Blog · Waterloo
Moving to a new address in Waterloo: water, power, gas and ID changes, in order
In Waterloo, three different organizations handle water, electricity and natural gas, and each has its own notice period. Add Ontario's address-change deadlines and there is a short list to work through before and after moving day.
Last updated September 25, 2026 · Reviewed by the Movers Waterloo team
Who supplies what in Waterloo
- Water, wastewater and stormwater: the City of Waterloo.
- Electricity: Enova Power, which serves Waterloo along with Kitchener, Wilmot, Wellesley and Woolwich.
- Natural gas: Enbridge Gas.
Internet, phone and TV are separate, and installation appointments can take the longest to get, so book those first. Keep a single list of every account number as you go; it saves time on each call and form.
Water: owners and tenants follow different steps
The City of Waterloo needs at least four business days' notice for water account changes.
Homeowners buying in Waterloo contact the City's revenue services with the legal possession date, the lawyer's information and any existing Waterloo accounts. When selling, close the account with the account number, the closing date and a mailing address for the final bill. A fee applies to set up a new account when occupants change.
Tenants cannot open a water account on their own. The landlord authorizes it through the City's billing designate form, and the City asks for that paperwork at least two weeks before the lease starts. Tenants can close their account or change some details themselves. Many leases include water in the rent, so check yours before doing anything.
Electricity: Enova Power
Enova asks new customers to complete its residential move-in form at least 48 hours before they move in or take possession. You will need contact details, the service address, photo identification and the closing date or lease start date. When leaving, submit the move-out form early: Enova says it is the account holder's responsibility to contact them before the lease end date or legal closing date. Until you do, the power at your old address is still billed to you.
Natural gas: Enbridge
Gas in Waterloo is supplied by Enbridge Gas, and accounts are managed through Enbridge directly. Open the account at the new address and close the old one for your move date, the same way as with Enova. If you are moving from Kitchener, where gas and water are billed by the City's own Kitchener Utilities, you close that account and open separate ones with Enbridge and the City of Waterloo.
Your driver's licence, vehicle permit and health card
Ontario sets firm deadlines for updating your address:
- Driver's licence and vehicle permit: within 6 days of moving.
- Health card: within 30 days.
Address changes are free and can be done online for the licence, the vehicle permit and a non-photo health card; a photo health card with a printed address needs a ServiceOntario visit. A new licence arrives by mail in four to six weeks.
A timeline that works
- Four to six weeks before: book the mover and, for condos, the elevator. Book internet installation.
- Three weeks before: tenants, ask your landlord to send the billing designate form if water is not included.
- One to two weeks before: submit Enova move-in and move-out forms; set up Enbridge at both ends; homeowners, contact City water with closing details.
- At least four business days before: the latest point for City water changes.
- Moving day: photograph the water and gas meters and the hydro meter at both addresses, if you can reach them.
- Within 6 days after: update your licence and vehicle permit.
- Within 30 days after: update your health card.
Leaving the old place properly
The move-out side is easy to forget once the new place has your attention:
- Record final readings. Photos of the meters with the date give you something to compare against the final bills.
- Give every account a forwarding address. Final bills from the City, Enova and Enbridge go to the mailing address you provide when closing the account.
- Tenants: give your landlord a forwarding address too, and return all keys so any key deposit can be refunded.
- Sellers: leave garage door openers, spare keys and appliance manuals for the buyer, and confirm with your lawyer what the agreement of purchase and sale says should stay in the house.
- Check the thermostat. In winter, leave the heat on at a safe level until possession changes, so pipes do not freeze in an empty house.
The rest of the list
- Canada Post mail forwarding, your bank, employer and insurance company.
- Home or tenant insurance starting on the possession or lease date at the new address.
- Your school or university, if you are a student.
- Your waste collection day: use the Region's collection map or the Waste Whiz app for the new address, since bulky items are now collected monthly.
Moving day itself
Paperwork is easier when the move is on schedule. The mover handles local residential moves across Waterloo, from Columbia Forest townhouses to larger houses in Laurelwood, and packing services if you would rather spend the last week on the checklist than on boxes. The Waterloo moving cost guide explains how local moves are priced, and you can request a written quote once you have a date.