How to put LUMA service in your name

A service transfer means moving into your name the electricity account of a property that is already connected. It is what most people do when they move: the meter is already there, the house already has power, and what changes is who is responsible for the account. That is why LUMA asks neither for the Use Permit nor — in the normal case — for the electrical certification: the property already demonstrated at some point that it was fit to receive service. What LUMA does need is to identify you and to know exactly which meter we are talking about.

It applies to anyone moving into a property with existing service who wants the account in their name. As with new service, you do not need to be the owner: LUMA accepts a deed, lease agreement, purchase contract, court resolution or order, declaration of heirs, will, sworn statement from the owner, or evidence of legal authorization to occupy the property. The exception that changes the list is about time, not about you: if the premises have been without service for more than a year, LUMA adds the Electrical Installation Certification.

• Valid photo identification issued by the state or federal government, and a Social Security number.Verified against the official source
• The property’s meter number. It is the requirement specific to a transfer and the one most often forgotten: it does not appear for new service.Verified against the official source
• Electrical Installation Certification, but only for premises without service for more than 1 year. In an ordinary move into a property with active service, it does not apply.Verified against the official source
• Evidence of your right to the property: a deed, lease agreement, purchase contract, court resolution or order, declaration of heirs, will, sworn statement from the owner, or evidence of legal authorization to occupy the property.Verified against the official source
• A mailing address.Verified against the official source
• Payment of the deposit. LUMA lists it as a requirement but does not publish the amount on this page.Verified against the official source

• The photo identification and evidence of the Social Security number.
• The document establishing your right to the property, which in most moves is the lease agreement.
• The meter number, which appears on the property’s meter itself and also on a previous bill for the account.

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   Step 1: Write down the meter number before calling

   It is the requirement that sets this process apart and the one that most often derails a call. The number is on the property’s meter itself, and it usually appears on a previous bill for that account too. If you have just moved in and have no bills, go to the meter and write it down before you dial.

2. 2

   Step 2: Confirm new service does not apply to you

   If the property has active service, or had it recently, a transfer is what applies. The only circumstance that complicates the list is the premises having been without service for more than a year: there LUMA will ask for the Electrical Installation Certification. Outside that case, do not go chasing permits: a transfer does not require a Use Permit, which is what new service does demand.

3. 3

   Step 3: Have your lease agreement or the applicable document ready

   LUMA accepts a broad list: deed, lease agreement, purchase contract, court resolution or order, declaration of heirs, will, sworn statement from the owner, or evidence of legal authorization to occupy the property. If you rent, the lease is the usual one. If you inherited, the declaration of heirs or the will works. If you live in a family property with no papers in your name, the owner’s sworn statement is the route LUMA names.

4. 4

   Step 4: Call 1-844-888-5862 or go to a Customer Service Center

   Those are the two routes LUMA publishes. Have your mailing address ready too, which is a separate requirement, and be prepared for the deposit payment. LUMA operates an appointment system for its centers, so if you go in person it is worth booking rather than joining the line.

5. 5

   Step 5: Afterwards, set up Mi LUMA to manage the account

   Once the account is in your name, Mi LUMA Web and the app are where day-to-day business happens: querying the bill if you disagree with it, submitting your own meter reading to avoid estimated bills, requesting tree trimming or a streetlight repair, and requesting disconnection when you move out.

By calling 1-844-888-5862 (LUMA), or in person at any LUMA Customer Service Center, which run on an appointment system. Once your account is active, Mi LUMA Web and the Mi LUMA app are the tools for everything else.

• Calling without the meter number, which is the requirement specific to a transfer and does not appear for new service.
• Following the new-service list and going to OGPe for a Use Permit that a transfer does not require.
• Assuming an Electrical Installation Certification is needed, when for a transfer it only applies if the premises have been without service for over a year.
• Believing it cannot be done without a deed: LUMA accepts a lease agreement, a declaration of heirs and a sworn statement from the owner, among others.
• Leaving the service in the owner’s or previous tenant’s name and being unable to handle claims on the account.
• Not budgeting for the deposit, which LUMA lists as a requirement for transfers too.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• LUMA Energy

  LUMA

  lumapr.com

• Mi LUMA Web and Mi LUMA App

  LUMA

  lumapr.com