Am I responsible for utilities in an empty home?

Who is responsible for paying for utilities in an empty home? The question is particularly important to anyone currently responsible for a home they’re not living in.

This could be because you’re in the middle of selling or buying a home, there’s an overlap between two tenancies, you’re completing repairs or you’re a landlord between tenants.

Whatever the reason, we wanted to end the confusion about utilities in an empty home. Here’s what you are and aren’t responsible for when your home is empty.

Do I need to pay these utilities in an empty home? 

Gas and Electricity

While you are responsible for a property you must pay for the gas and electricity, even if you are not living there.

Energy bills are based on usage, so your bills will be significantly lower when there is no one at the property. However, you still need to pay the daily standing charge for your connections.

Take meter readings on the day you leave the property and submit these to your energy supplier, as well as the date you left and the date your responsibility ended, for the most accurate bills.

Water

You do have to pay for water as one of the utilities in an empty home – unless you choose to have the supply disconnected or the property is uninhabitable.

If you are responsible for a property that is furnished and connected to the main water supply, you will be billed as normal.

Some water suppliers have special rates for properties that are unfurnished or undergoing significant renovation. In this case, you should reach out to your water supplier for more information.

You can also request to have the mains water disconnected at the property if it will be vacant for some time. Depending on the supplier, you may be charged a fee for disconnecting and reconnecting the property. However, you won’t have any water bills payable during that time.

Council Tax

You must pay Council Tax at a property from the date your responsibility begins until it ends.

If you own a home that is currently empty, you may qualify for a discount on your council tax. This is decided at the discretion of your local council, who you should contact directly.

However, you may also be charged additional Council Tax. From 1st April 2025, ‘second homes’ can be charged double council tax, again at the discretion of the local authority.

Additionally, if a property has been empty for more than one year, a council can charge an additional council tax premium. The amount you’ll be charged depends on how long the property has been empty, reaching four times the usual council tax at ten years vacant.

Broadband

You are only required to pay for broadband while you have an active connection in your home.

That means it doesn’t matter whether the property is occupied – only what the dates are on your contract. For this reason, we recommend contacting your broadband supplier four weeks before you move in or out. You can usually transfer your existing plan, or cancel and save by switching to a better value package.

TV Licence

You don’t need to pay for a TV licence for an empty home – after all, no one’s watching TV there.

You can inform TV licensing that a property is empty here. They won’t reach out about paying for a licence during the period it is registered as unoccupied.

If you’re moving home, you can arrange for your licence to transfer on the day you move here.

Read more about property in the UK:

• Are private landlords leaving the property market?
• The 6 most common reasons people move house