Most people who are planning to move to a new home or office spend the bulk of their time and energy into packing and actually moving the items. As important as these tasks are, there is one that is just as important, but sometimes neglected in the last minute flurry of moving: arranging for utility services.
Don’t simply assume that the same utilities companies you use in your previous home will service your new home. If you move to another state, there may be totally different utility providers available, or they may have different policies. Find out the requirements for getting your service connected well before moving day. This will help ensure that all the basic services are set up when you get there.
Most companies will be able to get your utilities up-and-running after three to five days. However, some companies may take up to a week to get everything up online. It would be best to make your arrangements about two weeks before you have to move. You should also arrange to have your utilities turned on a day or so before you actually move in. Trying to get your new home in order is enough of a chore in itself, and you don’t want to have to deal with the added hassle of not having your basic services available.
In most cases, the electricity will already be on several days before you have to move in. However, you might not have the outlets that you need where you need them, or the power in the new house may not be adequate for your needs. It would be a good idea to go over the house a week or so before you move in. This will give you a chance to find out whether or not you have enough outlets for that woodshop you are planning on or if you have adequate illumination outside.
If you will be staying with the same provider after you move, you might be able to arrange to have your account transferred to the new address. This might be possible if your new home is located in the same city as your previous one. If you are able to get a change of address, you could avoid having to pay a security deposit, since the previous deposit will simply be applied to your continuing service contract.
If you have to move over to another utilities provider, you will likely have to pay a security deposit. What you should do is arrange to have your services disconnected the day after you move out. After your previous utilities company has ascertained that everything is in order, you should be able to get your security deposit back. You can then use this as the security deposit for your new utilities company. It’s a bit of a juggling act to be sure, but the money that you pay upfront will be returned to you anyway after you get your previous security deposit back. Best of all, you can us your lights and everything else up until you move, and have them on at the new house as well.