You have the keys. What comes first?
A light coming on does not mean the account is in your name. First agree which bills are included in the rent and who will hold each remaining contract. Record the handover date and opening readings with the landlord.
- Before handover: confirm the full address, flat, internet availability and whether hot water uses electricity or gas.
- On the day: photograph electricity, water and any gas meter, including serial numbers. Ask for CPE/CUI codes.
- When applying: distinguish a name change on an active supply, reconnection of a closed supply and a first connection.
- On the first bill: check the start date, meter, tariff and reading.
Prepare one application folder
Ask each provider for a written document list for your address and circumstances. Prepare identification/passport, NIF, tenancy or occupancy evidence, full address, contact details, meter photos and your payment preference. Do not assume every company accepts the same identification or always requires a residence card.
Three different identifiers
CPE: identifies the electricity installation and can be found on its bill. CUI: is the natural-gas installation identifier. A customer or meter number is different. You do not need to log into the former tenant’s personal account; request the installation details from the landlord.
Electricity: read the contract before the promotion
No brand, including EDP, Galp, Endesa or Goldenergy, is cheapest for everyone. Use ERSE’s comparison with your consumption and circumstances, rather than comparing advertised discount percentages. This simulator covers mainland Portugal; check the local system on the islands.
Highlight consumption charges, fixed charges, contracted power, time-of-use options and paid extras separately. Keep the contract summary. Distinguish a supply contract from a technical fault, network connection or installation issue.
ERSE · price simulator ↗ · ERSE · electricity contracts ↗ · ERSE · supplier switching ↗
Water: find the provider serving your address
Do not approach water as a nationwide choice of competing suppliers. Ask the municipality or check the existing bill for your local provider; EPAL is not the supplier for every Portuguese address.
Lisbon/EPAL example: identification, NIF, proof of legitimate occupancy and a reading for an installed meter are required; a photo is preferred. Check the property details in your tenancy evidence. EPAL states that establishing the contract is free. This does not make every connection or technical service free, or establish the rules of other municipalities.
Explain whether the supply is active or closed, how the meter can be accessed and when you move in. Compare the first bill with your handover photo and ask the provider to explain its local billing items.
Gas: a name change is not automatically a new inspection
DGEG explains that changing supplier or account holder alone does not require an extraordinary inspection where a valid approving inspection document/report exists. Alterations, leaks or disconnection for a critical defect may trigger further inspection. Only authorised professionals should intervene in gas installations.
Request the existing inspection document from the landlord and ask the provider in writing what is required at your address. Neither “every tenant needs a fresh inspection” nor “an old report is always enough” is reliable. Distinguish bottled gas, communal systems and natural gas. Disclose appliance or installation changes and have activation requirements confirmed.
Internet: check the flat before choosing the bundle
Check MEO, NOS, Vodafone and DIGI offers for the exact address and flat. Fibre outside the building does not guarantee a ready connection inside or your preferred installation date. If you work from home, keep a working connection until the new one is tested and plan a temporary mobile option.
- What is the price after the promotion and the commitment end date?
- Are installation, activation or equipment charged separately?
- What are the moving, early-exit and equipment-return conditions?
- Does the bundle add TV or mobile services you do not need?
ANACOM · Lei 16/2022, art. 133 ↗ · ANACOM · commitment terms ↗
The previous tenant’s debt is a separate question
Article 21 of ERSE’s commercial-relations regulation limits refusal of a new electricity/gas contract because a different former occupant owes money under another contract. An apparent account-holder change intended to avoid paying debt is an exception. Do not automatically apply this rule to water or internet.
If you are asked to pay another customer’s balance, request the contract, person and dates it relates to in writing. Keep evidence of your occupancy and handover date with your complaint. For bills included in rent, clarify limits, excess use and access to statements with the landlord; do not use another person’s portal password.
Payments: an EU account is not every foreign account
Rejecting a reachable EU account for SEPA euro transfers/direct debits solely because its IBAN belongs to another EU country may amount to IBAN discrimination. This does not mean a Turkish or US account must automatically be accepted. SEPA participation and having an account in the EU are different questions.
Check alternative payment channels, direct-debit discount conditions and due dates. Keep receipts, bills and complaint dates for disputed charges; cancelling a direct-debit instruction does not terminate the contract.
Leave with a completed closing file
Photograph final readings. Notify each provider of the closure/transfer date, obtain written confirmation and give an address for the final bill. Returning the keys does not automatically end utilities. Verify your own closure instead of relying on the next tenant’s promise.
EPAL example: at least three days’ notice, meter reading, customer code and final billing address are required. If access for closure is not provided, termination may not take effect and billing may continue. Ask other local providers for their own procedure.
Return internet equipment under the operator’s instructions and retain serial numbers and the receipt. Keep the file open until final bills and any deposit adjustments are resolved.
Your handover checklist
Ticks last for this open page only; no personal details are entered or sent to a server.
Useful phrases for your application
Quero celebrar um contrato em meu nome.
I would like a contract in my name.
Qual é a data prevista para a ativação?
What is the expected activation date?
A declaração de inspeção do gás ainda é válida?
Is the gas inspection document still valid?
Podem enviar-me as condições por escrito?
Can you send the conditions in writing?
Preciso de confirmação da rescisão e da fatura final.
I need confirmation of termination and the final bill.
Official sources and scope
General information, not individual legal or technical advice. Confirm local-provider, installation and contract requirements before acting. No particular price, activation time or outcome is guaranteed. Liability that cannot legally be limited is unaffected.
Sources checked: 14 October 2026. No provider promotions were ranked; local examples are not nationwide rules. Photographs are AI-generated illustrations.
ERSE · electricity contracts ↗ · ERSE · supplier switching ↗ · ERSE · price simulator ↗ · E-REDES · CPE ↗ · DGEG · gas installations ↗ · EPAL · new contract ↗ · EPAL · termination ↗ · ANACOM · Lei 16/2022, art. 133 ↗ · ANACOM · commitment terms ↗ · European Commission · IBAN discrimination ↗ · ERSE · Regulamento 827/2023, art. 21 ↗