There’s such a lot to remember when you’re moving home that a TV licence change of address might seem at the bottom of the list. Even though it seems trivial, in order to watch TV legally you need to remember to do a TV licence change of address. In our guide, we’ll walk you through all the steps!
If you’re moving house you want to make sure you’ve got your new address on all your utilities bills, council taxes, broadband and everything else! Although it seems like something that should move automatically, changing the address on your TV licence is often missed out, and sometimes people end up moving and not realising they might be watching TV illegally.
What do I need a TV licence for? You’ll need a TV licence if you want to watch, record, or download live TV programmes. This means that if you want to watch live broadcasting on the BBC or any other channel, you must have paid for your TV Licence.
It’s extremely important to remember to change the address on your TV licence if you’re moving home. When you get a TV licence, the licence is registered with you at your address and isn’t transferable to somewhere else. This misconception has caused problems for many movers who think the TV licence will just move with them.
Another area where the misconception over TV licences is confused is when people have second homes. If you have a second home, you will need to get a separate TV licence for both your properties in order to legally watch live TV in both.
Fortunately, changing your address on your TV licence is an easy process. It’s simply a case of changing the details on theTV licence you currently have, however you’ll need to have a few details ready to be able to change the address on your TV licence.
To make the changes, you’ll need to use your:
How do I find my TV licence number? To log into your TV licence account or to update any information, you’ll need to have your TV licence number on you. Your TV licence number is a 10 digit number that is unique to your TV licence account. You’ll usually find it on any emails, letters or bills you have received from TV Licensing.
The simplest way to change your TV licence address is to do it online. You’ll need to access the TV Licensing website and click on the box that says ‘Update’. After clicking, it’ll take you to a form that you’ll need to fill in with your TV licence number, name and postcode. On the next page, you’ll be given the option to change your address.
You won’t need to pay if you want to change the address on your TV licence and there's no fee for changing your details. The only time you might need to put in your bank details is when:
If you’re not moving into your new property for a while and it is currently empty, you should let TV Licensing know that a TV licence is not needed. You’ll need to complete Licence Needed declaration to confirm that you don’t need a licence for that property.
The usual cases for empty properties are:
You can change your TV licence address up to 3 months before your move.
If you’re renting a flat or a house, you will need to have your own TV licence to be able to watch live TV legally in your home. This is the usual case for if you have a separate tenancy agreement with your landlord or you have a joint tenancy agreement.
If you have a relationship with either your homeowner, for example if they are your parent or spouse, or you are lodger, you usually won’t need to have a separate TV licence since it’ll be included in the same one!
A common mistake most students make when moving into residential halls for the first time is that their TV licence is covered by their parents’ one. This is not the case and unfortunately there is no discount available for students.
Although students must pay the full TV licence, most students don’t stay all year round at their university residences and they usually go home after the term has finished.
To compensate for this, if you have paid your TV licence in one go but you only use it for 9 months as a student you can claim for a refund for the time that you didn’t use. In this case this would be around 25% as refund.
How much is the full TV licence? The full colour TV licence is currently £159 a year but you can break this down to quarterly or monthly instalments. The fee does vary with your age and situation, but for the most part people have to pay the full amount. In 2022, the UK government brought in a 2 year freeze on the TV licence so it’s not due to rise again until 2024.
If you’re only moving abroad for a short period of time for work for example, you can request a refund for the time that you haven’t been watching your TV. If you’re moving abroad permanently, you should cancel your TV licence.
