Disconnecting a Cooker When You Move and What It Costs

A gas cooker should be disconnected and reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and a hardwired electric cooker by a qualified electrician. Removal firms do neither of these jobs. A straightforward gas cooker fitting typically costs £75 to £150 in labour and most jobs take one to two hours.

Who can disconnect a gas cooker

If you are taking a gas cooker with you, it should be disconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer before you move. The law is strict regarding who is allowed to carry out this work in a domestic property. Anyone employed to work on gas appliances in homes must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and they must be competent in that specific area of gas work. You can read the HSE gas safety for home owners guidance for the exact rules on employing registered engineers.

The legal requirements are set out in the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Under these rules, no person shall carry out any work in relation to a gas fitting unless they are competent to do so. No employer or self-employed person may carry out such work unless they belong to a class of persons approved by the Health and Safety Executive, which in practice means being on the Gas Safe Register. You can view the full text of regulation 3 online to see how this applies to tradespeople.

The regulations also define exactly what counts as gas work. The definition covers almost anything you might need to do to an appliance when moving house. According to regulation 2 of the legislation, work in relation to a gas fitting includes:

• Installing or re-connecting the gas fitting
• Maintaining, servicing or permanently adjusting the appliance
• Disconnecting, repairing, altering or renewing the fitting
• Changing its position where it is not readily movable
• Removing the gas fitting entirely

There is one small exception for cleaning. The Health and Safety Executive states that free-standing cookers connected by a flexible connector, known as a bayonet fitting, are not considered readily movable but can be moved temporarily. This allows you to pull the cooker out slightly to clean the space it normally occupies. This action is not regarded as gas work. However, any other installation or reinstallation is classed as gas work and must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. You can check the HSE gas safety FAQs for this specific guidance.

Disconnecting an electric cooker

Moving an electric cooker also requires professional help if the appliance is wired directly into the wall. Most new electric ovens are hardwired into the property rather than simply plugged into a standard socket. The Electrical Contractors' Association advises that installers of electric ovens on a dedicated circuit should be Part P registered.

If your electric cooker is hardwired, you will need a qualified electrician to safely disconnect it before the removal firm arrives. They will ensure the wires are safely terminated and made safe. At the new home, the consumer unit should have a suitably rated circuit breaker, for example 40A, labelled for the oven, cooker or hob, and your electrician can check this.

Some electric cookers and ovens are designed as plug-in models. If your appliance comes with a standard plug, you can simply unplug it from the wall socket yourself. You should never cut a plug off an appliance that comes with one in order to hardwire it into the wall.

Should the cooker stay or go with you?

Before you book any tradespeople, you need to be certain whether the cooker is legally yours to take. The rules depend on how the appliance is fitted into the kitchen. The government guidance on how to buy a home explains the difference between fixtures and fittings. Fixtures are items fixed to the floor or wall, while fittings are items that are not fixed down.

Built-in ovens and hobs are considered part of the fitted kitchen and are therefore classed as fixtures. Free-standing ovens are classed as fittings, alongside items like carpets, fridges, freezers and washing machines. When making an offer, buyers should clarify exactly what is included in the sale. You can read more about what fixtures and fittings you can take to understand your rights. What stays and what goes is ultimately decided by whatever is written on the fittings and contents form agreed by both parties.

If you are taking the cooker, you need to arrange the disconnection yourself, as removal firms do not do this work. Published removal terms commonly exclude it. One remover's terms, for example, exclude the following tasks unless they are agreed beforehand:

• Disconnecting or re-connecting appliances, fixtures, fittings or equipment
• Dismantling or re-assembling appliances or electronic equipment
• Taking up or laying fitted floor coverings
• Dismantling or assembling flat-pack furniture
• Moving items from a loft unless it is properly lit and floored with safe access

The same terms say the customer must prepare and stabilise appliances before the removal begins, and they list gas bottles among the goods the firm will not accept.

What disconnection and reconnection cost

There is no separate published price for disconnecting a cooker on its own. The cost you pay will depend on the engineer's hourly rate or their minimum call-out charge. The best approach is to ask for one quote that covers disconnecting the appliance at your old home and reconnecting it at your new one.

These are typical published 2026 labour prices for gas cooker fitting jobs, which is what reconnecting at the new home involves.

These figures are typical published 2026 prices and your local quotes will differ. The fitting prices shown in the table are for labour only and exclude the cost of the cooker itself.

Gas engineers charge an average of about £42 per hour. The national range spans from £30 to £100 per hour, with London and the South East sitting at the higher end of that scale. If you buy a new appliance, large retailers charge about £115 to £130 to install a built-in oven. One retailer charged £125 for an installation with a gas disconnection, against £115 without the disconnection. Independent installers tend to charge slightly less, typically between £80 and £100.

If you are moving an electric cooker, you will need to pay an electrician. Electricians charge £40 to £60 per hour in most parts of the UK. This rises to £55 to £75 per hour in London and the South East. Their day rates range from £220 to £400 normally, and between £300 and £450 in London. You will usually have to pay a standard call-out fee of £60 to £120, which usually includes the first hour of their work.

Booking the engineer around moving day

Timing is crucial when coordinating tradespeople and your removal firm. You should arrange the gas cooker disconnection for shortly before the removal crew arrives. This ensures you can still cook meals in the final days before you move, but the appliance is safe and ready to load when the lorry pulls up.

You must tell the removal firm in advance that the cooker will be ready to load. If the cooker is still connected when the crew arrives, they will not disconnect it, so it may have to stay behind or hold up the loading. You can read more about coordinating dates in our guide to exchange of contracts and booking removals.

For the reconnection, you should book the engineer to arrive as soon as you have the keys to your new home. Completion times can slip, so check what the engineer will do if the keys are released later than expected.

Reconnecting the cooker in your new home

Reconnecting a gas cooker is classed as gas work and carries the exact same legal requirements as disconnecting it. You must use a Gas Safe registered engineer to connect the appliance to the gas supply in your new kitchen. The engineer will check that the gas supply is safe, the bayonet fitting is correct, and the appliance is operating properly.

Some homeowners believe they need a new gas safety certificate when they move in and have a cooker reconnected. This is not the case. Landlords are legally required to have a gas safety certificate issued annually, but there is no such legal requirement for an owner-occupier. A gas safety certificate costs £60 to £80 for a single appliance check on a gas cooker. You may want one for your own records, but you do not legally need one just to have your cooker reconnected.

If your electric cooker is hardwired, you will need to book an electrician to reconnect it. They will wire the appliance into the dedicated circuit and check that the consumer unit has the correct circuit breaker. If you have a plug-in electric cooker, you can simply plug it into a standard wall socket yourself once the removal firm has placed it in the kitchen.

Checking the engineer before they start

You must always verify that the engineer who arrives at your home is properly qualified. All Gas Safe registered engineers carry an ID card. This card shows a photograph of the engineer, their registration number, and the expiry date of their registration.

The back of the ID card is just as important as the front. It marks exactly which appliances the engineer is qualified to work on. An engineer might be qualified to work on gas boilers but not gas cookers. You must check that cookers are explicitly listed on the back of their card before you let them start the gas cooker disconnection.

You can check an engineer is registered using several methods. You can check the register online via the Gas Safe Register website. You can verify them by phone by calling 0800 408 5500. Alternatively, you can check by text message. Simply text the word Gas followed by the engineer's seven digit licence number to 85080.

If you are leaving the cooker behind

You may decide that taking your old cooker is not worth the cost of the disconnection and reconnection fees. If the cooker is staying at the property for the new owners, you should make sure it is clean and ready for them to use.

You should always leave the instruction booklet in a drawer or on the kitchen counter. This helps the new owners understand how to operate the appliance and saves them from searching for manuals online.

If the appliance is broken or you simply want to get rid of it, ask what disposal will cost. Old appliance disposal typically costs £40 to £60. If you buy a new cooker, recycling through the retailer typically costs about £25. If you are selling, do not leave an unwanted cooker behind unless the buyer has agreed to it on the fittings and contents form.

Common questions

How to disconnect a gas cooker?

You should not disconnect a gas cooker yourself. The law says only a competent person may carry out gas work, and anyone paid to work on gas appliances in a home must be Gas Safe registered. Book a registered engineer to disconnect it safely and get it ready for your removal firm.

Who can disconnect a gas cooker near me?

Any local gas engineer can do this work provided they are on the Gas Safe Register and their ID card shows they are qualified to work on cookers. You can find local professionals by searching the official register online or calling their helpline. Always check their ID card when they arrive at your property.

How to disconnect an electric cooker?

If your electric cooker is hardwired into the wall, you must hire a qualified electrician to disconnect it and make the wires safe. If it is a plug-in model with a standard plug, you can simply unplug it from the wall socket. You should never cut a plug off an appliance to try and hardwire it yourself.

Does a gas cooker removal cost extra?

There is no standard set price for disconnecting and removing a gas cooker. You will usually pay the engineer's hourly rate or their minimum call-out fee. You should ask for a combined quote that covers the disconnection at your current home and the reconnection at your new property to get the best value.

What is the gas cooker installation cost?

A straightforward gas cooker fitting typically costs £75 to £150 in labour and most jobs take one to two hours. This price covers the labour to connect a freestanding cooker and does not include the price of the appliance itself. If you need a new gas point installed, the labour cost rises to £200 to £400.

What to do next

Planning your cooker disconnection early will save you from last minute delays on moving day. Use this checklist to get everything arranged in the right order.

• Check your fittings and contents form to confirm if the cooker is moving with you
• Find a qualified professional to handle the disconnection at your current home
• Ask for a combined quote that includes reconnecting the appliance at your new property
• Book the engineer for a time just before your removal crew arrives
• Check the engineer is properly registered and qualified for your specific appliance
• Tell your removal firm that the cooker will be fully disconnected and ready to load

When you have your dates agreed and your tradespeople planned, you can find a mover near you to get a fixed written quote.