Utility Bills Are Rising in Colorado Springs: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know

September in Colorado Springs brings cooler evenings, the Pikes Peak Marathon weekend,and,yes,the water bill creeping up again. Nobody calls their real estate agent about that,and maybe we should all start. Utility costs are one of the least talked-about numbers in a home purchase,and they are one of the most predictable.

Colorado Springs Utilities has a City Council-approved five-year rate case running through 2029 that raises base rates every January:water and electric step up 6.5% each year, natural gas 4%,and wastewater 9%. For a typical four-service home, the 2026 bump came to about $14.87 extra a month,per the utility's own estimate. That money funds roughly $3.9 billion in infrastructure work across the city : pipes, plants, and power systems, the kind of thing nobody notices until it stops working.

Why This Matters When You Compare Homes

Two homes at the same list price can carry very different monthly costs. An older house with an inefficient furnace or single-pane windows will eat a budget in ways a well-insulated home won't. When you're serious about a property, ask for the utility history,and put utilities into the monthly column next to your mortgage, insurance,and taxes. That is the real number your budget lives on.

If You're Building, Ask About Connection Fees

For anyone pricing new construction, know that connection costs can sit outside the price of the home. In 2025, a single-family water connection carried a $3,847 development charge plus a $5,297 water resource fee,and new-construction wastewater permit fees doubled to $160 for single-family homes. CSU re-sets these charges each year,so when a builder hands you a price, ask in writing exactly what's included and what shows up as separate fees before you go under contract.

For Sellers, Efficiency Is Worth Talking About

If you're selling, a home that's cheaper to heat, cool,and water has a genuine story worth telling. Efficient windows, a newer furnace, and low-water landscaping are features buyers can put a dollar figure on,and this market rewards that. More buyers are comparing total monthly costs these days, so lead with the numbers that make your home easier to live in.

And while bills rise, the calendar fills up nicely: Fiestas Patrias brings celebration to downtown on September 12,and the Pikes Peak Marathon and Regional Airshow take over the weekend of September 19–20. Fall is our favorite season here,and honestly,none of that is moving.

Here's the honest take: utility increases are real,and they are predictable. They're announced, phased,and public, the opposite of a surprise. The buyers and sellers who plan for them are the ones who move with confidence. If you want help running the real monthly numbers on a home you're considering,that is exactly what we do every day. We've got you.