Utility Accounts After a Death: Transfer or Close | Honorly
DIGITAL & RECURRING

How to Transfer or Close Utility Accounts After a Death

Updated September 2026

Electricity, gas, water, internet, and phone service may need to be kept active, moved into someone else's name, or closed depending on what's happening with the home. Cutting off the wrong service too early can leave the property unprotected. This guide covers how to handle them.

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QUICK ANSWER

For each utility, decide whether service should stay active, be moved into someone else's name, or be closed. Contact the provider to ask about its process and required documentation. If an account is being closed, request a final bill, return any equipment, and ask whether a deposit or account credit is due back.

AT A GLANCE
Who can handle it The executor or administrator, a surviving household member, or the new owner
Documents you may need Certified death certificate, account numbers, and proof of authority or occupancy
Does it require probate? Usually not, although an estate representative may need to handle bills or refunds owed to the estate
What happens to the accounts? Service may stay active, move into someone else's name, or be closed
WHAT'S INVOLVED

How do you handle utility accounts after someone dies?

  1. 01
    List all utilities and providers
    Include electric, gas, water and sewer, trash, internet, cable, and landline or mobile phone service.
  2. 02
    Decide keep, transfer, or close
    Base it on the home's status. Keep essential utilities on if someone lives there or the home is being maintained or sold — heat, for example, protects pipes in cold weather.
  3. 03
    Contact each provider
    Notify them of the death and give the account information. Ask what they require to keep, move, or close the service.
  4. 04
    Transfer or set a stop date
    Follow the provider's process to put the service in the appropriate person's name or schedule it to end on a specific date.
  5. 05
    Return equipment and settle final bills
    Return routers, cable boxes, and other equipment to avoid fees, and pay or resolve final bills through the estate.
  6. 06
    Ask about deposits or account credits
    If the account is being closed, ask whether there is a deposit or credit balance and how it will be returned or applied.
HOW HONORLY HELPS

How does Honorly help?

We inventory the utilities, help determine what should stay active based on what's happening with the home, and coordinate each service change or closure. We also track final bills and any deposits or account credits that may be due back.

You decide what stays on. We handle the calls and the closures.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions about utility accounts

Should we shut everything off right away?

Not necessarily. If someone is living in the home or the property is being maintained or sold, some services may need to stay active. Consider what is needed to protect and maintain the property before scheduling shutoffs.

Can utilities transfer to a surviving spouse?

Often, but the process depends on the provider. Some providers can change or transfer the account, while others may require the existing account to be closed and a new one opened. Contact the provider and explain that the account holder has died.

Do we get deposits back?

Possibly. If the provider is holding a deposit or the account has a credit balance, ask how it will be applied or returned when the account is closed. The provider may require documentation before releasing money owed to the deceased customer.

About Honorly

Let us handle it.

Honorly is an estate settlement service that handles the administrative, financial, and legal tasks that follow a loved one's passing, so families aren't left to figure everything out alone.

We handle the calls, paperwork, and follow-ups that come after a loss, so your family can focus on each other.

Talk to our team