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 $410.67, 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

$410.67

Data freshness: last verified 2026-03-21
  • Electric $188.22 (46%)
  • Water $63.05 (15%)
  • Sewer $159.40 (39%)
  • Trash $0.00 (0%)

Washington, DC's estimated monthly utilities are about $153.87 higher than the median of the nearest covered cities in the surrounding DMV region.

  • Pepco electricity is modeled at about $188.22/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 $159.40/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.

Electric

Confirmed
Provider
Pepco
Base charge
$20.40/mo
Energy rate
$0.1678/kWh
Assumed usage
1000 kWh
Estimated monthly
$188.22

Modeled from the Office of the People's Counsel Pepco Residential R winter calculator for March 2026. The fixed customer, generation-minimum, and transmission-minimum charges are rolled into the monthly base, and the remaining delivery, generation, transmission, rider, and credit stack is translated into an implied per-kWh rate for a 1,000-kWh benchmark.

opc-dc.gov· verified 2026-03-21

Water

Confirmed
Provider
DC Water
Base charge
$14.05/mo
Volumetric rate
$9.80/1,000 gal
Assumed usage
5,000 gal
Estimated monthly
$63.05

Uses the current FY 2026 residential 5/8-inch meter assumptions: customer metering fee $7.75/mo, water system replacement fee $6.30/mo, residential water charges through 5,000 gallons, plus District PILOT and right-of-way pass-throughs billed on the same statement. Water is tiered, so the first 4 Ccf are priced below the volume above that threshold.

dcwater.com· verified 2026-03-21

Sewer

Estimated
Provider
DC Water
Model
1 ERU + volumetric wastewater charges
Fixed sewer-side charges
$26.90/mo
Usage-based charges
$26.50/1,000 gal
Estimated monthly
$159.40

Estimated from the current FY 2026 residential sewer, groundwater sewer, and high-flow filter backwash wastewater rates at 5,000 gallons, plus one equivalent residential unit of the Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge and stormwater fee. Actual DC Water bills can vary if a property carries more or less than one ERU.

dcwater.com· verified 2026-03-21

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 2026-03-21

Total estimated monthly utilities

$410.67

What changes your bill most?

  • Electric is about 46% of your estimated utilities here.
  • Every 100 kWh changes your total by about $16.78.
  • Water increases by about $9.80 per additional 1,000 gallons.

Why we don't cover internet

Internet service varies widely—many providers, different plans, introductory offers, and bundles make it hard to compare apples to apples. We focus on electric, water, sewer, and trash where rates are more standardized, but we do offer a tool to help you compare internet service providers in your area.

Check available internet service providers in Washington, DC →

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)-$410.67
Bethesda, MD6 mi$314.10
Alexandria, VA7 mi$237.95
Rockville, MD14 mi$256.80
Gaithersburg, MD19 mi$256.80
Germantown, MD22 mi$256.80

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.