Whether you?re moving to another state, city, or across town, you will need to set up electricity in your new home or business. At first glance, this task might seem daunting, but if you break it down, you?ll discover that it is really quite easy to manage on your own.
Sign Up for Electricity Service in Texas, Ohio, etc.
Many states in the U.S have a deregulated electricity market — to some extent. This law lets you decide whether a utility or registered retail provider supplies electricity to your business or residence. Some states with deregulated markets include Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. When you signup with a retail provider, you gain flexible pricing options and the ability to shop online for electricity on sites like ours.
Transfer Electricity Service
In some situations, you might not need to choose a new energy provider. There are many suppliers who offer services in many different locations. When you move, you might have the option to simply transfer your electricity. All you need to do is contact your energy provider and discuss whether or not they supply power to your new area. Your current supplier will even take care of informing your utility so that they deliver energy to your new location at the right time.
As an energy consumer, it is important to understand that if you live in a regulated state or area, you must call your local utility for your energy supply. Unfortunately, you’re unable to shop around for electricity service.
How to Sign Up for Electricity
After you?ve picked out a new energy supplier for your new home or business, contact them to signup under their available plans and rates. You can sign up online (like on our site) or call the provider of your choice directly. A representative will ask for a fair amount of personal information such as your new address, full name, SSN, and so on. Whether you sign up online or over the phone, you should dedicate at least 5-10 minutes of your time to answer questions.
Once all of your information has been collected, the representative will perform a credit check to establish whether or not you need to pay a deposit. They will also need to know your preferred service start date.
Sign Up Charges/Fees
If you have less than average credit, you may be required to put down a deposit for your electricity service. Deposits can range anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on your credit score. If you think you’ll have trouble getting electric service without a deposit, contact us — we’re very good at getting customers new electric service with no deposit required.
When to Call for New Service
Ideally, you should sign up to your new service two weeks prior to your move-in date. Most utility companies require a turnaround time of a few days. During peak times (like the summertime), it may take them a little longer to setup your service. It’s better to be safe than sorry — sitting in a brand new apartment or house without electricity won’t be any fun.
Sign Up Complete!
After you provide the requested information to your provider/utility (and any deposit), you can sit back and relax! There is nothing else you need to do to ensure you receive electricity at your new address. Together with your local utility, your new energy retailer will make sure that your electricity is up and running by the time you move in.
