Utility setup is one of those move-in tasks that feels simple until an account start date does not line up with the lease. For PMI James River rentals, required resident-held utilities should be active by the lease start date, not the day the moving truck arrives. Starting early helps prevent a gap in electricity, water, hot water, or climate control when you take possession.
The exact setup depends on the property. Water and sewer billing varies by locality, electric and gas service can vary by address, and some homes have shared meters, wells, septic systems, HOA-provided services, or owner-held accounts. This guide gives you a practical provider to start with instead of making you research every service from scratch. You can also use the PMI James River resident resources for other move-in tools and resident information.
Key Takeaways
- Start early. PMI James River recommends beginning utility setup at least seven business days before the lease start date.
- Follow the property instructions. Do not assume every utility belongs in your name. Some services stay with the owner, association, or building. For single-family rentals, all utilities usually transfer to the resident. Multifamily rentals get more complicated; ask your property manager if your lease isn't clear enough.
- Start with the providers below. Each locality gives you a practical first place to go. Where a service territory splits, we list the common alternate instead of sending you to research from scratch.
- Keep your confirmations. Save account numbers, start dates, and confirmation emails until you have verified that service is active.
In This Guide
- Start Utility Setup Before the Lease Begins
- Know Which Utilities Actually Need an Account
- Utility Setup by Locality
- Common Utility Setup Problems to Avoid
- After Your Utilities Are Active
Start Utility Setup Before the Lease Begins
The lease start date and the physical move-in date are not always the same. If your lease starts on Monday but you plan to move furniture on Saturday, Monday is still the date to use when a required utility must be in your name.
PMI James River recommends starting the process at least seven business days before the lease begins. Some accounts can be opened quickly, while others may require additional documentation, a deposit, or extra time to process a new account. Starting early gives you time to resolve those issues without leaving the home between accounts.
Have your full legal name, service address, lease start date, identification, and a copy of the lease available. Requirements vary by provider. If a provider needs landlord or property manager authorization, call PMI James River at 804-916-5153 and select option 4 (or whatever the general office line is; listen carefully because it may change). If an in-person requirement or another provider rule creates a problem for an out-of-area move, email leasing@pmijamesriver.com so we can help with the property-specific information we control.
Know Which Utilities Actually Need an Account
Before opening accounts, separate the services the lease requires you to hold from services that remain attached to the property. The answer can differ even between two homes on the same street.
- Electricity. Usually resident-held when the home has its own meter.
- Natural gas. Only applies when the home has gas service and gas appliances. If the home is all-electric, there is no gas account to open.
- Water and sewer. These may be resident-billed (typical for single-family), owner-billed (typically multi-family), included through a building (some condos), or unavailable where the property uses a private well or septic system.
- Trash and recycling. Some cities bill refuse with other municipal utilities. Some counties use private curbside subscriptions, convenience centers, service districts, or a mix of those systems.
- Shared or master-metered services. Multi-unit buildings and some communities may keep one or more utilities out of the resident's name.
- HOA or condo services. Trash, recycling, or water may already be included through the association.
If your lease or move-in instructions say a service remains in the owner's name, do not try to transfer it simply because that utility is resident-held at another property. If the instructions are unclear, ask PMI James River before opening the account.
Utility Setup by Locality
The purpose of this list is to give you somewhere useful to start. Use the provider listed for your locality first. Where more than one electric, gas, or trash company commonly serves the county, we list the usual alternatives. If the first electric provider says it does not serve the property, the Virginia State Corporation Commission electric service territory map is a backup check, not your first assignment.
Richmond City, VA
- Water and sewer: Start with the City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities.
- Natural gas: If the home has gas service, use Richmond Gas Works start, stop, or transfer service.
- Electricity: Start with Dominion Energy Virginia.
- Trash: See Richmond Public Works trash collection.
- Recycling: Use CVWMA residential recycling for eligibility, carts, and collection schedules.
Henrico County, VA
- Water and sewer: Start with the Henrico water, sewer, and refuse application.
- Natural gas: If the home has gas service, use Richmond Gas Works.
- Electricity: Use Dominion Energy Virginia.
- Trash: Henrico curbside refuse is available in most areas. Start with Henrico refuse collection to check and start county service where available.
- Recycling: Use CVWMA residential recycling.
Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield is one of the localities where provider territories genuinely split, but you still do not need to start from zero.
- Water and sewer: If the home is on county water and sewer, start with Chesterfield Utilities moving-in account service.
- Electricity: Start with Dominion Energy Virginia. Southside Electric Cooperative serves other parts of Chesterfield, especially farther south.
- Natural gas: Richmond Gas Works serves northern Chesterfield. Columbia Gas of Virginia is the other main starting point for a Chesterfield home with a gas meter. It can literally change block by block which PMI James River can't track, but the utility provider should be able to provide solid guidance.
- Trash and recycling: Chesterfield uses private curbside companies. The county's current curbside recycling provider list includes Choice Waste Services, GFL Environmental, Local Disposal Services, TFC Recycling, and Waste Management. If a cart is already at the home, the company name on the cart is usually the fastest place to start. Or ask a neighbor about their experiences.
- Drop-off option: Chesterfield also operates county convenience centers for residential waste and recycling.
Hanover County, VA
- Water and sewer: If the home is connected to Hanover public utilities, use the Hanover utility service FAQs. Customer Service handles starting, transferring, and stopping service.
- Electricity: Start with Dominion Energy Virginia. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative serves other parts of Hanover.
- Natural gas: If the home has a natural-gas meter, start with Virginia Natural Gas.
- Curbside trash: Hanover does not provide countywide curbside pickup. Choice Waste Services is one current private option serving Mechanicsville and parts of Hanover. If a cart is already at the property, start with the company shown on the cart.
- Trash and recycling drop-off: Hanover operates six residential convenience centers. CVWMA recycling is also available in participating Hanover areas.
Petersburg City, VA
- Water and sewer: For an existing connected home, use Petersburg Utility Billing to start, transfer, or stop service.
- Electricity: Use Dominion Energy Virginia.
- Natural gas: If the home has gas service, use Columbia Gas of Virginia.
- Trash and recycling: The city's garbage and recycling page identifies the current collection providers and schedules. Petersburg currently uses Meridian Waste for trash and CVWMA for recycling.
Colonial Heights City, VA
- Water, sewer, stormwater, and refuse billing: Start with the Colonial Heights Utility Billing office.
- Electricity: Use Dominion Energy Virginia.
- Natural gas: If the home has gas service, use Columbia Gas of Virginia.
- Trash: See Colonial Heights trash collection.
- Recycling: See Colonial Heights curbside recycling.
Goochland County, VA
- Water and sewer: If the property is connected to county water or sewer, start with Goochland Public Utilities. Many Goochland properties use well and septic instead, so follow the lease and move-in instructions if no public account is required.
- Electricity: Dominion Energy Virginia is the county's principal electric supplier. If Dominion does not serve the address, try Rappahannock Electric Cooperative or the Central Virginia Electric Cooperative member portal.
- Natural gas: Columbia Gas of Virginia serves natural-gas customers in eastern Goochland. If the home uses propane instead, do not open a Columbia Gas account; follow the property-specific propane instructions.
- Trash and recycling: Goochland's solid waste and recycling program operates county convenience centers. Curbside recycling is available in participating subdivisions and areas.
New Kent County, VA
- Water and sewer: Public water and sewer are available only in parts of New Kent. If your move-in instructions require a county account, start with New Kent Public Utilities.
- Electricity: Use Dominion Energy Virginia.
- Natural gas: Natural gas is available only in selected areas. If the home has a gas meter, start with Virginia Natural Gas.
- Trash: New Kent does not provide county curbside pickup. The county's current trash and recycling FAQ lists GFL, Ambrose Disposal, Republic Services, and Redline Waste Services as pickup options.
- Drop-off: New Kent operates four refuse and recycling centers for county residents.
Powhatan County, VA
- Water and sewer: Public service is limited to defined service areas. If your move-in instructions require a county account, start with Powhatan Public Utilities. Some areas use private water systems, including Aqua Virginia, so follow the property instructions if county utilities do not apply.
- Electricity: Start with Dominion Energy Virginia. Southside Electric Cooperative is the other county electric provider.
- Natural gas: Columbia Gas of Virginia has limited natural-gas service in the eastern part of the county. Many Powhatan homes use propane instead, so check the property instructions before opening a natural-gas account.
- Curbside trash: Zan's Refuse is one current curbside option serving Powhatan.
- Trash and recycling drop-off: The Powhatan County Convenience Center provides a county drop-off option.
Chatham County, NC
For the PMI James River homes we currently manage in Chatham County, the utility setup is more straightforward than the countywide utility map would suggest.
- Electricity: Start with Duke Energy Progress.
- Natural gas: If the property has gas service, start with Enbridge Gas North Carolina.
- Water and sewer: Use the TriRiver new customer information.
- Trash and recycling: Start with Chatham County's licensed private-hauler list for curbside service.
Common Utility Setup Problems to Avoid
- Waiting until move-in day. A provider delay is much harder to solve when you already have keys and belongings at the property.
- Using the wrong date. Schedule required service for the lease start date unless your written move-in instructions say otherwise.
- Forgetting gas. If the home has gas heat, a gas water heater, or another gas appliance, electricity alone will not put every system into service.
- Assuming water or trash is included. Those arrangements change by locality and property.
- Opening an account that should remain with the property. Shared meters, owner-held accounts, and association services are common reasons not to transfer a particular utility.
- Starting over when the first provider says no. If a listed provider does not serve the address, use the alternate named for that locality. For electric service, use the SCC territory map as the backup check. You should not need to build the provider list yourself.
After Your Utilities Are Active
Save the confirmation number or email for each required account and verify the scheduled start date. On move-in day, confirm that the services you were responsible for starting are actually working. If a scheduled transfer did not occur, contact the provider first. If the problem involves property authorization, an owner-held account, or uncertainty about what the lease requires, contact PMI James River.
Once you have possession, use our Richmond rental move-in day checklist to work through the next steps without losing the condition-documentation window. If you are moving during hot weather, the Richmond renter summer survival guide covers practical ways to manage heat, AC use, storms, and everyday summer routines after you settle in.
Utility setup goes much more smoothly when you know which accounts must be active and where to start. Use the provider list above first. If a provider says it does not serve the property, move to the listed alternate or contact us when the issue depends on property-specific information. The PMI James River resident resources are also available throughout your tenancy.
Published: January 5, 2026
Updated: August 22, 2026
