5 States To Move to If You Don’t Want To Pay High Utility Bills

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The United States is a land of great variations in geography and climate, ranging from the frozen, sub-zero Alaskan tundra to the scorching heat of California’s Death Valley. Because of this diversity, utility bills in the U.S. can vary widely depending on where you live.

Ideally, you live in a moderate climate with few severe swings in temperature, which helps keep power and heating bills affordable and predictable. Not many places in the United States tick those boxes, however.

A 2023 GOBankingRates survey found that more than four in 10 respondents (43.72%) said they had trouble paying their utility bills — electric, gas, heat, internet and others — over the previous six to 12 months. Among the expenses, the electric bill was the hardest to keep current for 35.47% of respondents, followed by the gas bill (16.50%) and internet/cable (9.90%).

States With the Lowest and Higher Utility Bills

As with just about all living costs, utilities are cheaper in some states than in others. A recent analysis from Forbes looked at data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the states where utility bills are highest and lowest. Among its findings was that Americans pay an average of $429.33 per month for their utility bills. That comes out to about $5,151.96 per year on utilities, or roughly 10% of the typical yearly income.

Here are some other findings from the Forbes study:

• Hawaii has the highest monthly energy bill at $177.78 and Utah has the lowest at $80.87.
• California has the highest monthly water bill at $77 and Wisconsin and Vermont are tied for the lowest at $18.
• Iowa has the highest monthly internet bill at $50 and the states of Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Virginia tied for the lowest at $20.
• Hawaii has the highest natural gas bill at $122 and Oregon has the lowest at $32.
• All states have the same cost for their monthly phone bill at $114.
• Maryland has the highest streaming bill at $52.25 while New Mexico has the lowest at $39.50.

If you want to reduce your monthly expenses, here are the five states with the lowest average combined utility bills, according to Forbes. The monthly figures include energy, water, internet, natural gas, phone and streaming bills:

1. Utah: $345.62 per month
2. New Mexico: $362.81
3. Idaho: $367.87
4. Colorado: $371.96
5. Nevada: $376.67

On the other end of the spectrum, these are the states with the highest average utility bills:

• Alaska: $569.64
• Hawaii: $563.53
• Connecticut: $532.71
• West Virginia: $486.11
• Georgia: $474.86

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