Moving House: Why the Internet Is Always the Last Thing to Arrive
The truck unloads in a day. The internet catches up a week or three later, and the hot water system keeps its own schedule. Here is the order to book NBN, electricity and gas so the lights, the shower and the Wi-Fi all arrive when you do.
Book the internet first, always
nbn's own moving home checklist starts at 'more than four weeks until your move', and that is about right. The connection itself is usually quick once a technician is booked, but the queue to get that booking depends on your retailer and your connection type, and you do not control the queue.
Contact your phone and internet provider as soon as you have a settlement or start date. Ask two questions: how long the move will take at the new address, and whether the new place needs anything special, like a technician visit for a fibre connection. Then book the earliest date they offer. This is also the week you discover your phone plan's mobile data limit is a suggestion, not a number.
Leave the NBN box on the wall
The nbn connection box belongs to the address, not to you. It is registered to the premises and will not work anywhere else, so leave it plugged in or at least sitting where the next occupant can find it. Take your own router. Take your pride in cable management if you must, but leave the box.
If you unscrew it and take it anyway, the new place has no box, the old place has no box, and two sets of strangers are now emailing the same retailer about you.
Electricity: fast, if you beat the clock
Connecting power at an established home is usually next business day territory. Several retailers manage it if you book by early to mid afternoon, and some can do it faster. Allow up to three business days to be safe, and book the connection for the day before you move in so you are not unpacking by phone torch.
If the place has a smart meter, there is good news. Many reconnections now happen remotely, no technician, often within a couple of hours, and usually for a fee somewhere between $10 and $25. An older meter needs a site visit, which is where the fees in the next section come from.
What a reconnection actually costs
The connection fee is set by the electricity network that owns the poles and wires in your area, approved by the Australian Energy Regulator, and passed through by your retailer on your first bill. Origin, AGL and EnergyAustralia do not set it and cannot discount it, so do not spend an hour comparison shopping over it.
For 2026 to 2027, the standard business hours connection fees in NSW are:
| Network | Covers | Standard fee (inc GST) | After hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | Most of Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter | $123.56 | Extra $170.17 charge |
| Endeavour Energy | Western Sydney, Blue Mountains, South Coast | $149.11 | $374.17 |
| Essential Energy | Regional NSW | $92.55 | Materially higher |
Gas moves slower than it looks
Gas connections generally need a few more days of lead time than power, so book them at the same time even though you will want to forget. One important detail: if the gas supply at the new place was physically disconnected rather than just closed as an account, NSW rules require a licensed gasfitter to check the appliances and issue a compliance certificate before supply is restored. That is an extra day or two and a trades visit, and it is not optional.
If you are simply transferring an account at a connected home, none of that applies. Ask the agent or landlord one question: is the gas on or off at the meter?
Two protections worth knowing about
If someone in the house relies on life support equipment, tell your retailer before the move and ask to be registered. Registered life support customers cannot be disconnected for a late bill, and the network must give at least four business days written notice before any planned outage. This is one of the strongest consumer protections in the energy rules and it only works if they know about you.
The second one is simple. New energy market contracts come with a 10 business day cooling off period, and if a dispute ever drags on, the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) resolves complaints for free. You do not need a lawyer to push back on a wrong bill.
On the day: photograph both meters
Before you leave the old place and again when you arrive at the new one, photograph the electricity and gas meter readings with the date visible. It takes twenty seconds and it settles about ninety percent of billing disputes before they start.
Internet four weeks out, power a week out with the afternoon cut off in mind, gas straight after. Leave the nbn box behind, take the router, and photograph both meters on the day.
Moving in Sydney? See our full pricing breakdown or find your suburb — or get answers fast on the moving FAQ page.