Setting Up Utilities in Your New Washington, DC Home

Moving into a new home can up really quickly! After months of planning, packing, searching, not to mention negotiating a sale or lease, all of a sudden, it seems like overnight, and you are meant to arrive, move in and get comfortable all at once. It can be especially complicated and scary if you are relocating to a new city. Although not glamorous, one of the most important and necessary tasks is setting up your utilities. We would like to make that easier on you!

Here's our list of utility companies in DC and how to go about setting you home up as move-in ready.

Electricity:

Electric service with Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO), contact them within thirty days prior to your move-in date to schedule your start date. Electricity will be activated at 8:00 am on the scheduled start date.

Starting service: Fill out the online form or call (202) 833-7500.

Deposit: Usually no deposit is required. In some cases, a deposit of $100 or twice the "normal" monthly bill, whichever is less, will be required. This would be if the customer has an outstanding PEPCO bill, prior disconnection of service, late payment history, or other interference with service. The deposit will be refunded upon proper disconnection of service or after 12 months of successful payments, whichever occurs first.

Clean Choice Energy: Clean Choice Energy collaborates with PEPCO to provide clean-energy options to DC residents. Availability depends on your address.

Starting service: Sign up online or call (800) 218-0113.

Deposit: No separate deposit is required; any required deposit is incurred through the electric company.

Water and Sewer:

DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) handles water and sewer services for DC residents.

New homeowners: Service cannot be initiated via email, phone, or fax. The new owner's title company must submit the change of ownership through the DC Water portal. The previous owner's account must be paid in full, which is why they have the title company handle this. The new owner will be responsible for a $50 initiation fee.

New renters: The residence's owner or property management company must provide the tenant's information to DC Water.

Your landlord submits your information by calling (202) 354-3600, emailing custserv@dcwater.com, or faxing (202) 354-3711.

DC Water needs to know:

• The DC Water account number for that address

• The new tenant’s daytime telephone number

• The address of the residence

Natural Gas:

Washington Gas manages natural gas services for District homes.

Start service: Complete this online form or call (844) 927-4427.

Deposit: A soft credit check determines if a deposit is necessary. For existing gas setups, a service initiation fee is applied.

If your home does not have gas but you would like to add it and begin gas service:

Check availability online, fill out this Service Information Request and go through this checklist. Completely new gas service will incur a larger setup fee.

Cable and Internet:

Your choices in the District are: Verizon FIOS, Comcast Xfinity, and RCN

Verizon FIOS: As is typical with many media companies, you can save money by purchasing both cable and internet services as a package from Verizon. Many bundled packages

will require long-term contracts. It is possible to order either cable or internet alone. If you are not currently using FiOS in your home, check the availability in your area.

To start service: order online or call (877) 225-9137.

Deposit: Many promotions waive deposit and setup fees; equipment rental fees may apply.

Comcast Xfinity: to start service, order online, visit a store, or call (800) 934-6489.

Deposit: Activation and/or installation fees typically range from $50 to $90, with potential equipment rental fees.

RCN: media company serving the American Northeast, including parts of DC. Many plans have 12-month pricing, however you are not always required to sign a contract for RCN. Bundling cable and internet services with RCN can save you money. Look at this list to check if RCN provides service in your neighborhood.

How to start service: Order online or call (800) 746-4726.

Deposit: Refer to their list applicable fees found here.