Setting Up Utilities at a New Home: What to Do and When

Which utilities you need to set up

Start with a list. Most homes need some combination of these:

• Electricity
• Natural gas, propane, or heating oil, depending on how the home is heated
• Water and sewer
• Trash and recycling
• Internet
• Cable or satellite television
• Home phone
• Home security monitoring

Then find out who provides each one at the new address. In some areas there is a single electric or gas company. In others you choose among several. The seller, your landlord, your real estate agent, or the city or county website can tell you who serves the property.

If you are renting or buying into a homeowners association, ask which services are already included. Water, sewer, and trash are often billed through the landlord or the association, and you do not want to open an account you do not need.

When to set up utilities: the order and lead times

Lead times vary by provider and by season, so treat these as planning windows and confirm with each company. The services that need an appointment go first.

This is the same sequence our moving checklist follows, so you can track it alongside everything else.

How to transfer utilities when moving

If you are staying in the same service area, most providers can transfer your account to the new address in one call. If the new home has different providers, you will close one account and open another. Either way, the steps are the same.

1. Gather your account numbers from recent bills at the current home
2. Choose your dates. Stop service at the old home the day after you move out. Start service at the new home the day before you move in. A day or two of overlap is worth it
3. Have your details ready: the full new address, your move dates, identification, and a copy of the lease or closing paperwork if the provider asks for it
4. Ask about deposits and fees for starting or transferring service
5. Give a forwarding address for final bills and deposit refunds
6. Write down every confirmation number and the name of the person you spoke with

Utilities are one part of a larger notification list. Our change of address checklist covers the rest.

Set up internet before moving day

Internet deserves its own step because it has the longest wait and the most variables.

• Check availability first. Not every provider serves every street, and the options at the new address may be different from what you have now
• Book the installation early and aim for move-in day or the day after. Someone will need to be home
• Ask what to do with your equipment. Some providers want you to take the modem and television boxes with you. Others want them returned
• Get a receipt for anything you return, so you are not billed for it later
• Pack the modem, router, and cables together in a clearly labeled box that you can find on the first day

Utilities checklist for moving day

Walk through the new home before the truck is unloaded and confirm that everything you scheduled is working.

• Flip light switches in several rooms and check that the refrigerator is running
• Run hot and cold water at a sink, flush the toilets, and look under sinks for drips
• Turn the heating or air conditioning on at the thermostat and listen for it to start
• Test a burner on a gas stove. If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company from outside
• Write down or photograph the electric, gas, and water meter readings with the date
• Find the breaker panel, the main water shutoff, and the gas shutoff

Do the same meter readings at the old home as you leave. They settle any dispute over the final bill. For more first-week checks, see our new home safety and maintenance checklist.

When to shut off utilities at your old home

Do not schedule a shutoff for moving day itself. The crew needs lights, working outlets, and heating or cooling while they load, and you will want water for the final cleaning.

• If you are selling: keep electricity, gas, and water on through the final walkthrough and closing, then transfer or close the accounts as of the closing date. Your agent can confirm what the contract requires
• If you are renting: keep service on through the last day of the lease or the move-out inspection, whichever your lease calls for
• In cold weather: never leave a vacant home without heat. Frozen pipes cost far more than a few extra days of service

Common utility mistakes when you move

• Assuming service stays on. When you need to turn on electricity at a new house, do not count on the previous owner's account. Once they close it, the power can be disconnected until a new account is opened
• Waiting on internet. It is the service people most often leave to the last week and then go without
• Forgetting trash service. Moving produces a lot of it, starting on day one
• Skipping the meter readings
• Leaving autopay running on an account you meant to close

With utilities scheduled, the remaining piece is the move itself. Allpoints Moving Services asks for 1 to 2 weeks of notice for a local move and 3 to 4 weeks for long-distance, which lines up with the utility calls above. Request a free quote and put both on the calendar at once.