5 steps to close NYSEG service
From scheduling the final read to getting your deposit back.
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1
Pick the closure date
Usually the day after you physically move out, so you still have light, heat and a working refrigerator on moving day. If you have already moved, pick the closest practical past date and call NYSEG to back-date the final read; NYSEG can accommodate a back-dated read in many cases.
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2
Call or close online at least 3 business days ahead
Online at nyseg.com under Stop Service, or call 1-800-572-1111. Non-smart-meter rural addresses can need 5 to 10 business days because a technician has to drive out.
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3
Give NYSEG a forwarding address
Your last bill plus any deposit refund go to the forwarding address. Without one, the documents go back to NYSEG and you have to chase them.
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4
Note the final-read number yourself
Even at smart-meter addresses, take a photo of the meter face on the day you leave. If a final read is disputed later, your photo is the cleanest evidence.
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5
Wait for the final bill and the deposit refund
The final bill arrives within 30 days. If a security deposit was on file, NYSEG applies it to any closing balance first, then refunds the rest by cheque to the forwarding address.
When a NYSEG move-out needs a technician on site
At a smart-meter address (the majority of urban and suburban NYSEG accounts after the 2022 to 2026 AMI rollout), the move-out is a back-office switch. NYSEG reads the meter remotely at midnight on the closure date and your account closes.
At a non-smart-meter address, NYSEG has to dispatch a technician to take the final read. That requires a scheduled window, the meter has to be accessible (clear of snow, dogs and locked gates), and the visit can push the move-out window to 5 to 10 business days. Call early. If the technician cannot access the meter, NYSEG estimates the final read from your usage history; this is a legitimate process but estimated reads are the most common source of move-out billing disputes.
If you forgot to call NYSEG before you left
It happens. NYSEG keeps billing you until someone else opens an account at that address, or until the meter is physically pulled. Call NYSEG as soon as you realise, with the date you actually left and any evidence (lease end date, new utility bill at the new address). NYSEG can back-date the closure if you can document the move-out date.
Watch the meter. If a new tenant moved in before you closed the account, you may have been billed for their first weeks of usage. Ask NYSEG to investigate. If the dispute is not resolved, file a complaint with the New York PSC at 1-800-342-3355.
Frequently asked questions about moving out
At least 3 business days. Allow 5 to 10 business days for a rural address that requires a physical final read.
Yes, at nyseg.com under Stop Service. You need your account number and a forwarding address for the final bill and any deposit refund.
Yes, with interest, after applying any closing balance. The refund cheque is mailed to the forwarding address you provided at closure, within 30 to 60 days.
NYSEG keeps billing you until someone else opens an account or the meter is pulled. Call 1-800-572-1111 as soon as you realise. NYSEG can back-date the closure if you can document when you actually left.
No, closing the NYSEG account automatically ends the supply contract for that address. Your ESCO is notified through the same data flow. If the contract has an early-termination fee tied to a fixed-rate period, the fee can still apply; check the ESCO contract.
If your last NYSEG account closed with a zero balance, it counts as positive payment history. If you left a balance behind, NYSEG can ask for a deposit at the new address; clear any balance first.
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