Utility bill inflation differs across the country

Summary

• Average monthly overall utility payments per customer rose by approximately 5% year-over-year across the country from June through August 2026.
• Utility bill growth varied significantly by location, with increases exceeding 10% year-over-year in Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington DC.
• Utility bills decreased in Orlando, San Jose, and Tampa during the same period.
• Factors contributing to regional differences include reshoring, reindustrialization, infrastructure replacement, regulatory changes, and one-off charges.
• The removal of hurricane recovery surcharges lowered bills in Florida in 2026.
• Grid and capacity investments raised costs in the Northeast.
• Data sources include aggregated and anonymized Bank of America deposit and transaction data from US Retail, Preferred, Small Business, and Wealth Management clients.
• Utility bill data represents the average for the period of June through August 2026.
• The report was published on September 17, 2026, by the Bank of America Institute.