A New Home Utility Checklist for Pennsylvania: What to Set Up Before Move-In Day

A new home needs a handful of accounts in your name before move-in day. Here is the checklist and the timing.

Most of the calls take ten minutes. The hard part is knowing which ones to make and when. Between settlement prep, movers, and the dozen other things on your list, utilities are easy to put off until the week it matters most. We've put together the order we recommend for new homeowners across South Central Pennsylvania, so your lights, water, and Wi-Fi are working the day you walk in.

Key Takeaways

• Electric service needs to be started with your local utility, but Pennsylvania lets most residents also shop for a competitive electric supplier through the state's PAPowerSwitch site.
• Natural gas service, where your home uses it, should be scheduled a few weeks ahead so the account is active and any required inspection is done before settlement.
• Water and sewer providers vary by township or municipal authority, so your builder or local township office is the fastest way to confirm who to call.
• Trash and recycling may come through the municipality or a private hauler, and this depends entirely on where your new home sits.
• Internet take the longest lead time of any utility on this list. Check the FCC's National Broadband Map for your address and call providers early.
• USPS change of address and homeowners insurance belong on this list too, not as afterthoughts.
• A guaranteed settlement date, like the one Garman provides, makes all of this easier to schedule because you're not guessing at a moving target.

Electric: Start Service, Then Decide If You Want to Shop

Every new home needs an active electric account before settlement. The first step is simple: contact the electric utility that serves your address and set a start date that matches your settlement day.

What a lot of new Pennsylvania homeowners don't realize is that the utility that delivers your power isn't necessarily the only company that can supply it. Pennsylvania deregulated electric generation years ago, and most residents across the state have the right to choose a competitive electric supplier separate from the utility that maintains the wires and poles. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission built PAPowerSwitch.com specifically so residents can compare supplier offers by entering a zip code (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PAPowerSwitch). The site shows pricing, contract terms, and incentives from suppliers active in your area, and it's free to use.

A practical approach: call the local utility first to get your account opened and your meter set, then spend a few minutes on PAPowerSwitch to see if a competitive supplier offers better pricing or a renewable energy option. There's no urgency to decide on a supplier before settlement. The utility default rate keeps your lights on while you compare.

Natural Gas, If Your Home Uses It

Not every home in our communities runs on natural gas, so check your specific plan and community details first. If your home does use gas for heat, cooking, or hot water, that account needs to be set up separately from electric, and it sometimes takes longer to activate because of inspection requirements on new construction.

Call the gas utility at least two to three weeks before settlement. New homes occasionally need a meter set or a safety check before the gas is turned on, and that scheduling can take longer than a routine account activation.

Water and Sewer: Ask the Builder or the Township

This is the utility most new homeowners get stuck on, and understandably so. Water and sewer service isn't handled by a single statewide provider the way electric shopping is. It's run by the local municipality, a municipal authority, or occasionally a private company, and which one depends entirely on where the community sits.

The fastest path is to ask your builder or your township office directly. They'll know exactly which authority serves the address and how to open an account. Don't assume the provider is the same one that served a previous home, even if it's only a few miles away. Township and borough lines in South Central Pennsylvania shift provider assignments more often than people expect.

Trash and Recycling: Municipal Service or Private Hauler

Same story here. Some townships include trash and recycling pickup as part of a municipal fee, built into your taxes or a separate bill from the township. Others require residents to contract directly with a private hauler. Your builder or township office can tell you which applies to your new address, and if it's a private hauler, you'll want to set that up a week or two before move-in so pickup starts on schedule.

Internet: Check the Map, Then Call Early

Internet is the one utility on this list that genuinely benefits from a head start. Installation scheduling can run two to four weeks out, especially for new construction where the provider may need to confirm the line is run to the house.

Start by checking your new address on the FCC's National Broadband Map, which shows which internet providers report service availability at a given location. If your address shows up, you'll have a list of providers to call. If it doesn't appear yet, that's common for brand-new addresses that haven't been added to provider databases. In that case, ask your builder which providers already serve the community. New construction neighborhoods typically have one or two providers with existing infrastructure in place, and the builder will usually know who they are.

Call as soon as you have a settlement date, not the week before. Providers book installation appointments on a schedule, and the earlier you're in the queue, the better your odds of having service live on day one.

Timing: When to Schedule Each Utility

Set your target start dates around settlement day, then work backward.

• Electric and gas: schedule to start on or just before settlement day, so the home has power and heat for your final walkthrough.
• Water and sewer: confirm the provider as soon as you know your community, since this sometimes requires paperwork through the township.
• Trash and recycling: set up one to two weeks before move-in.
• Internet: start as early as four weeks out, since installation windows fill up.

A guaranteed settlement date takes a lot of the guesswork out of this. When you know the exact day you're closing, you're not scheduling utility start dates around a moving target, you're scheduling them around a fixed one. That's one of the quieter benefits of building with a company that stands behind its closing date.

Also on the List: Change of Address and Insurance

Two more items belong on this checklist even though they aren't utilities in the traditional sense.

File your USPS change of address a couple of weeks before move-in so mail starts arriving at the new address instead of the old one. And homeowners insurance needs to be in place before settlement. Most lenders won't close without proof of an active policy, so this isn't something to leave for the final week.

A Simple Checklist to Keep Handy

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I choose my own electric supplier in Pennsylvania?
Most Pennsylvania residents can choose a competitive electric supplier separate from their local utility. The PA Public Utility Commission's PAPowerSwitch.com lets you compare supplier offers by zip code (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PAPowerSwitch).

How do I find out who provides water and sewer service to my new home?
Water and sewer providers vary by municipality or local authority. Your builder or township office can tell you exactly who serves your community.

When should I schedule internet installation for a new construction home?
Schedule as early as possible, ideally three to four weeks before move-in. Check the FCC's National Broadband Map for providers at your address, and ask your builder if your address isn't listed yet.

Do I need to set up trash service myself?
It depends on your township. Some include trash and recycling through a municipal fee, others require a private hauler contract. Your builder or township can confirm which applies.

What utilities need to be active before settlement?
Electric and, if applicable, natural gas should be active for your final walkthrough. Water, sewer, and homeowners insurance also need to be confirmed before closing.

A Few Calls Before Settlement, and Your New Home Is Ready

None of this takes long once you know who to call. The part that takes planning is the timing, and that's a lot easier when your settlement date isn't moving around on you.

Garman Builders guarantees your settlement date, so you can schedule electric, internet, and everything else on this list with real confidence, not a guess. If you're buying a new home in South Central Pennsylvania and want to talk through what to expect between contract and closing, contact our team. We'll walk you through the process so your first night in your new home feels like it should, lights on, water running, and Wi-Fi connected.