Transfer Your Services and Utilities When You Move

A Primer on How to Transfer Utilities

A hassle-free move is largely a matter of remembering the details, and dealing with utilities well in advance of moving day can help ensure anyone’s peace of mind. Nobody, after all, wants to relocate across town or country only to find the phone dead and lights out.

When you transfer utilities, disconnecting services in one location and resuming them in another, there are a few simple rules to follow. While gas, electric, phone and cable companies each have their own lead-time for disconnect/connect notification, a good rule of thumb is to contact their customer service departments at least two weeks prior to the move. On your day of departure, be sure to keep those lights burning, the heat going and the phone working until you’ve waved the movers goodbye and locked the front door. Arrange to have those same utility services up and running at your new residence at least a day before you move in. A few more points to keep in mind when vacating the premises:

Moving Utilities Tip: Final Reading

Have your utility companies and/or town do a final reading of the gas, electric and water meters. Make sure to get and keep a copy of your bill or report.

Moving Utilities Tip: Forward Your New Address

Supply companies with a forwarding address where they can send final invoices. If you don’t, you could be surprised down the road with unnecessary late fees and unfortunate credit circumstances.

Moving Utilities Tip: Pay the Piper and Get Your Money Back

Pay any overdue bills, but also collect any refunds or utility deposits. Many people forget that they may have served up a substantial chunk of change months and sometimes years back – depending on how long they’ve lived at their most recent address.>

Moving Utilities Tip: Bring Important Numbers and Addresses With You

Take along your local phone directories, in case you need to make contact again with your old neighborhood. Transferring utility service to a new location is usually a quick and painless procedure. Furthermore, water and sewer service can be arranged directly through the appropriate town or city department. The same holds true for garbage pickup and recycling, the cost of which is usually rolled into the property tax bill.