When Do The Utilities Become The Buyer’s Responsibility?

Typically, the seller will be asked to provide a full list of the utilities supplying the property and contact information.  The buyer and seller will negotiate when the seller may cancel his/her contract and the buyer reassign the service under his/her name.  To avoid problems inherent to the cancellation of a utility service to the home, such as the seller finding him or herself trying to complete the move in the dark or having the water cut off, most sellers and buyers agree to transfer the service one or two days after the closing date or agreed to possession date.