Average Utility Costs in Washington, DC

Estimated monthly utility costs (1,000 kWh + 5,000 gal)

Average monthly utility costs in Washington, DC are about $434.99, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water. This estimate uses Pepco's default residential setup for electric service, DC Water's current residential charges, and municipal trash collection with no standard standalone monthly fee for eligible homes.

Washington, DC quick take

  • Electricity in Washington, DC is served by Pepco, but households can shop for supply; this page uses the default Pepco setup so the comparison stays grounded in the most typical baseline.
  • DC Water is a major part of the story here. Water is tiered, and the sewer side of the bill includes more than just wastewater volume.
  • Clean Rivers and stormwater-related charges can make DC sewer costs look much higher than nearby suburban cities, even with the same 5,000-gallon water assumption.
  • Trash is not a separate monthly utility line for many DC households, so the all-in total is driven mostly by electric plus water and sewer.

Total estimated monthly utilities

$434.99

Data freshness: last verified 2026-10-24
  • Electric $201.39 (46%)
  • Water $68.04 (16%)
  • Sewer $165.56 (38%)
  • Trash $0.00 (0%)

Washington, DC's estimated monthly utilities are about $194.80 higher than the median of the nearest covered cities in the surrounding DMV region.

  • Pepco electricity is modeled at about $201.39/month for 1,000 kWh using the default residential setup rather than a competitive supplier teaser rate.
  • DC Water sewer-related charges are unusually heavy here at about $165.56/month because the bill layers wastewater charges with Clean Rivers and stormwater-style costs.
  • Trash is shown as $0.00/month because eligible homes receive city collection without a standard standalone monthly fee.

How rates in Washington, DC have changed

When a published residential tariff no longer matches what we had on file, we keep the previous figure and record the date. Comparisons below use the same assumed usage as the estimate on this page. A percentage is shown only when both figures are confirmed charges of the same kind. How we compare past rates.

  • Electricity is up 7.0%, from $188.22 to $201.39 at 1,000 kWh.

    The previous tariff was last verified March 21, 2026. We recorded this change on July 16, 2026.

    Pepco DC SOS generation rates effective July 1, 2026 raise typical residential total bill ~7.0% (~$9.56/mo at 614 kWh); 1,000 kWh all-in approximation ~$201 vs ~$188 stored.

    DCPSC – Pepco Standard Offer Service Rates (effective July 1, 2026)

  • Water is up 7.9%, from $63.05 to $68.04 at 5,000 gal.

    The previous tariff was last verified July 16, 2026. We recorded this change on October 24, 2026.

    DC Water residential rates effective October 2, 2026. The first 4 hundred cubic feet rose from $5.78 to $6.49, and usage above that rose from $7.60 to $8.40 per hundred cubic feet. The metering fee and water system replacement fee stay $7.75 and $6.30.

    DC Water – FY2027 residential rates effective October 2, 2026

  • Sewer: a published tariff replaced an earlier figure that is not comparable.

    The earlier figure was $159.40, last verified July 16, 2026. The current tariff models to $165.56 at 5,000 gal. That gap is not reported as a percentage price change.

    We replaced that figure on October 24, 2026.

    DC Water FY2027 sewer, groundwater, Clean Rivers, and District stormwater charges changed on October 2, 2026. The same components used in the previous 5,000 gallon figure were updated.

    DC Water – FY2027 residential rates effective October 2, 2026

Electric

Confirmed
Provider
Pepco
Base charge
$20.40/mo
Energy rate
$0.1810/kWh
Assumed usage
1000 kWh
Estimated monthly
$201.39

DCPSC states average residential 614 kWh customer sees 7.0% ($9.56) total bill increase from deferred July 1 SOS implementation. Applied proportionally to stored 1,000 kWh benchmark: (188.22 × 1.07 − 20.40) ÷ 1,000 ≈ 18.099¢/kWh.

dcpsc.org· verified 2026-10-24

Water

Confirmed
Provider
DC Water
Base charge
$14.05/mo
Volumetric rate
$10.80/1,000 gal
Assumed usage
5,000 gal
Estimated monthly
$68.04

5/8-inch metering fee $7.75 and water system replacement fee $6.30. At 5,000 gallons, water plus the unchanged PILOT and right-of-way fees is about $10.80 per 1,000 gallons. The first 4 hundred cubic feet are $6.49 and the rest are $8.40.

dcwater.com· verified 2026-10-24

Sewer

Confirmed
Provider
DC Water
Model
1 ERU + volumetric wastewater charges
Fixed sewer-side charges
$29.53/mo
Usage-based charges
$27.21/1,000 gal
Estimated monthly
$165.56

At 5,000 gallons the volumetric piece combines sewer $12.91, groundwater $3.90, and high-flow filter backwash $3.54 per hundred cubic feet. One equivalent residential unit combines the Clean Rivers charge of $25.50 and the District stormwater fee of $4.03.

dcwater.com· verified 2026-10-24

Trash

Confirmed
Provider
DC Department of Public Works
Monthly fee
$0.00

Eligible single-family homes and buildings with three or fewer units receive municipal trash and recycling collection without a standard standalone monthly fee. Larger multifamily buildings often use private haulers instead.

dpw.dc.gov· verified 2026-10-24

Check Internet pricing & availability in Washington, DC

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

$434.99

What changes your bill most?

  • Electric is about 46% of your estimated utilities here.
  • Every 100 kWh changes your total by about $18.10.
  • Each additional 1,000 gallons of water adds about $38.00 to your water and sewer bills combined (water ~$10.80 + wastewater ~$27.21).

Assumptions

  • Electric: 1000 kWh/month
  • Water: 5,000 gallons/month
  • Sewer: one ERU baseline plus usage-based wastewater charges

What these labels mean

  • Confirmed - From this area's published rate information.
  • Estimated - Uses official source material with a modeling assumption, such as a typical ERU or property setup.
Sources

Nearby Covered Cities

Nearby cities already covered on the site, useful for comparing Washington, DC with the surrounding DMV region.

CityDistanceEst. total/mo
Washington, DC (this)-$434.99
Arlington, VA3 mi$207.81
Silver Spring, MD6 mi$338.97
Bethesda, MD6 mi$285.40
Alexandria, VA7 mi$240.19
McLean, VA8 mi$212.85

More in the region

Virginia utility costsMaryland utility costsUtility providers in Washington, DC

FAQ

Washington, DC residents can choose a competitive electricity supplier, but many households stay on Pepco's default Standard Offer Service. Using that default setup creates a steadier apples-to-apples comparison than picking a short-term supplier offer that may not apply citywide.
The DC Water bill does not stop at a simple wastewater rate. It also includes additional sewer-related charges such as groundwater wastewater charges and the Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge, which is one reason Washington, DC often compares as more expensive than nearby cities with simpler sewer bills.
Not exactly. Eligible single-family homes and small multifamily properties receive municipal trash and recycling collection without a separate monthly utility fee, so this page shows $0 as a direct line item. Residents still support the service through taxes and the District budget, and many larger multifamily buildings use private haulers instead.
DC Water bills vary by meter size and by impervious-area assumptions tied to the property. This page uses a standard residential 5/8-inch meter and a one-ERU baseline so Washington, DC can be compared fairly with other cities, but your property-specific bill may land above or below that benchmark.
This page is intended as a citywide baseline for Washington, DC. It uses the most typical residential assumptions available from public sources, but some buildings, especially larger multifamily properties, can have different trash or water-related billing arrangements.

Learn more

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