Start Electricity & Gas Service with Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) when Moving In

This page gives you information on how to start up electricity and gas service in a new home with Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) in New York state.

Getting Started with RG&E

When you are getting ready to move in to a new home in Rochester Gas & Electric (RGE) service area, you will need to call RG&E costumer service at least one and a half weeks, or about 10 to 11 days, before your scheduled move-in date. If electricity and gas service has been deactivated since the previous tenant left, RG&E will need to send a technician to your home to turn on service. Appointment timing depends on technician availability, and cannot be expedited. Normally this should be done within 5 business days.

If energy service has not yet been deactivated you may be able to start your energy flow over the phone just by giving RG&E your meter's reading.

In order to open your account, you will need to provide RG&E with some information, including your:

• Social Security Number or passport information
• New Address and Move-in Date
• Place of Employment
• If rental property: Lease type

You can call RG&E Customer Service at 1-800-743-2110 from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday through Friday.

Power to Choose: Alternative Energy Supply Companies (ESCOs)

Even though Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) will always deliver your energy, you are able to choose an alternative Energy Supply Company for the supply portion of your electricity and gas bills.

Since the New York energy market deregulated, most New Yorkers have the opportunity to choose an alternative ESCO. This is great news for consumers, since ESCOs must deliver competitive prices in order to win new customers.

How Does it Work: Supply & Delivery Charges

Normally when you sign up for new service, your local utility, Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) automatically takes on the delivery and supply of your electricity or gas. Delivery charges cover the maintenance of transmission and delivery infrastructure, as well as costs associated with delivering energy to your home. Supply charges cover the actual cost of energy you consume, as well as administrative and customer service costs.

If you do not make any changes to your electricity or gas plan when signing up, RG&E will put you on a variable rate plan. This means that your electricity rate per kilowatt-hour (kWh) changes along with the wholesale market price for electricity. Your RG&E electricity bill will reflect the electricity price per kWh, averaged over the entire month. Your gas bill functions in much the same way, although it is measured in therms.

Changes with an ESCO

For consumers who switch to an alternative Energy Supply Company (ESCO), RG&E will continue to deliver electricity and gas to your home. This means your delivery costs will remain the same even if you switch to an ESCO. However, your new ESCO will be in charge of all supply services related to your energy. After switching, you will receive two bills: One for your supply charges from your ESCO, and the other from RG&E for your delivery charges.

How to Make the Switch to an ESCO

Consumers can save big by making the change to an ESCO. For RG&E customers, your choice of alternative ESCOs include Ambit New York, Citizens Choice Energy, Major Energy Services, and many more.

Before moving in, it is very important that you set up service with Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) before choosing an ESCO. Your new ESCO will need your RG&E account information in order to coordinate the change.

More Information on RG&E

For more information, consult our Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E) company page.