Moving is one of the most exciting experiences to have. Are you ready to discover what makes San Antonio so unique?

Moving to another city involves taking care of many tasks, often leading us to forget important details. One of the first things you should do before moving to San Antonio is to transfer utilities. How do you do that without making a mistake?

Today, we’ll give you all the information needed to move to this beautiful and exciting city. This guide includes how utility companies work and how to set up your new home immediately.

Why Are People Moving to San Antonio?

Many things make San Antonio popular. This city is famous for having excellent museums and outdoor activities for everyone. You may have also heard about the San Antonio River Walk, one of Texas’s most popular attractions for visitors and residents.

San Antonio is currently North America’s 12th most populous city, so there’s no doubt it’s a city with high demand.

Another reason some people enjoy San Antonio (and Texas in general) is that the state doesn’t charge individual income tax but instead collects high sales and use taxes. This makes living in Texas more comfortable than in other cities that charge these taxes on top of other ones.

San Antonio has plenty of culture and places to explore, and due to its affordability, it’s safe to say it’s a great city to live in.

Does San Antonio Have a Deregulated Energy Market?

You should note that Texas works with a deregulated energy market, but San Antonio is one of the few cities that aren’t deregulated. The complete list of regulated cities in Texas includes:

• San Antonio
• Austin
• El Paso

What does that mean for San Antonio residents? The utility providers own the transmission lines and infrastructure, so they sell the service directly to the clients. This also means that the utilities must comply with electricity rates set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

While this could be a downside to people moving to San Antonio due to a lack of choices, you can expect long-term service and stable prices, which most utility companies working in deregulated markets can’t guarantee.

You can’t choose the electricity company you’ll work with. In the case of San Antonio, you’ll work with CPS Energy, the largest public power company in the United States.

What Utilities Do You Need to Set Up Your New Home?

The utility setups you need will depend on what you do at home. There are three essential home utilities you can’t forget to set up. Those include:

• Electricity
• Natural Gas
• Water and Sewer

Other utilities you may consider for your new address include:

• Trash and Recycling Pickup
• Cable TV
• Internet
• Home Security

What You Should Do to Transfer Your Existing Utilities Correctly

Below is a full guide to transferring your utilities safely when moving to San Antonio. Even though the process may seem overwhelming, it’s easy if you take care of it as soon as possible.

Organize Yourself and Make a Plan

There’s nothing worse than not making a plan before moving. First, you must make a checklist of all the utility services you have at home, including phone, security, trash, etc.

Make sure you make a note with the contact information of all of those providers; you’ll need it later.

Now, you must evaluate who your following providers will be. There are three different options to consider here:

• Transfer: If you’re using the same utility provider at your new home, you must call the provider and tell them that you’ll move to another location. They will ask for your new address and the date you want the current service to shut down.
• Cancel: Here, you’ll cancel the service with the current provider and hire a new one. Since you’re moving to San Antonio, remember you only have the option to set your electricity and gas utilities with CPS Energy, so if you didn’t work with this company before, you’d have to cancel the service with your current provider.
• New Set Up: You must call your new provider to set up the service at your home. They will ask for your address and the start date you want to set up.

Notify Your Current Utility Providers in Advance

Once you’re ready to start your plan, call all your utility providers and tell them you’re moving. Then, you’ll decide whether to transfer or cancel your service.

In most cases, we recommend you do this two or three weeks in advance, as that will give you enough time to get organized. However, if you need a new installation, we suggest you call one month in advance.

As for the disconnect date, it’s always good to set it a day after you move. The same goes for the connect date.

Check Your HOA’s Policies Surrounding Utilities

Some Homeowners’ Associations cover basic utilities on their fees. If you’re moving with a community that works with an HOA, ask the people there if they cover utilities; this could help you save time since you’ll only have to pay one monthly bill instead of separate ones to cover your utilities.

Call Your New Utility Company (If Applicable)

If you’re planning on working with a new provider, call them in advance to set up the connect date and anything else you need. This doesn’t apply if you use the same company from your old address.

Pay All Your Utility Bills

Make sure to cover all your past utility bills before moving. Most companies charge different fees depending on the service. Ask if your provider charges transfer fees if you’re transferring the service.

Those who set automatic payments must still double-check their bill report to ensure they have nothing else to pay before moving. Another thing you can do is call your provider and ask them if you still owe anything.

Get a Final Reading of Your Utilities

Sometimes, it helps to get your current provider to your home and conduct an audit. This will help you get a final reading on your electric, gas, and water meters. You can keep the report in case you get unexpected bills after moving.

Double-Check Before Moving

Moving day can be stressful enough, so make sure to at least double-check before leaving your old home.

Call your providers and confirm the stop and start dates for the services. This ensures you don’t have to pay extra bills from your old home and won’t go inside a dark home after moving.

Even if you scheduled a “cancel” service, ensure all your utilities are turned off on a moving day.

Get an Energy Audit at Your New Address

Getting a home energy audit can be useful for you later, even if it’s not entirely necessary. These audits can help you evaluate where you need to improve your home’s infrastructure, whether it’s the insulation or ductwork.

Audits also tell you if any air leaks could cause you to spend more energy than you need.

How Movers Can Help You Make the Process Easier

Scheduling movers is the best thing you can do before you set up utilities at your new home. These companies help you pack and move everything, allowing you to focus on dealing with your utilities and not making any mistakes.

Even though setting up utilities isn’t hard, it’s easy to make mistakes. If you don’t pay attention, you could end up paying more bills from your old address or wasting energy at your new home. Either way, this is a scenario nobody wants.

Professional movers, such as the ones at Apple Moving, ensure your move to San Antonio is as stress-free as possible.

Bottom Line

If you don’t want to feel too stressed when setting up your utilities, work with the team behind Apple Moving. They have decades of experience as movers, making them a great option if you move to San Antonio.

Working with the right movers ensures you can focus on your utilities, so don’t hesitate to get a quote today to make your moving process much easier.

Frequently Asked Questions