Electricity, water and internet without an SSN

Setting up electricity, gas, water and internet is one of the first things you do in a new home. If you do not have a Social Security number, or prefer not to give it, this guide explains what the official rules say: what ID you can be asked for, when you can be charged a deposit, how to avoid it, what help exists to pay and how to recognize scams. We checked the rules of six states, each with its source. This guide does not cover your immigration situation; if you have questions about your case, an accredited representative can guide you.²¹

For an Illinois utility to approve or reject your completed application

2 business days¹

For a New York utility to provide service after a completed application

5 business days⁵

Cap on an Arizona residential deposit: twice the estimated average monthly bill

2 times⁷

Maximum monthly Lifeline discount on phone or internet

$9.25¹²

First: who provides each service and who oversees it

Not every service follows the same rules. Electricity and gas companies regulated by your state’s public utility commission follow the ID and deposit rules you will see below. In Illinois, those rules also cover water and sewer utilities.¹ But not everything goes through the commission: in Arizona, for example, its staff investigates disputes about deposits and refusals of service, but does not handle complaints about municipal utilities or about internet or cable TV.⁸

Three services, three paths

Regulated company

Electricity and gas

• In Arizona, the commission handles complaints about deposits and refusals of service.⁸
• In Illinois you can use your country's passport or a consular ID.¹

Sometimes municipal

Water and sewer

• In Illinois, water and sewer utilities follow the same rules as electric and gas utilities.¹
• The Arizona commission does not handle complaints about municipal utilities.⁸

Outside those rules

Internet and phone

• The Arizona commission does not handle internet complaints.⁸
• The federal help to pay for it is Lifeline.¹²

Before you call, find out who provides the service at your address: your landlord, the city or the previous tenant's bill can tell you.

What ID you can be asked for

This is where states differ the most. Illinois has the most detailed rule we found: the utility may require up to two forms of ID. One must be a government-issued photo ID, and the rule expressly includes a foreign passport and consular identification documents, such as the matrícula consularconsular ID cardA Matricula Consular is an official Mexican government ID document issued by Mexico's consulates in the United States. Other countries offer similar IDs, sometimes called consular identification (CID) cards. According to the CFPB, many banks require a U.S. or state government-issued photo ID; if you do not have one, some banks and credit unions accept foreign passports and consular IDs such as the Matricula, but not all, and the CFPB suggests asking first. You usually also need another document, such as a bill with your name and address, and an interest-bearing account requires an SSN or ITIN.See the full definitionClose. You choose the second from a list where the Social Security numberSocial Security number (SSN)A Social Security number (SSN) is the nine-digit number on a Social Security card. It is issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA), a federal agency, and you need it to work and to collect government benefits. The IRS also uses it as your taxpayer identification number on tax returns. You apply with Form SS-5 and proof of identity, age and U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status, and the service is free. People who must file taxes but cannot get an SSN use an ITIN. Identity thieves look for this number; the government advises keeping the card in a safe place and not carrying it in your wallet.See the full definitionClose is only one option, along with a birth certificate, immigration documents, banking information, employment records or a tax ID number such as an ITINITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)An ITIN is a nine-digit number the IRS, the federal tax agency, issues to people who need a U.S. taxpayer identification number to file taxes and are not eligible for a Social Security number. It is for tax purposes only: it does not authorize you to work in the United States, does not qualify you for Social Security benefits or the Earned Income Tax Credit, and says nothing about your immigration status. You apply with Form W-7, and it expires if it goes unused for several years. Some lenders accept an ITIN for a mortgage.See the full definitionClose. The utility may not oblige you to provide one instead of another and must post the IDs it accepts on its website.¹

In New York, the utility must provide service when you ask by phone or in writing, and an oral application is complete with your name, address, phone number and your prior account address, if you had one. It may ask for reasonable proof of identity through non-discriminatory procedures, and deny service if you do not provide it.⁵ In Arizona, the minimum information a utility may ask for includes your name, the service address, your phone number and where you had service before, and the utility may ask you to come to its office with proof of identity to sign the application.⁷

The deposit: when you can be charged one, state by state

If the utility cannot check your credit historycredit historyYour credit history is the record of your credit accounts and of whether you paid them on time, as shown in your credit report. Credit reporting companies collect and update this information and provide it to other businesses, which use it to make decisions about you. A good history helps you get housing, bank accounts, cards and loans, and lowers the interest you pay. If you have no history, or very little (a thin file), there may not be enough information to produce a score. Paying with a debit card, cash or a prepaid card usually does not build it.See the full definitionClose, several of the rules we checked allow it to ask you for a deposit; in Texas, for example, the provider may require one before providing service.⁹ This is what each rule says:

State	Deposit for a new customer?	Cap or calculation	Alternatives the rule offers
New York	Generally no, except seasonal or short-term customers, or as the commission authorizes6	Where allowed, no more than twice the average monthly bill for the year (or the heating season)6	No deposit for people receiving public assistance or SSI, or for people 62 and older without recent shutoffs6
Illinois	Only in certain cases: a past shutoff for nonpayment, an unpaid final bill or a credit scorecredit scoreA credit score is a number that predicts how likely you are to pay back a loan on time. It is computed from the information in your credit report: whether you pay on time, how much you owe relative to your limits, how long you have used credit and how many new accounts you opened. FICO is one brand of score; VantageScore is another, and each lender decides which one it uses. A higher score usually brings a lower interest rate and more loan options; each program publishes the minimum it accepts. You can check your report for free and dispute errors.See the full definitionClose below the utility’s minimum2	One third on the first bill and the rest over the next two2	Low-income customers are not charged a deposit based on credit scoring3
Texas (electricity)	Yes, if you cannot show satisfactory credit9	The greater of one-fifth of the estimated annual bill or the estimated bills for the next two months9	With any provider: age 65 or older, or a family violence victim; with an affiliated provider or provider of last resort, also history with another provider9 or a letter of guarantee instead of the deposit9
Florida (electricity)	A deposit is one way to establish credit10	Each utility’s tariff states how it is calculated10	A guarantor who is a customer of the utility with a good payment record, or an irrevocable bank letter of credit or surety bond10
Arizona (electricity)	No, if you have history with that utility or a letter from your previous one7	Up to twice the estimated average monthly bill7	A letter of guarantee from a government or nonprofit entity, or a surety bond7
New Jersey	May require a reasonable deposit11	Two times the average monthly bill for the previous 12 months11	The utility posts its credit and deposit requirements on its website11

Deposits are not lost money. In Arizona they earn interest and are refunded after 12 months of service if you were not late more than twice.⁷ In Florida, the utility refunds them after 23 months of continuous service with a good record and pays at least 2 percent interest a year.¹⁰ In Texas the provider also pays interest,⁹ and in New Jersey it must tell you the interest rate and give you a receipt.¹¹

Example with real numbers

Example: how the Texas deposit cap is calculated

A Texas electricity provider asks you for a deposit because you cannot show satisfactory credit. The rule sets the cap like this:

First amount

One-fifth of your estimated annual billing⁹

Second amount

The sum of the estimated bills for the next two months⁹

What goes into the estimate

Only the electricity charges disclosed in the provider's terms of service⁹

Deposit cap

The greater of the two amounts⁹

This is an example of the rule, without figures: ask the provider for the calculation in writing and add the deposit to your first month's budget.

Run it with your numbersFamily budget

How to avoid or lower the deposit

The rules we checked offer several ways out; ask about them on the first call:

• A letter from your previous utility. In Arizona, a letter from the electric utility where you last had service stating that you paid on time avoids the deposit.⁷ In Texas, the provider keeps your payment history for two years to give you a letter if you ask, and having been a customer of another provider in the prior two years, with no delinquency and at most one late payment in the last 12 months, counts as good credit with an affiliated provider or provider of last resort.⁹
• A guarantor or a letter of guarantee. In Florida, a guarantor who is a customer of the utility with a good payment record establishes your credit.¹⁰ In Arizona, a letter of guarantee from a government or nonprofit entity works,⁷ and in Texas an affiliated provider or provider of last resort must offer you a letter of guarantee instead of a cash deposit.⁹
• Your age or circumstances. In Texas, being 65 or older with no delinquent electric account, or being certified as a family violence victim, counts as good credit, and the deposit notice must mention these options.⁹ In New York, utilities may not require a deposit from people receiving public assistance or SSI, or from people 62 and older without recent shutoffs.⁶
• Your income. In Illinois, if you qualify as a low-income customer through LIHEAP,⁴ you cannot be charged a deposit based on your credit score.³

Internet and phone: Lifeline

For internet and cell service we did not find state deposit rules like those for electricity. The federal help is Lifeline: a program that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service, with a discount of up to $9.25 a month. Only one discount is allowed per household, meaning people who live together and share income and expenses, and if you change your address you must tell your company within 30 days.¹² You qualify if you or someone in your household participates in programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, public housing or Section 8, if your income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if your child or dependent participates in a qualifying program.¹³

There is an important point for families without a Social Security number: the application asks for the last four digits of your Social Security number or your Tribal ID number, and the address can be temporary.¹⁴ The federal rule requires that information from the subscriber, except for members of a Tribal nation without a Social Security number, who give their Tribal ID.¹⁶ You apply online, through a participating company or by mail, with an application in Spanish available; in Texas and Oregon, on the state’s website.¹⁵ If you have questions about who in your household can apply, call the Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473.¹⁴

LIHEAP: help paying for electricity and gas

LIHEAPLIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a federally funded program that helps with home energy costs, such as heating and cooling. According to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), it can help with bills, energy crises, preventing shutoffs or reconnecting service, weatherization and minor energy-related repairs. It targets low-income households with a high energy burden or with members who are elderly, disabled or young children. You apply through your local LIHEAP office, and the program does not charge a fee for help.See the full definitionClose can help you pay heating or cooling bills or get emergency services during an energy crisis; depending on where you live, it also helps with the electric bill. Eligibility depends on your income, but each state and territory sets its own requirements.¹⁷ The guide LIHEAP: help with utility bills explains how to apply in your state, and utility shutoffs what to do if you already have a shutoff notice. To organize the first month, a HUD-approved housing counselor can help you with a budget, often for free.¹⁹

Scams: no legitimate company asks for your number by phone

When you move, you get calls and emails from new companies, and it is easy to mistake a fake one for the real thing. The New York Department of Public Service explains that scammers impersonate utility companies or government agencies, demand payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer or payment app, and sometimes claim the federal government is providing bill credits and ask for Social Security numbers. Genuine utilities do not contact you to ask for passwords, Social Security numbers or bank details by phone or email, and they typically send several disconnection notices by mail before a shutoff.¹⁸

If you are denied service or overcharged

Always ask for the reasons and the terms in writing. In Illinois, the utility must give you the specific reasons if it rejects your application,¹ and the deposit notice must be in writing and explain the reason and the amount.² If the company is regulated, you can turn to your state’s public utility commission; in Arizona, for example, its staff investigates disputes about deposits and refusals of service.⁸ If the problem gets complicated, a legal aidlegal aidLegal aid is the free civil legal help that nonprofit organizations and their lawyers provide to low-income people in civil, not criminal, matters. In housing, that includes representing families facing eviction or foreclosure, alongside matters such as custody, child support, protection from domestic violence and access to benefits. In the United States, the Legal Services Corporation, created by Congress, funds a nationwide network of these organizations; its finder points you to the one in your area. Each sets its own income limits.See the full definitionClose organization can guide you; the LSC has a search tool by address or city.²⁰

If this is you

What matters most for your situation

You have a passport or ITIN, but no Social Security number

In Illinois your country's passport or a consular ID works, and the Social Security number is only one option for the second ID.¹

You have no U.S. credit history

Ask your previous utility for a payment history letter: in Arizona it avoids the deposit.⁷ In Florida, a guarantor with a good record also works.¹⁰

Your income is low

Check LIHEAP in your state.¹⁷ In Illinois, qualifying as a low-income customer rules out a deposit based on credit score.³

You are 62 or older

In New York you cannot be charged a deposit if you have not had a shutoff for nonpayment in the last six months;⁶ in Texas, at 65 with no delinquent account you count as having good credit.⁹

Costly mistakes

The mistake and what to do instead

• Mistake: Giving your Social Security number to someone who calls from 'the company'.

  Instead: Hang up and call the number on your bill or the official website yourself.¹⁸

• Mistake: Paying with a gift card or wire transfer because they demand it.

  Instead: Legitimate utilities do not demand those payment methods.¹⁸

• Mistake: Paying the deposit without asking about alternatives.

  Instead: In Texas, the deposit notice must include the options to show credit;⁹ in Arizona, a letter from your previous utility can avoid it.⁷

• Mistake: Losing the deposit receipt.

  Instead: In New Jersey the utility must give you a receipt and tell you the interest rate; keep them.¹¹

• Mistake: Forgetting the deposit after a year or more of on-time payments.

  Instead: In Arizona it is refunded after 12 months with no more than two late payments;⁷ in Florida, after 23 months with a good record.¹⁰

What to do this week

1. Ask your landlord or the city which company provides each service at your address, and whether electricity and gas come from a regulated company.⁸
2. Before you call, check the company’s website for the IDs it accepts and its deposit requirements.¹
3. Ask your previous utility for a payment history letter today.⁷
4. If you are asked for a deposit, ask about alternatives and get the calculation and receipt in writing.¹¹
5. If your income is low, check LIHEAP in your state¹⁷ and, for internet, whether someone in your household qualifies for Lifeline.¹³
6. Save each company’s official numbers, copied from the bill, in your phone to check any call.¹⁸ For the rest of the move, use the checklist for moving to another state, and for the license, the driver’s license by state guide.