Over the last decade, I’ve purchased or rented in at least five different places, across multiple states. One of the biggest unknowns when making a move is always the cost of utilities. It’s a complete black box! The same was the case when my family and I moved to Spring Hill in October 2021.
Each home is different. Each utilities provider charges differently, making it difficult to compare. Each state has different prices. Each climate requires a different mixture of electricity, heating, or cooling. Each home has a different footprint. You know the drill.
In the rest of this post, I’m going to share estimates of what you should expect to pay for utilities if you move to the Middle Tennessee area, in particular, Spring Hill. Specifically, I’m going to show you how much I’m paying for electricity, internet, natural gas, sewer, water, and trash pickup.
If you are thinking about moving to the Spring Hill area, this post is for you. Let’s jump in!
My living situation
Firstly, here’s a bit more about my situation to help frame the rest of the numbers.
- Home square footage: 3300 square feet
- Age of HVAC system: replaced this year. Two 14 Seer units (3 tons each)
- Average temperature in home: 73 degrees during the day, 76 at night (I have a programmable thermostat so these numbers are pretty accurate)
In short, the house is not small and we don’t cool it as much as we could. I could classify us as energy conscious. We try to keep the doors closed and not cool the outdoors 🙂
Electricity costs in Spring Hill, TN
I’m pretty sure everyone in Spring Hill purchases electricity off Middle Tennessee Electric. Overall, TN has relatively low electricity costs compared to other parts of the country. With that being said, costs have gone up here like everywhere else.
If you want to see a detailed breakdown of electricity costs here, check this out. Warning – it probably won’t make sense to you.
A real electric cost breakdown (2022 edition)
I purchased a home in late March in Spring Hill that was built in 2005. In early June as the temperature started to climb, I noticed that the HVAC unit outside was constantly running, yet the upstairs was always warmer than I programmed the thermostat.
Long story short, both systems needed to be replaced. Before we replaced those units, the most I paid was $10.63 in a single day. That’s approximately $300/mo on electricity! You can see this below:
We upgraded both HVAC units from an 8 Seer to a 14 Seer at the end of June, and with the new HVAC units, our daily electric costs were cut in half. Put simply, we went from paying $10/day to $5/day for electricity. I was very happy besides the scary upfront investment I had to make.
You can see our kWh usage below as well if you are curious to compare notes with your local utility provider.
In conclusion, we are paying approximately $150/mo on electric to heat and cool our 3,300 sqft home.
Natural Gas
We have a gas stove and gas powered washer/dryer. Atmos Energy is the local provider in Spring Hill. We pay approximately $25/mo for natural gas.
Internet
We use AT&T for internet at the house. The total cost for internet per month is $55. We could pay more for faster access, but we’re currently clocking 200+ Mbps down consistently. That’s all I need (I work from home). You can see a screenshot below.
Trash, Water, Sewer Costs
The City of Spring Hill handles garbage, recycling, water, stormwater, & sewer. Overall, I’m very pleased with the service I get, especially with how I can leave brush and lawn debris (grass clippings) outside my house and they will pick it up for me! I used to need to take trips to the dump on my own to dispose of this back in Maine. My property tax bill is also MUCH lower down here in Tennessee. It’s a night and day difference.
On average, I pay $65/month for all these services. I’ve included a sample itemized bill for you to review below:
My total utilities cost (an example)
- Electricity: $150/mo
- Natural Gas: $30/mo
- Internet: $55/mo
- Everything else: $65/mo
My total cost for utilities on a monthly basis in Spring Hill, TN on a 3,300 square foot house is $300 per month. This is a comparable cost to what I was paying in Maine, but the house was half the size.
In Conclusion
Energy costs are up everywhere, and Tennessee is no exception, but I think you will find you get a lot more value for your money here in Spring Hill. Just make sure if your electricity bill is high, you may need to replace your HVAC systems 🙂