The utility picture is simpler than most moves, but internet, district boundaries and summer electric load still need address-level checks.
Plan around the actual address. Citywide internet claims and average electric bills are the wrong unit of analysis.
8 research sections14 cited sourcesReviewed 2026-08-16No cookies or third-party tracking
2Core household bills: electric plus combined district utilities
4District utility operations serving different areas
2x/wkTypical trash collection cadence for much of the community
5Setup-order steps in the utility checklist table
Decision brief
Bottom line
Utilities are manageable if you confirm the exact district and provider.
Watch first
Summer electric usage, internet availability, trash district and water/wastewater boundary.
Verify
SECO estimate, district billing, provider serviceability and collection schedule.
Check the exact address before you schedule move-in work or promise a remote-work setup.
What this page covers
Who actually provides your power, water, sewer, trash and internet in The Villages — how the combined district bill works, what electricity really costs, and the order to set everything up so the house is live the day you close.
01
The short version: two bills, not six
Utilities here are simpler than in most places. Electricity comes from one provider and arrives as its own bill. Water, wastewater, stormwater and trash all come from the Community Development Districts and arrive together on a single combined monthly bill from district utility billing — the same bill that carries your amenity fee. So for most households the whole picture is two bills plus whatever internet provider you choose. There is no separate water company, no separate sewer authority, and no arranging your own trash collection.
3 cited sources
The Villages Community Development DistrictsDistrict UtilitiesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
Villages Community Development Districts (districtgov.org)Bill Payment Information — combined monthly utility billAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
Stay The VillagesCost of Living in The Villages, FL — HOA Fees, Amenity Fees & Monthly Costs (2026)Accessed 2026-07-09Open source
02
Electricity: SECO Energy, and what it actually costs
Most of The Villages is served by SECO Energy, a member-owned electric cooperative rather than an investor-owned utility. Its residential rate is tiered — a fixed monthly customer charge, then a per-kWh energy charge that steps up above 1,000 kWh a month. Because Florida's Public Service Commission publishes what every utility in the state actually bills, you can check the real number rather than a marketing estimate. As of December 2025 a SECO household using 1,000 kWh paid $143.40 a month against a $39.00 customer charge, which put SECO 32nd of the 54 Florida electric utilities the Commission tracks — mid-pack, well below the most expensive ($229.65) and above the cheapest ($86.01). SECO also approved a May 1, 2025 rate adjustment tied to growth and system investment, and its own rate page says a 1,000-kWh household would see roughly a $10–$12 monthly increase from that adjustment, so use the estimator for the freshest address-level budget.
Monthly usage
Total bill (Dec 2025)
Note
Customer charge alone
$39.00
Fixed, before any usage
500 kWh
$91.20
A mild month, or a small villa
750 kWh
$117.30
Spring or autumn
1,000 kWh
$143.40
The Commission's benchmark comparison point
1,500 kWh
$209.85
A realistic Florida summer with AC running
3 cited sources
Florida Public Service CommissionComparative Rate Statistics as of December 31, 2025 — 1,000 kWh Residential Monthly Bills for All Florida Electric UtilitiesAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
The single most common budgeting mistake newcomers make is planning around an annual average. Central Florida air conditioning runs hard from roughly May through October, and the tiered rate means the expensive kWh are exactly the ones you use in August. The gap in the table above is the whole story: the same house can move from about $91 in a mild month to well over $200 in high summer. SECO publishes a bill estimator you can run against a specific home's square footage and usage before you commit — worth doing on any home you are serious about, particularly an older one where the insulation and the age of the HVAC are unknowns.
2 cited sources
SECO EnergyEnergy Estimator — monthly bill estimatorAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
Water and wastewater — a district service, not a company
Water supply and wastewater treatment are run through the districts rather than a private utility, with four utility operations serving different parts of the community. Supply volumes are permitted by the water management districts — St. Johns River Water Management District for the Lake County portion, Southwest Florida Water Management District for Sumter and Marion — and treatment and distribution are regulated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Practically, this means your water quality and rates are set through a public budget process rather than a commercial one, and there is nothing to shop around for: your address determines your provider.
3 cited sources
Villages Community Development Districts (districtgov.org)Water Services — supply, permits and regulationAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
The Villages Community Development DistrictsDistrict UtilitiesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
Collection is twice weekly for most of the community, but who collects and on which days depends on which district you are in, so confirm it for your specific address rather than your neighbour's. Districts 1 through 11 are served by Sumter Sanitation; Districts 12, 13 and 15 run Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday depending on the village; District 14 is Monday and Thursday; and Lady Lake and the Lake County portion are served by Waste Management or Lake County Solid Waste. Yard waste has real limits — branches must be under five feet long, under five inches in diameter and under forty pounds a bundle. Bulk pickup is capped at five items, and in Districts 1 through 11 each bulk request adds a $10 charge to your combined bill.
2 cited sources
Villages Community Development Districts (districtgov.org)Sanitation Services — collection schedules by district, yard waste and bulk pickupAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
The Villages Community Development DistrictsDistrict UtilitiesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
06
Internet — check the address, not the city
Internet is the one genuinely competitive utility here, and it is also the one where citywide averages mislead. Most of the community has cable service available, and fibre has been building out steadily — Quantum Fiber markets fibre service in The Villages — but coverage is uneven street by street, and a home two blocks away may have a materially different set of options. Promotional pricing also changes constantly, which is why we don't publish a monthly figure that would be stale within weeks. The reliable move is to check the FCC's National Broadband Map for the exact address, which shows which providers report service and at what speeds, and then confirm directly with the provider before you close.
3 cited sources
Federal Communications CommissionNational Broadband Map — address-level provider and speed availabilityAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
Quantum FiberQuantum Fiber — The VillagesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
The Villages Community Development DistrictsDistrict UtilitiesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
07
The setup order — do these in this sequence
Getting the house live on day one is mostly a matter of sequence. Start the electric account first, because it has the longest lead time and everything else assumes power. Open the district utility account next, which covers water, sewer and trash together and connects your combined bill. Book the internet installation third — that appointment is usually the bottleneck, and installer slots can run a week or two out, so schedule it as soon as you have a closing date rather than after you move. Then collect your Resident ID for amenity access. Finally, and separately from all of this, file your homestead exemption with the county property appraiser by March 1 — it is not a utility, but it is the single most valuable piece of paperwork in your first year and it is the one people forget.
Order
What
When to start
1
Electric account (SECO)
As soon as you have a closing date
2
District utilities — water, sewer, trash
As soon as you have a closing date
3
Internet installation
Immediately — the appointment is the bottleneck
4
Resident ID for amenity access
After closing
5
Homestead exemption
By March 1 of the year after you take title
4 cited sources
The Villages Community Development DistrictsDistrict UtilitiesAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
Villages Community Development Districts (districtgov.org)Bill Payment Information — combined monthly utility billAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
The Villages Community Development DistrictsCDD Orientation & Resident AcademyAccessed 2026-07-16Open source
Florida Department of RevenueProperty Tax Exemptions — Florida DORAccessed 2026-07-12Open source
08
Verify before you rely on this
The electricity figures here come from the Public Service Commission's December 2025 comparison and SECO's 2025 rate-adjustment page; rates change, and SECO's own estimator will always be more current than any table. Collection schedules and district boundaries change as the community builds out. Internet availability is address-specific and moves quickly. None of this is a quote. For any home you are serious about, confirm the provider and schedule for that exact address with the district, and run SECO's estimator against the home's real size and usage.
4 cited sources
Florida Public Service CommissionComparative Rate Statistics as of December 31, 2025 — 1,000 kWh Residential Monthly Bills for All Florida Electric UtilitiesAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
SECO EnergyEnergy Estimator — monthly bill estimatorAccessed 2026-08-07Open source
Villages Community Development Districts (districtgov.org)Sanitation Services — collection schedules by district, yard waste and bulk pickupAccessed 2026-08-07Open source