New Home Utilities Checklist: What to Set Up & When (2026)

Updated on October 30, 2026

14 min read

Set up your new home utilities before closing day: electricity, gas, water, internet, and trash — all in your name. Start about two weeks out, and schedule electricity and internet first since they take the longest. Unlike renting, a new home means every utility account is yours to open, so confirm what’s already active and what you’re starting from scratch.

What utilities do you need for a new home?

Buying a home means taking over every utility yourself — there’s no landlord covering water or trash. Your new home utilities checklist has five essentials plus optional add-ons, and the key is getting each into your name effective on your closing or move-in date so nothing lapses between owners. Still deciding on timing? Our October market check covers whether now is a good time to buy a house.

When to set up utilities for a new home

Aim for about two weeks before closing. That gives providers time to schedule the transfer of service into your name and to book any internet install, which can require a technician. Coordinate the start date with your closing date: you want power and water on when you take possession, but not paying before the home is yours.

How to set up electricity and gas for your new home

In a deregulated state — Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and others — you choose the supplier for both electricity and often gas, while the local utility still delivers the energy and handles outages. That makes a new home purchase the ideal moment to lock a competitive fixed rate rather than default to a standard offer.

Compare plans with our guide to comparing energy plans, and use the average electric bill by state and home size to budget for a larger space than a rental.

Setting up internet at a new home

Internet availability is specific to the exact address, and a new home — especially new construction — may have different providers than you’re used to. Check serviceability early and book the install, because appointment lead times are the most common reason a new homeowner spends the first week without a connection.

Compare options with our best internet providers comparison, see what’s available in your area, and confirm coverage on the FCC National Broadband Map.

New construction: establishing utilities from scratch

A brand-new build sometimes has no active utility accounts yet, so you may need to establish service rather than transfer it — including a meter set for electricity or gas and a service drop for internet. Ask your builder which utilities are already connected and which you must initiate, and start early, because establishing new service takes longer than moving an existing account.

Where new home utilities fit in your move

Getting your new home utilities on is one part of a bigger relocation. For the move itself — packing, the truck, and full-service versus DIY — professional movers publish detailed guides. College HUNKS’ full-service moving guide and U-Haul’s moving tips are both good starting points for the physical move.

What those guides don’t do is set up your new home utilities or help you shop a rate. Every one of them tells you to “contact your utility providers” and stops there. That is the gap this page fills: it turns the vague “set up your new home utilities” line into a real, compared, ready-to-order plan for electricity and internet — the part the moving guides skip entirely.

New home utilities for new construction vs. resale

The new home utilities process differs a little by home type. On a resale, the seller’s accounts close and yours open on the closing date, so it’s mostly a matter of timing the switch. On new construction, some new home utilities may not exist yet — you might need a meter set for electricity or gas and a fresh service drop for internet — so start earlier and confirm with your builder which services are already established. Either way, putting every one of your new home utilities in your name before you take the keys is what keeps the first night from being a dark one.

How much do new home utilities cost?

Owning means budgeting every line yourself. For a typical single-family home, expect electricity around $110–$180 a month, natural gas $40–$100 in winter, water, sewer and trash $50–$100, and internet $40–$80 — more than an apartment because the space is larger. Building your new home utilities into the monthly budget alongside the mortgage keeps the first billing cycle from surprising you, and the deregulated lines are where shopping a rate pays off most.

The move itself has strong free help: beyond College HUNKS and U-Haul, PODS’ moving blog and Bellhop’s moving resources cover packing and logistics thoroughly. What none of them cost out or set up is the utility side. That is the helpful hand-off this page is built for — the movers handle the truck, and here you turn “set up your new home utilities” into a compared, ready-to-order plan for electricity and internet, with the rates in front of you.

Frequently asked questions

What utilities do I need to set up for a new home?

Electricity, natural gas, water/sewer/trash, and internet, plus optional home security. As a homeowner, all of them go in your name.

When should I set up utilities for a new house?

About two weeks before closing. Start electricity and internet first because they take the longest to activate.

Do utilities transfer automatically when you buy a house?

No. The seller’s accounts close and you open your own, effective on the closing date. Contact each provider ahead of time.

Can I choose my electricity provider for a new home?

Yes, if the home is in a deregulated state. You pick the supplier while the local utility delivers the power.

What utilities do I set up first for a new home?

Electricity and internet. Internet in particular can require a scheduled install, so book it as early as possible.

How do I set up utilities for new construction?

You may need to establish service from scratch, including meter sets. Ask the builder what’s connected and start early, since new service takes longer.

Who sets up water for a new home?

You do, through the city or local water district serving the address. In some areas water and trash are billed together by the municipality.

Is there a deposit for new home utilities?

Electricity or gas suppliers may ask for one without local history, though many offer no-deposit plans. Municipal water sometimes requires a small deposit.

New home utilities: the questions people ask, answered

What people type when they are about to close or move, in their own words, answered as of October 2026.

How do utilities transfer to a new home? Do they move with me?

They do not move with you; each account is tied to an address. For every service you have today you do two things: tell the current provider your move-out date so the account closes (or transfers, if the same company serves the new address), and open a new account at the new home with a start date on or before the day you get the keys. Electricity, gas, water, trash and internet each need their own call or online order. Where the same utility serves both homes, ask for a transfer rather than a new account so you keep your deposit history and avoid a second connection fee.

What information do I need to switch utilities into my name?

The service address, the date you want service to start, your full legal name and date of birth, a phone number and email, and for most electric and gas companies the last four digits of your Social Security number for a soft credit check (a passport or other ID works if you prefer not to give it). Water and trash accounts, which are usually run by the city, often also ask for proof you own or lease the home: the closing disclosure, deed or signed lease. Have the previous occupant’s move-out date if you know it, so the company can match the meter reading.

Does water and sewer service follow the deed, or do I have to put it in my name?

You have to put it in your name. Water and sewer do not transfer with the deed; the municipal utility keeps billing the prior owner until a new account is opened, and in many cities an unpaid water bill becomes a lien on the property, which is why title companies check it at closing. Call or visit the city utility office the week before closing with your closing date and a copy of the settlement statement, and ask for service to start the day you take possession.

Do I need to set up trash service for a new house?

Usually, yes. In most cities trash and recycling are a line on the water bill or a separate city account that starts when you open water service; in unincorporated areas and many suburbs it is a private hauler you contract directly, and nothing happens until you call one. Ask the seller or the HOA who picks up the trash and on what day. If it is private, two or three haulers usually compete and prices run $20 to $40 a month.

When do my utility bills start after I buy a house?

The day service starts in your name, which should be the day you take possession, not the day you move your furniture in. Electricity and gas bill from that day’s meter reading; water from the reading the city takes at turnover; internet from the install date. The first bill typically arrives three to six weeks later and may be prorated for a partial month. If you asked for service to start before closing, you are paying for the seller’s last days in the house, so align the start date with possession.

New construction: when should utilities be connected, and who does it?

The builder carries the construction accounts until closing and schedules the permanent meter sets with the utilities. Your job is to open your own accounts, in your name, effective on the closing or possession date; most builders send a utilities letter two to three weeks before closing with the account numbers and the companies to call. Do not wait for possession to start this: electric and gas transfers can take two to five business days, and internet to a brand-new address can take two weeks or more because the address may not be in the provider’s system yet.

What is the moving timeline for turning on electricity, water, gas and internet?

Three to four weeks out: order internet, because installs book up and new addresses can take time to serviceable. Two weeks out: open electricity and gas accounts with a start date of possession day, and in a deregulated state pick the electricity plan rather than taking the default. One week out: open water, sewer and trash with the city, and schedule any gas pilot-light appointment (someone over 18 must be home). Day before: confirm start dates by phone. Possession day: check that lights, water and the gas meter are live before the movers arrive.

Which comes first in a house, water or electricity?

Electricity. Nearly every modern water system in a home depends on it: the well pump if you have a well, the water heater, and in many homes the recirculating pump or softener. Order electricity first and schedule it for the earliest date; water can be opened a day or two later without consequence. Gas is third unless the furnace or water heater is gas and you are moving in winter.

I’m renting a house, not buying. Which utilities do I set up?

Read the lease first; it lists which utilities the landlord pays and which are yours. In a typical single-family rental the tenant puts electricity, gas and internet in their own name, while water, sewer and trash stay with the owner and are either included in rent or billed back. If the lease makes water your responsibility, you open the city account exactly as a buyer would, with the lease as proof of occupancy. Renters should favor no-contract internet and, in deregulated states, a plan without an early-termination fee.

What about heating oil or propane? Does that go in my name too?

Yes, but it works differently from piped utilities. There is no account to transfer; you buy fuel from a delivery company, so you choose one, ask whether the tank is owned or leased (a leased tank must stay with that supplier), and set up automatic delivery or call for fills. Check the tank level at closing and negotiate the remaining fuel into the sale, since a half-full oil tank is several hundred dollars of value. Propane suppliers usually require a safety inspection before the first delivery to a new customer.

What does ‘optional utilities’ mean on a listing or lease?

Services the home can have but does not need to function: cable or satellite TV, a landline, security monitoring, a home warranty, lawn irrigation water on a separate meter, or a second internet line. Required utilities are the ones a city or lender expects to be on for the home to be habitable: electricity, water, sewer or septic, heat (gas, oil, propane or electric) and trash. You can skip the optional ones entirely or add them after you move in.

What should I do with my utilities at the old home when I move?

Give each provider your move-out date and a forwarding address for the final bill, and ask for a final meter reading on that date so you are not billed for the next occupant. Do not close electricity before the house is empty and cleaned; leave it on through the last walkthrough. Return internet and cable equipment within the window to avoid unreturned-equipment charges, and in a deregulated state check whether your electricity plan can be moved to the new address, which avoids an early-termination fee.

How do I set up home utilities after moving in?

Start with the services you need on day one: electricity, water and sewer, and gas if the home uses it. Contact each utility or use its online start-service form with your new address, move-in date and ID; some ask for a Social Security number or a deposit. In deregulated states such as Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania you choose your electricity provider, so compare plans before you start service. Then schedule internet, trash and recycling, and update your address with the post office. Most utilities start service within one to three business days, so book at least a week before move-in.

What are all the utilities for a house?

A typical house needs electricity, water, sewer, and trash and recycling. Many homes also use natural gas or propane, and some rural homes rely on a private well and septic system instead of city water and sewer. Beyond the essentials, most households add internet, and many add home security, a home warranty or TV. Water, sewer and trash are often billed together by the city or county, while electricity, gas and internet come from separate companies you set up yourself.

What should I do with utilities if I moved but haven’t sold my old house?

Keep the essential utilities on at the old house until the sale closes. A vacant home still needs electricity for lights, alarms and heating or cooling to prevent mold and frozen pipes, and water for showings and inspections. Cut costs instead of disconnecting: set the thermostat to an energy-saving level, turn down the water heater, and cancel internet, TV and trash pickup. Ask your homeowners insurer about vacancy rules, since some policies limit coverage after a home sits empty for 30 to 60 days. Schedule final meter readings for closing day.

When do I have to put utilities in my name after buying a house?

Have utilities in your name by the closing or possession date. Sellers usually schedule service to stop that day, so start electricity, water and gas on the same date to avoid a gap or a reconnection fee. The seller’s final bill covers usage up to the meter reading on closing day. If you take possession later than closing, agree in writing with the seller on who pays until you move in, and confirm the start date with each utility a few days ahead.

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