Average Utility Costs in Colorado

Typical monthly utility costs in Colorado are about $216.87/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Colorado cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in Colorado

The average utility bill in Colorado is estimated at $216.87 per month, a typical total assembled from median city estimates for electricity, water, sewer, and trash. To reflect a more typical bill across cities (and reduce the impact of outliers), these "average" values use the median of city estimates.

Electric (1,000 kWh)
$108.00
Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.
Water (5,000 gal)
$46.74
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Sewer
$38.50
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Trash
$23.63
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Typical total (assembled from medians)
$216.87
Alternate view: Median of city totals: $215.60

Assumptions: 1,000 kWh/month and 5,000 gallons/month (where applicable). "Average" values represent the median city estimate; water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries when service or published rates vary by address. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.

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Utility providers in Colorado

In the cities we cover, electric is provided by Xcel Energy (Denver, Boulder, Lakewood, Thornton, Westminster); Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) (Colorado Springs); and Fort Collins Utilities (Fort Collins). Xcel is investor-owned with TOU and flat-rate options; CSU and Fort Collins are municipal. Water, sewer, and trash are set by city or regional providers. Our estimates use each utility's published rate at 1,000 kWh. City pages show sources and last-verified dates.

See which electric, water, sewer, and trash providers serve different areas of Colorado, along with typical residential rate information and sources.

View utility providers in Colorado

Cheapest electric rates in Colorado

Top 5 cities with the lowest estimated electric bill at 1,000 kWh (based on the serving utility/rate basis used on each city page). See the comparison table below for all cities.

Most expensive total utility monthly cost in Colorado

Top 5 cities with the highest estimated total (electric + water + sewer + trash). See the comparison table for all cities. High totals are often driven by sewer/trash fixed fees and local rate structures, not just electric.

Compare all cities

Estimated monthly costs by city, sorted by total (highest first). Same assumed usage (1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) for comparison; some cities may show $0 when rates vary by address or aren't published. 10 cities.

CityCountyElectricWaterSewerTrashTotalView
Colorado SpringsEl Paso County$158.00$37.00$42.00$28.23$265.23View Colorado Springs details →
Highlands RanchDouglas County$95.60$64.57$73.86$30.00$264.03View Highlands Ranch details →
BoulderBoulder County$142.00$49.76$61.50$3.50$256.76View Boulder details →
Fort CollinsLarimer County$133.95$37.59$35.00$38.24$244.78View Fort Collins details →
WestminsterAdams County$108.00$43.72$46.70$18.00$216.42View Westminster details →
AuroraArapahoe County$95.60$56.87$27.30$35.00$214.77View Aurora details →
PuebloPueblo County$95.60$33.50$57.02$28.00$214.12View Pueblo details →
LakewoodJefferson County$94.75$50.69$34.53$17.00$196.97View Lakewood details →
DenverDenver County$108.00$36.01$29.40$13.00$186.41View Denver details →
ThorntonAdams County$108.00$49.77$8.99$19.25$186.01View Thornton details →

Colorado counties

View estimated utility costs by county. Each county page lists cities and a comparison table of monthly estimates.

Compare with nearby states

Compare utility costs in Colorado with neighboring states.

FAQ – Utilities in Colorado

Electric service in Colorado can be provided by investor-owned utilities (such as Xcel Energy) or municipal utilities (such as Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU), Fort Collins Utilities) depending on the area. Boulder and some other cities are served by Xcel; Colorado Springs and Fort Collins have city-owned electric. On each city page we show the serving provider (when known), the rate basis used for the estimate, and source links with last-verified dates.
Utility costs vary by city and county due to differences in electric providers and rate structures (including time-of-use and tiered rates), plus local water, sewer, and solid-waste fees. Electric is often the largest share of the total bill. Many Colorado cities use private haulers for trash, so we show $0 where no single city-wide rate is published.
We estimate four components: electric (standardized 1,000 kWh monthly usage using the serving provider's published rate or benchmark), water (base + volumetric), sewer (flat or tiered), and trash (monthly fee where published). Each city page shows assumptions and sources so you can compare cities fairly.
Some cities show $0 when a single published municipal rate isn't available, service varies by address/provider (including special districts or private haulers), or the rate schedule hasn't been added yet. In the state 'median' cards, water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries to reduce distortion.
Each city page links to official sources and shows last-verified dates. The Providers page lists utilities and the cities they serve. Use the city search or county links to drill down to a specific area.