Setting up utilities in a new NYC apartment
Who supplies electric and gas at your NYC address, how to start or move Con Edison, National Grid or PSEG Long Island service, deposit rules, and internet.
7 min read · Updated
In most of New York City you start electric service with Con Edison, online or by phone, with a valid ID. Your gas comes from either Con Edison or National Grid depending on the address, and if you live in the Rockaways your electricity comes from PSEG Long Island.
Many NYC apartments include some utilities in the rent, so start by finding out what's already covered. Then set up only what's in your name: usually electricity, sometimes cooking gas, and internet. This guide shows how, plus your rights if a utility asks for a deposit.
At a glance
- Electric, most of NYC
- Con Edison
- Serves NYC and Westchester
- Electric, the Rockaways
- PSEG Long Island
- Gas
- Con Edison or National Grid
- Depends on the address
- Con Edison move date
- Within 30 days
- For existing customers moving service
- Deposit if allowed
- Up to ~2 months of service
- NY Public Service Law §36
- Heat and hot water
- The owner’s duty
- HPD rules for NYC apartments
Step 1: find out what your rent covers
Read the lease or ask the landlord which utilities are in your name. Write down the answer. Common arrangements in NYC:
| Utility | Usually | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Building owner | HPD says owners are legally required to provide heat from Oct 1 to May 31. A few apartments have their own electric or gas heat, so ask. |
| Hot water | Building owner | Required 365 days a year at 120°F or more. |
| Electricity | Tenant | Usually a separate meter in your name. Some buildings include it; check the lease. |
| Cooking gas | Varies | Some buildings include it, others have a meter per apartment. Electric stoves need no gas account. |
| Water and sewer | Building owner | Rarely billed to apartment tenants. Ask if you’re renting a whole house. |
| Internet and TV | Tenant | You choose a provider. Some buildings have exclusive or bulk deals. |
| Renters insurance | Tenant | Some leases require it. See our renters insurance guide. |
Knowing the heat rules matters before winter. See NYC heat and hot water rules and the heat season temperature checker.
Step 2: identify your electric and gas utility
- Con Edison provides electric, gas and steam service for New York City and Westchester County. It is the electric utility for most NYC addresses.
- PSEG Long Island serves "Long Island or The Rockaways" for electricity, and its site sends gas questions to National Grid.
- National Grid supplies gas in parts of New York City. Which company supplies gas depends on your address.
The fastest way to know for sure: ask the landlord or super, look at the name on the gas meter, or look at a previous bill. Con Edison's online start form also checks your ZIP code and tells you if the address may not be in its service area.
Step 3: start or move service
Con Edison
- 1
Moving within NYC or Westchester as an existing customer?
Use “Move Service” instead of starting new service. You need your current and new addresses and your move-out and move-in dates. Con Edison says the move-in date must be no more than 30 days from today. You can also move service by phone at 1-877-779-6943. - 2
New customer?
Use “Start Service.” You need the new address, your move-in date and a valid form of ID. If you don’t have ID, Con Edison says you’ll need to pay a deposit. - 3
Service in the landlord’s name?
Con Edison says it will transfer ownership to you automatically when you start service. Landlords in its “Leave on for Landlord” program keep power on between tenants, so you may not need a turn-on appointment. - 4
Leaving Con Edison’s area?
Stop service at the old address before you move. Call 1-877-779-6943 if you can’t do it online.
National Grid and PSEG Long Island
National Grid's New York start, stop or transfer page asks for 5 to 7 days' notice so it can send a crew to turn gas on or off; call 1-718-643-4050 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm) at least a week before you move. PSEG Long Island has an online Start, Stop, or Move Service page, which has separate paths for new and existing residential customers. PSEG Long Island customer service is 1-800-490-0025. National Grid also has a "Leave on for Landlord" option, so check whether the account is already active in the landlord's name.
Step 4: internet
Internet options can differ from building to building, even on the same block. Before you sign a lease, ask the landlord which providers are wired into the building. Then check the FCC National Broadband Map, which shows the internet services providers report as available at an address. Treat it as a starting point and confirm with the provider.
Book installation as soon as you have keys and a move-in date, so you aren't without service for your first week.
Step 5: close out the old apartment
- Schedule the stop date for the day after you hand back keys, so you have power for the final cleaning and inspection.
- Take a dated photo of the meter if you can get to it.
- Return internet equipment and keep the receipt.
- Give each utility your forwarding address for the final bill. A USPS forward helps, but tell them directly.
Your utilities checklist
Check items off as you go. Progress is saved in this browser.
Utilities for your new apartment
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Re-verified 2026-10-12. Con Edison: serves NYC and Westchester; new service needs address, move-in date and valid ID or a deposit; move-in date no more than 30 days out for moves (no start-service window stated); landlord-name accounts transfer automatically; Leave on for Landlord program; phone 1-877-779-6943. PSEG Long Island serves "Long Island or The Rockaways" and refers gas questions to National Grid. National Grid NY start/stop/transfer page: 5-7 days notice, 1-718-643-4050 and hours; Leave on for Landlord in its NY menu. Con Edison page states the 30-day limit only for moves, so start-service timing is not stated; we did not find an official borough-by-borough gas map, so we tell readers to confirm the gas utility on the meter or bill rather than naming boroughs. Deposit rules from PSL §36 (two months of estimated service, interest, refund after a year without delinquency, exemption for 62+ and public assistance/SSI recipients). Heat/hot water from HPD.
Sources
- Start, stop or move service · Con Edison (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Company information · Con Edison (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Leave on for Landlord · Con Edison (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Start, Stop, or Move Service · PSEG Long Island (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Check, Start, Stop or Transfer Service (NY) · National Grid (accessed October 12, 2026)
- NY Public Service Law §36 (residential service deposits) · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Heat and Hot Water · NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (accessed October 12, 2026)
- National Broadband Map · Federal Communications Commission (accessed October 12, 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or a professional before you act.