How to Set Up Utilities in Vancouver: BC Hydro, FortisBC & Internet (2026)

When I picked up the keys to my first apartment in Richmond after moving to Vancouver in 2025, I had a small panic about utilities. Back home the building handled most of it; here, I wasn't sure what I had to set up, what was included, or whether I'd get hit with deposits because I had no Canadian credit history yet. It turned out to be more straightforward than I feared — but there were a few non-obvious things that would have saved me time and money if I'd known them up front.

The big surprises: you might not need to set up everything (water, for instance, isn't yours to arrange in Metro Vancouver), and a brand-new arrival can avoid the electricity-account security deposit with one simple step. This guide is the complete walkthrough I wish I'd had — what to set up, in what order, roughly what it costs, and the traps to sidestep.

Quick Answer: What Utilities Do I Set Up in a Vancouver Apartment?

You'll set up electricity with BC Hydro (almost always), natural gas with FortisBC (only if your building has gas), and internet with a provider of your choice. Water is included in your rent and is not yours to arrange. Renters insurance isn't a utility, but most landlords require it before move-in.

The one money-saving move every newcomer should know: enrolling in BC Hydro's equal payment plan (or a similar automatic-payment program) when you open your account generally gets the security deposit waived — the deposit that new customers without Canadian credit history would otherwise be asked for.

1. BC Hydro (Electricity)

Nearly every apartment in Metro Vancouver gets its electricity from BC Hydro, the provincial utility. Opening an account is quick and done online:

1. Go to bchydro.com and choose to open an account.
2. Enter your new address and your move-in date.
3. Provide ID (your passport number works) and a phone number.
4. Choose a billing method — online billing is the simplest.

The whole thing takes about ten minutes.

Avoid the security deposit

Here's the part worth slowing down for. New customers without Canadian credit history can be asked for a security deposit when they open an electricity account — the amount isn't fixed; BC Hydro bases it on a multiple of your location's estimated average monthly bill, so it can run to several hundred dollars. The reliable way around it: enrol in BC Hydro's equal payment plan when you open the account (passing a credit check or providing a credit reference letter also works, but most newcomers can't do that yet). Enrolling in the equal payment plan generally gets the deposit waived even with no Canadian credit history — which is exactly the position most newcomers are in. (You'll need a Canadian bank account to set up automatic payments, so if you don't have one yet, that's step one — see the newcomer banking guide.) Confirm the current deposit and waiver terms on BC Hydro's site when you apply, since the policy can change.

What it costs

BC Hydro bills on a roughly bi-monthly cycle (about every two months), which means a smaller-looking number arrives less often — budget for it as a monthly cost even though the bill isn't monthly. Electricity for a one-bedroom apartment is modest; the figure climbs noticeably in winter if your unit has electric baseboard heating, since you're then paying for heat through your Hydro bill rather than gas.

If the seasonal swing bothers you, the equal payment plan does double duty: it's the same enrolment that waives your deposit, and it spreads your annual cost into even monthly amounts so winter doesn't spike. Actual dollar amounts depend on your unit size, how it's heated, and current BC Hydro rates, so treat any figure you see online as a rough guide and check BC Hydro's own rate pages for what applies to you.

Summary: Open a BC Hydro account online in ~10 minutes, enrol in the equal payment plan to skip the deposit, and expect a bi-monthly bill that runs higher in winter if you have electric heat.

2. FortisBC (Natural Gas)

Not every building uses natural gas, so this is a step many newcomers can skip entirely. You only need a FortisBC account if your unit has gas heating, gas hot water, or a gas stove.

If you do need it:

1. Go to fortisbc.com and create an account.
2. Enter your address and move-in date.
3. Provide ID and set up billing.

How to tell if you need FortisBC

Ask your landlord or property manager — this is the fastest answer. As a rule of thumb:

• You likely don't need gas if the building heats with electric baseboard heaters (the slim electric panels along the walls). All-electric buildings — common in newer construction — only need BC Hydro.
• You likely need gas if there's a gas furnace, gas fireplace, or gas stove.

A couple of practical notes when you open a FortisBC account: there's a small one-time account-setup fee, and FortisBC may ask for a security deposit too — but, like BC Hydro, they'll waive it if you pass a credit check. What you'll actually pay each month depends on what's running on gas (heating uses far more than just a stove) and current FortisBC rates, so check their rate pages rather than budgeting from a generic number.

Summary: Set up FortisBC only if your building has gas. Electric-baseboard buildings need just BC Hydro. When in doubt, ask the landlord.

3. Water

You almost never set this up yourself. In Metro Vancouver, water service is the building's responsibility, and for the vast majority of apartment tenants it's bundled into the rent — so there's no account to open and no separate bill to track. What a landlord can or can't charge you for comes down to your tenancy agreement: under BC's tenancy rules, a landlord can only bill you for a utility if you've agreed to it in writing, and they can't switch water from "included" to "extra" partway through your tenancy without your written consent. So read your agreement, and if water is listed as included, that's binding. If you're ever presented with a new "water fee" you didn't agree to, the Residential Tenancy Branch handles disputes.

Summary: Water is normally included in your rent — nothing to arrange. Just confirm it's listed as included in your tenancy agreement.

4. Internet

This is the one utility where you genuinely choose, so it's worth a little comparison rather than defaulting to whoever knocks first.

A few things to know going in:

• Availability depends on your building. Some buildings are wired for fibre; some are served by a single provider; a few have a small local provider that offers better value than the big names. Ask your landlord or neighbours what's actually available at the address before you commit.
• Installation takes a few days, so schedule it before — or as soon as — you move in if you can, rather than after.
• Be wary of long contracts. A two-year "discount" plan often isn't worth the lock-in, especially in your first year when you might move again. Look for month-to-month or no-contract options where you can.

The main categories of provider in Metro Vancouver are the large national carriers (Telus's fibre network covers most of the city; Rogers now runs the former Shaw network after acquiring it, so if someone mentions "Shaw" they mean Rogers today), independent building or city-specific providers like Novus that own their own fibre and can be the best value where available, and smaller resellers that run on the big networks for a lower price but sometimes slower support. Prices and promotions shift constantly, so rather than trusting a number you read months ago, compare current speed, monthly price, and whether there's a contract on each provider's own site — and watch for newcomer or new-customer promotions, which are common. The dedicated internet providers guide goes deeper on the specific options.

Summary: Internet is the one you choose. Check what's available at your building, avoid long contracts, schedule installation early, and look for new-customer deals.

5. Renters Insurance

Renters insurance isn't technically a utility, but I'm including it because most landlords require proof of it before you move in, so it lands on the same first-week to-do list. It covers your belongings and your liability, and it's inexpensive relative to the protection.

You can buy a policy online in a few minutes from a number of insurers, several of which offer instant online quotes. For a typical apartment, a basic tenant policy is one of the cheaper line items in your budget — often in the range of a streaming-service or two per month — but your actual rate depends on your coverage limits, location, and claims history, so get a couple of real quotes rather than relying on a flat figure. Because requirements vary, check your tenancy agreement for any minimum liability coverage your landlord specifies before you buy.

Summary: Budget for renters insurance — most landlords require it. It's cheap, quick to buy online, and protects your stuff and your liability.

What's Typically Included in Rent?

This varies by building, so the golden rule is ask your landlord before you sign. As a general pattern in Metro Vancouver:

• Almost always included: water, garbage, and recycling.
• Sometimes included: heat and hot water (more common in older buildings with central hot-water heating).
• Rarely included: electricity, internet, and parking.

Confirming this up front matters for your budget — a building that includes heat and hot water can be meaningfully cheaper to run than one where everything is on your own accounts.

Putting It in Order: A First-Week Checklist

1. Confirm with your landlord what's included in rent and whether the building has gas.
2. Open a BC Hydro account online and enrol in the equal payment plan to skip the deposit.
3. Open a FortisBC account only if the building has gas.
4. Choose and schedule internet — check building availability first, book installation early.
5. Buy renters insurance if your landlord requires it (most do), before move-in.
6. Skip water — it's included.

Summary: Ask first, then Hydro (with auto-pay), then gas only if needed, then internet, then insurance. Water takes care of itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. BC Hydro — Moving and opening an account — how to open an electricity account
2. BC Hydro — New customers — opening an account as a new or no-credit-history customer
3. BC Hydro — Customer service rules (deposits & equal payment) — how security deposits are set and waived
4. FortisBC — Start, stop or move your service — opening a gas account, setup fee, and deposit/credit-check terms
5. Metro Vancouver — Drinking water — regional water service
6. Residential Tenancy Branch — Province of British Columbia — tenant rights, including when a landlord may charge for utilities and insurance requirements

Just moved in? Pair this with the move-in costs checklist and the newcomer banking guide — a Canadian bank account is what lets you set up the auto-pay that waives your Hydro deposit in the first place.