Utility service in Alabama does not come from one office. Electricity, water, sewer, natural gas and heating fuel are supplied by investor-owned companies, city departments, member-owned cooperatives and public authorities. Which one serves you depends on your street address, not just your county. This page explains how those providers fit together, which agencies oversee them, and where to go when you need to start service, question a bill or report a problem.

Which Agencies Oversee Utilities in Alabama

Oversight is split among several agencies, so the right complaint office depends on the type of provider.

City utilities and cooperatives generally sit outside the commission's rate setting. A city utility answers to its council or a utility board. A cooperative answers to its members, who elect the board. If your bill comes from either one, raise the issue with that board or its customer service office first.

Electric Service: Power Company, Cooperative or City Department

Three kinds of electric provider operate in the state, sometimes within a few miles of each other.

Alabama Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, serves much of central and southern Alabama. Our listings include its offices at 205 North Main Avenue in Demopolis and 305 3rd Avenue Northwest in Aliceville. Both show the company's statewide number, 800-245-2244, so you will usually reach a call center rather than a local desk.

In the Tennessee Valley of north Alabama, many customers buy from local distributors that purchase wholesale power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Those distributors are run by cities or boards, not by TVA itself.

Cooperatives cover much of the countryside. Central Alabama Electric Cooperative in Clanton, Pioneer Electric Cooperative in Greenville, South Alabama Electric Cooperative in Troy and Covington Electric Co-Op in Andalusia are all in the database. Customers are called members, and you should expect a membership fee or deposit when you sign up. The Alabama Rural Electric Association of Cooperatives in Montgomery is the statewide trade group, so call your local co-op, not that office, about a bill.

Cities run their own electric systems too. Dothan Electric Department operates from 200 Kilgore Drive, and Russellville Utilities Department is at 721 Jackson Avenue South. The Utilities Board of the City of Atmore, at 201 East Louisville Avenue, serves a city in Escambia County. Municipal customers often receive power, water and sewer charges together.

Water and Sewer Systems From Birmingham to Rural County Roads

Water and sewer service is the most fragmented. Large cities usually rely on a single water works board or a county sewer system. Rural areas depend on small water authorities that cover a stretch of county roads rather than a town.

In the Birmingham area, the Village Creek Sewer Treatment plant at 1440 Pleasant Hill Road handles wastewater in Jefferson County. Anniston Water Works & Sewer Board keeps a service center at 225 Grace Street in Oxford, in Calhoun County. The Colbert County Water Department in Tuscumbia, at 2750 Old Highway 20, serves customers in northwest Alabama.

Smaller authorities appear throughout the listings: Stewartville Water Authority near Sylacauga, Loachapoka Water Authority with an Auburn address, Belforest Water System in Daphne in Baldwin County, Carrolls Creek Water Authority in Northport and Hackneyville Water Authority in Alexander. Their names refer to communities, not mailing cities. A customer near Loachapoka may have an Auburn address, so check your bill for the correct authority before calling a city office.

Gas, Propane and Fuel Oil Where the Pipelines End

Natural gas lines do not reach every road. Spire Alabama serves many cities and towns, and public gas districts fill in some rural areas. Clarke Mobile Counties Gas District is at 2003 College Avenue in Jackson, in Clarke County, and Southeast Alabama Gas District is at 402 North Union Avenue in Ozark.

Where no pipeline exists, households buy propane or heating oil from dealers. Central Propane on U.S. 431 in Albertville and Horton Oil Co on U.S. 31 in Brewton are two listed examples. Dealers set their own prices and delivery terms, so ask about tank rental and minimum fills before you sign anything. Some listings, such as Martin Energy Services' Blakeley Island Terminal in Mobile, are bulk fuel facilities, not places to open a household account.

Gulf Coast, Black Belt and Tennessee Valley: Regional Differences

On the Gulf Coast, Mobile County and Baldwin County face hurricane risk between June and November. Storm outages there can last days, so keep your provider's outage number saved and tell the company early if anyone in your home relies on medical equipment.

In rural west and central Alabama, towns such as Demopolis and Aliceville depend on Alabama Power for electricity and on small systems for water. Choices are limited, so your provider's customer service line matters more than shopping around. In the north, TVA-supplied systems and city utilities such as Russellville Utilities Department handle most accounts.

In metro areas such as Birmingham, Dothan and Gadsden, expect larger customer service operations and several offices for different services. Power, water and sewer may each come from a separate provider with its own bill and its own hours.

What to Bring and Who to Call First

Requirements differ by provider, but most offices ask for the same basics.

For outages, call the provider printed on your bill, not the nearest office. Before digging anywhere on your property, call 811 so buried lines can be marked.

Municipal utility departments throughout Alabama provide electricity, water, sewer, and related services to millions of residents and businesses. Utility governance in Alabama is shaped by the state's public utility commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, while municipally owned systems operate under local authority.

Utilities locations are available in 209 cities across Alabama. They are spread across 66 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of utility offices include Brewton, Gadsden, Dothan, reflecting their larger populations and service area demands.

Alabama residents should contact their local utility provider directly for account setup, billing questions, and outage reporting. State-level utility assistance programs may also be available through the state's health and human services agency.

Utilities by Counties

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Alabama residents who need help paying utility bills may qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered through the state's community services offices. Contact your local utility provider to inquire about budget billing, shut-off protection, and additional assistance programs available in your area.

Browse Utilities by county across Alabama to find your local utility department's contact information and service office locations.

Dealing With Small-Town Utility Offices

Many Alabama utility offices are small, locally run and open on weekdays only. In towns such as Brewton, Gadsden, Sylacauga and Tuscumbia, the office may be a single service counter where staff know customers by name. That helps, but it also means hours, payment options and deposit rules differ from one provider to the next. Call before you drive over, especially if you plan to pay in person.

Addresses in this directory often include highway numbers, such as U.S. 31 in Brewton or U.S. 231 in Troy, because rural offices sit along main roads instead of on numbered city blocks. Confirm the location on a map and ask whether the office handles billing or only field work. Some listings are plants, terminals or trade associations where no one opens new accounts.

Counties with many listings, including Houston County, home to Dothan, and Etowah County, home to Gadsden, usually have several providers working side by side. Your bill, not the county line, tells you which one serves your address. If you move within a county, you may have to switch providers, so close the old account and open the new one on the same day.

Finally, keep records. Save your account number, the date of each call and the name of the person who helped you. A short paper trail makes any later complaint to a utility board, the Public Service Commission or ADEM far easier to resolve.

Frequently Asked Questions About Utilities in Alabama

Start with the company's customer service line. Alabama Power lists 800-245-2244 for its offices, including those in Demopolis and Aliceville, so the same number reaches you from either town. Describe the dispute clearly, note the date and the name of the representative, and keep a copy of the bill. If the company does not resolve the problem, you can file a complaint with the Alabama Public Service Commission in Montgomery, which regulates Alabama Power's rates and service. Pay any undisputed portion of the bill while the review is open, because a missed payment can still lead to a disconnection notice.

Usually not for rates. The commission focuses on investor-owned companies. City departments such as Dothan Electric Department and Russellville Utilities Department answer to their city councils or utility boards, and cooperatives such as Pioneer Electric Cooperative in Greenville answer to boards elected by their members. Bring billing and rate complaints to those boards first. Many hold public meetings, and co-op members can vote in board elections. Water quality is different. ADEM enforces drinking water standards for every public system, whether it is city-run, a cooperative or a water authority, so you can contact ADEM about safety concerns regardless of who sends your bill.

Check your most recent water bill first, because the authority's name is printed at the top. If you are new to the property, ask the seller, landlord or a neighbor, then call the closest authority and ask whether it serves your road. Rural authorities such as Carrolls Creek Water Authority in Northport, Hackneyville Water Authority in Alexander and Loachapoka Water Authority near Auburn are named for communities, so your mailing city may mislead you. Give your road name and house number when you call, and ask whether a meter is already installed. If a line does not reach your property, the authority can explain tap fees and extension rules.

Federal energy assistance is available through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers. Applications are generally taken by local community action agencies, not by the utility itself. Bring photo identification, proof of household income, a recent utility bill and Social Security numbers for household members. Funding is limited and enrollment periods change, so contact your local agency early. Also tell your provider that you have applied. Many providers will discuss payment arrangements, and a cooperative or city utility may offer its own options through its customer service office.

Call 811 before any digging, including fence posts, trees or a mailbox. The call reaches Alabama 811, the one-call center that notifies member utilities so they can mark buried lines. Ask for your ticket number and the waiting period, and do not dig until every utility has responded. Marks use standard colors: red for electric, yellow for gas and oil, blue for drinking water and green for sewer. Hitting a buried line can cause injury, outages and expensive repairs, so the free call is worth making even for small jobs. Rural water authorities and gas districts often run lines along county roads, so take extra care near road edges.

Propane and fuel oil dealers fill that gap. Central Propane on U.S. 431 in Albertville and Horton Oil Co on U.S. 31 in Brewton are listed in this directory. A gas district such as Southeast Alabama Gas District in Ozark may also serve your area, so check that first. Ask each dealer about delivery schedules, minimum fills, tank rental or ownership, and whether prices are fixed or change with the market. If you rent a tank, only that supplier can usually refill it. Request a written agreement before signing, and find out how to reach the dealer after hours during a cold snap.