Average Utilities Cost Per Month In US Homes

The amount you spend on your utilities each month depends on several factors, including where you live, the size of your homeand how committed you are to taking the steps necessary to reduce your energy consumption.

A typical household in the United States spends more than $4,400 a year on utility bills, according to recent data from Move.org. That’s more than $366 a month.

Let’s take a closer look at how much homeowners and renters spend on the various utilities that power their homes. We’ll also explore some ways to lower your average utility bill each month.

How much can you expect to pay for your home’s water? That depends on where you live, the size of your home and the ways you use water.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average U.S. household uses about 88 gallons of water per day for every person. This means a family of four would use about 10,500 gallons of water in a typical 30-day stretch.

The nonprofit global water research organization Circle of Blue says it could cost you anywhere from $35 to $115 a month to pay for water, depending on where you live.

Even if you take steps to conserve the amount of water you’re using, you still might spend more than you’d like. In some cities, water just costs more.

Your electric bill is like your water bill: How much you’re charged each month will depend on where you live, how big your home is and whether you leave the lights on all day or flip the switches as you move from room to room.

That said, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the average electric bill for U.S. households came in at $117.46 per month in 2020.

Again, how much you pay can vary depending on where you live. In Hawaii, for example, the EIA said that the average monthly electric bill was far higher than the national average at $162.66 in 2020. However, that same figure in New Mexico came in at $86.66 a month.

How average are you with the amount you pay for electricity each month? A good way to determine this is to study how your average electricity bill compares to other consumers in your state and across the country.

Here’s a look at the average 2020 monthly electric bill in every state, courtesy of the EIA.

Alabama: $143.95

Arizona: $136.70

Arkansas: $110.33

California: $116.94

Colorado: $87.88

Connecticut: $161.55

Delaware: $117.09

Florida: $128.64

Georgia: $129.92

Hawaii: $162.66

Idaho: $95.04

Illinois: $93.98

Indiana: $120.34

Iowa: $107.78

Kansas: $113.52

Kentucky: $116.62

Louisiana: $116.07

Maine: $95.77

Maryland: $124.50

Massachusetts: $132.18

Michigan: $109.86

Minnesota: $102.11

Missouri: $115.35

Montana: $96.49

Nebraska: $109.39

Nevada: $110.36

New Hampshire: $120.01

New Jersey: $109.54

New Mexico: $86.66

New York: $110.47

North Carolina: $118.44

North Dakota: $113.26

Ohio: $107.30

Oregon: $102.32

Oklahoma: $109.07

Pennsylvania: $114.90

Rhode Island: $130.75

South Carolina: $138.16

South Dakota: $121.77

Tennessee: $125.70

Texas: $132.59

Utah: $80.24

Vermont: $110.79

Virginia: $131.72

Washington: $95.72

West Virginia: $124.09

Wisconsin: $99.42

Wyoming: $96.59

Wondering how much you’ll spend on natural gas costs when you move into a new home? Figuring this out can be tricky. That’s because so many variables can impact your natural gas bill.

For example, your gas bill will be higher if your home’s furnace, water heater, oven, stove and dryer are powered by gas. If your home’s appliances are instead powered mostly by electricity, your monthly gas bill will drop.

It also matters where you live. Your area’s climate plays a major role in the size of your monthly gas bills. Heating a home accounts for the greatest consumption of natural gas. If you live in a cold climate where the winter months see frigid temperatures, you’ll probably spend more on natural gas than someone in a milder climate.

Then there’s the size of your home. As you might guess, it takes far more gas to heat a larger home. Consequently, you’ll pay more each month in natural gas if you own a big home.

You can impact how much gas your home consumes each month by boosting the energy efficiency of your home. Adding more insulation to your home’s walls, for instance, will keep the hot air in your residence for a longer amount of time. Multi-pane windows will do the same. Investing in more efficient furnaces and water heaters will also help reduce your monthly gas bills.

So, how much can you expect to pay each month in natural gas to heat your home and power your gas-fueled appliances? The American Gas Association said in a 2020 report that households in the United States spent an annual average of $667 in natural gas to heat and fuel their homes. That comes out to a bit more than $55 a month.

Knowing what households pay for natural gas in the United States as a whole doesn’t help much if you’re trying to compare your gas consumption and spending to your neighbors.

What can help is a list with the average yearly gas bill in each state. Fortunately, the American Gas Association shared these numbers for 2020.

Alabama: $580

Alaska: $1,714

Arizona: $416

Arkansas: $659

California: $576

Colorado: $536

Connecticut: $1,195

Delaware: $758

Florida: $429

Georgia: $605

Hawaii: $785

Idaho: $482

Illinois: $752

Indiana: $640

Iowa: $528

Kansas: $663

Kentucky: $652

Louisiana: $432

Maine: $1,170

Maryland: $803

Massachusetts: $944

Michigan: $743

Minnesota: $661

Mississippi: $511

Missouri: $723

Montana: $552

Nebraska: $550

Nevada: $526

New Hampshire: $969

New Jersey: $773

New Mexico: $423

New York: $1,017

North Carolina: $636

North Dakota: $545

Ohio: $683

Oklahoma: $575

Oregon: $639

Pennsylvania: $884

Rhode Island: $1,112

South Carolina: $534

South Dakota: $475

Tennessee: $493

Texas: $485

Utah: $603

Vermont: $1,054

Virginia: $721

Washington: $776

West Virginia: $687

Wisconsin: $575

Wyoming: $687

Your phone service, internet connection, cable TV service, garbage collection and recycling pickups are all utilities, too. When estimating how much you’ll spend on utilities each month, you need to also consider these additional costs.

Consider cable and internet. The bill pay service doxo stated in a 2022 report that cable and internet subscribers spend an average of about $114 a month on services. That’s about $1,368 a year.

Residential garbage collection services generally cost between $25 and $100 a month for U.S. households. For recycling pickup, you can expect to pay about $4 every month. 

Based on 2017 data, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) reported that 25% of all U.S. households face a high energy burden. On average, consumers spend more than 6% of their annual income on energy costs.

Paying for utilities is more of a burden, of course, on those with lower incomes. The ACEEE found that 67% of low-income households in the U.S. face a high energy burden, and 60% of these households face a severe energy burden, meaning they pay more than 10% of income on energy.

It’s important to note that the average cost of utilities isn’t decreasing. According to the EIA, the average U.S. residential electricity price paid to utilities rose 4.3% from 2020 to 2021. In fact, electric bills are typically the largest utility cost that homeowners face each month.

When you add up all the utilities that serve your home (everything from water to electricity, cable and internet), how much can you expect to pay each month?

Based on 2020 data, Move.org published a report outlining the average cost of monthly utilities in every state. These amounts factor in the average costs of electricity, water, natural gas, broadband internet, streaming services and trash and recycling for a U.S. household every month.

Here are the results:

Alabama: $376.99

Alaska: $420.65

Arizona: $343.56

Arkansas: $341.69

California: $326.88

Colorado: $314.80

Connecticut: $438.21

Delaware: $362.05

Florida: $342.44

Georgia: $367.63

Hawaii: $413.14

Idaho: $313.08

Illinois: $343.36

Indiana: $356.80

Iowa: $336.24

Kansas: $352.62

Kentucky: $357.77

Louisiana: $337.79

Maine: $392.56

Maryland: $380.14

Massachusetts: $413.05

Michigan: $346.51

Minnesota: $341.21

Mississippi: $356.38

Missouri: $363.80

Montana: $324.17

Nebraska: $334.83

Nevada: $330.82

New Hampshire: $395.47

New Jersey: $353.89

New Mexico: $288.54

New York: $374.35

North Carolina: $365.27

North Dakota: $343.91

Ohio: $353.41

Oklahoma: $348.72

Oregon: $333.27

Pennsylvania: $375.70

Rhode Island: $404.21

South Carolina: $385.75

South Dakota: $342.05

Tennessee: $356.83

Texas: $356.53

Utah: $305.13

Vermont: $369.86

Virginia: $378.91

Washington: $336.36

West Virginia: $356.10

Wisconsin: $326.98

Wyoming: $326.98

Along with the above list and using 2020 data, Move.org put together a list of the 10 states where the combined cost of utilities was highest, as well as a list of the 10 states where utilities were most affordable.

Here are the 10 states where utility costs are the highest each month:

1. Connecticut: Natural gas costs an average of $108.17, higher than in most states. Connecticut's average $150.71 electricity bill is high, too, ranking as one of the highest in the country.

2. Alaska: Move.org said Alaska residents paid more for natural gas than the residents of any other state, an average of $122.83 a month.

3. Hawaii: The biggest culprit in Hawaii is electricity, which ranks as the most expensive in the United States. Electricity costs an average of $168.21 monthly.

4. Massachusetts: The electric bills are high in Massachusetts, at an average of $125.89 per month.

5. Rhode Island: Natural gas and internet costs rank high in Rhode Island, coming in at $103.42 and $121.62 a month, respectively.

6. New Hampshire: Residents pay more for natural gas in New Hampshire than in most states, at about $96.50 a month.

7. Maine: Maine residents can expect to pay about $114.67 on natural gas and $100.53 on electricity bills every month.

8. South Carolina: South Carolina residents pay a lot for electricity, an average of $144.73 a month, according to Move.org.

9. Maryland: Maryland’s average electricity bill is about $13 over the national average based on Move.org’s research, at about $127.92 a month.

10. Virginia: The average cost of utilities in Virginia is $20 over the national average, coming in at $378.91 a month.

If you’re looking for smaller monthly bills, consider moving to one of these next 10 states. Move.org ranks them as the states with the lowest average monthly utility bills.

1. New Mexico: Residents pay about $288.54 in utilities every month, making New Mexico the state with the cheapest average monthly utility bills.

2. Utah: Electricity, natural gas and internet service all rank below average in Utah. Natural gas costs are among the most affordable in the country at $50.75 a month.

3. Idaho: According to Move.org's list, natural gas is particularly cheap here, averaging $40.17 a month. Electricity is pretty cheap, too, costing an average of just $93.83 a month.

4. Colorado: The monthly natural gas and electricity bills for Colorado residents are also pretty affordable, coming in at $50.92 and $83.07, respectively.

5. Montana: Montana has one of the cheaper natural gas bills in the country, costing just $50.33 a month on average.

6. California: California residents pay about $44.83 a month for natural gas, one of the cheapest natural gas bills in the nation.

7. Wisconsin: Monthly internet and natural gas bills are pretty affordable in Wisconsin, with monthly averages of $46.46 and $54.08, respectively.

8. Nevada: Affordable natural gas costs are again a main factor for Nevada, which ranks as the eighth most affordable state in America for utility costs. Natural gas is pretty inexpensive here as well, coming in at just $42.75 per month on average.

9. Wyoming: Wyoming ranks ninth for most affordable monthly utilities, with an average of $96.53 a month for electricity and $56.58 a month for gas.

10. Oregon: Residents of Oregon are fortunate to pay below-average monthly fees for both electricity and natural gas. Thanks to this, the state has some of the lowest monthly utility costs in the country.

It’s possible to reduce the money you spend on electricity, water and gas simply by changing your habits or investing in energy-efficient appliances and insulation. Here are some changes that could possibly lead to big savings:

• Work that thermostat. In the winter, keep your home colder when you’re not in the house and only boost the temperature when you return. In the summer, let the temperature rise in your home when you’re. There’s no need to blast the heat or air conditioning if you’re not around to enjoy it.
• Check your windows and doors. Drafty windows and doors cause your home’s heating and cooling systems to work harder. That increases your monthly utility bills. Replace windows that leak air with more efficient models. Do the same with your doors to keep the cold and hot air inside your home.
• Take shorter showers. You can dramatically cut your water usage and lower your water bill by taking shorter showers. Reducing your shower time by as little as 5 minutes a day can make a dramatic impact.
• Invest in a more efficient showerhead. New showerheads, even efficient ones, aren’t overly expensive. Investing in a showerhead that uses less water can further reduce your monthly water bills by a significant amount.
• Don’t use hot water in your washing machine. You’d be surprised at how much more energy your washing machine will use when you wash your clothes in hot water. To save on energy usage, wash your clothes in cold or warm water instead.
• Fix faucets that leak. A leaky faucet is annoying, but it’s also expensive. All that dripping adds up to a lot of wasted water by the end of the month. Fix your drippy faucets and watch your water bill dip.
• Invest in energy-efficient appliances. It might be expensive to replace older appliances with energy-efficient models, but newer models consume far less energy. Spending your money on a more efficient refrigerator, dishwasher, furnace or air conditioning unit can end up leaving you with far lower bills each month.
• Invest in new light bulbs. Newer light bulbs of the fluorescent or LED variety consume far less energy than your typical halogen light bulb.

What is the average cost of electricity?

According to the EIA’s 2020 data, the average monthly electricity bill in the United States is about $117.46.

What is the average water bill?

Based on a report by Move.org, the average water bill comes out to about $70.93 a month. However, your water bill can cost anywhere between $35 and $115, or more, depending on where you live, the size of your home and other factors.

What is the average gas bill?

Move.org found that the average monthly gas bill totaled about $63.34 for U.S. households. 

What is the average cost of utilities for a house per month?

The average cost of monthly utilities for your home depends greatly on the size of your house, the state you live in, how much of the utilities you use, and so on. According to Move.org, the average cost of utilities each month per U.S. household comes out to about $370.16.

You can reduce your utility costs several ways, even if you don’t move to another state. Consider all the ways you can save onyour future utility bills. Not only will you help your bank account, but you’ll also help the environment.

Knowing what you spend – and what you could save – on utility bills can also ease your overall cost of living. Learn more about managing your living expenses for a healthier financial profile.