Moving to Portland can be an exciting experience, but certain aspects of the transition can also be intimidating. After all, you will have to pack, find new utility companies, and sell your home or end your old lease in just a short amount of time. It seems like there are far too many tasks for one person to do in just a few weeks.
If you want to make your move as easy as possible, you should set up your Portland utilities before you go. Once your Portland public utilities are set up or transferred to the new address, you can focus on the rest of your move and enjoy having your lights on from the first moment you walk through the door.
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Portland Electric Utilities | Portland General Electric (PGE)
If you need to set up your Portland electric bill, Portland General Electric (PGE) is the place to go. For the last 130 years, PGE has helped Oregonians get safe, reliable energy. Today, PGE serves a population area of more than 1.9 million people over 4,000 square miles.
Each year, PGE creates almost 19,222,000 megawatt-hours for more than 881,000 retail, commercial, and industrial customers. A total of 51 cities in the area use PGE for their electricity.
How to Set Up Electricity
To find out how to start, stop, or set up your Portland electric services, you can start by going to the PGE website. You can go through the entire process online by filling out a simple form. Then, you can log in to your online account to pay your bill.
Paying Your Portland Power BIll
Other than traditional payment options, the PGE website has support for finding local, state, and federal options for bill payment assistance. You can pay your bill online, in person, or via phone.
For the phone payment option, you’ll call 503-228-6322 (Portland) or 800-542-8818 (elsewhere). Then, you’ll want to select “2” for billing/payment matters. Afterward, you will need your PGE account number to access your account and make your payment.
You can also pay your Portland utilities online through their website portal. While if you pay in person, you can use cash, Western Union, credit, or CheckFreePay at authorized payment locations. These locations may be in Safeway, Fred Meyer, Walmart or Rite Aid stores.
It is also possible to pay your bill using a check, Mastercard, cash, or money order at one of PGE’s community offices. PGE has five community offices located in Gresham, Hillsboro, Portland, Salem, and Woodburn.
Portland Gas Utilities | NW Natural
Setting up your Portland gas is especially important before you move to a new home. Oregon’s winters can get chilly, so arrange for NW Natural to set up your gas service right away. With more than 160 years of experience in the industry, NW Natural has developed a reputation for innovation and excellent service.
How to Set Up Gas in Portland
If you are simply starting your Portland gas service, you need to go to their site and register an account before doing anything else. NW Natural can also help you modify your house, so you can start using natural gas if your home currently isn’t set up for it. All of your account activities, payments, and information can be managed through the online dashboard once you are registered.
Paying Your Portland Gas Bill
Like many Portland public utilities, you can pay your NW Natural bill online. You can use check, debit, credit, quick pay, auto pay, or easy pay. It is also possible to pay by phone, mail, or in person.
To pay in person, you need to find a Community Pay Station near your location and bring your full gas account number or gas bill. All of the stations accept cash, but some of them will also accept checks, debit cards, and money orders as well.
If you want to pay your bill over the phone, you can call 800-422-4012. It’s also possible to pay by mailing a check or money order to NW Natural at their mailing address:
NW Natural Attn: Payment Processing, P.O. Box 6017, Portland, Oregon 97228-6017
Portland Water Utilities | Portland Water Bureau
The Portland Water Bureau was created in 1895. Today, it handles two reservoirs as well as a capacity of more than 200 million gallons per day. The majority of Portland’s drinking water comes from the nearby Bull Run Watershed.
How to Set Up Water
To set up your Portland water services, you can call customer service at 503-823-7770 or you can email them at P[email protected] to get the process started.
If you want to change the water or sewer bill into your name, you will need the date you want to start service, your address, and a mailing address for the bill. For any email inquiries, add a phone number where you can be reached from the hours of 8 am to 5 pm.
Paying Your Portland Water Bill
Once you set up Portland utility billing, you can easily make your payment arrangements online. If you don’t want to accidentally miss a payment, you can always sign up for auto pay. But it is also possible to make a one-time payment instead.
An additional option is to pay by text. This involves setting up your credit card or debit card for payments through your online account. Once you follow the directions to set it up, you can easily pay your bill by replying “OK” to the text reminders they send.
Portland Water Bureau Contact Information
- 664 N Tillamook St, Portland, OR 97227
- (503) 823-7770
Portland Trash Utilities | City of Portland
Setting up Portland utilities like trash and recycling is a fairly simple and straightforward process. The City of Portland is responsible for garbage pickup and recycling services.
How to Set Up Trash Pickup in Portland
Normally, you will already have Portland trash at your new home. The City of Portland offers pickup in 20, 35, 60 or 90-gallon roll carts. If you need a different roll cart or a new one, you can call Waste Management Customer Service at 800-808-5901.
Paying Your Portland Trash Bill
The amount you pay for your trash services depends on the size of your roll cart. These standard rates include the price of recycling and composting as well. To pay your bill, you will have to contact the sub-contracted provider for your specific area after your trash service is set up.
Portland Internet Service Providers | Various
If you are looking for Portland internet providers, you have a few options to choose from. Each provider has different price ranges and internet speeds, so you should spend some time researching the differences between each option. In general, you simply have to make a quick call to get a technician to come to your house to set up the internet.
The following companies are some of the best Portland internet providers.
Address: 520 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 489-4498
Address: 7037 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213
Phone: (800) 934-6489
Address: 14 SE 14th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Phone: (503) 465-4590
Get Your Portland Utilities Set Up
Moving to a new home is already stressful enough. The last thing you need is to realize you forgot to set up your Portland utilities at the last moment. While setting up your utilities isn’t difficult, it is something you’ll to do before you can truly enjoy your new home.
By contacting the utility companies in the area or finding them online, you can quickly get your account set up. Make sure you also call your old providers and close down your old accounts. Otherwise, you could end up with an unexpected bill in the future.
By planning ahead, your move can be as easy as possible. The team at PDX Movers would like to relieve even more of the pressure by helping with your upcoming relocation. Give us a call today at (503) 746-8795 or fill out the Request a Quote form for a free Portland moving estimate.
