Utility rates & providers in Orange County, CA

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

Orange County mixes coastal cities, bedroom suburbs, and major employment centers. Our dataset includes Anaheim (municipal Anaheim Public Utilities for electric and water in the APU service area), Irvine (typically SCE electric with Irvine Ranch Water District water), and Garden Grove (city utilities).

Total estimated monthly utilities

$262.41

Estimated average monthly utilities in Anaheim are ~$262.41 (1,000 kWh + 5,000 gal assumptions). Average water bill estimate: ~$16.00/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 $209.80 (80%)
  • Water $16.00 (6%)
  • Sewer $7.14 (3%)
  • Trash $29.47 (11%)

Utilities here are about 50% 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.
  • City-provided trash is billed at a monthly fee ($29.47 in our estimate).

Retail boundaries are granular: a single ZIP code can contain both APU and SCE meters. Always confirm the legal electric provider and water district on your closing statement or utility bill.

Utility breakdown by service

Line-item style summary for Orange 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 — APU municipal electric for Anaheim model vs SCE for Irvine model in dataset.

Anaheim Public Utilities files city council-adopted electric schedules separate from CPUC IOU tariffs.

SCE customers should review baseline-dependent tiers and time-of-use options published in SCE’s residential materials.

Official sources

Water

Confirmed

Confirmed — APU water in Anaheim; IRWD in Irvine; Garden Grove city utilities.

IRWD uses monthly service charges and volumetric blocks with seasonal outdoor budgets—see the Irvine city page for modeled tiers.

Coastal groundwater and imported supplies influence adopted rates; recycled water projects may appear as separate capital charges in district budgets.

Official sources

Sewer / wastewater

Confirmed

Confirmed — Sewer follows the retailer billing your wastewater connection.

IRWD and city utilities each publish sewer capacity and commodity components; do not mix Anaheim and Irvine schedules.

Homes on septic require onsite maintenance budgets instead of district sewer volumetrics.

Official sources

Trash & recycling

Confirmed

Confirmed — City franchises and county disposal coordination.

Cities franchise residential haulers and set cart fees for SB 1383 compliance; unincorporated areas may follow county solid-waste programs.

HOAs and apartments may bundle collection—confirm who bills you.

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 Orange 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

$262.41

Anaheim

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: Anaheim utility page. County overview cards above cite additional regional sources.

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Cities in Orange 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
Irvine$472.05
Anaheim (illustrative pattern)$262.41
Garden Grove$492.25

More in California

California utility costsElectric providers in CaliforniaAnaheim utility page

FAQ

We use base charges and per-unit rates from official provider and municipal sources for each city in Orange 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/orange-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.
No. APU serves qualifying addresses inside Anaheim’s municipal electric territory. Many neighboring cities—including Irvine in our model—are served by SCE for electric and a different water district. Match your bill header.

Learn more

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