Closing Your Utilities Account When a Tenancy Ends in Singapore

The utilities account is the one move-out task that is not about the unit itself, so it is the one tenants forget. Then the final bill lands after handover, the landlord is still holding the rental deposit, and a S$150 electricity bill turns into a week of WhatsApp messages. Here is how SP account closure works, what the utilities deposit is, and how to stop the final bill from holding up your rental deposit.

How do you close an SP utilities account when you move out?

Only the account holder can close it, so check whose name the account is in well before the last week. In most rentals the tenant opens the account in their own name at move-in. If the landlord kept the account and you reimbursed them each month, the closure is the landlord's job and the final bill is a line item between the two of you.

One detail catches people out: SP says your account closes automatically when the new occupant opens a utilities account for the same premises. That protects you if the next tenant moves in straight away, but do not rely on it. If the unit sits empty for three weeks, those three weeks are billed to you.

When should you close it: before or after handover?

Submit the request about a week ahead. SP asks new occupants to allow 7 business days of lead time after opening an account, so a landlord lining up the next tenant will want your closure date early. Put it into your 30-day end-of-lease countdown alongside the notice letter and the contractor booking.

How much is the SP utilities security deposit?

Source: SP Group residential utilities guide, security deposit table dated August 2026. Check the live page before relying on a figure, as SP revises it from time to time.

How long does the SP deposit refund take?

A worked example: a foreign tenant in a condo who does not pay by GIRO lodged S$300. The final bill for the last 18 days, with aircon running through the reinstatement works, comes to S$146. SP keeps S$146 and refunds S$154. If the final bill is larger than the deposit, you pay the difference; the deposit offsets the bill, it does not cap it.

If you are leaving Singapore, sort out the refund method before you fly. A refund routed to a local bank account you have already closed becomes a paperwork exercise from overseas.

What if you buy electricity from a retailer?

Read the retailer contract before you call. Fixed-price plans commonly run 12 or 24 months, and tenancies often end mid-contract. Ask the retailer in writing whether any early termination charge applies when you move house, and whether they hold a separate security deposit that needs refunding. Keep the reply; it is your answer if a charge shows up on the last bill.

What about the gas account?

If the landlord wants gas kept on for the next tenant, agree who pays the termination fee, or whether the incoming tenant simply takes over supply. It is a small sum, which is exactly why it gets argued about at the handover inspection.

Can the landlord hold back your rental deposit for the final bill?

The way to keep the holdback small is evidence. At the handover inspection:

1. Photograph every meter (electricity, water, gas) with the reading and a timestamp visible, in front of the landlord or agent.
2. Write the readings on the handover form and have both sides sign. This fixes the cut-off even if the next tenant's account starts days later.
3. Agree the holdback amount in writing, based on your last two bills plus a margin, not the full deposit.
4. Forward the final bill and proof of payment the day it is settled, and ask for the balance within the refund period your tenancy agreement sets.

If the landlord keeps more than the utilities could plausibly cost, it is a deposit dispute like any other. Our guides to getting your full rental deposit back and security deposit disputes and the Small Claims Tribunals cover the next steps.

What is the right order for the move-out utilities steps?

1. Four weeks out: confirm whose name the SP, retailer and gas accounts are in.
2. Two to three weeks out: book reinstatement, cleaning and aircon servicing so all works finish before handover.
3. One week out: submit the SP closure, plus any retailer and City Energy requests, dated to handover day.
4. Handover day: photograph the meters, record the readings on the form, agree any utilities holdback.
5. After handover: pay the final bill, send proof, and track the SP refund (up to 30 business days).

Everything else due that week is in our end-of-tenancy checklist.