Utility rates & providers in Los Angeles County, CA

Representative example: Los Angeles (1,000 kWh + 5,000 gal)

Los Angeles County is the nation’s most populous county and contains 88 incorporated cities plus large unincorporated areas. Electric service is split between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) inside much of the City of Los Angeles and Southern California Edison (SCE) across many other cities—including Long Beach in our dataset—under CPUC oversight.

Total estimated monthly utilities

$481.22

Estimated average monthly utilities in Los Angeles are ~$481.22 (1,000 kWh + 5,000 gal assumptions). Average water bill estimate: ~$73.41/mo at 5,000 gallons.

Data freshness: last verified 2026-03-22. County overview narrative last verified 2026-04-13.

Data freshness: 2026-03-22
  • Electric $314.63 (65%)
  • Water $73.41 (15%)
  • Sewer $56.87 (12%)
  • Trash $36.32 (8%)

Utilities here are about 10% lower than the California city average, driven mainly by electric rates.

  • In California, heating and cooling often makes electric the largest share of the bill.
  • Trash is provided by private haulers; residents choose their own. Our estimate reflects typical rates for the area—contact haulers for exact pricing.

Water, sewer, and trash follow city or district boundaries: Los Angeles uses LADWP water schedules, Long Beach bills municipal water and sewer, and Pasadena operates its own utility programs. Our county table lists Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Pasadena; use the city page that matches your bill header.

Utility breakdown by service

Line-item style summary for Los Angeles County—figures are from the county overview below, not copied from a single city page. Jurisdiction notes, narrative, and official sources follow in each card.

Electricity

Confirmed

Confirmed — LADWP (City of LA) vs SCE (Long Beach model) per city pages in dataset.

LADWP combines electric and water on many statements with published tiered energy charges; SCE uses CPUC-filed residential schedules with baseline-dependent tiers.

Community choice programs may layer on top of IOU delivery in some communities—read both sections of your bill.

Official sources

Water

Confirmed

Confirmed — Multiple municipal systems; LADWP, Long Beach, Pasadena each publish distinct schedules.

Do not substitute Los Angeles volumetric tables for Long Beach or Pasadena accounts—each city adopts its own meter charges and drought blocks.

Unincorporated county pockets may rely on county or mutual water—confirm the retailer before modeling.

Official sources

Sewer / wastewater

Confirmed

Confirmed — Sewer charges follow the city or district serving your connection.

Long Beach pairs volumetric sewer with water metering; LADWP and Pasadena publish separate wastewater components for qualifying accounts.

Septic remains common in canyon and mountain areas—verify pressurized sewer availability.

Official sources

Trash & recycling

Confirmed

Confirmed — City refuse programs and private subscription vary.

Long Beach publishes solid waste rate adjustments for franchised collection; Los Angeles and Pasadena use city-specific refuse line items or franchise fees.

Apartment buildings may bundle trash—confirm with management when refuse is absent from the city bill.

Official sources

Summaries use CPUC consumer hubs, the utility links cited in each card, and the anchor city’s modeled tariffs on this site as of the overview date. Community choice aggregation, CARE/FERA, medical baseline, franchise fees, and parcel-specific surcharges can change your statement—confirm on your bill.

Check Internet pricing & availability in Los Angeles County

Internet service varies widely—many providers, different plans, introductory offers, and bundles make it hard to compare apples to apples. That's why we don't estimate internet on this page like we do for electric, water, sewer, and trash. Use our tool to compare providers for your address or ZIP code.

Total estimated monthly utilities

$481.22

Los Angeles

What changes your bill most?

Assumptions

  • Electric: 1,000 kWh/month
  • Water: 5,000 gallons/month

What these labels mean

  • Confirmed — From this area's rate schedule.
  • Benchmark — From an official typical bill or PSC comparative statistic; not every meter will match.
  • Delivery only — Regulated delivery charges only (e.g. Texas); supply varies by plan.
  • Estimated — From other or incomplete sources; use as a rough guide.
Sources

Full line-item breakdown: Los Angeles utility page. County overview cards above cite additional regional sources.

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Cities in Los Angeles County

Estimated monthly utility totals

Totals use each city's modeled usage and tariffs on file—see the city page for electric, water, sewer, and trash breakdowns.

CityEst. total/mo
Long Beach$456.33
Los Angeles (illustrative pattern)$481.22
Pasadena$358.50

More in California

California utility costsElectric providers in CaliforniaLos Angeles utility page

FAQ

We use base charges and per-unit rates from official provider and municipal sources for each city in Los Angeles County. Electric may reference a CPUC-regulated investor-owned schedule (PG&E, SCE, or SDG&E), a municipal utility (for example LADWP, SMUD, or a city PUD), or another published tariff; water, sewer, and trash follow city, district, or franchise programs. Each city page shows assumed usage (kWh, gallons) and outbound links to primary sources.
California counties typically include many jurisdictions. Electric delivery territory, community choice aggregation enrollment, water/sewer enterprise boundaries, and solid-waste programs all follow the provider that serves your meter—not the county name on your mail. Compare city pages and match the legal name printed on your bill.
Open the county internet providers page at /california/county/los-angeles-county-utility-costs/internet-providers for FCC-backed research merged for cities we model here, plus an address-level comparison tool. Availability is still specific to your building and unit.
Each city page shows a 'last verified' date and links to official sources. Enriched county overviews add CPUC and utility hubs below. Confirm current rates on the utility’s or government’s primary tariff page before making decisions.
Long Beach municipal utilities provide water, sewer, and natural gas, but retail electric delivery in the Long Beach model is Southern California Edison—not LADWP. Compare the utility name on your electric bill, not the city name on your mailing address.

Learn more

For tips on understanding your bill, comparing cities, and how electric and utility rates work by state, see our blog. Compare Los Angeles with another city side-by-side, or see how we calculate estimates.