The lights working during your final walkthrough do not mean the electricity account is ready for your arrival. Service may still be in the seller’s or landlord’s name, while gas, internet and other arrangements require separate attention.
Setting up Naperville utilities starts with the exact property address. Establish who serves the home, which accounts belong in your name and when your responsibility begins.
Establish Whether the Home Is Inside City Limits
A Naperville mailing address alone is not enough to identify every provider. Use the city’s Your Place address lookup to check whether the property is incorporated into Naperville.
Within city limits, Naperville provides electric, water and wastewater services. For properties outside those limits, the city directs residents to ComEd for electricity. Eligible outside properties can still receive city water, and some receive city wastewater service.
Check water and wastewater separately. An unincorporated property may have a septic system rather than a connection to the city sewer network.
Make a short record of the provider for each service. When information from a listing conflicts with the address lookup, have the city or relevant utility verify the property before applying.
Identify Which Accounts You Must Open
Ask the landlord or property manager to explain each utility charge in the lease. “Water included” could mean that you need no individual water account, while electricity and gas remain your responsibility.
Find out whether any charges arrive through the building’s billing system. Ask how shared costs are calculated, when they appear and whom to contact about an unexpected amount. Keep that explanation with the lease so you can compare it with the first statement.
For a condominium purchase, review which services the association pays for through assessments. A seller’s combined monthly housing figure may conceal separate utility costs.
Include the apartment or unit number whenever you contact a provider. Ask management to clarify any difference between the mailing address and the address used for utility billing.
Match the Start Date to Your Responsibility
Use the date your responsibility begins under the lease or purchase arrangements. Your moving truck might arrive on Saturday even though you take possession on Friday and need electricity for cleaning that evening.
Naperville currently asks for move-in requests at least two business days before the desired start date, but no more than five days ahead. Research early, then submit within the stated window through the form linked from the city’s utility services page. Contact the city if weekends, holidays or a changing closing date make the timing unclear.
Save the request reference and check for confirmation of the effective date. Submission alone should not be your only record that the arrangement is complete.
If possession is delayed, contact each affected provider promptly. Updating the city account does not automatically change a separately booked installation.
Check Whether Gas Needs an Account or Physical Work
Natural gas is arranged separately from Naperville’s municipal utilities through Nicor Gas. First establish whether the home uses gas and whether the service is already connected.
Nicor distinguishes between opening an account at a property with an existing meter and arranging a new service line or meter installation. A newly built home or a property that has been disconnected deserves a specific conversation about what remains unfinished.
Ask whether anyone must attend an appointment, which equipment needs to be accessible and when service will be usable. Coordinate access with the seller, builder or property manager rather than assuming an appointment can proceed before you receive the keys.
Keep the gas confirmation alongside your electric and water details so an unresolved appointment is easy to spot.
Make Separate Plans for Internet and Waste Collection
Check internet availability using the complete address and unit number. Ask whether the connection is ready for self-installation or requires a technician, and confirm any building approval needed for access or new wiring.
For someone working remotely, the important date is when the connection will function, not when equipment is dispatched. Arrange a temporary connection if installation falls after your first working day.
Under Naperville’s residential collection program, garbage and recycling service begins automatically when city electric and/or water service is established. Check the collection day and holiday schedule through the city’s garbage and recycling information.
For a building with shared containers or a property outside the municipal program, verify the arrangement separately. Check which carts are already at the property before ordering more.
Budget for Opening Costs and Recurring Charges
Ask each provider whether a deposit or activation charge applies, when it is payable and what conditions govern its return. Naperville’s deposit arrangements depend on the services and whether you own or rent. Its tenant guidance explains that renters’ deposits are applied to the final bill, with any remainder refunded.
Keep those opening costs separate from your monthly estimate. Money paid when an account starts does not necessarily represent one month’s consumption.
Request recent utility statements from the seller or landlord where available, with personal information removed. Use them as a reference for seasonal patterns rather than a promise about your own costs. Household size, thermostat settings and time spent at home can change usage.
Review the First Bill Before Relying on AutoPay
Check the service address, billing period and account start date on the first statement. Naperville’s bill separates meter readings from standard monthly fees, so a low-use period can still include recurring charges.
Compare unfamiliar items with the city’s bill explanation or ask the provider what they cover. Keep the original setup confirmation available when discussing dates or deposits.
Confirm when automatic payments become active and whether the first bill requires a manual payment. Also check the final bill and forwarding address for your previous home so the move does not leave an old account unresolved.
Note: Provider coverage, submission windows, deposits and installation arrangements can change. Confirm the requirements for your exact property before move-in.
