Moving out of a NY home? Gas needs more notice (and an in-person visit) than electricity.

Most NY gas utilities want at least 5 to 7 business days notice, more if an indoor meter has to be read in person. Con Edison and National Grid downstate are the strictest because Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island still have a large stock of indoor gas meters that need an appointment. National Fuel in Western NY asks for a full week. Upstate utilities with smart-metering coverage (NYSEG, RG&E) can sometimes close an account on 3 to 5 business days notice when the meter is reachable remotely. The safest default is to call as soon as you have a confirmed move-out date.

Two reasons. First, a large share of NY gas meters are still indoor mechanical meters in basements and boiler rooms that the utility cannot read remotely, somebody has to be inside the property. Second, if no new customer is moving in right after you leave, the utility may want to physically seal the meter or cap the service riser so a non-account holder cannot draw gas. That is a safety-of-supply requirement, not bureaucracy. Even on a property with a remote-read smart meter, the utility will sometimes still send a technician if the line will be left without an active account for more than a few days.

A gas-off appointment is a scheduled visit during which a utility technician closes the service valve, takes the final meter reading and (when there is no incoming customer) puts a lock or seal on the meter. You typically need one when (a) you have an indoor meter and the utility cannot otherwise verify a final read, (b) nobody is moving in immediately and the line will sit idle, or (c) the property is being sold or torn down. Appointments are usually a 2 to 4-hour window during business hours and require an adult to be present. Never try to shut the main valve yourself, only a qualified technician should operate it.

If your gas supply comes from an ESCO rather than utility default, closing the utility account usually ends the ESCO relationship automatically because the ESCO needs an active distribution account to bill against. But it does not waive any ETF in your contract: re-read the Customer Disclosure Statement you signed. If you are staying in NY and your new address is within the same ESCO's licensed territory, ask whether the contract can be transferred without an ETF, most ESCOs will agree to keep the customer.

Leave the property immediately with everyone in the household, do not switch any electrical appliance on or off, do not open the garage door with the remote, and do not light a match or candle. Once you are outside at a safe distance, call your utility's 24/7 gas-emergency line: Con Edison 1-800-752-6633, National Grid (downstate) 1-800-892-2345, National Fuel 1-800-444-3130, NYSEG 1-800-572-1121, RG&E 1-800-743-2110, Central Hudson 1-800-942-8274, Orange & Rockland 1-800-533-5325. The line is the same whether or not you bought gas from an ESCO.

No. Do not operate the main gas valve at the meter, do not move or block the meter, and do not cap an appliance line. Only a qualified utility technician or licensed plumber should touch the meter valve. Improper shut-off can damage the meter, leave a partially-open line, or trigger a safety call-out you will be charged for. What you should do is turn appliances off at their own controls (oven knobs to OFF, dryer cycle ended, water heater pilot procedures left to the technician), close interior doors and let the technician handle the meter.

Yes. HEAP is tied to your household and your billing account, not to the property. When you close the gas account on the old address you should mention HEAP enrollment so the utility removes any pending credit application from that account, then re-apply when you open service at the new address. Any utility-mandated EAP discount also has to be transferred, it does not follow the account automatically. Bring your HEAP confirmation when you open the new account or call NY OTDA via otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.

You stay legally responsible for gas usage at the property, and the fixed monthly service charge, until you formally close the account. If the new tenant calls to open service in their name, the utility will usually close yours back-dated to the changeover, but some utilities only roll the date back a few days and you can lose a couple of weeks of billing. Worse, if the property sits empty and no one calls, you may keep being billed for months. The fix is to call as soon as you realise, supply the new address and ask for a back-dated closure to the actual move date. Keep your final-bill copy until the account confirms zero balance.