Setting up utilities when you move: a step-by-step checklist

A little planning avoids a first night without power or internet, and a final bill you did not expect. The moving timeline turns your move date into reminder dates.

Before the move

1. List every service at the old and new homes: electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash, internet, and any security or alarm service.
2. Find the provider for each service at the new address.
3. Book internet installation early, since appointments can be weeks out in busy areas.
4. Set start dates for the day you get the keys, and stop dates for the day after you leave.
5. Ask about deposits, credit checks and any setup fees.

What providers often ask for

• Your full name and contact details.
• The service address and start date.
• Identification, and sometimes a lease or deed.
• Payment details for any deposit.

On move-in day

• Check that power, water, heat and gas appliances work.
• Take photos of the meters with the date, in case of a billing dispute.
• Test the internet and note any problems right away.

After the move

• Watch for final bills from the old address, sent to your forwarding address.
• Ask for deposits to be returned or credited.
• Set up online accounts and autopay if you want them.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the landlord or seller handles everything.
• Leaving internet to the last week.
• Stopping service at the old home before you have moved out.
• Forgetting trash or water because they are run by the city.