BT Moving Home
Taking the stress out of moving your broadband

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Disclaimer: The information on this page was last updated on 04/01/2023, 15:59:19

The BT moving home process can seem unnerving, but the process is much simpler than you might think. To take away some of the stress and confusion, we’ve put together this handy guide that will answer all of your questions about moving home with your BT broadband connection. As always, we’ve got you covered!

How do I tell BT I’m moving home?

There are two ways you can tell BT you’re moving house: over the phone and through your online account.

When you tell BT you’re moving, you’ll need to give them a bit of information to make sure your move goes smoothly, including:

• Your BT account number (which you can find on your bills or the top right corner of your online account)
• Your current phone number
• Your new address
• Your moving date

BT broadband moving home online

If you want to sort your move online, you’ll need to do so through your online account.

Simply choose the ‘Moving home’ option and it will take you to the moving house form. When you’ve filled out your new details, you’ll be given the option to upgrade your package and find out more about the speeds in your new home.

You should get your move started at least 2 weeks before your moving date to give plenty of time to get your internet set up for your moving date. However, you’ll have to give 30 days notice if you’re cancelling your contract or leaving BT.

BT moving house form

BT broadband moving house over the phone

If you don’t want to set up your move online, you can also contact them over the phone by calling the BT moving home team on 0800 783 0235.

You’ll still need to give 2 weeks notice before your moving date. You might be able to give a shorter notice period, however, you might have to go without broadband for a few extra days.

Alternatively, you can call 0203 0484 598 for help.

Do you have to pay to move house with BT?

Most of the time, moving house with BT is free, however, there are a few circumstances in which you’ll have to pay an extra fee.

If you’re staying with BT and keeping your broadband contract, the only reason you might need to pay extra charges is if your new house doesn’t have a BT line. This is because an engineer will have to come out and install a new one. Most houses have them, so this is an uncommon charge.

You’ll have to pay a one-off installation fee of £70 if you’re on a landline-only plan and there’s no BT line connected. If you’re on a copper broadband plan with no BT connection, you’ll only have to pay a £30 one-off installation fee. If you take out a new broadband contract during the moving process, you won’t have to pay these charges.

If you’re leaving BT when you move and you haven’t reached the end of your contract’s minimum term, you might have to pay early termination charges. How much you have to pay will depend on how much you pay per month, how long is left on your contract, and how much BT is saving by you leaving early. BT will let you know how much this will be when you let them know you want to leave.

Will I be on the same broadband package?

You can normally stay on the same broadband package when you move house with BT.

However, if there’s a significant drop in broadband speed at your new home or fibre broadband isn’t available, you might want to downgrade your package. Your package only determines the maximum speed you can get, so if you can’t reach much higher speeds than the package below yours, it might be worth downgrading to save money.

Similarly, if you can reach higher speeds or have Full Fibre installed, you might also consider upgrading your package. This depends on whether speed or price is most important to you.

You can check the speeds in your new home using the link below to help make the decision.

BT speed checker

Can I keep the same phone number?

If you’re moving somewhere within the same telephone exchange, you might be able to keep your number. If you can, BT will let you know when you start the moving process. It’s free to keep your number.

Different locations across the UK have different area codes to their phone numbers, so if you’re moving further out, you’ll have to lose your current phone number and get a new, different one.

If you do need a new number, you can set up a Caller Redirect. When people try to call your old number, Caller Redirect will automatically answer and let them know your new number. It will say:

“The number you’ve called has been changed to…” and then your new number.

The caller will then need to hang up and redial your new number. Calls to your old number will be free.

It costs £20.50 to set up Caller Redirect for a month, and £30.60 to set it up for 3 months. If you opt to have it for a month, it will cancel automatically, however, if you choose the 3-month option, you’ll have to contact BT to cancel. You can do this by calling 0800 800 150.

What to do with your broadband and TV equipment

If you’re bringing your BT package with you when moving house, you can bring your BT Hub and TV equipment with you. You can even bring your rented phone to your new home. If you have an Openreach fibre modem (a white router with ‘Openreach’ written on it), you should leave this for the people who move in.

You can reinstall all of the equipment yourself ready for your activation date the same way you installed it when you first got connected. If you’d rather, or you’ve forgotten how to, you can ask for an engineer to come out by calling 0800 800 150. You will have to pay for this service, so you can use the steps below to find out how to set up your BT router or click here to set up BT TV.

How to set up your Smart Hub

You’ll have to set up your router before you can access the internet. To do this, you’ll have to connect your Smart Hub to the master phone socket in your home, which is where the main phone line comes into your house.

You can follow the steps below to get connected:

Find out more about your BT Hub

Does an engineer need to install the internet in my new home?

Most of the time, no. You can normally do the set-up yourself and BT will let you know when your broadband has been activated.

However, there are two main reasons why an engineer will need to come out to set up your broadband from BT when moving home:

• If your new home doesn’t have a BT line to connect to
• If you’re struggling to set up your BT TV or broadband connection

How long does it take to get internet in a new home?

It normally takes around 2 weeks to set up internet when you move into a new home but, with BT, it is often sooner than that. If you need an engineer to come out, this can add another 2 weeks to the activation time.

If you’re going to be left without broadband in your new home for more than 2 days, BT will send you a 4G Mini Hub to keep you connected until your activation date. It’s powered by the EE network and connects to 4G just like your phone would. You’ll be given unlimited data on your Mini Hub so there’s no running out of mobile data either on the hub or on your phone while you wait.

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