Moving throughout New York City means you often deal with switching utilities when moving. It can be an often-overlooked role throughout the moving process.

The pre-move phase of moving can be stressful, complete with to-do lists as long as our arms. Setting up and switching utilities when moving is just one task that always appears on your to-do list.

If you’re unsure of where to start with switching utilities when moving, Liffey Moving are here to help.

Switching utilities - What you need to have

Electricity

You must have electricity before moving into your new, New York home, be it Brooklyn or another Neighborhood. Without it, you’ll be left in the dark, without heat, and without any form of entertainment since your outlets won’t have a power source to charge your phone, tablet, laptop, or DVD player. Yikes!

Ideally, you’ll want to have your electricity up and running a few days before you move in. This way you can rest assured that they’re good to go for move-in day and your first night in your new home.

Contact your supplier in advance and let them know of the move.  This will also make night moves possible should that be a requirement.

Natural Gas

If you’re moving into a home that is all-electric, you can skip this step. If your new residence has a combination of electric and gas fixtures, you’ll need to make sure that your natural gas account is up and in good standing.

Many buildings use gas for heat, as well as to heat your water, and power your range and stove. We say buildings here because most of the time, residences that use gas are apartment buildings or very old houses.

Check in with your apartment or property manager to ensure your heating is up and running before looking at switching utilities. This is especially true for the winter months. switching your utilities when moving is crucial especially if you are going to be new services you are unfamiliar with.

Water

You’re going to need water!

It’s quite amazing how much water we use in a day without really thinking about it -- that is until we forget to get the water turned on at our new place because we forgot about switching utilities!

So, don’t forget to get the water hooked up! Again, turning it on a day or two before you move in is the best idea. Then, when you get there, turn the faucet on and let it run for a minute or two to rinse the pipes out and make sure that the water heats up and flows properly.

To open your water account, call the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. It should be a simple process, switching utilities when moving but always call in advance just in case.

Trash

Some apartments require tenants to have their own accounts for trash services. If this is the case for you, be sure to have it set up within a day or two of relocating.

This is great to have for your move-in day to help get rid of all your packing supplies. We recommend recycling as much as possible, but if that is not possible have your thrash account set up can help.

Additional utilities to consider

Phone Services

While phone service isn’t technically a utility, it is quite important for many of us.

If you like to have a home phone you might need to start a new account or make an adjustment to your existing plan so that the service can be added or moved to your new home. You’ll likely be able to do this online for free.

Internet:

Having a home internet connection can help with entertainment and work. Get this set up along with your phone and electricity connections and ensure everything is in working order.

Having a stable internet connection will make the first few days in your new home a bit more comfortable.

Save yourself money

Switching your utilities and providers and notifying existing providers should be done in advance of your move. It is one of the great ways to reduce your bills and costs during your move as it will save on penalties.

Though this is not an exhaustive list of things to remember when switching utilities when moving we certainly hope it helps with some of your planning. For other tips and ideas for moving, check out our blog at Liffey Moving.