Common misconception
"I closed with the utility, my supplier is closed too." Half-true.
In deregulated states (TX, PA, OH, IL, NY, MA, MD, CT, RI, ME, NH, NJ, DE, DC, plus partial in MI, CA, OR, VA), closing the utility account closes the delivery contract. The supplier contract (REP in Texas, ESCO in New York, ARES in Illinois) is technically a separate agreement billed through the utility.
The utility tells the supplier you closed. That is not the same as terminating the supply contract. The move-out exemption that waives the early-termination fee (ETF) for a documented move requires written notice from you directly to the supplier.
Skip that step and one of two things happens: (1) the supplier still tries to charge the ETF because no documented move-out notice was filed, or (2) if the supplier also serves your new address, they auto-enroll you there at a default "mover" rate that is rarely the best on offer. The second call costs nothing and takes five minutes.
The two-call rule
Two calls plus a photo, in that order
Each step takes under ten minutes. Together they close the account cleanly, end the supply contract without a penalty, and leave you with the evidence you need if anything is ever disputed.
Call the delivery utility
This closes the bill. Have your account number, the move-out date, and a forwarding address ready. The utility will schedule a final read (remote on smart meters, on-site on older ones).
Output: a close-of-service confirmation number and a scheduled final-read date.
Email or call the supplier
In 18 retail-choice states plus DC, the supplier (REP, ESCO, ARES, or generic) is a separate contract. Send a short written notice with your account number and move-out date so the supplier files the move-out exemption.
Output: a written confirmation that the supply contract ends without an ETF.
Photograph the final meter
On move-out day, take a phone photo of every digit on the kWh (and therm) display, with the meter ID visible. This is your only proof if the final reading is disputed later.
Output: a timestamped image you can attach to any future dispute.
The closing call
What every US utility wants on the closing call
Six items. Have all six in front of you when you dial, and the call wraps in five minutes.
| Information | Why they need it | What goes wrong without it |
|---|---|---|
| Full name on the account | Identity match against the billing record. | Call gets escalated to a callback queue, you lose the move-out date you wanted. |
| Account number | Locates the meter on the utility billing system. | Agent has to look up by service address, slower call, and twice the typing errors. |
| Move-out date | Sets the close-of-service stop on the meter and on the bill. | Defaults to "today", you may be back-charged or miss the final read window. |
| Forwarding address | Where the final bill, deposit refund and any check go. | Final bill goes to the property you just left, deposit refund check sits in the mailbox of the next tenant. |
| Social Security Number | Verification only, never opens a new account on its own. | Agent cannot confirm identity, request gets flagged for fraud review, close-out delayed. |
| Final-read access (older AMR meters) | Meter reader needs entry to the meter on a scheduled day. | No access, no final read, the bill estimates and disputes typically run 30 to 60 days. |
Phone numbers for the major US delivery utilities live in the utility directory by state.
Real-money mistakes
What goes wrong without the second call
Four scenarios we see every month in reader emails. Each one is avoidable in five minutes of written notice to the supplier.
Early-termination fee on the final supply bill
Typical range: $100 to $200. The utility close-out triggers a contract end on the supplier side, but without a written move-out notice the supplier classifies it as a standard cancellation, not a documented move. ETF appears on the final bill.
Supplier auto-enrolls at the new address
If the supplier serves your new utility too, they pick up the new account at a default "mover" rate, usually variable, usually above market. No fixed rate, no lock period, easy to miss until the second or third bill.
"Bill-through" enrollment glitch
The utility closes, the supplier record does not update cleanly, and the supplier stays attached to the meter into the next tenant cycle. Both parties bill until the glitch is found, usually 30 to 60 days later, refunds take a quarter.
Move-out exemption disputed
PUC rules require ETF waiver for documented moves. "Documented" means written notice from you, naming the move-out date, sent to the supplier directly. A phone call to the utility does not count, and the supplier will say so.
Notice window
The 3-day minimum, and why 5 is better
Three business days is the floor. Five is the version that survives a Friday move, a public holiday, or an older meter that still needs a manual final read.
| Aspect | Call on T-1 day | Call on T-5 days |
|---|---|---|
| Will the utility accept the close date? | Maybe. Below the 3 business day floor, the next available date is offered instead. | Yes, the date you want is locked at the start of the call. |
| Final meter read | Smart meter only. Older AMR meters cannot be scheduled in time, the bill estimates. | On-site read can be scheduled, accurate close bill. |
| Supplier exemption notice | Rushed. Easy to forget the written email entirely. | Sent the same day, supplier has time to confirm. |
| Forwarding address verified | Whatever you say on the call. No second check. | Verified by email confirmation before move day. |
| Final bill arrival | Estimated, often re-billed 30 to 60 days later. | Actual read, arrives once, settles in one cycle. |
Older AMR meter areas: if your meter is not an AMI smart meter (parts of upstate New York, rural California, older Massachusetts, parts of Texas served by smaller co-ops), an on-site final read is required and the field crews schedule reads 3 to 5 business days out. Call on T-5 and you are inside the booking window. Call on T-1 and you get an estimated bill that has to be reconciled later.
Paper trail
Documents you need for the final bill
Four artefacts, all easy to collect. Together they make any future dispute a five-minute resolution instead of a quarter-long argument.
Write these down during the closing call
- The name and employee ID of the agent who took your close request.
- The confirmation number and the scheduled final-read date.
- The expected final-bill date and the expected deposit refund date (if a deposit was held).
Insider view
Four things most moving-out checklists miss
Each one shows up in reader complaints every month.
Vacancy rollover to the landlord, sometimes back to you
When the next tenant does not open an account, most states roll the meter onto the landlord under a vacancy clause. A handful of states bill the prior tenant for the gap. Keep the close-of-service confirmation as evidence the meter is no longer in your name.
AMI vs AMR meter: 1 day vs 3 to 5 days
Smart meters (AMI) read remotely, the close can be next-business-day. Older meters (AMR) need a manual final read which takes 3 to 5 business days to schedule. Ask which one you have when you call.
LIHEAP and EAP follow the household, not the address
Federal LIHEAP grants and state EAP discounts attach to your household ID. Notify the program admin within 30 days of move-out so the benefit migrates cleanly to the new utility account.
ETF waiver needs more than a phone call
Under most state PUC orders, the move-out ETF waiver requires written supplier notice naming the move-out date plus a service-unavailable proof at the new address (lease, denial, vacancy declaration). The utility close-of-service call alone does not trigger the waiver.
Action plan
What to actually do
Six steps in order. None take more than ten minutes.
Call the utility 5 business days out
Have your account number, move-out date and forwarding address ready. Ask for the meter type (AMI or AMR) and the scheduled final-read date.
Email the supplier the same day
Short email, your account number, the move-out date, and a request to file the move-out exemption. One paragraph, sent for the timestamp.
Photograph the meter on move-out day
Every digit, meter ID visible, timestamp on the file. Do the same at the new address on move-in day so the math at both ends is clean.
Save the close-confirmation
Utility confirmation number, agent name, supplier email reply. One folder, kept for at least 12 months in case of back-billing claims.
File a USPS forwarding order
Final-bill statements and deposit refund checks default to the old address unless USPS forwards them. The order is free online for 6 months.
Notify LIHEAP or EAP if applicable
Federal LIHEAP and state EAP attach to the household, not the address. Call within 30 days so the benefit follows.
Before you call
Quick answers
What movers ask us most often when closing service.
Every regulated US utility wants at least 3 business days of notice. Three is the legal floor under most state PUC tariffs. 5 business days is the comfortable window: it gives the utility room to schedule a manual final read on older meters and to confirm your forwarding address. Count business days, not calendar days, especially around Friday moves and federal holidays.
The delivery utility first, always. They own the wires, the meter, and the bill. Closing the utility account closes the host bill, which also stops your supplier from billing through it. But the supplier contract itself does not auto-cancel, you still owe a separate written notice to the supplier (REP in Texas, ESCO in New York, ARES in Illinois, generic "supplier" elsewhere) so they document the move-out and waive the early-termination fee. One email with your account number and move-out date is enough.
Not if the move is documented in writing. Every state with retail choice requires fixed-rate suppliers to spell out an ETF (typically $100 to $200) in the Customer Disclosure Statement, and almost every state PUC requires that ETF to be waived when service is not available at the new address. Two conditions: the notice has to be in writing, and it has to name the move-out date. If you only call the utility and never email the supplier, expect the ETF to show up on the final bill.
In most states the meter rolls onto the landlord under a vacancy clause once your close date passes. A few states bill the prior tenant for the gap until the next account opens, especially if the close request was filed too late to take effect cleanly. Protect yourself with three pieces of evidence: the email confirmation of the close, the final-read figure (or a photo of the meter if no manual read was scheduled), and the date the account was zeroed out.
Yes, on the final bill. Most utilities credit the deposit balance, plus PUC-set interest, against any closing charges and refund the difference. Provide a forwarding address on the closing call, otherwise the check goes to the property you just moved out of. If the deposit was earning interest above the closing balance, the refund arrives 4 to 6 weeks after the final bill, by check or ACH.
Yes. If the new address is inside the same delivery utility footprint, the agent can close the old account and open the new one in the same call. Your supplier contract usually follows automatically with the same rate and term, and no ETF applies. Confirm the transfer in the call recording, ask for an email summary, and keep both account numbers.
Yes, but you must report the move within 30 days. Federal LIHEAP grants attach to the household, not the address. State EAP discounts typically restart automatically at the new account once the utility links your low-income enrollment to the new service. Call your county social-services office or the state energy office within 30 days of the close so the grant follows the household.
That is exactly the case it was written for. Under most state PUC consumer protection rules, the supplier must waive the ETF when service is not available at the new address. You will need two things in writing: a move-out notice naming the date, and a short proof that service is not available (lease termination, vacancy declaration, or a denial from the supplier at the new address). Send by email so you have a timestamp.