Over the course of the past few months, I’ve been conducting the 2025 Utility Fee Survey. This is the sixth Utility Fee Survey, dating to 2015, with subsequent fee surveys in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. The survey was designed to research what fees utilities charge, how much they charge for each fee, and to see what trends, if any, are occurring with fees.

The Utility Fee Survey is a biennial survey, alternating years with the Utility Staffing Survey.

As was the case in each of the previous surveys, the results include too much information for a single issue. If you’re interested, you can see the results from the previous Utility Fee Surveys here.

The first results post summarized the demographics of the survey respondents as well as water and sewer tap and impact fees. The last post dealt with delinquent fees and policies. This post will be the third and final survey results issue, recapping all remaining fees.

Returned check fees

All 124 participating utilities charge a returned check fee ranging from $10.00 to $50.00, as this graph illustrates (clicking on any of the graphs will open a larger image in a new window):

Interestingly, only 41 (or 33.0%) of the responding utilities charge the maximum fee allowed by their state. 18 utilities (representing 14.5%) charge more than the maximum allowed, and 65 (or 52.4%) charge less than the maximum allowed.

If you’re interested in comparing your fee to the maximum allowed in your state, here is a table with the fees for all 50 states. This website specifically references the amount a landlord can charge for a returned check, but I believe it is also accurate for utility bills. I like this website because it references the applicable law for each state.

If you compare this chart to the same chart for 2023, you will notice many more utilities charge less than the state maximum than did in 2023. This is because, in 2023, I was using outdated data for North Carolina’s maximum returned check fee, which was increased from $25.00 to $35.00 in 2019. Of the 57 utilities from North Carolina that participated in the 2025 Utility Fee Survey, 41 are still charging the old maximum fee of $25.00. If you’re interested, here is a link to NCGS § 25-3-506, and here is a link to Senate Bill 529 from 2019, which increased it.

Application fees

In any of my presentations on fees, one of the biggest takeaways for the audience is to charge a non-refundable application fee, in addition to any security deposit, for all new accounts. This year, 75 of the 124 utilities (representing 60.5%) responding to the survey charge such an application or administrative fee, which is the highest percentage reported since the Utility Fee Survey began. These application fees range from $5.00 to $2,020.00 as shown below:

Several of the larger fees are membership fees for member-owned utilities, which skews the graph. Here is a graph of application fees of $250.00 or less:

Transfer fees

The Utility Fee Survey also inquired about the amount utilities charge as a transfer fee for transferring service from one account to another. Of the 124 responding utilities, 60 (representing 48.4%) charge a transfer fee, ranging from $5.00 to $100.00. Transfer fees charged by the responding utilities are shown in this graph:

Meter reread fees

25 of the 124 utilities (or 20.2%) charge a meter reread fee if the customer requests their meter be reread. In many cases, this fee is waived if it is determined that the customer was correct and the utility misread the meter. Of the utilities that charge a meter reread fee, the fee ranges from $10.00 to $50.00, as this graph shows:

Meter test or calibration fees

Again this year, the Utility Fee Survey asked how much utilities charge as a meter test or calibration fee. 57 of the 124 utilities (or 46.0%) charge a fee ranging from $25.00 to $250.00, as shown below:

Four additional utilities charge the actual cost of having the meter tested.

Meter tampering fees

86 of the 124 utilities (or 69.4%) charge a meter tampering fee. 21 utilities charge the actual cost of repairs or cost plus an administrative fee. Two additional utilities recover their costs through the judicial system. Four utilities have an escalating fee that increases with each meter tampering offense. The remaining 59 utilities charge a flat fee ranging from $25.00 to $2,000.00, as shown below:

This graph shows the fee per offense charged by the four utilities that charge an escalating fee:

Return trip fees

For the first time this year, the Utility Fee Survey asked if utilities charge a fee for a return trip. This most commonly happens when turning a meter on and the meter indicates water is running, but no one is home. 22 of the 148 utilities (representing 14.9%) charge a return trip fee ranging from $5.00 to $60.00, as shown below:

Convenience fees

Of the 124 utilities responding to the survey, 120 (or 96.8%) accept credit cards. This is also the highest of any Utility Fee Survey since the first survey was conducted. Credit card acceptance has become standard practice for most utilities.

Of the 120 that do accept credit cards, 92 (or 76.7%) charge a  convenience fee as shown below:

Below is a graphic depicting which methods of credit card payments are assessed convenience fees:

The survey also asked if the convenience fee is charged by the utility or by a third party. Of the 92 utilities that charge a convenience fee, 81 (or 88.0%) are charged by a third party, as shown below:

The convenience fees charged by these utilities vary significantly in how they are assessed, making them difficult to graph, so they are presented here in a table.

A special offer

I’m offering a special offer to the first three Utility Information Pipeline subscribers who respond. If you are one of the first five to respond, I will conduct a personalized fee consultation for half off the regular price. That’s $1,000 rather than the usual $2,000 price for this service!

I will review your utility’s current fee schedule and conduct an in-depth phone assessment to learn more about your fees. You will receive a presentation-quality document illustrating how your fees compare with other utilities. Also included will be my recommendations for revising any existing fees and suggestions of new fees you should consider charging.

If you are interested in this special offer, please contact me by calling 919-673-4050 or e-mailing me at gary@utilityinformationpipeline.com. Remember, the special discount offer is only available to the first three people who respond!

© 2025 Gary Sanders