Utilities in the United States include the water, sewer, electric, natural gas and propane services that keep homes and businesses running. Our directory holds 12,165 utilities listings, from large investor-owned companies to small town water plants and rural cooperatives. The right office depends on where the property sits, not where you live now. This page explains who runs each service, how rules change by state, and how to reach the correct local office on the first try.

Who Runs Utilities in the United States: Federal, State, County and City Roles

No single agency runs utilities nationwide. Responsibility is split by level of government and by type of service. Knowing which layer handles your problem saves hours of phone calls.

The federal government sets broad standards but rarely deals with customers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets national drinking water standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and most states handle day-to-day enforcement. The Clean Water Act governs wastewater discharges, with permits usually issued by a state environmental agency. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission oversees interstate electricity transmission and natural gas pipelines. None of these agencies will fix a billing error or restore service to your house.

State regulators come next. Most states have a public utility commission or public service commission that approves rates for investor-owned electric, gas and water companies and takes formal complaints. Names vary: the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Illinois Commerce Commission, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the New York State Public Service Commission are all examples. Many of these bodies have little or no authority over city-owned systems.

Cities, counties and special districts run a large share of the water and sewer systems in our listings. Abilene Sewage Treatment Plant in Taylor County, Texas, and Aberdeen Public Utilities in Monroe County, Mississippi, are typical local operations. Rates for these systems are usually set by a city council, county commission or appointed water board, so complaints go to that body rather than to the state commission.

Private companies and cooperatives fill in the rest. Xcel Energy in Clark County, Wisconsin, and Cascade Natural Gas in Grays Harbor County, Washington, are company-run providers. People's Electric Cooperative in Ada, Oklahoma, and San Isabel Electric Association in Aguilar, Colorado, are member-owned cooperatives governed by boards that their customers elect.

How Utility Rules and Fees Differ Between U.S. States

Two households with the same usage can pay very different bills depending on state law and local ownership. These are the main areas where the rules diverge:

  • Supplier choice. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York let many customers pick a retail electricity supplier, while the local utility still delivers power and handles outages. Much of Texas has retail electric competition, but customers of many municipal utilities and cooperatives cannot switch.
  • Wholesale power sources. Parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky are served by local power companies that buy wholesale electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Billing structure. Many towns combine water, sewer and trash on one statement, as the Altamonte Springs Utility Bill listing in Seminole County, Florida, suggests. Others bill each service separately.
  • Deposits and shutoffs. Deposit amounts, late fees and disconnection notice periods are set by state rules, a published tariff or a local ordinance. Some states limit shutoffs during extreme heat or cold, while others leave it to the provider.
  • Propane and private wells. Propane, such as the Heritage Propane Inc listing in Stanly County, North Carolina, is usually priced by the supplier rather than set in a rate case. Rural homes on wells and septic tanks may have no water or sewer bill at all.

Texas has the most listings in our database at 1,353, followed by California with 949, so those pages hold a wide range from city departments to small districts. Whatever the state, the rate schedule your provider publishes controls what you are charged. Ask for it by name if a charge looks wrong.

Federal help exists but is administered locally. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is funded federally and run by states, usually through county or community action agencies. Apply through your state's program office, and ask your utility about payment plans before you fall behind.

What to Bring Before You Contact a Utility Office in the U.S.

Most utility offices handle the same few requests: starting service, stopping service, disputing a bill and reporting a problem. A little preparation shortens every one of them.

  • Photo ID, and your Social Security number or an accepted alternative if the provider runs a credit check for a deposit.
  • Proof of address, such as a signed lease, closing statement or deed.
  • Your service address exactly as the utility records it, including the unit number.
  • A recent bill, account number or meter number when you are disputing a charge.
  • A payment method. Some small offices still prefer checks or in-person payment.
  • The date you want service to start or stop, given at least several business days ahead.

Visit during weekday business hours, since most city offices close on weekends and holidays. Phone numbers in our listings, such as 325-548-2237 for Abilene Sewage Treatment Plant, are the quickest way to confirm hours before you travel.

Safety calls work differently. If you smell natural gas, leave the building and call 911 or the gas company's emergency line from outside. Before any digging project, call 811, the national call-before-you-dig number, so buried lines are marked. Water main breaks and sewage backups on the public side of the meter go to the utility's after-hours line, not the regular billing desk.

Choosing the Right State Page and Avoiding Common Utility Mistakes

Start with the state where the property is located. Our state pages group providers by county and city, so you can narrow your search quickly. Larger collections include Utilities in Texas, Utilities in California, Utilities in Ohio and Utilities in Indiana, though every state has its own page.

City names repeat across the country, which causes the most wrong turns. Abilene appears in Texas, where Taylor County has a sewage treatment plant, and in Kansas, where Kansas Gas Service lists an office in Dickinson County. Albany shows up with Albany City Water Works in Delaware County, Indiana, Hunley Gas in Clinton County, Kentucky, and Gentry County Public Water in Missouri. Always check the county and the phone area code.

These mistakes cost residents time and money:

  • Searching the wrong state because a city name is shared.
  • Calling the city when the provider is a cooperative, a county district or a private company.
  • Complaining to the state commission about a municipal system it does not regulate.
  • Paying through a third-party website instead of the provider's own payment channel.
  • Waiting for a shutoff notice before asking about payment plans or assistance.

If you are unsure who serves an address, check your most recent bill or ask your landlord or county assessor. Then use the matching state page, confirm the phone number, and write down the name of the person who helps you.

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Using Our Utilities Listings Across the United States

The 12,165 listings in our database are organized the way utilities are actually run: by state, then by county and city. That structure matters because a provider's authority ends at its service territory. A county water authority may serve a town next door to the one named in its title, and a cooperative can cover several counties. Check the county shown in each listing before you call.

Names do not always match locations. The Henry County Water Authority entry for Abbeville shows Vermilion County and a 337 area code, which belongs to Louisiana, while Tri Delta Systems in Abbeville lists Henry County and a 334 area code in Alabama. Two towns with the same name can have unrelated utilities, so verify the details first.

Busy pages are worth browsing slowly. Utilities in Florida lists 398 entries, including city-run billing offices like Altamonte Springs in Seminole County. Tennessee has 365, with local systems such as Adams-Cedar Hill Water System in Robertson County. Use the county name to separate providers with similar titles, and confirm hours by phone, since small offices may close for lunch or keep limited days.

Listings are a starting point. Rates, hours and contacts change, so confirm with the provider before paying, signing a form or traveling to an office. For disputes that cannot be settled locally, ask the provider which regulator, if any, oversees it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Utilities in the United States

It depends on who owns the utility. Investor-owned electric, gas and water companies are usually regulated by a state public utility or public service commission, which reviews and approves rates through formal proceedings. City-owned systems are typically governed by the city council or a utility board, and cooperatives answer to elected member boards. Some states give their commission limited oversight of cooperatives or municipal systems, and others give none. Propane is generally priced by the seller. The federal government regulates interstate transmission and pipelines, not the rate on your monthly bill. Ask your provider who oversees it.

Check your latest bill first, since it lists the provider, account number and customer service phone. If you are moving in, ask the landlord, seller or real estate agent who supplies each service. Your city or county clerk's office can usually tell you whether water and sewer come from the city, a district, or a private well and septic system. For electricity and gas, the state utility commission's website often has a service-territory lookup. Then match the provider to the right state page and county in our listings, and call to confirm your street is inside its service area.

Plan to give your name, service address, start date, and a phone number or email. Many providers also ask for photo ID and proof that you own or rent the home, such as a lease or closing statement. Some require a deposit unless you have a good payment history or a letter from a previous utility. Request service several business days ahead, because a meter reading or field visit may be needed. For water, ask whether any unpaid balance from the previous occupant stays with the property rather than the person.

Start with the provider's billing office and ask for a meter re-read, an account review or a written explanation. Keep notes with dates, names and amounts. Pay any undisputed portion, since non-payment can trigger a shutoff. If the provider is a regulated investor-owned company and the issue stays unresolved, file a complaint with your state utility commission. If it is a municipal utility, appeal to the utility board, city manager or council, because the state commission often has no authority. Cooperatives have member boards that hear disputes. Written, dated requests carry more weight than phone calls alone.

A cooperative is owned by the customers it serves, who are called members. Members elect the board, and surplus revenue is generally returned to members as capital credits or used to hold down costs rather than paid out as profit. Cooperatives often serve rural areas with low population density, such as People's Electric Cooperative in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, and San Isabel Electric Association in Las Animas County, Colorado. Rates are usually set by the board, although some states give a commission a degree of oversight. When you sign up, you may be asked to pay a membership fee in addition to any deposit.

Treat a gas odor as an emergency. Leave the building immediately, avoid light switches and anything else that might spark, and call 911 or the gas company's emergency number from a safe distance. A water main break or sewage backup in the street is not a 911 call unless it creates danger, but report it right away to the utility's after-hours line. If water is flooding your own property, find the shutoff valve at the meter or inside the home and close it. Before any yard project, call 811 a few days ahead so buried lines are marked.

Sometimes. Several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York, allow many customers to choose a retail supplier for electricity, natural gas or both, while the local utility continues to deliver the energy and respond to outages. Much of Texas has retail electric competition too. Many other states, and customers of most municipal utilities and cooperatives, do not have that option. If you can switch, compare the price per unit, contract length, early termination fee and whether the rate is fixed or variable. Your state utility commission usually runs an official comparison tool.