Moving to a new place always opens doors for new opportunities, but the actual process can be quite taxing. And while there is a lot to consider during this process, it can be made simple with proper planning. A hassle-free move largely depends on remembering small details and appropriately dealing with important things like utilities beforehand. Relocating does not end with finding a perfect home in a nice neighborhood. It requires you to address the essential utilities and services you’ll need before moving to a new place. Otherwise, you could end up paying double the bills or even go a couple of days without electricity or internet service at your new house. Hence, we have created a checklist to remind you about the major utilities and services.
Important Utilities:
Utilities are crucial for a comfortable living environment. They are essential services your home needs to function correctly. Before moving to a new location, remember to contact your current providers to terminate the billing at your current residence to avoid paying double bills.
Consider these standard utilities so you can plan accordingly and receive them at the right time:
Electricity:
Electricity is a significant part of modern life. Therefore, this utility requires proper planning for switching. You can carry your current electricity plan to your new house if you are on a fixed tariff. This can help you avoid exit fees. To do this, contact your existing supplier before 48 hours to give them your new address and date for moving. They’ll send you a final bill after reading your meter.
If no exit fee is associated with your tariff, you can terminate your current electricity plan and subscribe to a new one at your new property. You can do this by finding out the available providers in that area and comparing their services and prices. Also, remember that electricity providers require at least two days to initiate their services. So, contact them before moving and plan accordingly.
Natural Gas:
Natural gas is another significant utility. If your new house uses gas for cooking, you can use your new city’s website to find the available providers. This research can help you save your money and effort. Contact your chosen provider before moving to your new house and set a date for gas service. Keep in mind that energy regulations can impact the availability of natural gas in your area.
Water & Sewage:
Setting up water and sewage services in your new home is your responsibility unless they are included (if you are renting). These services are usually maintained and run by your municipality, and you can use your city’s official website to find out about the division that can set up these services. The cost of these services depends on your location. Like other utilities, contact the providers beforehand and set a date for initiating this service at your new place.
Garbage & Recycling Pickup:
Garbage and recycling are other essential utilities you should consider before moving to your new location. These utilities are usually done by contract and overseen by the municipality. Garbage and recycling collection rates vary from state to state. Moreover, remember to inquire about what is deemed recyclable while setting up these services.
Important Services:
We can categorize the required services into entertainment, communication, and security. After tackling the essential utilities, you should pay attention to these services. While setting up these services can be time-consuming, a little research can simplify this process.
Internet Service
The Internet is a vital necessity of our modern life. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the network connectivity of an area before moving to that place. You can smoothly transfer your internet service to your new apartment by contacting your ISP and scheduling a date for activation and installation. However, make sure to check the availability of your current ISP at your new home. For instance, if Spectrum is your existing internet service provider, it is possible that the same Spectrum Internet Plans might not be available at your new address. They might also be offering different plans at different prices, so contact your ISP’s customer service to get the best internet deals for your new home.
If you plan to switch to another internet provider, create a list of available providers in that area. Compare their services to find a plan suitable for your requirements with a price within your budget.
Phone Services & Utilities
You can also transfer your phone service by contacting your current provider. Remember to inquire about available plans and their prices at your new location. If your current provider doesn’t offer service at your new place, find the other available providers and ask your neighbors for recommendations. On the other hand, mobile phone users only need to update their contact information to receive their bills.
TV Service
Tv is also an important part in services and utilities and If cable TV is your primary source of entertainment, then you might also want to set up this service beforehand. You can transfer your current service to your new home if your provider is available in that area. Otherwise, you can look into other options or even bundle cable TV with your phone or internet services to avoid the hassle of contacting multiple providers.
Cable Service
Radio frequency (RF) signals are transferred through coaxial cables, or in more current systems, light pulses are transmitted through fiber-optic cables, to deliver television programming to viewers via cable television networks. Contrast this with satellite television, which transmits the television signal over the air via radio waves from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth and receives it via a satellite dish antenna on the roof, or broadcast television (also referred to as terrestrial television), in which the television signal is transmitted over the air by radio waves and received by a television antenna attached to the television. These cables may also be used to deliver equivalent non-television services including high-speed Internet, telephone, and FM radio content.
Dish Service
The “DISH Network” dish was the name of the original satellite antenna used by DISH Network. When upcoming DISH 500 systems had to be delayed due to legal and satellite issues, the “DISH 300” was retroactively dubbed. It only needs one LNB to pick up signals from the orbital site at 119°W, but it was frequently used as a second dish to pick up additional high-definition or foreign programming from the orbital locations at 148°W or 61.5°W. One of the two key orbital sites, the other being 110°W, that offer essential services is the 119°W slot.
EchoStar had more than doubled its capacity by installing 28 transponders at the 110°W orbital location after acquiring the broadcasting assets of a bankrupt joint venture between ASkyB and MCI WorldCom.
Satellite Service
Many different types of data and information are transmitted and received by satellites. Satellites have the benefit of being able to communicate and collect data from almost anywhere because they operate in space, free from the restrictions of terrestrial coverage. As a result, they are able to “see” enormous areas of the Earth’s surface, gather data more swiftly than ground-based devices, and offer services with an unparalleled degree of ubiquity.
Home Services & Utilities
Home security is substantial for keeping your family safe from potential risks. Many people use this service to avoid increasing crimes in their towns and cities. If you are moving to a new place, you might want to invest in this service. Many home security companies allow you to take your equipment and transfer the alarm system and monitoring services to your new place. You can move your current home security by calling your provider and informing them about your new address, and they will walk you through the whole transfer process.
Protecting your family from potential hazards requires strong home security. To combat the rising crime rates in their towns and cities, many individuals employ this service. You might wish to spend money on this service if you’re moving somewhere fresh. You can typically take your equipment, the alarm system, and the monitoring services with you when you move, according to several home security firms. When you phone your provider and let them know your new address, they will help you through the entire transfer procedure so that you can move your current home security.
Final Words
Setting up utilities beforehand is a necessary step in your relocating process. Nobody wants the inconvenience of settling in a place without electricity or water for days. This process requires thorough research and planning. We have created a checklist to simplify this task. The best thing about most of these utilities is that they are easy to transfer, and you can even cut some costs by switching to cheaper plans.
We also recommend checking other facilities like education and healthcare before moving to a new place.
