Do not close the gas valve yourself

Never operate the gas valve at the meter, even on the day you move out. Let a National Fuel technician do it. If you smell gas while clearing the home, leave the building first, then call 1-800-444-3130 from a safe distance, 24/7.

Move-out timeline at a glance

Plan around these five checkpoints. Add two extra days everywhere between November and March, when scheduling tightens.

  1. 1

    7 days before

    Call National Fuel to schedule the gas-off appointment

    Phone 1-800-365-3234 or 1-716-686-6123. Give your account number, move-out date and forwarding address.

  2. 2

    5 to 7 days before

    Confirm the appointment window

    National Fuel emails or calls back with a confirmed window. Book a half-day off work if you have to be home for an interior meter read.

  3. 3

    5 days before

    Notify your ESCO if you have one

    ESCO termination is separate from the National Fuel turn-off. Call your ESCO directly to cancel the supply contract and ask whether they will waive any early-termination fee on proof of move-out.

  4. 4

    Move-out day

    Be home for the final meter read

    Most National Fuel residential meters are accessed from inside the building. An adult must be present. The technician reads the meter, locks the gas off and writes up the job.

  5. 5

    2 to 4 weeks after

    Final bill arrives

    National Fuel mails the closing bill to your forwarding address. Pay the balance, or wait for the refund check if your deposit was held in interest.

Why most Western NY addresses need an in-person final read

National Fuel\'s residential meter base in Western New York includes a high proportion of indoor meters, located in basements, utility closets and kitchens, plus a smaller share of outdoor meters at newer or rebuilt homes. The indoor-meter share is a legacy of the company\'s long history in the region, where freeze risk and snow loads pushed installations inside.

Indoor meter address

  • ·Adult must be present at the appointment window.
  • ·Technician reads the closing number, then locks the valve at the meter.
  • ·Half-day window is typical. National Fuel does not run on the dot.
  • ·If no one answers, the appointment is rescheduled and you stay on the hook for usage.

Outdoor meter or remote-read

  • ✓National Fuel may be able to take the closing read without interior access.
  • ✓Ask on the booking call whether your address qualifies, do not assume.
  • ✓Even in this case, keep the appointment, the technician still has to lock the meter so the next occupant does not inherit live gas.

Cancelling your ESCO supply contract

If you buy your gas supply from an ESCO (rather than from the National Fuel default rate), the National Fuel turn-off does not automatically close your ESCO contract. You have to cancel it directly with the supplier.

Cancellation steps

  1. Find your ESCO customer-service number on the most recent bill, not on the National Fuel bill.
  2. Call the ESCO, give your account number, move-out date and a forwarding address.
  3. Ask the rep to waive any early-termination fee on proof of move-out (a copy of the new lease, mortgage closing document or USPS forwarding confirmation usually qualifies).
  4. Ask for a written confirmation of cancellation by email and keep it on file in case a final bill or fee shows up months later.

Post-Reset Order ESCO rules

Under the December 2023 PSC Reset Order, every mass-market gas ESCO product must lock the price for the contract term and guarantee savings against the National Fuel default supply rate. Variable-rate gas to residential is banned. If your ESCO is charging anything that does not match the Customer Disclosure Statement you signed, you can complain to the DPS Office of Consumer Services.

Moving out with National Fuel, frequently asked questions

Most National Fuel residential meters are indoor meters, located in a basement, utility closet or kitchen. The technician needs interior access to read the closing number on your account and to lock the gas off, so an adult must be present. A handful of newer installations have outdoor meters and remote-read modules, but you cannot assume yours qualifies. Schedule the in-person appointment, and if National Fuel can complete the work without entry on the day, they will.

You stay financially liable for the gas used at the address until National Fuel closes the account. A vacant Western NY home with the thermostat set to a safe minimum can still pull $150 to $300 of gas in a single winter month. The account remains in your name until a final meter read is taken and the turn-off is processed. Always schedule the gas-off appointment, do not improvise.

No. Do not operate the gas valve at the meter under any circumstance. Closing or opening that valve incorrectly can leak gas, trap gas in the line or compromise the appliance startup. Call National Fuel and let a technician do it. The same rule applies if you smell gas during the move-out, leave the building first and call 1-800-444-3130 from a safe distance.

ESCO termination is a separate call to the ESCO, not to National Fuel. Phone the ESCO customer service line on your most recent bill, give your account number, the move-out date and a forwarding address. Most ESCO fixed-rate contracts carry an early-termination fee unless you provide proof of move (a copy of the new lease, mortgage closing document, or a forwarding USPS confirmation). Ask the rep to waive the fee on proof, that is standard practice and they will usually do it on the call.

You can transfer service to the new address on a single call to National Fuel. Provide the move-out date for the old address and the move-in date for the new one. The company will schedule a closing meter read at the old home and an opening meter read at the new home. Lead time is still at least 3 business days on each end, more in winter, and an adult must be present at each appointment.

The closing bill is normally issued in the next billing cycle after the gas-off, which means 2 to 4 weeks from the turn-off date. Mail it to a forwarding address (paper bill) or accept e-bill at the new email (paperless). If you held a deposit, the refund is applied against the closing balance and any net credit is mailed as a check.

Leave the building first, then call National Fuel's 24/7 emergency line at 1-800-444-3130 from a safe distance. Do not flip switches, do not use a phone inside, do not touch the gas valve at the meter, do not light matches. The emergency line is free, staffed 24 hours a day, every day.

Keep reading on National Fuel

Adjacent guides for Western New York gas customers.

NATIONAL FUEL National Fuel utility page The full National Fuel profile, contacts, HEAP and the vertical-integration story. MOVE IN Moving in Start gas service at a new Western NY address. Lead time, deposit rules, the meter-on appointment. PAY Pay your bill Five channels and how Auto Pay reduces winter delinquency. MOVING Moving out, all NY gas utilities If you are moving outside National Fuel territory, the state-wide guide covers every NY gas utility move-out. SUPPLIERS NY ESCO directory Licensed gas suppliers and the Reset Order rules for any fixed-rate offer. NEW YORK New York energy hub Every NY utility, every ESCO, every state rule in one directory.
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