Utility rates & providers in Santa Clara County, CA

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

Santa Clara County combines San Jose, Sunnyvale, and other Silicon Valley cities with varied retail boundaries. Our San Jose page models PG&E electric under CPUC tariffs and San Jose Water Company (or city utility context) for potable water; Sunnyvale uses its own municipal utility schedules in our dataset.

Total estimated monthly utilities

$673.48

Estimated average monthly utilities in San Jose are ~$673.48 (1,000 kWh + 5,000 gal assumptions). Average water bill estimate: ~$98.55/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 $470.00 (70%)
  • Water $98.55 (15%)
  • Sewer $50.42 (7%)
  • Trash $54.51 (8%)

Utilities here are about 30% higher 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 ($54.51 in our estimate).

Tech campuses, multifamily towers, and historic neighborhoods can sit on different water retailers within blocks—confirm the account header rather than extrapolating from a neighbor.

Utility breakdown by service

Line-item style summary for Santa Clara 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 — PG&E residential modeling for San Jose & Sunnyvale pages.

Bay Area climate zones affect baseline allocations; EV charging and heat pumps can shift load into higher tiers.

Silicon Valley Clean Energy and other CCAs may replace generation while PG&E delivers power.

Official sources

Water

Confirmed

Confirmed — San Jose Water Company vs City of Sunnyvale municipal water.

San Jose Water publishes monthly service charges and volumetric blocks; Sunnyvale adopts separate council-approved schedules.

Groundwater banking and imported supply contracts influence adopted rates—read each retailer’s current tariff.

Official sources

Sewer / wastewater

Confirmed

Confirmed — Sewer follows the city or investor-owned water retailer billing your account.

Sanitary charges may include treatment, collection, and capital recovery components.

Septic and package plants still serve pockets of the county—verify connection.

Official sources

Trash & recycling

Confirmed

Confirmed — City franchises and Santa Clara County waste programs.

Each city franchises haulers and sets cart fees; county coordinates disposal infrastructure regionally.

Commercial waste ordinances differ from residential programs in downtown corridors.

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 Santa Clara 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

$673.48

San Jose

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

Wondering if solar makes sense for you? Try our solar payback calculator to find out.

Cities in Santa Clara 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
San Jose (illustrative pattern)$673.48
Sunnyvale$637.31

More in California

California utility costsElectric providers in CaliforniaSan Jose utility page

FAQ

We use base charges and per-unit rates from official provider and municipal sources for each city in Santa Clara 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/santa-clara-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.
They are separate retailers with different council- or commission-adopted schedules. Sunnyvale operates municipal utilities while many San Jose addresses are served by San Jose Water Company—match the name on your bill.

Learn more

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