Coordinate electricity, gas, water, and other address-based services with a short overlap, provider-specific scheduling windows, landlord or closing responsibilities, and written confirmations.
Identify the provider and account holder for each service at both addresses, then check each provider's scheduling window instead of assuming one national lead time. Arrange the new home's essential utilities to begin by possession or move-in day and stop the old home's service after your final access, lease handoff, or closing responsibility ends. A short overlap is usually safer than a gap. Confirm dates, access, deposits, account numbers, meter instructions, and final-bill addresses in writing, and do not cancel a landlord- or seller-controlled service you are not authorized to change.
Utility timing is a handoff problem, not just a cancellation task. The safest plan keeps essential service available while you clean, inspect, and secure the old home and has the new home active when you take possession. Exact scheduling windows vary by provider: some accept requests weeks in advance, while others only allow a move request close to the date.
Provider, account holder, start and stop date, meter access, confirmation, and final-bill delivery.
Provider, appliance access, safety appointment, tank or meter responsibility, and emergency contact.
City, utility, landlord, HOA, or closing-office responsibility and whether a final reading is needed.
Public or private provider, cart ownership, pickup schedule, and move-out return rules.
Serviceability, installation date, transferred or new account, equipment, and return receipt.
Lease formula, allocation period, account holder, and how the final amount is reconciled.
Identify providers, read lease or closing terms, check serviceability, and ask how far ahead requests can be placed.
Schedule new electricity, gas, and water for the possession or move-in date and book any required technician access.
Keep service through cleaning, inspection, final walk-through, and the date your legal responsibility ends.
Record accessible meter readings, verify service status, return equipment, and preserve condition and confirmation records.
Review final and first bills for the correct address, service dates, rate plan, deposits, estimated readings, and equipment charges.
In rentals, some services remain in the landlord's name or are allocated across a building. In a sale, the purchase agreement or closing process may set the responsibility date. Confirm who is authorized to stop, start, or transfer each account. Changing a master meter, common-area service, solar account, or seller-controlled utility without authority can interrupt service for other people or conflict with closing.
SUMMARY
Map responsibility, use each provider's actual scheduling window, start essential service by possession, stop old service after your final responsibility, and retain every confirmation. The dates should follow the lease or closing—not just the truck schedule.
Common questions
Check each provider. Scheduling windows differ by company, service, and account type. Start researching as soon as your move date is likely, then place the request within the provider's permitted window.
Choose the date when your responsibility and final access end, not necessarily when the truck leaves. You may need power for cleaning, a final inspection, security, or a closing walk-through.
Provider rules vary. Some require the old customer to stop and the new customer to start separate service rather than changing the name on one account.
The lease should identify tenant-paid, landlord-paid, and shared utilities. Confirm the account holder, effective date, and allocation formula before move-in.