When and How Should You Transfer Your Utilities in Washington, D.C.?

written by Michael Buckley from here.

If you are about to close on the sale or purchase of your property, you will need to let the utility companies know when you need the utilities transferred. If you don’t do this (from a sellers perspective), you will be paying for another parties utilities and your own. If you don’t do this (from a purchasers prospective), your utilities will get turned off once the sellers stop paying for their old utilities. So, when and how should do you transfer your utilities in Washington, D.C?

“When Shoud I Transfer the Utilities?”

In Washington, D.C., you should transfer the utilities into or out of your name (for the purchase or sale respectively) on the date of settlement unless you plan on a rent back. A rent back being when the purchaser has allowed the seller to remain on the property for a specified amount of time after settlement, which is normally less than a week. If this is the case, have the utilities switched over on the day that the rent back ends (when the sellers move out.)

“How do I Transfer the Utilities?”

The three utilities you have to transfer include:

• Gas
• Electricity
• Water

Keep in mind, that owners of a condominium or a cooperative sometimes have some or all of their utilities included in the condo/coop fee. Your real estate agent or the property management company/coop board will have this information for you.

Click on the links below to the corresponding utility to request utility transfers online.

Gas

Washington Gas

For purchasers: Washington Gas

For Sellers: Washington Gas

Electricity

Pepco

Water

DC Water and Sewage Authority

Note: If you don’t want to bother with the different ut