Birmingham Utilities 💧 | What to Know About Birmingham AL Utilities

Birmingham utilities are essential! Whether you're moving to Birmingham from another city or moving in Birmingham, you need to have access to electricity, gas, and water. You need to understand how to transfer Birmingham utilities or set up a new account, and you need to know how to pay your bills.

The City of Birmingham has named the official utilities in Birmingham. Alabama does not offer energy choice, but the Alabama Public Service Commission regulates all Alabama utility companies. You can enjoy safe and affordable Birmingham AL utilities, no matter how much Birmingham water or Birmingham trash collection you need. Here's what to know about Birmingham utilities.

Average Utilities in Birmingham

Before you look at Birmingham utility providers, you should learn about the cost of Birmingham utilities. The cost of living index compares the cost of items in a city or metropolitan area to the national average. The index contains a subindex for utilities. 100 is equivalent to the national average, while 90 is 10% cheaper and 110 is 110% more expensive. The Birmingham utilities subindex is 107.5, meaning Birmingham utilities cost 7.5% more than the national average.

Here are the monthly utility bills in Birmingham, according to Doxo:

• Birmingham electric bill: $192
• Birmingham gas bill: $74
• Average water bill in Birmingham AL: $85
• Birmingham waste and recycling bill: $70
• Birmingham mobile phone bill: $122
• Birmingham cable and internet bill: $138

The total monthly bill in Birmingham is $671, higher than the national average of $570. All Birmingham utilities except for water, sewer, waste, and recycling are more expensive than the national average.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the average prices for energy in the South, including Birmingham, Huntsville, and cities and towns near Huntsville. In July 2025, one therm of piped gas cost $1.942. In July 2025, one kilowatt-hour of electricity cost $0.163, while one gallon of gasoline cost $3.016. The price of piped gas rose by 14.0% between July 2024 and July 2025. The price of electricity rose by 3.8% while the price of gasoline fell by 11.5% during the same time period.

Birmingham Electric Company | Alabama Power

Alabama Power is the official Birmingham electric company for all residents in Birmingham. Alabama Power was founded on December 4, 1906, by William Patrick Lay, James Mitchell, and Thomas W. Martin. The Birmingham utilities company expanded steadily over the 1900s, and it currently serves 1.5 million customers across a service area of 45,000 square miles in Alabama. According to the Alabama Power Fact Card, Alabama Power maintains over 86,000 miles of power lines and nearly 1.6 million towers and poles, making life easy for Birmingham power usage.

Transfer or Start Alabama Power Service

You can start, stop, and transfer Alabama Power services online. If you prefer to call Alabama Power to start services, you can contact Alabama Power customer service at 1-800-245-2244. To start Birmingham electric services, you need to provide:

• Your name
• Your service address and your mailing address, if your mailing address is different than your service address
• Your county, lot, and neighborhood information, if your home is a new construction
• Your home phone and an alternate work number, which can be your work or cell number
• The Social Security Number of the primary account holder
• Your spouse or roommate’s name, if you have one
• The date you would like your services to be turned on
• Temporary contact information during the installation process
• Descriptions of any access problems, such as dogs, locked gates, or uneven walkways

Alabama Power can connect your Birmingham electric service from Monday through Friday. If you submit your order by midnight, you can get your service connected the next day. If you submit your order on a Friday or during the weekend, you can receive Birmingham utilities on Monday.

Alabama Power will conduct a credit check through Equifax to determine if you need to pay a deposit. If you don't have a previous account with Alabama Power, you will likely pay a deposit, usually twice the average monthly bill for your home. You are eligible for a refund if you make payments on time for 12 consecutive months. All new customers must pay an account establishment charge of $40 for Birmingham utilities.

To transfer your services, you need to provide your account number and your new address. You then need to schedule a final meter reading at your old address before you can set up new services for safety reasons and to finalize your energy bill.

Alabama Power Bill Pay

You have a few options for residential pricing and rate plans for your Alabama Power bill. Many customers of Birmingham utilities use the Family Dwelling Plan, also known as the Standard Rate Plan. The plan has a base charge of $14.50 per customer. Between June and September, you pay 13.4851 cents per kilowatt-hour for your first 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month and 13.7380 cents per kilowatt-hour for all energy usage over 1,000 kilowatt-hours. Between October and May, you pay 13.4851 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 750 kilowatt-hours you use per month and 12.2851 cents per kilowatt-hour for energy usage over 750 kilowatt-hours.

The Family Dwelling - Demand Rate Plan is suitable if you have high power usage and use a lot of Birmingham utilities during non-peak periods. Peak periods are between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. from April to October and from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. from November to March. You pay a base charge of $14.50 per customer on your Alabama Power bill, and the charge per kilowatt-hour is 7.9607 cents for all hours. However, during peak periods, you pay an additional demand charge based on the amount of electricity you use in those periods.

The Residential Time Advantage - Demand and the Residential Time Advantage - Energy plans are similar to the Demand Rate Plan. They're suitable if you don't use Birmingham utilities on summer afternoons and winter mornings and don't use multiple large appliances simultaneously. If you prefer a flat rate, you can use the FlatBill plan to pay the same bill amount each month for 12 months.

You can use the Alabama Power Energy Assistant tool to save money and manage your power usage. Alabama Power does not run its own payment assistance programs, but you can get payment assistance for Birmingham utilities through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Project SHARE, and other organizations.

You can perform an Alabama Power bill pay:

• Using your digital wallet, you can use Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo
• Performing an Alabama Power login on your Alabama Power account
• Visiting authorized Alabama Power payment locations
• Enabling Auto Pay through your checking or savings account
• Using your credit or debit cards (one-time payments only)
• Mailing a check or money order to Alabama Power Payments, P.O. Box 242, Birmingham, AL 35292
• Calling Alabama Power customer service at 1-800-245-2244

Alabama Power Contact Information

• Alabama Power phone number: 1-800-245-2244
• Alabama Power emergency hotline: 1-800-888-2726
• Alabama Power hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Alabama Power headquarters address: 1802 6th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL, 35203

Birmingham Gas Company | Spire

Spire is the official Birmingham gas company. Spire serves 1.7 million homes and businesses in Alabama, Mississippi, and Missouri, including in cities and towns near Huntsville. Spire was founded in 1857 in St. Louis as Laclede Gas Light, making it the oldest Birmingham utilities provider. It was one of the first 10 companies to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. By 1950, the company was serving nearly 100,000 customers. Laclede expanded to Birmingham and other cities in Alabama in 2014 and renamed itself Spire in 2016.

Transfer or Start Spire Service

You can start Spire services online. To start services, you need to provide your name, Social Security Number, and address. You can then schedule an appointment to start services. An adult must be home, and your electricity, water, and other Birmingham utilities must be turned on first. You can select your appointment time from a list of available times. Spire advises that you set up Birmingham utilities online instead of calling them, but you can call Spire customer service at 800-292-4008.

Spire will conduct a credit check to determine if you need to pay a deposit to start Birmingham utilities. You will need to pay a deposit if your service was previously disconnected for non-payment of Birmingham utilities.

To transfer Birmingham utilities, you can log into your Spire account, then select Schedule Service and Transfer Service. You need to provide your account details and service address, and then you can schedule an appointment to transfer services.

Spire Bill Pay

Here are the rates and tariffs for residential Spire gas services, effective as of December 1, 2024:

All residential customers pay the same rates for Birmingham utilities. If you need help managing your bill, you can set up Budget Billing, which spreads out your average gas usage over 12 months. You can also make payment arrangements to spread your past due balance over your next few bills. Spire does not have hardship programs, but you can get help through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

You can perform a Spire bill pay by:

• Performing a Spire login to your account and setting up automatic or one-time payments
• Making a Guest Payment
• Mailing a check or money order to Spire, PO Box 70880, Charlotte, NC, 28272-0880
• Calling 1-800-292-4008
• Visiting Spire payment locations

Spire Contact Information

• Spire phone number for Spire customer service and emergencies: 1-800-292-4008
• Spire hours: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Spire headquarters address: 14 13th Street North, Birmingham, AL, 35204

Birmingham Water | Birmingham Water Works

Birmingham Water Works provides water for all residents in Birmingham. Birmingham Water Works serves over 770,000 customers across five counties, and it's the largest water system in Alabama. The company was established in 1885, and it grew steadily over the next 140 years. The company has provided 60 million gallons of water per day every day since 1985.

Birmingham Water Works Start Service

You can start Birmingham Water Works services online. To perform a Birmingham Water Works start service, you must provide your name and address. Birmingham Water Works requires you to provide a lease or a deed and a copy of a photo ID, like a driver's license or a passport, to get Birmingham utilities. You can then schedule an appointment to have your Birmingham utilities set up. 

You must pay $43.00 to establish or transfer your services. Residential customers with sewers must pay deposits of $120.00, while customers without sewers must pay deposits of $60.00. To transfer Birmingham Water Works services, you need to log into your Birmingham Water Works account and request a new service at your new address.

Birmingham Water Works Bill Pay

Your Birmingham water bill is based on a base service charge and the amount of water you use. The base service charge depends on the size of your water meter. Here are the base service charges, according to Birmingham Water Works:

There are three tiers of variable Birmingham water rates. If you use over three hundred cubic feet of water (ccf), you pay Tier 1 and Tier 2 rates. If you use over 12 ccf, you pay Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 rates. Here are the variable water rates:

The H2O Foundation is a non-profit organization in Birmingham that offers plumbing and repair assistance for residents who can't pay their water bills. The organization can fix faulty or leaky pipes, sewers, and other aspects of your plumbing system, helping you save money on your Birmingham water bill and Birmingham AL utilities.

To qualify, your income must fall under the H2O Foundation eligibility guidelines. You must be at least 50 years of age, currently receiving Social Security disability income, or have a documented medical condition that requires water access. You must also have an unpaid water and sewer bill and insufficient family or community resources to pay your Birmingham Water Works bill off. Qualifying residents can receive up to $500 in assistance toward paying their Birmingham Water Works bill.

You can perform a Birmingham Water Works bill pay by:

• Logging onto your account to set up automatic payments through your checking account or one-time payments
• Using your credit or debit card, with a $2.49 fee
• Making a guest payment with your credit or debit card or checking account, with a $2.49 fee
• Calling Birmingham Water Works customer service at 1-877-565-3802, with a $1.95 processing fee (only for transactions of $500 or less)
• Mailing a check or mail order to Birmingham Water Works Board, P.O. Box 830269, Birmingham, AL, 35283
• Visiting the Customer Payment Center at 101 35th Street North, Birmingham, AL, 35222
• Visiting a Walmart Money Center

Birmingham Water Works Contact Information

• Birmingham Water Works phone number: 205-244-4000
• Birmingham Water Works hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Birmingham Water Works address: 3600 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, AL, 35222

Birmingham Trash and Recycling | City of Birmingham Public Works

The City of Birmingham Public Works provides trash and recycling services for 70,000 households in Birmingham. The department conducts a Birmingham trash pickup and Birmingham waste collection in each Birmingham neighborhood every other week between Monday and Thursday. You can view the City of Birmingham garbage pickup schedule online. Recycling pickups occur on the same days. You can get a recycling cart by filling out the Recycle Birmingham form. Recycling carts are currently available for free.

You are billed for Birmingham trash services through your Birmingham water bill. You can request an additional trash cart for $120 and filling out a request form for an additional cart.

Internet Providers Birmingham AL

The City of Birmingham recommends using the FCC National Broadband Map to find internet service options and other Birmingham AL utilities. Many residents in Birmingham use either AT&T or Spectrum for their internet, phone, and cable services. Many residents in Hoover and Huntsville also use AT&T and Spectrum. Here's what to know about internet providers Birmingham AL.

AT&T Birmingham

AT&T Birmingham provides fiber internet for Birmingham residents, as well as cell phone and home phone plans. There are three plans you can sign up for:

• Internet 300, providing 300 Mbps at $55 a month
• Internet 500, providing 500 Mbps at $65 a month
• Internet 1000, providing 1,000 Mbps at $80 a month

AT&T is a 100% fiber network, providing faster connections than cable internet. It also offers equal upload and download speeds, making it suitable for home offices and houses that stream movies or video games. You can start AT&T services by visiting AT&T stores in Birmingham or calling 1-800-288-2020.

Spectrum Birmingham AL

Spectrum Birmingham AL provides Wi-Fi, home internet, and cable television services, among other Birmingham AL utilities. Spectrum Birmingham AL offers three plans:

• Internet Advantage, providing up to 100 Mbps at $30 a month
• Internet Premier, providing up to 500 Mbps at $50 a month
• Internet Gig, providing up to 1 Gbps at $70 a month

All Spectrum plans come with modems and antivirus software included. No plans have data caps or required annual contracts. You can shop for Spectrum services and check your availability for Birmingham AL utilities online.

Start Using Birmingham Utilities Today

Birmingham utilities may seem tricky at first, but they're actually easy to set up. You can start your services with Alabama Power, Spire, Birmingham Water Works, and other organizations online. Rates are available on each Birmingham utility provider's website, and you can easily control your water and power usage using online tools.

You can start setting up your Birmingham AL utilities after relocating with the top Birmingham movers. This Side Up Moving has over 20 years of experience in the moving industry. Call 205-484-9360 for a free estimate now.