Seattle, Washington, is a thriving, urban city encompassed by a vast amount of natural beauty. Moving there from another city or just relocating from within the city would take a bit of work to get settled. However, Seattle is definitely worth the effort. Once you find the best property to buy or rent, you can skip to the fun of packing boxes, renting a moving truck, and switching your utilities.
So that you can enjoy your home right away, the utility companies within Seattle have made it easy for you to sign up for the essential utilities that you need. Here is the inside scoop:
When Should You Change Your Utilities When Moving?
- With many utility companies, there can be three to five days before they can start or switch your service.
- During peak moving seasons, such as the summer months, you may experience longer wait times. It may be best to place an order with the utility company seven to ten days before your actual move.
- Remember that you need to time the power swap correctly, so you have power at your old location before leaving, and when arriving at your new place.
What Basic Utilities Are Needed To Set Up A New Home?
Luckily, most of the services operate through the city of Seattle itself. For these services, a quick review of the city website will get you started. Here is a list to get you started:
1. Water Service
To set up your water service with the city of Seattle, you can start with the online application, which allows you to establish your identity. It does not require a credit check and has no bearing on your credit score, but identity verification is a requirement to get service. If the system is unable to verify you, a new account cannot be set up online or on the phone. The next step would be to visit a walk-in payment location to present government-issued photo identification.
2. Trash Service
Trash service is another agency managed by the city of Seattle. The rate for garbage collection depends on the size of the can or cart that you use. Food waste has to be in a different cart with a separate charge. You can set this up at the same time as the water service.
3. Electric Service
Seattle City Lights provides the electrical service within the city. They do charge a fee to begin the service, but you don’t have to pay for it until your first bill.
4. Cable/Internet Service
Within the city of Seattle, there are three cable and Internet service suppliers:
- Comcast/Xfinity provides three core services: cable TV, internet, and phone. You are usually able to bundle two or three of these services to get a discounted price. Xfinity provides service to the entire city except for the Central District.
- Wave Broadband is the provider offering internet, TV, and home phone for the Central District.
- CenturyLink is also a cable, phone, and internet provider in Seattle offering service to customers throughout the city and suburban areas.
5. Natural Gas Services
Puget Sound Energy is a private distributor you can reach for electrical power and natural gas. They assist residents in and outside of Seattle city limits.