving interstate: a different network, maybe a different retailer entirely

Moving a few suburbs over is one thing. Moving your business across a state line is a different job, because you’re not just changing your address, you’re changing your network.

Every state runs its own distribution network, the poles-and-wires business that physically delivers electricity to your site and charges for that delivery separately from whatever your retailer charges for the energy itself:

Queensland: Energex in the south east, Ergon Energy everywhere else.
Victoria: AusNet, CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena or United Energy, depending on the suburb.
New South Wales: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy or Essential Energy, depending on the region.

Those network charges are set by the network operator, not your retailer, and they’re a real line on your bill. Move interstate and your network charges reset to whatever that new network charges, no matter who ends up billing you.

On top of that, your current retailer may not even operate in the new state at all. Some retailers active in Queensland don’t quote in Victoria or New South Wales, and the reverse is just as true. So an interstate move isn’t “same retailer, new address.” It’s a genuinely new comparison, against a different panel of retailers, priced against a different network’s charges.

If your business is relocating or opening a second site across a state line, treat the new address exactly like a brand new business quote, because on the network side, that’s precisely what it is. Tell us where the new site is and we’ll find out who’s actually quoting sharp there. Brokers aren’t limited by geography the way a single retailer’s coverage area is.

What to do this week

Check your contract status at the old site. Are you still inside a fixed term? Your contract end date is what determines whether an exit fee is even a conversation worth having.
Lock in your move date, then count back 20 business days. That’s your deadline to notify your retailer with the final meter read details.
If you’re still in contract, ask about a transfer or a fee waiver before you sign anything at the new site. Get any waiver in writing, not a verbal assurance.
If the move crosses a state line, treat the new site as a fresh quote. Don’t assume your current retailer covers it, and don’t assume the rate will look anything like your old bill.
Send us the new address and your current contract details. There’s no charge to your business either way, upload your bill or email hello@smartaswitch.com.au and we’ll handle closing out the old site and comparing the market for the new one, wherever in Australia it is.

Moving premises is stressful enough without your power tripping you up. Get the timing right and it’s a non-event: a form, a final read, and a new bill from the right retailer at the new address.

Joe Lawrence, Co-founder, Smarta Switch Australia 0435 642 592 · joe@smartaswitch.com.au

Moving premises? Here's what actually happens to your business energy contract, including interstate