Setting Up Utilities, Internet, and Your Address After a Bay Area Move: From Handover to the First Bill

After getting the keys, it's easy to focus on furniture and miss that the lights and water work but no one has confirmed whose bill they're on. Check service availability separately from account setup, then handle internet, mail, and your old address to avoid extra errands after moving.

Make a responsibility list: What you open yourself and what the landlord manages

Start with the lease and written property instructions. List who handles electricity, gas, water, trash, and internet, how each is billed, and the provider. Roommates may split an account held by one person; apartments may bill centrally. Don't assume every service in a city uses one company, or skip usage limits and inclusions just because the rent says “utilities included.”

Electricity, gas, and water: Use the actual provider's service portal

If PG&E serves the address, open its Start / Stop / Transfer page and choose the new- or existing-customer process. Confirm identity, service address, safe meter access, and start date. New construction and some solar accounts may require customer support; submitting online does not mean every address can be activated immediately. Save the confirmation number, and don't operate the meter yourself before an appointment is confirmed.

Check the actual water provider separately. EBMUD's Start or Stop Service applies only within its service area. If the property manages water centrally, ask whether you need an individual account. When transferring service, check both the old address's stop date and the new address's start date. Use the provider's current page and confirmation for account setup fees.

Enlarge image

Internet: Confirm service to your unit before comparing quotes

The FCC National Broadband Map shows providers' reported coverage by address. Use it to find candidates, then give the provider your full unit number to confirm the actual connection, installation date, and equipment needs. Compare the monthly price after promotions end, equipment rental, installation, contracts, and cancellation terms. If you work remotely, ask about upload speeds too. Finding an address on the map does not guarantee installation that day; plan a backup connection for your first days.

Mail forwarding and account address updates are separate tasks

On USPS's official Forward Mail page, choose permanent or temporary forwarding, then check whether to apply as an individual or family. Roommates should not automatically be grouped as a same-surname family. Online applications require identity verification. If you cannot complete it, follow official instructions for bringing documents to a post office. Keep the confirmation code for changes or cancellation. Forwarding is not a guarantee that every piece of mail will arrive immediately.

USPS states that forwarding does not update your address with banks, insurers, government agencies, or shopping accounts. Sign in through each institution's official site to update your details, and check saved shopping addresses and automatic deliveries. If you already have a California DMV record, update it separately: DMV's official page requires notification within ten days of an address change. For other identity, tax, or benefit records, check each agency's requirements rather than applying USPS or DMV procedures.

Review the first bill before calling the move complete

Hello, I plan to move into [home/unit, as needed for this conversation] on [date].
Could you confirm:
1. Who opens and pays the electricity, gas, water, trash, and internet accounts?
2. Which providers do I need to contact, and when should service begin?
3. If costs are shared, how are they calculated, where can I view bills, and when are they settled?
4. Does internet installation require property approval, equipment-room access, or advance scheduling?
5. Who should I contact if service isn't active on handover day?
Thank you. A written reply will help me arrange each item.