Utilities Transfer Checklist: Stop, Start and Final Bills
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Utilities transfer checklist
Stop service at the old place and start it at the new one without a gap or a double bill. Ticks are saved in this browser only.
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Before you call anyone
Old bills or the provider's app are the quickest place to find them.
Ask the landlord, the seller, the agent or the city or town office. Providers differ by street, and sometimes you choose among several.
Every call comes down to two dates: when service stops, and when it starts.
Stop service at the old place
Leaving a day or two of cushion means the lights and water work while you clean and do the final walk-through.
A dated photo settles any dispute about what you used.
Mail forwarding is not a reliable way to receive a bill, since USPS says financial and sensitive documents may not be forwarded.
Some providers send a prepaid box and some ask you to drop it off. Keep the receipt either way.
Start service at the new place
A start date set for move-in day leaves little room for delays.
That first reading is your starting line for the first bill.
Installs often need an appointment, so a call a few weeks ahead beats one the week of the move.
Relighting gas appliances safely is a job for the gas company or a licensed technician.
Check the paperwork
Mistakes are easiest to fix in the first billing cycle.
Sources (1)
In short: Call each provider with two dates, stop and start, photograph every meter when you leave and arrive, and give every provider an address for the final bill.
This checklist is for renters and owners who are moving between homes and want the lights, water and internet to work on the first night without paying for the old place after they leave. Utilities are a chain of small phone calls, and the problems come from gaps and overlaps between them: a service that stops before you are out, or one that never starts. The list covers electricity, gas, water, trash and internet, in the order of a normal move.
How to use it
Begin with the first section even though it feels like paperwork. Writing down each provider, account number and the two dates that matter (the day service should stop at the old place and the day it should begin at the new one) turns every call into a two-minute task. If you are not sure who serves the new address, ask the landlord, the seller, the agent or the local town or city office. Providers vary from street to street, and in some places you pick among several for internet or electricity.
Then work through the stop and start sections in parallel. If the same company serves both addresses, ask for the stop and the start in one call. Note each confirmation number as you go.
What changes the plan
Renters sometimes find that some utilities are included in the rent or that the landlord keeps the account in their name. Ask before you call, so you do not cancel something you do not own. Buyers should ask the seller or the closing agent which accounts are in the seller's name, and set up their own accounts to begin on the day they take possession. Internet often needs the longest lead time because it can require an installer's visit, so book it first. Gas deserves special care: if gas is off at the new home, let the provider or a licensed professional restore it.
Final bills are the part people forget. Give every provider an address that will still work after you leave. Mail forwarding helps for ordinary mail, but USPS says financial institutions and agencies may not allow certain sensitive documents to be forwarded, so do not rely on it for a final statement. A new-home address or a trusted mailing address is safer.
Worked example: moving out on a Friday
Suppose you hand over the keys on Friday and get the new keys the same day. For the old place, you ask the electricity and water providers to stop service on Sunday, giving you the weekend to clean. On Friday morning you photograph the electric and water meters with the date showing, and note the numbers in your phone. For the new place, you ask for electricity and water to start on Friday, and on arrival you photograph those meters too. Internet at the old place ends on Friday after you return the modem, and the new internet install is booked for the following Tuesday, so you plan to use your phone's data until then. A few weeks later, your first bills arrive. You compare the readings and the dates with your photos, and they match.
When to call for help
If a provider cannot start service when you need it, ask whether a manager or the provider's moving department can help. If you smell gas, leave the home and call the emergency number and your gas provider from outside. For a billing dispute you cannot resolve with the provider, ask your state's utility commission or consumer protection office whether it takes complaints about that company.
Questions people ask
How far ahead should I call?
As soon as you know your dates. Internet and any service that requires an appointment benefit most from advance notice.
Do I need to be home for the shutoff?
Often not, but ask. Some providers need access to a meter or a gas appliance.
What about my mail?
See the change of address checklist for USPS forwarding and the senders you must tell yourself, and the first week checklist for your first days in the new place.