Utility rates & providers in Madison County, KY

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

Madison County sits along the I‑75 corridor between Lexington and Knoxville and includes Richmond (home to Eastern Kentucky University), Berea, and unincorporated communities. Retail electric service is split: Kentucky Utilities Company serves certified IOU territory including much of Richmond and other pockets where its map applies, while Jackson Energy Cooperative Corporation serves extensive member areas across Madison and neighboring counties under PSC‑approved cooperative tariffs with monthly customer charges, per‑kWh energy rates, and riders such as fuel adjustment and environmental surcharges. Small edge areas may overlap adjacent utilities such as Inter‑County Energy Cooperative or Bluegrass Energy depending on line history—verify the remittance name on your bill.

Total estimated monthly utilities

$261.58

Modeled for Richmond — your address may use different providers.

Data freshness: last verified 2026-03-04
  • Electric $131.20 (50%)
  • Water $26.12 (10%)
  • Sewer $86.76 (33%)
  • Trash $17.50 (7%)

Utilities here are about 15% higher than the Kentucky city average, driven mainly by sewer.

  • In Kentucky, heating and cooling often makes electric the largest share of the bill.
  • Trash is provided by a private hauler under city contract. Fees and services vary by city—check your local rate schedule for details.

Potable water and sanitary sewer for many in‑city Richmond addresses are billed by Richmond Utilities (Richmond Water, Gas & Sewage Works) under PSC‑reviewed schedules with inside‑ versus outside‑city volumetric blocks; wholesale relationships connect to regional systems such as Kirksville Water Association for some rural customers. Outside Richmond, Berea maintains its own municipal utility programs for many in‑city accounts, while other Madison County addresses may use water associations or wells. Residential refuse is structured differently by jurisdiction: the City of Richmond contracts curbside collection with an approved franchise hauler, while many county residents outside city limits choose from Madison County’s approved hauler list rather than a single county‑wide consolidated fee—confirm your notice for carts, pickup day, and any fuel surcharges.

Electricity

Confirmed — IOU & cooperative tariffs on file (riders vary)

Kentucky Utilities Company distributes electricity in certified Madison County territory including many Richmond addresses and other KU service pockets—residential accounts are typically Schedule RS with a daily basic service charge and energy components plus commission‑ordered riders; the LG&E/KU rates hub and PSC tariff PDF remain the controlling references after orders.

Jackson Energy Cooperative Corporation serves large portions of Madison County as a member‑owned distribution cooperative with PSC‑approved residential schedules, monthly customer charges, per‑kWh energy rates, and standard cooperative riders; published summaries appear on Jackson Energy’s rates page with the official tariff book on file at the Kentucky PSC.

Because Madison County is a documented multi‑service area on PSC maps, always match outage reporting and deposit rules to the name on your bill rather than assuming the county name identifies a single distributor.

Official sources

Water

Confirmed — Richmond Utilities PSC tariff; association rates vary

Richmond Utilities provides potable water to many addresses within its certified service area using volumetric blocks that differ for inside‑ versus outside‑city meters; effective dates and tier amounts are published on the utility’s usage‑rates pages and in PSC tariff filings—match the resolution date to your billing period.

Rural and suburban customers may instead be served by associations such as Kirksville Water Association (often purchasing finished water from Richmond Utilities under wholesale tariffs reviewed in commission proceedings) or other small systems—compare the legal payee on your water bill before budgeting.

City of Berea operates separate municipal water programs for many in‑city accounts; unincorporated wells or small districts can still appear at isolated parcels.

Official sources

Sewer / wastewater

Confirmed — Richmond Utilities sanitary sewer schedules

Sanitary sewer for Richmond Utilities customers on public sewer is billed with volumetric tiers aligned to metered water use (subject to the utility’s rules for irrigation, pools, or other non‑sewer flows); consult the current usage‑rates tables for the billing period in question.

Properties on septic systems or small districts follow different rate structures—do not apply Richmond’s city sewer blocks to those accounts.

Berea and other municipalities maintain separate wastewater programs for in‑city sewer customers; verify the bill header against this page’s Richmond‑focused sources when comparing monthly costs.

Official sources

Trash & recycling

Confirmed — city franchise vs county-approved hauler list

Within the City of Richmond, residential solid waste and recycling are provided through an approved franchise hauler arrangement described on Public Works pages; monthly charges and cart rules can change with contract updates—use the city’s published materials for the current fee.

Madison County maintains an approved list of residential garbage haulers for many households outside Richmond and Berea city limits; residents in those unincorporated areas typically contract directly with a listed hauler rather than paying a single county‑wide consolidated residential fee.

Commercial roll‑off and dumpster providers on the county list may differ from residential curbside brands—match your service agreement to the hauler name on your invoice.

Official sources

Summaries rely on Kentucky Utilities, Jackson Energy Cooperative Corporation, Richmond Utilities PSC materials, Kirksville Water Association public information, City of Richmond and Madison County Fiscal Court solid-waste references, and Kentucky PSC tariff libraries as of the last verified date. Multi‑utility electric territories and open-market county hauling make month-to-month comparisons sensitive to address—this overview supports research, not a substitute for a metered bill or hauler contract.

Check Internet pricing & availability in Madison 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

$261.58

Richmond

What changes your bill most?

  • Electric is about 50% of your estimated utilities here.
  • Every 100 kWh changes your total by about $11.20.
  • Each additional 1,000 gallons of water adds about $14.32 to your water and sewer bills combined (water ~$2.73 + wastewater ~$11.59).

Assumptions

  • Electric: 1000 kWh/month
  • Water: 5,000 gallons/month

What these labels mean

  • Confirmed — From this area's rate schedule.
  • Benchmark — From an official typical (e.g. state commission 1,000 kWh); not city-specific.
  • 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: Richmond utility page. County overview cards above cite additional regional sources.

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Cities in Madison 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
Richmond (example)$261.58

More in Kentucky

Kentucky utility costsElectric providers in KentuckyRichmond utility page

FAQ

We use base charges and per-unit rates from official provider and municipal sources for each city in Madison County. Electric uses city or provider tariff data; water, sewer, and trash use city or provider rate schedules. Each city page shows assumed usage (kWh, gallons) and source links.
Cities in the same county can have different electric providers, municipal water and sewer systems, and trash contracts. Rates and fee structures vary, so estimated monthly totals differ. Use the comparison table and city links to see details.
Each city page shows a 'last verified' date and links to official sources. Always confirm current rates on the provider's or city's website before making decisions.
Madison County contains both IOU and cooperative certified territories. KU serves many Richmond and other mapped addresses, while Jackson Energy serves large cooperative areas. The distributor named on your bill—not the county line—identifies which PSC tariff and outage portal apply.
No. Richmond Utilities serves its certified city and surrounding retail area; rural associations (for example Kirksville Water Association) and Berea’s municipal system serve many other addresses. Always match the payee and rate resolution on your statement.
Use the official links on this page: Jackson Energy and PSC cooperative tariff for co-op electric; LG&E/KU and PSC IOU tariff for KU addresses; Richmond Utilities and PSC city water/sewer tariff for eligible Richmond accounts; Kirksville Water Association for wholesale-fed rural water where applicable; Madison County Roads solid-waste pages for approved haulers; City of Richmond Public Works for franchise residential collection inside the city.

Learn more

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