3
Business days notice
2
Separate accounts to close
4-6 wk
Deposit refund window
1 call
If staying inside O&R
Have ready
Account number, move-out date, forwarding address.
The O&R move-out timeline at a glance
Five steps, three weeks. The earlier you start, the cleaner the final bill.
Two weeks out
Decide your move-out date
Commit to a firm date, even if loose. O&R prefers a known date you can later update over a vague "end of month" booking.
5 business days out
Call O&R to schedule the close
Use 1-877-434-4100. Ask for a confirmation number; write it on the moving folder.
3 business days out
Call your ESCO separately
If you have a non-O&R supplier, terminate that contract on its own. Check the early-termination clause before agreeing to the close date.
Move-out day
Take a meter photo
Snap the electric (and gas, if applicable) meter on the day you leave. Disputed final bills are won by photos with timestamps.
2 to 3 weeks later
Final bill and deposit reconciliation
The final bill arrives at your forwarding address with the deposit credited against it. Any remainder is mailed as a check 4 to 6 weeks after the final-bill date.
Ending your Orange & Rockland service
Call O&R customer service at 1-877-434-4100 between Monday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The legacy minimum is 2 business days, but 3 is the safer figure: it leaves room for a missed call-back, a meter-read reschedule, or a last-minute date change. The O&R rep will need your account number from a recent bill, the move-out date, and a forwarding address for the final bill and any deposit refund.
The hidden cost of skipping this step
If you walk out without a final-read appointment, O&R keeps billing the account until someone notices. New occupants may move in months later and your name stays on the meter. Late fees compound, and the balance lands in collections under your name.
What to have in hand when you call
- The O&R account number (top right of a recent bill);
- The move-out date (the day you give up keys);
- The forwarding address for the final bill;
- Your ESCO contract reference, if you have a non-O&R supplier;
- Any deposit receipt or interest-bearing-deposit reference.
If the move-out date later changes, call O&R back at the same number with the confirmation number from the first call. The utility tracks moves by scheduled meter-read date, not by an internal "intent" record; if the date drifts, the close drifts with it.
Cancelling your ESCO contract (it is a separate call)
If you switched to an ESCO for the supply half of your bill, closing your O&R account does not cancel that contract. The two are administered by different companies under different terms. The ESCO sees your move only when it receives an end-of-service signal from O&R, and even then, a fixed-term contract may keep generating obligations.
What to check on the ESCO contract before you move
- 1 Term type. Variable rate contracts cancel at no charge. Fixed-rate contracts may bill an early-termination fee, typically $50 to $200, sometimes more on longer terms.
- 2 Move-out clause. Many ESCO contracts waive the early-termination fee specifically for a documented residential move. Ask the ESCO rep to confirm in writing.
- 3 Final-supply read. Confirm that the ESCO will close billing on the same date as O&R\'s final meter read. If the two dates do not align, you can end up with an orphan invoice for one or two days of supply.
- 4 Renewable certificate balance. If the contract included a guaranteed-renewable component, ask whether unredeemed certificates are refunded or forfeited at termination.
The April 2026 NY PSC ESCO settlement strengthened residential consumer protections, but it did not eliminate early-termination clauses. Read the contract page or call the ESCO before you assume the move closes everything.
Transferring service inside O&R territory
If both addresses sit inside the O&R New York footprint (Rockland, Orange or Sullivan counties), one phone call closes the old address and starts the new one. The account number stays the same; the service location field updates. No new deposit is requested if your old account has been in good standing for at least twelve months.
Transfer checklist
- O&R account number;
- Current address and move-out date;
- New address and move-in date;
- New phone, email, or mailing address if any changed;
- ESCO contract reference, if the supply contract follows you.
Most ESCO contracts can transfer between addresses inside the same utility, but the rep must confirm in writing. Treat the ESCO call as a separate task even on an intra-O&R move. See the companion O&R moving-in guide for setting up the new address.
Deposit refund: timing and method
New residential O&R customers without an established payment history are sometimes asked for a security deposit equal to roughly two months of estimated usage. That deposit earns interest at a rate set by the NY PSC each year. When the account closes in good standing, the deposit plus accrued interest is refunded in the following order:
- First, the deposit is credited against the final bill;
- If the deposit exceeds the final bill, the remainder is mailed as a check to the forwarding address;
- The check typically lands 4 to 6 weeks after the final-bill closing date.
When the deposit is forfeited
Repeated late payments, a disconnection notice in the previous twelve months, or unpaid arrears at close can wipe out the refund. If your account is anywhere near that profile, ask the rep when you call whether the deposit clears or applies to arrears.
Four mistakes that haunt O&R move-outs
Assuming the new tenant\'s start closes your account
O&R does not auto-close one account when another opens. Both can run in parallel for weeks. Call to close yours, with a confirmation number.
Forgetting the ESCO call
Closing the utility account does not cancel an ESCO contract. The supply side keeps billing, sometimes with an early-termination fee on top.
Skipping the meter photo
If O&R uses an estimated final read because the meter cannot be accessed, your photo with a timestamp is the only evidence that can challenge it.
Confusing O&R with ConEd
Same parent, two utilities. You cannot close an O&R account by calling ConEd, or vice versa. Use 1-877-434-4100 for O&R only.
Frequently asked questions
O&R asks for 3 business days as a safe minimum. The legacy 2 business-day window is the absolute floor; under it, your final meter read date can slip past your move-out day and you keep paying for power at a house you no longer occupy. Call 1-877-434-4100 as soon as your move date is firm.
No. Your O&R account and your ESCO contract are two separate agreements. Closing the utility side does not automatically end the supply contract. You must call the ESCO directly using the number on your O&R bill (or on the ESCO's own customer notice) and ask for cancellation in writing. If a fixed-term contract is still active, you may face an early-termination fee; check the contract page before you commit to a move date.
If your O&R account closes in good standing (no unpaid balance, no late-payment pattern over the previous twelve months), O&R returns the deposit plus accrued interest. The refund is usually credited against your final bill first, and any remainder is mailed as a check to the forwarding address you gave the utility. Plan on 4 to 6 weeks from the final-bill date.
Yes. If both the old and new address sit inside the O&R New York footprint (Rockland, Orange and Sullivan counties), one call handles the close-and-restart. Have your O&R account number, both addresses, both dates and any changed contact details ready. The account number stays the same; only the service location changes.
No. Con Edison of New York and Orange & Rockland are separate operating utilities under the same parent (Consolidated Edison, Inc.). You must close the O&R account at 1-877-434-4100 and open a new ConEd account at 1-800-752-6633. Same holding company, two different customer-service teams, two different account systems.
Call O&R back at 1-877-434-4100 as soon as you know. The final meter read is scheduled against the date you gave. If the date moves and you do not update the utility, either (a) service ends while you are still in the home (no power), or (b) the new occupant's start-of-service overlaps yours and both parties get billed. Always update the date in writing or by phone with a confirmation number.
If you have a HEAP benefit credited to your O&R account, the unused portion is reconciled with the utility when you close the account. You do not lose the benefit; it simply offsets the final bill. If you are moving to another state, you reapply for that state's version of LIHEAP through the local social-services office at the new address.
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