What is the general consensus on putting both spouse's names on?
Whether you can use both names on the bill is determined by the utility company. Some will not do it that way. Whether it is a pain or not, you will need to prove the death of your spouse on many different occasions. When your spouse dies, you need certified copies of the death certificate. You will have to use them to prove the death to insurance companies, banks, etc. You can use that to to prove the death. If you can go in person to the office of the utility company, you can show them the death certificate; they may make a copy but often they dont need to have a certified copy in their file. In some cases, you may be able to make the name change by phone, and refer the customer service representative to the death notice and/or obituary in the newspaper. This is personal experience.