Quick Answer: Setting up utilities in Garland starts with one application to the City of Garland, which covers electricity through Garland Power & Light plus water, sewer, and trash. Natural gas is a separate account with Atmos Energy, and internet is yours to choose. Apartment residents usually need far less of this.
Most people moving here brace for a scramble of phone calls. Setting up utilities in Garland is simpler than that, because the city runs its own electric utility and bills power, water, sewer, and trash on one statement. If you are leasing at a community like Hickory Apartments in Garland, the list gets shorter still, since several of those services are already handled at the property level.
What Setting Up Utilities in Garland Involves
Four services, three accounts at most. Setting up utilities in Garland means one City of Garland application for electricity, water, sewer, and trash, a separate Atmos Energy account if your home burns natural gas, and an internet provider of your choosing. Apartment residents can often skip the water and trash steps completely.
Garland Power and Light Covers Most Electric Service
Garland Power and Light is municipally owned, which makes it an outlier in Texas. The City reports that GP&L is the sole electricity provider for roughly 85% of Garland residents. Inside that territory there is no shopping around, no retail provider comparison, no 12-month plan to lock in. You take GP&L rates.
The rest of the city falls outside GP&L lines. Those residents may pick any provider except GP&L, the reverse of what most Texans expect. Confirm which side you land on early, because a Garland electric account opened with the wrong company means a dark apartment on move-in day. The City's service providers and connections page spells out who covers what.
Apply online, by phone at 972-205-2671, or in person at 217 N. Fifth St. on weekdays. Bring a valid Texas driver's license or Texas ID. An out-of-state license works to start, but the City may add a second deposit if you do not produce Texas identification within 30 days.
Garland Water Utilities, Sewer, and Sanitation Share One Account
Every address in Garland gets water from the City, GP&L territory or not. Garland water utilities charges run on two parts: a fixed customer charge for meter reading and account servicing, plus a volume charge tied to metered use. Sewer and solid waste land on the same statement.
Here is the part that surprises new apartment residents. Many communities never open a City water account in your name at all. Under Texas Water Code Chapter 13 and rules from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, apartment owners may bill residents for water and wastewater through submetering, which measures each unit, or allocation, which divides a master-meter bill by a formula. Owners have to register with the PUCT before billing tenants this way, and tenants can request the underlying utility bills and calculations.
What Does It Cost to Start Garland Utilities?
Budget around $230 for the City portion. Setting up utilities in Garland carries a $200 deposit for electric or electric-and-water accounts and $75 for water-only accounts, plus a $30 account establishment fee on the first bill, per City figures published as of August 2026. Two ways around the deposit exist. A letter of credit from a previous electric, water, or gas provider works if you had no more than one late payment in the past 12 months. Or pay $10 for an Experian credit check at the customer service office.
Deposits are not gone forever. After 12 months of acceptable payment history, you can request a refund and the City applies it as a credit to your balance.
| Service | Who provides it | How you start it | Up-front cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Garland Power & Light (about 85% of the city) | City of Garland utility application | $200 deposit, or a letter of credit |
| Water and sewer | City of Garland, or your apartment community | Same City application, or your lease addendum | $75 deposit for water-only accounts |
| Trash and recycling | City sanitation, or the property's hauler | Added to the City account automatically | Bundled into the deposit |
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy | Separate account, by phone or online | Deposit possible, based on credit |
| Internet and TV | Frontier, AT&T, Spectrum, or 5G home service | Order direct from the provider | Equipment and install fees vary |
| Typical move-in outlay | City of Garland | One application covers all City services | About $230 before gas or internet |
Rates shift with the City budget cycle, so treat these as planning numbers, not a quote. After 12 months at one address with a zero balance, budget billing smooths summer spikes by averaging your prior year. Households under 150% of federal poverty guidelines may qualify for help through the state's Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program.
Which Internet Providers Garland TX Renters Can Actually Choose?
Start with your exact address, not the city name. Frontier and AT&T both run fiber here, Spectrum covers a wide cable footprint, and T-Mobile and Verizon sell 5G home service with no installer visit. Availability shifts block by block.
Comparison sites disagree about coverage. One 2026 roundup pegged Frontier fiber at roughly 84% of Garland, another put it above 90%. Neither replaces checking your own address on the FCC National Broadband Map, which publishes what providers actually report to the federal government.
Apartments add a wrinkle. Some communities have bulk agreements or wiring that favors one carrier, so ask the leasing office what other residents use before scheduling installation. Two weeks of lead time is reasonable for fiber. Setting up utilities in Garland goes smoothest when the internet order is the first call you make, not the last, and our map and directions page has the address you will need for every availability check.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is the Garland gas company, and will I need an account?
Atmos Energy provides natural gas throughout Garland. The City itself does not sell gas. Plenty of Garland apartments run all-electric, with electric ranges, water heaters, and heat pumps, so many residents never open a gas account at all. Check your appliances or ask the leasing office first.
2. When should I set up utilities in Garland TX before move-in day?
Give yourself about a week. A short checklist keeps it from going sideways:
- Apply with the City of Garland five to seven business days out
- Have your Texas ID and signed lease ready to upload
- Book the internet install as soon as you have a lease date
- Ask whether water and trash bill through the property or the City
3. Why does my Garland water bill come from my apartment community?
State rules let apartment owners submeter each unit or allocate a master-meter bill among residents, then bill it back. Your Garland water bill in that case is a pass-through of what the City charged the property. The lease addendum spells out which method applies and how the math works.
4. How do I report a Garland electric outage?
GP&L takes outage reports at 972-205-3000 or 833-403-2106, and those lines run outside office hours. Check your breaker panel first, since a tripped main mimics an outage. If neighboring units still have power, the problem is more likely inside your unit than on the line.
5. Can I get out of paying the $200 utility deposit?
Two options exist. Bring a letter of credit from your previous electric, water, or gas utility showing no more than one late payment over the last 12 months. Or pay $10 for an Experian credit check at the customer service office, which the City reviews against its own criteria.
Getting Settled in Garland Without the Utility Scramble
Setting up utilities in Garland comes down to one City application, one possible gas account, and one internet decision. Short list, by Texas standards. The combined City bill also means fewer due dates once you are in. Ask your leasing team which services the property already covers, since that answer can cut the work in half.
Ready to make the move? Browse available floor plans or start your rental application online. Full details on City accounts live on the start, stop, and transfer service page.
