How to Set Up Utilities in Your New Home

Whether you’re heading into an apartment or you’ve just bought a house, you’ll want to get your utilities ready to go before moving day so that you’re not trying to settle in without heat, electricity, or Wi-Fi (gasp!).

Unless this is your first move, you’ve probably gone through the process of determining how to set up utilities before. But it’s not something that we do often, and it’s not always clear how to go about it. To help out, we’ve put together this quick guide on how to set up utilities in your new home.

What utilities do I need?

Depending on where you live and the terms of your lease or HOA (if applicable), you may be responsible to pay for all or just a few of these home utilities.

Electricity

Having electricity is essential. The average home or residence within the U.S. uses approximately 911 kWh of electricity every month. The cost varies by state. For example, the average electric bill in Louisiana is $81, $170 in Rhode Island and $246 in Hawaii.

Natural gas

In a home or a residence, natural gas could be used to heat buildings and water, cook, and dry clothes. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about half of the homes in the United States use natural gas for space heating and water heating. In 2020, the residential sector accounted for about 15% of total U.S. natural gas consumption, and natural gas was the source of about 23% of the U.S. residential sector’s total energy consumption. If your residence or home uses electricity for AC, heat, and to power the stove and the oven, you may not have a gas bill at all.

Water and sewer

Unless it’s included (if you’re renting), you are responsible for setting up water and sewerage services for your residence or home. How it’s charged depends on your location. It could be a flat rate, an estimate, etc. The monthly bill includes what is called “Ready to Serve Essentials” and your monthly water use. The “Ready to Serve Essentials” include the State Department of Health water quality testing (you can see it under the “Safe Drinking Water” on your bill), sewer infrastructure and drinking water infrastructure.

Depending on where you live, a sanitation charge could be included in the bill as well (trash and recycling pickup). A water use charge is calculated by taking into account the number of gallons of water you’ve consumed by washing the dishes, showering and flushing the toilet; the number of gallons of sewage that went out; and the city sales tax. This is, of course, just an example and the rates and rate types vary by state and municipality.

Trash and recycling pickup

You will pay a monthly fee for both. Curbside collection rates vary by state. Residential garbage and recycling collection is typically done by contract and overseen by the local government. Collection dates will vary, as well as what is considered recyclable where you live (plastic, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, aluminum, steel cans). According to one study, Maine has the best recycling rate in the country and West Virginia the lowest.

Cable and internet

As long as you consume data, you need to pay the provider for the privilege. That is unless you are on a public Wi-Fi network or using someone else’s internet service. You can get internet access through DSL, cable internet, a cellular company or your local telephone provider. Every provider will have a different plan, but some of the common fees and charges include the monthly usage charge as agreed upon per your plan and measured in GBs, taxes, equipment cost (financing your shiny new iPhone or paying off the router, etc.), surcharges if you go over your data plan, and other fees. Although having cable in your residence is not essential, especially with all the streaming services available, having secure and reliable internet access is important to most of us.

Home security

Another non-essential utility, but millions of homeowners opt to set one up for their peace of mind. Fees and charges could include the equipment and the installation (unless you DIY) plus a monthly monitoring charge. If you’re renting, there might already be some sort of home security system in place (like a locked gate and cameras), or you may choose to install your own.

If you’re renting and you’re not exactly sure which utilities you are going to be responsible for, check your lease. If you see “heating” on there, note that heat is covered under your electricity or natural gas bill (depending on the type of heat that your apartment has). Some landlords will also lump heating in with your monthly rent. Ask your landlord directly if you have any questions about your utilities.

How to set up utilities

You will need to set up each utility individually. It’s generally advised that you start the process three weeks before you move, though some utility setups offer more wiggle room than others. As a general rule though, give your utility providers as much notice as you can, especially if they need to come out and set up the service manually.

With that information in mind, here’s how to set up utilities so they’re ready to go on move-in day.

Determine who your providers are (three to four weeks before your move)

The utility providers for your new home may be different than the providers for your last home. Certain cities, neighborhoods, apartment buildings and landlord/management companies have different provider requirements. Likewise, some utility companies only service certain areas.

If you’re moving to a property that you’ve purchased, check the website for your city and/or county for information on utility providers. If you’re renting, check your lease or ask your landlord. Most of the time, you’ll have one provider option for utilities like electricity, natural gas, water and sewer, trash pickup, and multiple options for internet and cable.

Contact utility companies (two weeks before your move)

Now that you know who your providers are going to be, you can get in touch. If you already have utilities set up in your current home, you’re going to need to either transfer your existing utilities or cancel your existing utilities and set up new ones. If you’re starting from scratch, you’ll just need to set up new ones.

• If you need to transfer utilities: This applies if the provider for a certain utility won’t change between your current home and your new home. If this is the case, you’ll have to contact the provider and let them know that service should be transferred to another location. You’ll need to provide your new address, as well as the exact date you need service shut off in one home and turned on in another.
• If you need to cancel utilities: This applies if you’re going to have to change providers. Contact the provider of the utility you need to cancel and let them know you are looking to shut down the service. They’ll need to know the address where you’re shutting down service, as well as the exact date that your account should be closed.
• Setting up new service: To set up a new service, visit the website of your new provider. There should be information about how to set up utilities, but if not, call them directly. You’ll need to tell them the address that you’re looking to set up utilities, as well as the date that you need service to start.

Most utility companies will also require payment information at this time, either in the form of a credit card or a checking account and routing number. Some may also require a credit check and/or a security deposit. Find out exactly what’s required of you before you go through the application process so that you have everything ready to go.

Note that, if you’re renting, your landlord may require proof that you have arranged for utilities to be set up. Find out how far in advance you will need to provide this information so that you can call your providers earlier if need be.

Check that utilities have been successfully turned off/on (moving day)

There is always the possibility of errors when you’re transferring, canceling or setting up utilities. For that reason, it’s a good idea to verify that everything went through as it was supposed to — especially since you don’t want to end up with a bill for utilities that you thought were shut off.

Checking to make sure that utilities in your new home were turned on is easy enough. Make sure that you can flip on a light, turn on the stove, flush the toilet, and connect to the internet. For trash pickup, you’ll have to wait to verify until collection day, but you should know if you’re properly set up before the end of the week. If any utilities are not turned on that are supposed to be, call the provider right away. If the issue is due to a mistake on their end, they can usually expedite service and get a utility set up right away for you.

For utilities that you canceled, double-check your account information to ensure that the shut-off happened on the date it was scheduled to. If you’re not seeing that information online, call the company to verify (and be sure to get the name of the person you speak to — just in case).

Look at your last and first bills

Your utility bills can get a bit complicated when you move. Some utility providers will charge a transfer fee, while others may have some added costs tacked on for new service setup or processing.

Keep in mind that you should also be expecting a final bill for any utilities that you shut off. These should be prorated, meaning that charges for usage only apply up until the day that you scheduled your cancellation for. In some cases, you may actually be owed money from your utility provider — for example, if you paid for trash collection through a certain month.

Even if you set up automatic payments, take a look at your first (and final) bills to double-check that everything on the bill is correct. It’s always smart to take a moment to confirm that everything went through as it was supposed to.

Save money on utility bills

Start off your life in your new home or residence on the right foot by working towards making your home more energy-efficient. We don’t need to you tell you it’s good for the planet — and you’ll save money in the process. So much energy is wasted annually because of the dated and inefficient cooling and heating systems, poor insulation, old appliances, and leaky windows, ducts and floors.

Here are some ways you could make your home more energy-efficient:

1. Turn off your AC and use fans when possible
2. Replace the filter of your AC regularly
3. Keep your thermostats on low or turn them off when out
4. Install programmable thermostats
5. Update insulation
6. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room
7. Use LED lights for holiday decoration
8. Turn off the electronic devices you’re not using at the moment
9. Invest in energy-efficient ENERGY STAR appliances
10. Lower the temperature of your water heater
11. Take shorter showers
12. Use low-flow shower heads
13. Keep curtains closed
14. Close the doors and the window when heating or cooling your home
15. Only run full loads of laundry
16. Air dry your laundry
17. Wash dishes by hand when possible
18. Pare down your security system
19. Bundle cable and internet
20. Cancel the TV channels and streaming services you’re not using

More Resources

Still not sure where to start with transferring and canceling utilities and setting up a new service? We’ve accumulated a wealth of information to help you execute your move seamlessly and comfortably.

• How to select the best internet provider for your new home
• How to choose a cable TV or streaming provider
• How to get cheap internet service
• How to set up the internet after a move
• How much your monthly garbage bill might be
• How much your average water bill will be
• How to save on utility bills
• How to energy-proof your home on the budget
• How to create an energy-efficient laundry room
• Whether you need solar panels for your new home

Need help with the rest of your move? Use Moving.com to quickly and easily find reputable movers in your area (and let them deal with moving logistics while you deal with the utility companies).

Sources

• https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/use-of-natural-gas.php
• https://www.energybot.com/blog/average-business-electric-bill.html
• https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/09/f18/61628_BK_EERE-EnergySavers_w150.pdf