The handover file should include a separate closure record for each electricity, water and gas account that applied to the property. The core items are any final bill, evidence of any deposit refund, and any final meter-reading record available. The cited residential electricity process refers to receiving a final bill and a deposit refund; the cited water-account form is for closing a water account and refunding its deposit; and the cited gas process says a final gas meter reading is obtained when the account is closed.
The cited process information does not specify one retention period, a standard refund amount, a fee, a deadline or a refund method. The checklist below is practical guidance, not a universal legal or utility requirement.
Records to keep
| Record | What to retain |
|---|---|
| Account closure | Any closure request, confirmation or completion notice, with the account reference shown. |
| Final bill | Any bill identified as final or closing, where one is issued. The cited residential electricity process specifically refers to receiving a final bill. |
| Deposit refund | Any form, confirmation, remittance advice or account-credit record showing the status of a deposit refund. The cited electricity process and water-account form refer to a deposit refund, but the available material does not provide a standard amount or payment date. |
| Meter reading | The final reading record, if available, together with the reading date and meter identifier shown. The cited gas process specifically refers to obtaining the final gas meter reading; no equivalent requirement is stated for the other utilities. |
| Supporting evidence | The service address, account and meter references, payment records and dated correspondence that connect the items to the correct account. |
A reference to a deposit refund is not a promise that a particular refund will be paid, and a process reference is not proof that an individual account has been closed.
How to check the file
- A complete check starts with a list of every account that applied to the property and its service address.
- Each bill should be matched to the account reference and checked for a final or closing label. If no label appears, the document should be kept while its status is confirmed.
- The final meter reading should be kept with any supplied image or written note. If no final reading is available, the latest reading and closure correspondence can be retained while the account-specific requirement is checked.
- The final bill and refund evidence should be reconciled. The record showing the refund's actual status, amount, method or date should be retained if those details are provided.
- Dated electronic or paper copies of closure correspondence should remain in the handover file.
What the reader must still confirm
Several matters remain account-specific: which accounts existed at handover, who held each account, whether each account was closed, and what current requirements apply to forms, readings, deposits, payment status and timing. The cited process information does not establish an individual account outcome, a guaranteed refund or a universal retention period. Any separate contractual, estate or legal recordkeeping requirement must be confirmed independently.