Setting Up Utilities When You Move to Phoenix: APS, SRP, Gas and Water

Setting up utilities in Phoenix usually means three or four separate accounts: electric (APS or SRP, depending on your address), natural gas (often Southwest Gas, if the home has gas), and water, sewer and trash through your city. Give yourself at least three business days for each, and start the calls about a week before you get the keys.

Every week I hand keys to people who just moved here from somewhere else, and the question I hear right after "Where is the closest grocery store?" is "Who do I call for the power?" In most places that has one answer. In the Phoenix area, it depends on which side of a line your street sits on. Here is how I walk my buyers and new neighbors through it.

Step 1: Find out if your address is APS or SRP

The Valley has two big electric providers, and you do not get to pick. Your address decides it.

• SRP (Salt River Project) provides power and water to more than 2 million people in central Arizona. SRP's website has an address lookup on its service area page, and it notes that some addresses get only SRP power, some get only SRP water, and some get both.
• APS (Arizona Public Service) serves 11 of Arizona's 15 counties. APS posts service territory maps on its website, including one for the Phoenix metro.

Two homes a few miles apart can have different providers, so check the exact address rather than going by the city name. If you are buying with me, I'll confirm it during escrow, and the seller's disclosure usually tells you too.

Step 2: Schedule electric service

APS asks you to schedule new service at least three business days before you want it to start, and you can do it online through its Start Service page.

SRP lets you start service through its online account system or by phone, and its residential credit policy says most meters will have power within about an hour once service is set up. SRP may ask for a security deposit, but it says the deposit can be waived when you request service based on a utility credit check after it validates your Social Security number. One tip from SRP's own policy: if you have a credit freeze with Experian, lift it first, or the check can't run.

In Arizona summers, I tell everyone the same thing: do not let the power be off on move-in day.

Step 3: Natural gas, if the home has it

Plenty of Valley homes are all-electric, so check whether yours has a gas stove, water heater, furnace, pool heater or fireplace. If it does, Southwest Gas provides gas in many Valley areas (in parts of Mesa, the City of Mesa is the gas company instead).

Southwest Gas's Arizona service rules say it will connect gas within five working days after a request is received and approved, with appointments set in a four-hour window during normal working hours. Faster service may be available for an extra charge. The same rules say a deposit may be waived if you can show a good payment history with a comparable utility in the last two years, and a letter from your previous gas company can help with that. Ask your old utility for one before you leave.

Step 4: Water, sewer and trash through your city

Water is usually run by the city you live in, and trash often comes on the same bill. Each city does it a little differently:

• Phoenix: The city asks for at least three business days to process start requests (weekends and city holidays don't count). You can apply through the Water Services customer portal. Owners need proof of ownership, such as a recorded deed or settlement statement. Renters need a lease of at least six months; the city does not accept month-to-month leases. Trash and recycling are added automatically when you open the water account, and it all comes on one City Services Bill.
• Chandler: The city asks you to call at least one business day before you need water turned on, and it does not start service on weekends or holidays. Have your driver license number, move-in date, and mailing address ready.
• Mesa: Mesa is a special case. The city itself provides water, wastewater and trash, and it also sells electricity in an area of about 5.5 square miles around downtown (SRP serves the rest of Mesa) and natural gas across much of the city, with Southwest Gas serving other parts. Call the city's utility office first to see what it covers at your address.

A simple move-in timeline I give my clients

• About two weeks out: Confirm your electric provider and whether the home has gas.
• About one week out: Schedule electric, gas and water to start on your closing or lease date. Ask your old utilities for a letter of good payment history.
• Move-in day: Check that lights, AC, water heater and stove work. Note your trash and recycling days.
• First month: Set up internet, change your address, and get your Arizona driver license and car registration done.

If you're still comparing areas, my Moving to Phoenix guide and cost of living in Phoenix page are good next reads, and the Mesa and Chandler guides cover those cities in more detail. Once you're settled, my post on hard water in Phoenix homes explains what our water does to faucets and water heaters.

Questions people ask

Can I choose between APS and SRP?
No. Your address decides which company provides your electricity. Check the SRP address lookup or the APS service maps before you move.

How far ahead should I set up utilities in Phoenix?
Plan on at least three business days for APS and for City of Phoenix water, and up to five working days for Southwest Gas. Starting a week ahead keeps move-in day stress-free.

Is trash included with my water bill in Phoenix?
Yes, in the City of Phoenix. Trash and recycling are added automatically when you open a water account, and water, sewer and trash come on one City Services Bill.

Do I need a deposit for utilities in Arizona?
Sometimes. SRP can waive its deposit based on a credit check, and Southwest Gas can waive one if you show good payment history with another utility. Cities set their own rules, so ask when you call.

Terry Day, REALTOR®, DeLex Realty, 10115 E Bell Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.