Moving Into a New Pittsburgh Apartment? Here’s Who to Call About Utilities & Internet.

Posted on by Laura Greenawalt

You signed the lease. You found a couch on Facebook Marketplace. Your buddies are lined up to unload a truck on the hottest Saturday of the year.

Here’s the real measure of getting your apartment set up: figuring out which utility companies you actually need to call, and which ones your landlord already handles.

If you’re moving into Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, Bloomfield, Garfield, Lawrenceville, or the South Side, good news: it’s the same short list of companies for all of them. Here’s the whole picture, in the order you should tackle it.

Step one: read your lease

Before you call anyone, check the utilities section of your lease. Every landlord splits things differently. Some cover everything but electric. Some cover nothing but water. The lease will tell you which accounts need to go in your name. Calling a utility company to set up an account your landlord already pays for is a headache nobody needs.

Not sure after reading it? Ask your landlord or property manager directly: “Which utilities do I need to put in my name before move-in?” It’s a completely normal question, and they answer it a dozen times every August.

Electric: Duquesne Light (you’ll almost definitely set this up)

Every neighborhood on this list gets electricity from Duquesne Light. If any utility goes in your name, it’s this one — electric is the account tenants are most commonly responsible for.

  • Website: duquesnelight.com (start service online under “New Residential Customer”)
  • Phone: 1-888-393-7100
  • What you’ll need: Your service address, move-in date, Social Security number or other ID for identity verification, and contact info. You must be 18 or older to open an account.
  • Timing: Apply a few days before move-in so the account starts on day one — otherwise you may be on the hook for whoever lived there before, or worse, the power gets shut off between tenants.

One Pittsburgh quirk worth knowing: Pennsylvania has a deregulated electricity market, which means you can optionally shop for a different electricity supplier through PAPowerSwitch.com while Duquesne Light still delivers it. Totally optional. If you do nothing, you get Duquesne Light’s default rate, which is a perfectly fine choice for a nine-month lease. Be careful with these suppliers, however. They can have terms that make it hard to leave early or switch back if their costs rise more than what Duquesne Light offers.

Gas: Peoples Natural Gas (common, but check your lease)

Lots of older apartments in Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Squirrel Hill, and the South Side have gas heat, gas water heaters, or gas stoves. If your unit does — and your lease says gas is on you — you’ll set up an account with Peoples Natural Gas.

  • Website: peoples-gas.com (start service through Peoples e-Account)
  • Phone: 1-800-764-0111, Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • What you’ll need: Your address, move-in date, and identifying info. Heads up for multi-unit buildings: if the gas meter is in a locked basement or utility room, Peoples needs access to it on activation day, so coordinate with your landlord before scheduling.
  • Gas emergencies (you smell gas): 1-800-400-4271, any time.

If your building is all-electric, skip this one entirely.

Internet: Local and National Options (usually you)

Landlords in these neighborhoods rarely provide Internet unless it is a new, high-end, multi-unit building.

The providers you’ll run into most around Pittsburgh are Xfinity, Verizon Fios (in parts of the East End), and us — Green Light Wireless, Pittsburgh’s independent ISP, based right in Shadyside since 2004.

Some national providers may already be set up at your apartment, with cable run through walls or floors. Your landlord will tell you what is allowed if it’s not spelled out in the lease. They may require a one year contract, which might not make sense if you don’t plan to stay all summer.

Our Unlimited 5G Internet is built for exactly this situation: it’s plug and play. A device shows up, you plug it in, and you’re online — no technician appointment, no drilling holes in a rental you don’t own, no waiting around during move-in week. And when you move next year, the device moves with you.

A few things worth comparing before you pick, because they matter more for a student lease than for anyone else:

  • Contracts. A 12-month contract on a 9-month lease is how people end up paying early termination fees in May. Green Light Wireless is contract-free — month to month, cancel or move whenever.
  • Equipment fees. National providers often tack on a monthly router rental. Our monthly price includes taxes, fees, and equipment — the number you see is the number you pay.
  • Who picks up the phone. When your Wi-Fi dies during finals week, you want local HelpDesk support, not a national call center.
  • Sign up is simple. Just fill out the form and your device will be on its way (from Shadyside).

Green Light Wireless is contract-free and cable-free. Just plug and go.

Student move-in special

If you’re moving in for the fall semester, we’re cutting our one-time setup fee in half — $125 instead of $250 — for new student subscribers. Use promo code NewStudent when you sign up. That fee covers all your equipment with no monthly rental charges afterward, and there’s no other setup required on your end. After that, your service is just $60/month. All up, all in.

Water & sewer: Pittsburgh Water (usually your landlord’s, but verify)

In Pittsburgh, unpaid water charges become a lien on the property, not the person. Because of that, many landlords keep the water account in their own name and either cover it or bill you back. Most student renters never open a water account. But some leases do require it — so this is a check-your-lease situation.

All of these neighborhoods are served by Pittsburgh Water (you may still hear people call it PWSA: same organization, recent rebrand). Water covers sewer too: wastewater treatment is handled regionally by ALCOSAN, but it shows up as a line on the same Pittsburgh Water bill, so there’s no separate sewer company to call.

On the off chance that your lease says water’s on you:

  • Website: pgh2o.com — look for the “Application for Service – Tenants” form
  • Phone: 412-255-2423
  • What you’ll need: Proof of tenancy (your lease, a landlord authorization, or valid ID plus a utility bill), your move-in date, and contact info.

Trash & recycling: Thanks, Pittsburgh! Nothing to set up

Within Pittsburgh city limits, trash is handled by the city’s Environmental Services — no account, no signup, no bill. Buildings with five or fewer units get weekly trash pickup and every-other-week recycling at the curb. Larger apartment buildings use a private hauler arranged by building management, which is also not your problem.

The only thing you need is your pickup day. Punch your address into pgh.st and it’ll tell you. Trash goes out after 6 p.m. the night before — a tradition you’ll learn by watching your entire street do it at once.

Checking off the to-do list before you move in

For most student apartments in Oakland and the surrounding neighborhoods, your to-do list is: Duquesne Light (almost always), Peoples Natural Gas (if your unit uses gas and the lease says so), Pittsburgh Water (rarely — check your lease), trash (already handled), and Internet (always you).

Make the calls a week before move-in, and the only thing left to figure out is how to get that couch up the stairs.

Curious if Green Light Wireless serves your address? Check your address

No Contract, No Catch: Why Internet Service Should be Simple

Essential utilities

Posted on by Laura Greenawalt

Quick question: do you have a contract with your water company?

How about your electric company? Did anyone make you sign a 24-month agreement before they’d let you turn on the lights? Did your gas company offer you a “promotional rate” that quietly doubled after the first year?

Of course not. Because those are utilities. They’re necessities. You pay for what you use, and if you move or switch, you just… do that. No exit fees. No retention department. No credit check. No 45-minute phone call where someone in Phoenix, Arizona tries to talk you out of it.

We believe that in 2026, the Internet is an essential utility. You need it for work, for your kids to do homework, to see your doctor, to watch the Penguins lose in overtime (we still aren’t over it). It’s as essential as turning on the lights.

So why does Internet often come with so many contract gimmicks?

Contracts protect the company, not you

Let’s be transparent about how the big providers’ math works, because once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

When a provider signs you up, they have spent real money to get you: installation, equipment, marketing, that first-year promotional rate they advertised on every single streaming service. For a while, you’re actually not very profitable to them. They need you to stick around long enough to recoup those costs.

That’s what the contract is for. It’s not a handshake. It’s a guarantee to them that you’ll stay put long enough for the math to work out.

Year two is where they make their money. What they’re really counting on is that by the time your introductory rate is done, you’re settled. Your Wi-Fi network has a name. Your devices are all connected. Switching feels like a hassle, so most people don’t.

That’s exactly when the promotional rate expires and the real price kicks in. The contract got you in the door; inertia keeps you there; the rate hike happens and you live with it.

None of this is a conspiracy theory, it’s just their business model. Time-based pricing games aren’t about rewarding you. They’re about holding you hostage until you’re profitable.

No contract Internet means we have to earn your trust

Green Light Wireless exclusively offers no contract Internet. Our pricing is our pricing, it’s posted right on our website, it includes all taxes and fees, and doesn’t balloon in month 13.

That means every single month you’re choosing us again. If we stop earning your trust you can leave. No fees, no call center. If you’re willing to tell us why, we will use that information to keep improving our service for your neighbors and everyone we serve.

Honestly? We prefer it that way. A contract means a company only has to be good at sales once. No contract means we have to be good at service forever. It keeps us honest, and it keeps the relationship the right way around: we work for you, not the other way.

The Internet should be boring (in a good way)

Your utilities shouldn’t play games with you, and when they try to, Pittsburgh speaks up! They should work reliably, cost what you expect it would cost, and be supported by a local team who work to solve your problems.

Heck, we’ll even drop off the router and get your first devices connected, if you want. Call us at (412)228-3000 and ask about White Glove Installation.

Curious if Green Light Wireless serves your address? Check here.

Here’s When (and How) to Switch Internet Providers in Pittsburgh

Rooftops in Lawrenceville

Posted on by Laura Greenawalt

People switch Internet providers for all kinds of reasons.

Sometimes it’s pure logistics: you’ve got a new place and your old ISP can’t move with you to the new address. Sometimes it’s time to simplify and cut the bundle down to what you actually use. Sometimes it’s more intentional, like the decision to choose local over national, and put a little more thought into where your monthly bill goes and who it supports.

And sometimes, yes, someone has simply had enough with mediocre service. Switching Internet providers in Pittsburgh is more straightforward than most companies want you to believe, and there are better options than there used to be.

When is it actually time to switch?

The honest answer: whenever it makes sense for you. But here are a few natural moments worth paying attention to.

Your contract might be ending. Do you know the date? Most national ISP contracts run 12 or 24 months, and a lot of people don’t realize they’re in one until they try to leave. Check your current agreement. If you’re coming up on the end of a term, that’s your easiest and cleanest exit point with no early termination fees, no awkward conversations, just a clean handoff.

You’re relocating. Moving is one of the best natural “out” moments the universe gives you. You’re already changing addresses, so why carry the same provider to a new place? It’s worth taking a beat to ask whether what worked (or didn’t) in your last spot is really what you want to start fresh with.

Your bill changed and nobody told you. Introductory pricing is one of the oldest tricks in the national ISP playbook. They know that the hassle of changing ISPs will probably mean you’ll live with the price hike at the end of the promotional term. If month 13 looks meaningfully different from month one, that’s a reasonable prompt to go shopping.

What to look for in a new provider

Not all Internet is created equal, but really, in Pittsburgh, the differences between Internet providers aren’t really that huge. Most communities are connected by “one-or-the-other” major national carriers and go with whatever their neighbors have. It might feel like there’s not even a choice available.

Pricing transparency. Try to answer the exact same question with every provider you consider: “What will I pay next year?” If the answer is different from month one, factor that in. What you want is a flat rate, stated clearly, with no promotional period and no equipment rental tacked on.

Contract terms. No contract doesn’t just mean flexibility, it means your provider has to keep earning your business every month. That’s a fundamentally different relationship than one where they’ve already locked in your revenue for two years.

Advanced technology. Pittsburgh’s legacy cable & fiber infrastructure is fine. But 5G technology, which is delivered over a wireless network rather than physical cable, has become a genuine alternative for many Pittsburghers who have been limited to big ISPs in their neighborhood. Today’s business-grade 5G has comparable speeds and a modern plug-and-go setup. It’s worth understanding what you’re actually getting before you sign anything.

Local support. When something goes wrong with your connection (and at some point, something always does) the difference between calling a Pittsburgh-based support team and navigating a national call center is significant. Local providers can move faster and generally treat you like a neighbor rather than a ticket number.

How to Change your Internet Service Provider

Switching is less painful than most people expect, especially when your new provider doesn’t require a technician installation.

Review your current contract. If you’re still in a term, check for an early termination fee. Sometimes it’s worth paying to get out. In other cases, timing your switch around your contract end date is the smarter move.

Research your options and check availability. Not every provider serves every Pittsburgh neighborhood. Check whether Green Light Wireless covers your address before you go any further. We can serve a 30-mile radius from downtown, including most neighborhoods where the national providers have had the market to themselves for a long time. Don’t see your address? Let us know.

Don’t cancel before you’re connected. Make sure your new service is active and working before you cancel your old one. Overlap by a few days if you can, this way you don’t lose continuity for work or other important needs.

Return equipment promptly. Most national ISPs will charge you for unreturned equipment. Get a receipt when you return it and keep it.

Try it risk-free. If you’re on the fence, here’s something worth knowing: Green Light Wireless backs every new subscription with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If it’s not working for you in the first month, we’ll refund the whole thing — no questions asked. Well, maybe a few. Just so we don’t make the same mistake for the next person.

Why a local ISP is worth considering

There’s no wrong reason to switch Internet providers. Moving, simplifying, making a more intentional choice, or just finally deciding enough is enough. All of them are valid.

Here’s something the national providers count on you not knowing: there’s a local alternative in Pittsburgh, and it’s built differently by design.

Activation is fast and we can hand-deliver your hardware to you. Most subscribers are connected within a day of signing up. Support doesn’t route through a national call center – it’s coming from a neighborhood nearby. And because we reinvest in the neighborhoods we serve, choosing Green Light is a little bit more than just picking an Internet plan. It’s choosing to keep that money working locally.

Our Network is Growing: Our new high-speed Unlimited 5G Internet service starts at $60 per month. No contracts. No equipment rental fees. No introductory rate that changes next year. In fact, we’ve never raised rates on a current customer.

See what Green Light Wireless options are available in your area.

Green Light Wireless is VPN Friendly

Posted on by Laura Greenawalt

In January 2026, we expanded our local Pittsburgh footprint by offering Unlimited 5G broadband within a 30 mile radius of Pittsburgh. Immediately people started asking us if they can access their work VPN using our 5G Internet. This was a head-scratcher for us because we wouldn’t ever think of offering a carrier-grade product that wasn’t VPN capable.

Continue reading “Green Light Wireless is VPN Friendly” →