One of the most annoying parts of moving into a new apartment is getting your utilities set up -- especially if you're moving to a new city. Options are plentiful, and it can be difficult to get a lot of good information on the best provider. Here are some suggestions to make your utility connecting as pain-free as possible.
First, you should get information from your new building as to those utilities you may not be able to choose -- electricity, natural gas, and water and sewer being the three most likely. The week before you move, start calling to get those bills switched to your name. With other utilities, you'll be able to make a few choices:
Phone
One question to ask with a new place is whether you need a land-line phone or can stick to a cell phone.
Worried you won't be able to reach 911 in an emergency from your cell phone? See the FCC's information on 911 and wireless providers. If you want both a land-line and a cell phone, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all offer plans that allow you to combine your land-line and cell bills. Another option, if you plan to get Internet access at home, is to look into Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services such as Skype.
Internet
Odds are you'll get Internet service either through a cable modem or a phone line, although cell-phone companies are increasingly offering this service as well, such as Sprint's Mobile Broadband Network.
Whether you go with a cable modem or with DSL may depend on your apartment complex, your location and the plans on offer. Before you go with a provider, run them through the search engine at Consumerist and then do a Google search with the name of the company and look for customer reviews. Between the two searches, you should get a decent idea of how often your potential provider drives angry customers to post online.
Cable
Now's the time to look over your TV habits and decide how many channels you want or need. (If you watch a lot of movies, a rental-by-mail service such as Netflix or Blockbuster may be cheaper than on-demand movie channels via cable or satellite.) If you want to go with a satellite provider, see Satellite TV Guru, a blog with recommendations and comparisons of the primary competitors, as well as tips to help you save money.
Finally, when you sign up for your new providers, resist the temptation to have them bill a credit card or deduct from your checking account automatically -- and while it's not the best move environmentally, have them send paper bills, at least for the first few months. That way you'll be more likely to read the bill, so you're more likely to notice if the company has made an initial error on your account, or if your bills are higher than you'd like.
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