Average Utility Costs in Wisconsin

Typical monthly utility costs in Wisconsin are about $274.44/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Wisconsin cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Electric: WE Energies (Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin). Water & sewer: Milwaukee Water Works and MMSD, billed via Municipal Services Bill. Trash: City solid waste charge.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in Wisconsin

The average utility bill in Wisconsin is estimated at $274.44 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)
$182.40
Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.
Water (5,000 gal)
$37.12
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
$39.93
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
$15.00
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.
Typical total (assembled from medians)
$274.44
Alternate view: Median of city totals: $272.02

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 Wisconsin

In the cities we cover, electric is provided by Alliant Energy (Wisconsin Power & Light) (Janesville); Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) (Madison); WE Energies (Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha); Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) (Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh); Xcel Energy (Wisconsin) (Eau Claire) WE Energies and Milwaukee Water Works rates from official sources. Water, sewer, and trash are set by city, county, or regional providers. 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 Wisconsin, along with typical residential rate information and sources.

View utility providers in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin

Top 5 cities with the lowest estimated electric bill at 1,000 kWh. See the comparison table below for all cities.

Most expensive total utility monthly cost in Wisconsin

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. 10 cities.

CityCountyElectricWaterSewerTrashTotalView
WaukeshaWaukesha County$208.21$68.00$86.07$18.00$380.28View Waukesha details →
OshkoshWinnebago County$165.69$54.81$59.99$15.00$295.49View Oshkosh details →
MilwaukeeMilwaukee County$208.21$26.97$35.41$22.65$293.24View Milwaukee details →
MadisonDane County$199.12$40.00$44.44$4.00$287.56View Madison details →
KenoshaKenosha County$208.21$34.23$32.19$0.00$274.63View Kenosha details →
RacineRacine County$208.21$31.63$29.56$0.00$269.40View Racine details →
Green BayBrown County$165.69$31.80$53.17$15.00$265.66View Green Bay details →
AppletonOutagamie County$165.69$42.56$35.00$15.00$258.25View Appleton details →
JanesvilleRock County$156.94$40.00$45.00$14.67$256.61View Janesville details →
Eau ClaireEau Claire County$136.00$24.52$32.00$22.00$214.52View Eau Claire details →

Compare with nearby states

Compare utility costs in Wisconsin with neighboring states.

FAQ – Utilities in Wisconsin

WE Energies provides electric service to Milwaukee and much of southeastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee Water Works provides water and manages billing for all city and MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District) charges, including sewer. The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works handles solid waste collection.
Electric rates are set by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). Milwaukee uses WE Energies (investor-owned) with PSC-approved rates. Water and sewer are municipal—Milwaukee Water Works is PSC-regulated. Trash is city-managed with quarterly billing on the Municipal Services Bill.
We estimate four components: electric (1,000 kWh monthly), water (base + usage), sewer (MMSD + local charges based on water use), and trash (Solid Waste Charge from the Municipal Services Bill). Each city page shows assumptions and sources.
Some cities show $0 when a single published rate isn't available, service varies by address/provider, or the service is funded through taxes. In the state 'median' cards, water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries.
Each city page links to official sources and shows last-verified dates. The Providers page lists utilities and the cities they serve. Milwaukee rates are from the Municipal Services Bill Charges PDF.