What Happens to Utility Bills and Mail After Someone Dies in Maryland?

Quick Answer

Nothing gets cancelled automatically. The personal representative named by the Register of Wills is the one who keeps the lights on, pays outstanding bills from estate funds, and redirects the mail. Until that appointment happens, the accounts and the mailbox sit exactly where the deceased left them.

Here's what that looks like in practice. On one Maryland estate, a family let the power get shut off to save money while the house sat empty. Two problems showed up fast. Showings had to stop after sunset because the house had no lights, which cut the pool of buyers who could even walk through it. And with winter coming, nobody could rule out frozen pipes with the heat off. The estate had to call the utility company, turn the power back on, and leave a deposit to reopen the account. That's the mistake this article exists to prevent.

Utility Bills During Probate

The accounts stay in the deceased's name until the personal representative is formally appointed. Once that happens:

• The PR contacts each utility company directly, using the Letters of Administration issued by the Register of Wills as proof of authority.
• Bills get paid from estate funds, not out of a family member's pocket. Track every payment. The Orphans' Court will ask for an accounting.
• Utilities should stay on, not off, while the house is being sold or transferred. A vacant, unheated house in winter risks frozen pipes, and shutting off the power also kills showings after sunset, which shrinks the pool of buyers who can even see the house.
• If the PR wants to lower costs while the house sits empty, the move is a service downgrade, not a shutoff. Keep heat running. Keep the power on so the house can be shown and shown safely. Once an account gets fully shut off, reopening it can mean the estate leaving a new deposit with the utility company just to turn it back on.

The Deceased's Mail

Mail matters more than most families realize. Bank statements, unpaid bills, tax notices, and creditor letters all keep arriving, and every one of them is information the PR needs.

• File a mail forwarding request with USPS to the personal representative's address. Bring the Letters of Administration to the local post office if the online form gets flagged.
• Open everything. A stack of unopened mail is how a family misses a lien, a second mortgage, or a collections notice until it's a bigger problem.
• Keep a simple log of what shows up and from whom. It becomes part of the estate accounting and helps identify creditors the family didn't know existed.
• Don't assume a subscription or a small recurring charge will stop on its own. Cancel it directly once the PR has authority to act.

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