Average Utility Costs in Tennessee

Typical monthly utility costs in Tennessee are about $229.67/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Tennessee cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in Tennessee

The average utility bill in Tennessee is estimated at $229.67 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)
$137.18
Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.
Water (5,000 gal)
$29.20
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
$46.00
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
$17.30
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)
$229.67
Alternate view: Median of city totals: $228.57

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 Tennessee

Tennessee has several electric providers by region: Nashville Electric Service (NES) serves Nashville, Hendersonville, and surrounding areas; Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) serves Memphis; Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) serves Knoxville; CDE Lightband serves Clarksville; Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) serves Murfreesboro; and BrightRidge serves Johnson City and Northeast Tennessee. Most are municipally or cooperatively owned and powered by TVA; rates typically include fuel cost and grid access adjustments that vary by month or season. 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 Tennessee, along with typical residential rate information and sources.

View utility providers in Tennessee

These rankings are estimates for comparison at 1,000 kWh. For the full breakdown (electric, water, sewer, trash) by city, use the comparison table below.

Cheapest electric rates in Tennessee

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 Tennessee

Top 5 cities with the highest estimated total (electric + water + sewer + trash). See the comparison table for all cities.

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 no single published municipal rate is available or service varies by address. 7 cities.

CityCountyElectricWaterSewerTrashTotalView
KnoxvilleKnox$140.59$42.00$93.65$30.00$306.24View Knoxville details →
ClarksvilleMontgomery$139.07$31.00$46.00$17.00$233.07View Clarksville details →
Johnson CityWashington$140.48$29.20$44.49$16.25$230.42View Johnson City details →
HendersonvilleSumner$137.18$25.80$48.00$17.59$228.57View Hendersonville details →
MemphisShelby$109.50$16.00$70.00$29.15$224.65View Memphis details →
NashvilleDavidson$137.18$34.21$35.10$0.00$206.49View Nashville details →
MurfreesboroRutherford$129.02$18.75$27.50$13.50$188.77View Murfreesboro details →

Tennessee cities and counties

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

Compare with nearby states

Compare utility costs in Tennessee with neighboring states.

FAQ – Utilities in Tennessee

Electric service in Nashville (Davidson County) is provided by Nashville Electric Service (NES). NES is a municipally owned utility; rates include the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Grid Access Charge and seasonal fuel cost adjustments. Our estimates use NES's published rate at 1,000 kWh. On each city page we show the serving provider, rate basis, and source links with last-verified dates.
Utility costs vary by city and county due to differences in electric utilities and rate structures, plus local water, sewer, and solid-waste fees. Water, sewer, and trash are set by each city or county. We show sources and last-verified dates on every city page.
We estimate four components: electric (standardized 1,000 kWh monthly usage using each utility's published tariff and rate schedules), water (base + volumetric), sewer (flat, tiered, or capacity/commodity), and trash (monthly fee). 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, 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.