Utility rates & providers in Knox County, TN

Most Knoxville-area electric accounts in our dataset are billed by KUB on published residential (Schedule RS-style) tariffs that combine a monthly basic (customer) charge with per-kWh energy charges. KUB’s customer-facing rate pages explain that TVA is its single wholesale power supplier and that TVA’s Fuel Cost Adjustment is passed through to retail bills—so the effective energy rate you pay can change monthly even if you do not change usage.

KUB’s service footprint extends beyond the strict Knoxville city limit into portions of neighboring counties; conversely, always confirm the distributor named on your bill header—this overview is KUB-centric because Knoxville is Knox County’s anchor city in our coverage.

Optional time-of-use residential schedules may apply if you are enrolled; budget on the standard residential sheet unless you have confirmed TOU service with KUB.

Where KUB provides water, residential schedules typically include a monthly basic charge by meter size plus volumetric rates in CCF (hundred cubic feet; roughly 748 gallons per CCF). KUB publishes different volumetric blocks for addresses inside versus outside the City of Knoxville—match the column that applies to your service location when modeling bills.

Outdoor irrigation meters, fire lines, and large commercial accounts use non-residential schedules; wells and small mutual systems still serve isolated parcels and are not interchangeable with KUB line items.

Pool fills, leaks, and seasonal irrigation can materially change volumetric tiers—use KUB’s published watering and leak credit guidance if you are reconciling a summer bill.

For KUB wastewater customers on public sewer, charges are usually structured with a monthly basic component plus volumetric rates based on metered water consumption (with inside- versus outside-city columns on the published residential table). Summer irrigation that does not return flow to the sanitary sewer may qualify for billing adjustments under KUB procedures—follow the utility’s published credit rules rather than assuming a straight water-to-sewer ratio.

Septic systems and package plants are outside typical KUB residential wastewater schedules; those properties should not be modeled with KUB sewer line items.

Industrial pretreatment and commercial strength waste use separate tariff sheets.

Inside the City of Knoxville, qualifying one- to four-unit residential parcels on a single parcel generally receive city-issued carts and automated curbside garbage collection as a tax-supported service—there is typically no separate monthly refuse invoice comparable to franchise-fee cities. The city also operates optional curbside recycling signup, bulky waste programs, and a municipal solid waste facility with published fee rules for excess disposal.

Knox County operates seven convenience centers for county residents to drop off bagged household trash and recyclables under published daily limits; centers are described as funded through county taxes with no per-use fee for eligible residential drop-offs. County materials note that Knox County does not provide countywide curbside collection and that residents may subscribe with private haulers for curbside service—Waste Connections, Ward Waste, and other firms appear on county disposal guidance as local contacts.

Apartment complexes (five or more units on one parcel) and many commercial accounts typically contract privately—confirm whether your lease bundles waste or bills hauler fees separately.