With all the excitement that surrounds buying or selling a house, often times the last thing anyone thinks about are the utilities.

However, after a recent Friday evening spent standing on a street corner of a small city with a fistful of cash waiting for a contractor to come and do an emergency winterization (by way of cellphone flashlight illumination), it is something that I mention to my clients mutliple times during the transaction.

For reasons that no one in the industry can explain, the utility company is all too happy to come and shut the utilities off as soon as they are asked, but getting them turned back on can take 7-10 business days.

Buyers: As soon as you know the closng date, please call National Grid and have them set up an account in your name as of the closing date.  You should call long before you are asking your attorney for your final closing numbers or doing your final walk through.  The process takes about 15 mins to set up.

Sellers: Do NOT call National Grid until the closing is completed.  This is to ensure that if something happens at the last minute and the closing is cancelled that are not in danger of having the utilities shut off while you wait for rescheduling.

If the Buyer calls as soon as the closing is scheduled and the Seller waits until the closing is finished you are all but assured that the utilities will be on and the home will be protected.

National Grid 800-642-4272