EspañolWhat is a Switch Hold on Electricity Meter and how to remove it? Act quickly to remove the Switch Hold on Electricity Meter and connect your electricity in less than 24 hours. Current electricity customers must pay the outstanding bill. New residents must prove they are new residents at the premises.
All About Switch Holds
What is a switch hold?
A switch hold is a block placed by the utility on the electricity meter. This block is requested by the light company to prevent an electricity customer to switch to another energy company.
Also, if your local transmission and distribution service provider (TDSP) has determined that electric meter tampering or theft of electric service has occurred at the premise. The current electric customer of record will be notified, usually via door hanger, that a switch hold has been placed by the TDSP.
Switch hold for an existing customer
When an existing customer is late paying the electricity bills, he or she can request a DPP or deferred payment plan. So, when the DPP is in place, the customer agrees to a switch hold. This means that the customer agrees not to switch to a new electricity company until the outstanding bills are settled or paid off.
Switch hold on the electricity meter for a new resident
If an electricity customer is requesting a NEW ENERGY SERVICE and the energy company can’t provide the electricity service because of a switch hold, the new resident must prove that he or she is a new resident at the address in question.
Documents required by the utility to remove a switch hold
Copy of signed lease.
Make sure this document is legal and with recent signing and moving dates. It would be hard to prove that you are a new resident and remove the switch hold on the electricity meter if the dates of moving-in are not recent.
A notarized affidavit from the landlord. (download affidavit here)
This is a letter from the landlord that states that you are a new resident.
Certificate of Occupancy or the New Occupant Statement. (download Appendix J2 here)
Appendix J2 is a signed document by the landlord that states that you are a new resident.
Closing documents.
In the case that you are buying your home, the final closing disclosure will show the dates you are moving into your new home.
As you can see, all this is just to prove that you are a new resident at the address in question and you have nothing to do with the previous resident and outstanding balances with the previous electricity companies.
I understand that all this is a hassle and as a new resident, you may not need to go through all this. However, the utilities are here for a reason. The utilities mediate the relationship between electricity customers and electricity companies. Given that, a Switch Hold on Electricity Meter is an issue that is not taken lightly. For instance, a customer can leave a premise with thousands of dollars in debt. Most of the time, the landlords have no idea of such problems. In a like manner, neither you, the landlord nor the electricity company should be responsible for such debt.
How long it takes to remove a switch hold on electricity meter?
Most importantly, the utilities work on switch holds until 11 am on their business days. So, if you act quickly and have all these documents sent to the electricity company you prefer, they will help you to solve the problem.
Certainly, we are here to help. We are very well familiar with the Switch Hold on Electricity Meter. Also, we understand how stressful this is and we will process these documents as promptly as possible.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas has this document with the explanation of the switch hold.
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