Leaving your parents' home and going out into the world for the first time is a humbling experience. Part of you is excited, but the other part of you is terrified. As you begin moving into a new apartment, there is just so much to do. If you are lucky, you get an apartment to yourself, and it will have at least one utility included. Only slightly less lucky is finding decent roommates and all utilities included. However, if you move into an apartment with no utilities included, you will need to set up all kinds of energy services, something you have never done before. Here is what you need to do. 

Determine Which Companies Provide Electrical and Natural Gas Services

Some smaller cities only have one option each for "lights and gas." Larger cities have so many options for electrical and gas services that it is hard to choose. If you are not sure, ask your parents which companies they have trusted all these years, and then go with that until you can make an educated purchase of these services on your own. 

Call the Companies to Set up Service

Call the energy companies you have chosen to set up your services. If you choose one company that supplies both electricity and gas, you only have to make one phone call. There is usually an automated routing service through which you have to navigate to select the option for "start new service." You will need to speak clearly into the phone to relay the address at which new services have to be connected. If you are routed to a customer service agent at any point, the agent will arrange for your services to be connected on a certain date and time. If you live in an apartment building, you do not need to be home when the technician connects everything and turns it on. 

Delivery of Propane or Oil

If you move into a place where propane or oil are used for heating the apartment and/or the water, then you will need to schedule deliveries of these fuel types. This requires a little more investigative work, since these fuels are not common in most parts of the country. After you have found the contact information for companies that deliver propane and/or oil, you will have to contact them, prepay for a fuel delivery, and then wait for them to deliver and connect or fill the fuel tanks. 

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