What to Do with Utility Connections during a Home Move

 

When moving houses, aside from all the logistics and organization, you’ll also need to take care of your utility connections. Even though this doesn’t sound like a particularly difficult thing to do, unless you take care of it properly, you might end up paying the utility bills for both your new, as well as your old property. However, if you’re not sure how to approach this task, here’s a list of some helpful tips.

How to cancel utility connections at your current home?

Typically, the utility providers are the ones that are in charge of disconnecting you from the grid. Therefore, contact all of your utility suppliers approximately one month before moving out and inquire about their disconnection policies. Depending on the supplier, you should provide them with approximately one week’s notice but do keep in mind that some suppliers may require more time to get the job done.

On the other hand, there are some suppliers that will insist on you paying that month’s bill even though you, for example, moved out halfway through the month. Additionally, if possible, try to arrange for the disconnection to occur one or two days after you move out to avoid being left in the dark with no phone or internet connection on the day of your move.

Finally, depending on the contract you have with the supplier, you might be required to cover an early termination fee. On the other hand, some providers will allow you to transfer your existing contract to your new location, in which case there’s really no need to cancel it.

How to connect your new home to the grid?

Depending on the location of your new home, you can either simply pick up the phone and organize connecting your house to the grid on your own, or you can contact experts who can handle moving house utilities for you. The latter is a way better option, especially if you are moving far away because those experts can even help you find new providers if the ones you were working with so far are not operating at your new location.

No matter the course you opt for, make sure that your new home is connected to all the utilities a week before you actually move in so that you have everything running smoothly once you do. The lack of utility connections will only make the entire process of adjusting to your new living environment more stressful than it needs to be.

Finally, this will be the perfect time to inspect your utility connections and find better deals if possible. Nobody is forcing you to, for example, choose the same electricity provider if some other provider is offering a better deal. Therefore, always choose providers with better offers to get a better grip on your utility budget.

It’s also worth mentioning...

Finally, you need to be aware of the fact that, in the best-case scenario, the amount of money you’ll be required to put aside for that month’s utility bills will be somewhat larger than it normally is. Add to that all the moving-related expenses – such as the moving truck rental, all the contractors, etc. – and you may be required to spend significantly more than you might have initially anticipated.

Therefore, inquire about all the costs in advance and set aside a budget that will allow you to take care of everything that needs to be done without any hiccups. Moving houses, no matter how exciting, can be pretty stressful, so you should do everything in your power to make the entire process run smoothly, to avoid any additional stress.