“We're moving”: the utility transfer checklist and deposits

"Paid the old water bill for two weeks after we'd left." That one is the easiest to fix: a stop date is something you choose, not something the utility guesses.

Here's the order, and how to handle the deposits.

The account list

Before you call anyone, write down every account tied to your current address. People usually remember power and internet and forget the rest.

Service	Who to call	Lead time to give them	What to ask
Electricity	Current and new utility	Two to three weeks	Stop and start dates, deposit, final reading
Natural gas	Current and new utility	Two to three weeks	Same, plus whether a technician must be present to turn it on
Water, sewer, trash	City or water district at each address	One to two weeks	Whether service is in the landlord's or owner's name, final read
Internet	Current provider	Three to four weeks	Transfer or new account, install needs, equipment return
Phone	Carrier	Moving day	Update billing address
Renters or home insurance	Insurer	Before moving day	Coverage at the new address from the move-in date
Mail	U.S. Postal Service	One to two weeks	Change-of-address form

If you're renting, ask your new landlord which utilities are in your name and which are included. Some buildings bill water or trash through the rent.

Stops and starts

Two rules prevent both the gap and the overlap:

• Start service at the new place a day before you move in, so the lights work when the truck arrives.
• Stop service at the old place the day after you move out, so you're not cleaning in the dark, and so the final bill closes.

When you schedule the stop, ask for a final meter reading on that date. Take your own photo of each meter on your last day, with the date. If a final bill looks high, the photo settles it.

The deposits

Utilities may ask a new customer for a deposit, often based on a credit check or the lack of a payment history with them. Rules on whether, how much and when it's refunded are set by your state utility commission and vary by state, but there's a common way to reduce or avoid it.

Ask for a payment history letter

Call your current electric and gas utilities and ask for a letter of credit or payment history: how long you've had service and whether you've paid on time. Many utilities will provide one on request.

Ask the new utility before the account opens

Call the utility at the new address and ask whether that letter will waive or reduce the deposit. If you're staying with the same utility, which is common moving across town, ask them to transfer your account rather than open a new one. An existing account with a good record may not need a deposit at all.

If you pay one anyway

Ask how and when it's refunded. Some states require utilities to return a deposit after a period of on-time payments, sometimes with interest. Write down the date and the amount, and put a reminder in your calendar. Unclaimed refunds are easy to forget.

Internet: transfer, don't restart

Ask your provider whether service is available at the new address and whether you can transfer the account. A transfer may keep your current price; a new account may come with a new promotional price that eventually expires. Ask about both. Ask whether a technician is needed or whether you can self-install, and whether there's a fee either way.

If you're switching providers, order the new one before cancelling the old one, and return rented equipment with a receipt.

The last week

1. Confirm every stop and start date by email or account page.
2. Photograph the meters on your last day.
3. Leave a forwarding address with the old utilities for the final bill and any refund.
4. Check the final bills against your photos when they arrive.

None of this is hard. It's just ten phone calls instead of two, and doing them a few weeks out means none of them happens in a hurry.