How to Cancel Utilities After a Death in the ACT: ActewAGL, Icon Water, and More

Dealing with utility accounts after someone dies is one of those tasks that feels minor until you are actually doing it. Each provider has its own process, its own documentation requirements, and its own timeline for issuing a final bill. Get the timing wrong and you may be paying bills on a vacant property for months, or worse, miss notifying a provider and have the account default while the estate is still open.

In Canberra, the main utility providers are ActewAGL (electricity and gas) and Icon Water (water and sewerage). Here is how to handle both, along with the other accounts that typically need addressing.

What you actually need before you start

Almost every utility provider in the ACT requires the same core documents:

• The death certificate — the official certificate issued by Access Canberra, not the interim certificate used in coronial cases. This takes up to 15 business days to process after the funeral director lodges the registration. You cannot close most utility accounts without it.
• Proof of executor authority — either the Will naming you as executor, or a Grant of Probate if the account is being transferred rather than closed. For simple account closures on a deceased sole-owner account, the Will is usually sufficient. Banks may require probate; utilities generally do not.
• The account number and most recent bill — essential for identifying the account and ensuring the final bill is directed correctly.

Some providers will allow you to notify them of the death and begin the process before the certificate arrives, but they will not close the account or issue a final bill until they have the certificate in hand.

ActewAGL: electricity and gas

ActewAGL is the primary electricity and gas retailer for most Canberra households. Their bereavement team can be reached on 13 12 93.

When you call, you will need to advise:

• The account holder's full name and date of birth
• The property address
• The date of death
• Your relationship to the deceased and your own contact details

ActewAGL's standard process for a deceased account is:

1. The account is flagged as deceased — no further direct debits will be processed.
2. A final meter read is scheduled (either an in-person read or a smart meter reading).
3. A final bill is issued in the deceased's name.
4. The account is closed once the final bill is settled from the estate.

If another person is taking over the property — a beneficiary moving in, or a new tenant — they need to open a new account in their own name. ActewAGL does not transfer accounts between individuals; the existing account is closed and a new one is opened.

If the property will be vacant: Vacant properties still incur supply charges and, in some cases, meter access fees. Contact ActewAGL to discuss the most cost-effective arrangement during the administration period. Disconnection is an option but may incur reconnection fees if the property is later sold or occupied.

Direct debits and credit cards: If the deceased's account was set up on direct debit from a bank account, the bank will cancel direct debits when the account is frozen after death notification. However, if the utility account was set on a credit card direct debit, the bank may or may not freeze the card immediately. Confirm the payment method with ActewAGL so the estate is not charged after the account should have been closed.

Icon Water: water and sewerage

Icon Water is the ACT's water and sewerage utility. They can be reached at 1300 361 009. Their bereavement process is similar to ActewAGL:

• Notify them of the death and provide the account holder's details and property address.
• They will arrange a final meter read.
• A final bill is issued and the account closed once settled.

Icon Water's final bills often take 4 to 6 weeks after notification to arrive, depending on meter reading schedules. Plan for this in the estate's cashflow — the estate remains liable for the bill even if the property has been vacated.

For a surviving spouse who continues living at the property, Icon Water will transfer the account into the surviving spouse's name on request, provided you supply the death certificate and identification.

Other accounts commonly held in the deceased's name

Internet and home phone (Telstra, Optus, iiNet)

Contact the provider's bereavement team — most major telcos have a dedicated pathway. You can either close the account (a final bill is issued) or transfer it to another name. For NBN connections, be aware that if the account closes and a new subscriber wants service at the same address, there can be a reconnection delay.

Telstra: 13 22 00 (ask for Bereavement Support) Optus: 1300 137 897

Pay TV (Foxtel)

Foxtel can be cancelled by calling 1300 656 351 and advising of the death. There is no early termination fee for a bereavement cancellation on a contract subscription. Equipment (set-top boxes, satellite dishes) must be returned or Foxtel will issue a fee for non-return.

Rates and land tax (ACT Revenue Office)

If the deceased owned property in the ACT, quarterly rates notices will continue to be issued until the property is sold or transferred. Notify the ACT Revenue Office of the death through their online portal or by calling 02 6207 0028. They will flag the account and can defer any instalment due while the estate is being administered, provided you contact them before the instalment deadline.

NBN (if separately contracted)

If the deceased held a standalone NBN contract (distinct from their internet provider), contact NBN Co's customer service to advise of the death. In most cases the account sits with the retail provider, not NBN Co directly — check the bill to confirm.

Timing: when to close versus transfer

Close the account if:

• The property is being sold as part of the estate distribution
• The property will be rented to a new tenant (the new tenant opens their own accounts)
• No one is continuing to live at the property

Transfer the account if:

• A surviving spouse or beneficiary is moving into or already living at the property
• The estate is distributing the property to a beneficiary who wants continuity of service

For vacant properties being administered over several months, keeping utility accounts open (even on a minimal plan) is usually preferable to closing and reconnecting, particularly for security systems and any property maintenance.

The ACT Estate Settlement Guide includes a full agency notification checklist — covering utilities, government agencies, financial institutions, and subscription services — with the contact details and documentation required for each. Get it at /au/australian-capital-territory/estate-settlement/.

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