Essential Utilities Checklist
for Moving to Arizona .

From the warm and sunny weather to the incredibly diverse landscapes and the unique cities and towns, there are tons of reasons to move to Arizona. If you’ve already decided to make your move, congratulations! You’re no doubt eager to start your life in the Grand Canyon State. But first, there are a few things you’ll need to take care of. One is scheduling your moving and storage company. But at the very top of your moving to-do list should be setting up your utilities.

Setting up utilities before you move or immediately after moving can help you avoid last-minute stress and ensure that you have lights, internet, trash pickup for your moving boxes, an, most importantly — if you’re moving in the summer months — air conditioning during your move.

Electricity Providers in Arizona

There are three major electricity providers in Arizona: Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Tucson Electric Power (TEP). Which provider you will get service from depends on your address. To set up your electricity, you’ll first need to find your provider. Your realtor or the previous home buyer may advise you about who your provider will be. You can also contact the Arizona Corporation Commission or check the service territory maps available on the website.

Once you find your provider, you’ll want to call to schedule your service to begin prior to your move. If an existing homeowner is moving out before your move-in date, you may need to start service before you move to avoid losing power in the home. If you don’t take ownership of the home until the date of your move, you can still call to schedule service to begin on your move-in date. That way, you won’t find yourself without lights or air conditioning while trying to move in your belongings.

Water and Sewer Services

Water and sewer services are a little different than other utilities that you’ll need to set up because they are typically managed locally by cities or municipalities. For instance, the Phoenix Water Services Department manages these services for the greater Phoenix area. Tucson Water manages water and sewer for the Tucson area. Flagstaff Water Services manages water and sewer services for the greater Flagstaff area.

You can call your city hall to find out who manages your water and sewer services. Once you have the correct number for your local services, call to schedule these services to begin on the day that you take ownership of your new home or rental. You may also be able to do so online.

Trash and Recycling Collection

Like water and sewer services, trash and recycling services are typically managed by local municipalities. You can call your city hall to find out when trash and recycling are collected for your address. You can also ask about getting your new bins delivered by the city.

Gated communities may have unique trash collection schedules, and some communities may even use private waste management companies. You can find out more about these services by contacting your HOA.

Internet, Cable, and Phone Services

Arizona has a number of major internet, cable, and phone providers, including:

• Cox: Offers widespread coverage and high-speed internet
• CenturyLink: Primary fiber internet provider with major coverage in cities like Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, and Flagstaff
• T-Mobile: Offers budget-friendly options
• Verizon: Home internet option with mobile bundle discounts
• Xfinity: Offers both cable internet and TV services
• Mediacom: Offers internet in some parts of the state

Where you are moving will determine which providers you can choose from. Once you’ve determined which providers offer services in your area, call or go online to get quotes. Use these to compare the speed of internet, TV plans, and cable options, and weigh the speeds, services, and prices to find the right service for you.

If you’re moving during peak moving season, it’s a good idea to schedule installation far in advance of your move to avoid having to go without internet or cable after you move.

USPS Address Change and Mail Forwarding

Another important utility to set up in your new home is your mail. Several weeks before your move, set up mail forwarding and schedule it to begin the day you move to your new home. This will help prevent any old mail from getting left at your previous home. You can schedule mail forwarding directly from the USPS website. You can also update your address online to your new home.

As soon as you move, or even in the weeks before, begin updating your address with your bank, subscription services, magazines, and any other businesses that send you mail. While mail forwarding will ensure that your mail gets to you, this is often only available for up to a year after your move.

Local Government Services to Know

Moving to a new state comes with some unique challenges. Not only do you need to hire long-distance moving services, but you may also need to learn new laws that you’ll have to follow in your new home. One law that you’ll need to check right away is how long you have to update your driver’s license and vehicle registration. You’ll also need to register to vote in your new home.

Some cities and municipalities have online portals that allow residents to manage things like utilities and get local updates. Check with your new city to see whether you can set up an account to get access to your own portal.

Final Utility Setup Tips for Arizona Moves

With so many things to manage during a move, it’s easy to miss things. In between finding the right local moving services in Phoenix, boxing up your belongings, and buying new furniture, you won’t want to miss scheduling one of these essential utilities. Use this handy checklist to remember what you need to set up and when.

In the weeks before your move

• Find your local utility providers, including electricity, water, trash, and internet
• Call to schedule your electricity to be changed to your name and activated on the day you take ownership
• Call to schedule your water to be changed to your name and activated on the day you take ownership
• Call to schedule your trash and recycling pickup service to be changed to your name
• Research available internet, cable, and TV services, and schedule installation

In the days before your move

• Make sure you have email confirmations of all new utility services
• Make a note of any important phone numbers for electricity, water, and internet providers in case you have an issue on move-in day
• Write down account numbers and information to have on hand in case you have an issue

After your move

• Check that you have accounts set up for all of your new utilities
• If you want to use auto payments, make sure these are set up with your new utilities
• Check that any old accounts are transferred or closed to avoid surprise bills
• Make sure to update your address with banks, subscription services, and other companies

Conclusion

Setting up all your new utilities ahead of your move can help you avoid any headaches on moving day. When moving to a new city in Arizona, using the above checklist can help you get ahead and help make moving day go much more smoothly.

If you’re ready to start preparing for your big move, contact Muscular Moving Men today to get a free quote for your moving services.