Setting up utilities before or immediately after your Florida move is easy to overlook amid the chaos of moving. Florida's utility landscape differs from most states — natural gas is less common, electric bills run higher due to year-round AC, and providers vary dramatically by county.
Electric Service
Florida Power and Light (FPL) — now NextEra Energy — is the largest, serving South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin), the Treasure Coast, and parts of Central Florida. New service typically activates same-day to next-day.
Duke Energy Florida serves Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, and Pinellas counties plus parts of Polk and Highlands. Tampa Electric (TECO) serves Hillsborough County. JEA is Jacksonville's municipal utility for electric and water. OUC serves Orlando and St. Cloud.
Florida budget reality: Average Florida electric bill is $130-$180/month for a typical home — higher than the national average due to year-round AC. In summer (June-September), bills for 2,000+ sq ft homes commonly run $200-$350.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is not standard in most Florida homes. Most homes use electric heat pumps. Propane (delivered by truck) is common in rural areas. Where gas IS available: Tampa (TECO Peoples Gas), Jacksonville (Peoples Gas), and some Central Florida areas.
Water and Sewer
Water/sewer providers are almost always county or municipal utilities — not statewide. Find yours by county: Miami-Dade Water and Sewer, Broward County Water and Wastewater, Hillsborough County Public Utilities, Pinellas County Utilities, Orange County Utilities, Collier County Utilities. Independent cities typically have their own systems.
If your home is on a well and septic system (common in rural FL), there is no water/sewer utility to set up — review our Well and Pump Services guides for maintenance requirements.
Internet Service
AT&T Fiber: expanding rapidly in Tampa Bay, Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami. 1 Gig symmetrical for about $70-$80/month. Best overall value where available.
Xfinity (Comcast): most geographically widespread Florida cable provider. Available in most Tampa Bay, Southwest FL, and parts of Central/South FL.
Spectrum (Charter): dominant in Orlando metro, Space Coast, and parts of South FL.
Starlink (SpaceX): available statewide — essential for rural properties. $120/month plus $599 hardware. Higher latency than fiber but adequate for most uses.
Setup timeline: Cable and fiber internet typically take 3-10 days to schedule installation. Order before your move date and have a mobile hotspot backup.
Trash and Recycling
Solid waste collection is a county or municipal service. In most counties, garbage collection is automatic for homeowners (billed as part of county taxes or utility bill). Most Florida counties offer curbside single-stream recycling — accepted materials vary by county. Glass is a common exception that many counties do not accept curbside.
First 30 Days Utility Checklist
Week before move-in: Contact electric utility for service transfer, order internet installation, confirm water/sewer service is in your name, and identify trash collection day.
Move-in week: Verify electric and water are active before the moving truck arrives. Get internet installed. Locate circuit breaker panel and main water shutoff. Check AC filter condition.
First 30 days: Set up auto-pay for utilities. Review first electric bill — if unusually high, check for AC issues or air leaks. If on well/septic, schedule a water quality test.