How to Set Up Utilities in Colorado

Are you moving to Colorado? This guide has all the info you need to set up your utilities ahead of time. Whether you’re renting a Colorado apartment or buying a house in the Centennial State, you’ll need to make sure you set up utilitiese in your name, you’ve picked your service start date, and you’ve got payments set up. In this guide, we’ll help you find the Colorado providers for every utility your new home will require. And, in case you need help finding a first-rate moving company, we’ll also point you to some of our favorite movers.

• Water
• Electricity
• Gas
• Internet
• Cable TV

• Full-service movers
• Moving containers
• Rental trucks

Your city provides water and sewer services in Colorado, which means that you need to contact your destination city’s public utilities department to start your water service.

Below, we’ve provided the websites and phone numbers for Colorado’s ten most populous cities. If the city you’re moving to isn’t listed here, a quick Google search for your city’s water provider can get you where you need to be.

When you call, be ready to provide your address, phone number, and desired start date for your water service.

Most of Colorado’s electricity comes from Xcel Energy, but this company doesn’t service the entire state.^[1] Depending on where you move in Colorado, you may get your electricity from Black Hills Energy, a municipal utilities department, or a rural power cooperative instead.

This resource from the Colorado Energy Office can help you find the right electricity provider for your new city.

Like electricity, gas in Colorado is mostly provided by Xcel Energy, though Black Hills Energy and Colorado Natural Gas also service some areas in the state. Additionally, there are several municipal gas providers in Colorado, so your gas may be provided through your city depending on where you move.^[1]

If one of the gas companies listed below doesn’t service your new city, a Google search for your city’s gas provider will be necessary to find the right number to call to initiate your service.

Unlike the other utilities we’ve mentioned so far, you may get to handpick your internet service provider (ISP) instead of just having to sign up with your city’s default provider. In cities like Denver, Aurora, and Littleton, you’ll have several excellent ISPs to choose from. In more rural areas like Rio Blanco County or Mineral County, though, your pickings will probably be a bit slimmer. 

To help you quickly find the best ISP for your new home, we’ve identified Colorado’s best internet service providers that are widely available throughout the state.

Like most other utilities, cable providers vary from one city to another, so the best way to find a cable provider is to enter your Colorado zip code here. This will fetch the best cable providers you can choose from in your new city.

If you’re unsure how to pick a good cable provider, ask your new neighbors which ones they like and look for the providers that include the channels you want. For more tips, use our guide to choosing your cable service to find the best option for your home.

Also, if you want to give TV streaming a try instead of signing up for cable, our list of the best TV streaming services can help you find an affordable streaming option that includes all your must-have TV channels.

Now that you know how to get all your Colorado utilities set up, it’s time to pick your moving company. The sooner you book your moving service, the cheaper and less stressful it’ll be, so whether you’re moving to Colorado in a month or a year, it’s never too early to start searching for the movers that will get you there.

Here are your three moving service options: 

• Full-service movers. Hiring these companies costs the most because they do all the loading and driving for you—they’ll even pack your boxes for an extra cost.
• Moving containers. With this option, you load all your stuff into a container and the company delivers it to your new home. This obviously isn’t as convenient as hiring a full-service mover, but it is cheaper.
• Moving trucks. This is your cheapest moving option, but it also requires you to do all the work of packing your belongings, loading them into your rental truck, and driving the truck yourself.

If you want deluxe service and you’re willing to pay deluxe prices to get it, then hiring a full-service moving company is your best option. Full-service movers do all the work for you, from disassembling and reassembling your furniture to hand-delivering every box, bike, and bed frame you pay them to.

International Van Lines is our favorite full-service mover because of its transparent pricing and award-winning customer service. IVL also offers every moving service you could need, including packing, custom crating, auto shipping, and junk removal.

If you want to hire the best of the best, get a quote from IVL, but don’t stop there. Moving prices vary depending on factors like when you’re moving, and some companies offer better prices for moves in different areas. This makes it worth your time to get quotes from multiple full-service movers to see which one can give you the best price for your move to Colorado.

Here are the five moving companies we always recommend getting quotes from:

Moving containers provide a middle ground between doing all the work and letting the pros do it for you. When you pay for a container move, your company brings a shipping container to your old home, you load it up yourself, then the company picks it up and delivers it to your new home.

The good news is that this middle-of-the-road service comes with middle-of-the-road pricing. Getting a moving container is often less than half as expensive as hiring a full-service mover.

Our very favorite moving container company is U-Pack. U-Pack’s prices are usually $400 cheaper than other container companies, it has some of the industry’s most durable containers, and its customer service is always top-notch.

Like with full-service movers, though, container moving prices are unpredictable, so you should get quotes from U-Pack’s competitors as well to see which company can offer the best price for your Colorado move. Here are our favorite moving container companies:

Renting a moving truck is hands down the cheapest way to move, but it’s also the hardest. This moving method requires you to do all the packing, loading, and driving yourself. If you can afford a full-service mover or a moving container, it’s worth the cost to spare yourself all this work. If you’re on a tight budget, though, moving in a rental truck can save you thousands of dollars.

Our favorite moving truck company is Penske Truck Rental. Penske has the lowest prices for long-distance moves, and it offers unlimited mileage to long-distance customers. We’ve also found that Penske outclasses U-Haul, it’s biggest competitor, in terms of customer satisfaction.

As with all other types of moving services, you should check prices from several different truck rental companies to ensure you’re getting the best price for your move to Colorado. Here are all the truck rental companies we recommend:

Setting up your utilities in another state can feel like a daunting task, but it’s actually pretty easy in Colorado. Many utilities are provided by your city or by a small handful of options, taking the burden of choice off your shoulders. You just need to find out which providers service your new city and call them to pick your start date and set up payments.

Finding the right moving company can be a little more difficult, but we’ve done the research for you and sussed out the three companies we think would be best for your move to Colorado:

1. International Van Lines. IVL is our favorite full-service mover because of its pricing transparency, service options, and customer satisfaction.
2. U-Pack. Combining low prices with top-notch service, U-Pack is the industry’s best moving container company.
3. Penske. Moving in a rental truck is never convenient, but when you rent a truck from Penske, you rent one of the industry’s best trucks for an unbeatable low price.

On average, renters in the US should expect to pay at least $240 for utilities every month. Homeowners should plan for utility bills closer to $400 per month. On average, Colorado residents pay roughly $314 for their utility bills. Check out our guide to utility costs to learn how we got these averages and how you can keep your utility bills low.

Of Colorado’s three most populous cities (Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs) we’ve found that Colorado Springs has the lowest cost of living. On average, a Colorado Springs resident should expect to pay $1,697 for rent, food, utilities, and fuel for their car. This is almost $300 cheaper than the average cost of living in Denver or Aurora.

You’re required to stop at a weigh station on your way into Colorado if your vehicle weighs more than 26,000 pounds. Most 10-foot moving trucks only weigh about 8,600 pounds, so if you’re driving a small moving truck, you’re probably good to drive through. 26-foot trucks, on the other hand, weigh roughly 26,000 pounds, so you’ll need to stop if you’re driving a big moving truck.

• Best Long-Distance Moving Companies
• Best Moving Container Companies
• Best Truck Rental Companies
• Best Car Shipping Companies
• Best Storage Unit Companies

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