Colorado State Off-Campus Housing Utilities: Fort Collins Electric, Xcel Gas and Internet Costs

Colorado State off-campus housing utilities mostly come from the city. Fort Collins runs its own electric, water and sewer, Xcel Energy handles gas (only if your place has it), and internet is your pick. Here's the twist most CSU students miss: city power is priced by the hour, and a kilowatt-hour at 6 p.m. on a January weekday costs 29.78 cents versus 8.98 cents at midnight. Four roommates in a house near campus should budget about $75 to $95 each per month. January is the expensive one.

 

Key Takeaways

• Your electric and water company is the city itself (call 970-212-2900).
• When you run the dryer matters almost as much as how often. Weekday peak is 5 to 9 p.m. October through April, then 2 to 7 p.m. in summer.
• Xcel gas went up $5.16 a month for the average home on Oct. 6, 2026.
• Connexion, the city-owned fiber service, knocks $20 off for verified students, so its 1-gig plan runs $50 a month.
• Trash? Depends on the building. Houses and small buildings (seven units or fewer) go through the city's Republic Services contract; big complexes use dumpsters.
• Listings for off-campus housing near CSU mostly show base rent. Ask what the utility bill-back adds before you compare two places.

 

Who Provides Utilities in Fort Collins?

The City of Fort Collins provides almost everything. Fort Collins Utilities runs the electric system, the water system, wastewater and stormwater, and it bills all of them together. Students from Denver are used to Xcel sending the electric bill. Not here.

Natural gas is the exception. Xcel Energy delivers gas in Fort Collins, so a house with a gas furnace or a gas stove means a second account. Many newer complexes are all-electric.

 

How to Start City Electric and Water Near CSU

Call Fort Collins Utilities at 970-212-2900 to start service as a new customer. Existing customers can transfer or stop service online. Prefer walking in? The office is at 222 Laporte Ave. in Old Town, open 8 to 5 most weekdays (Wednesday starts at 9).

Call a week or two before move-in. Most leases near campus turn over in May and June, when everyone else is calling too.

In a big complex, you may not open a city account at all. Water and sewer for apartment buildings are usually on the owner's account (the city has separate multi-family water and wastewater rates), and the property bills your share back to you each month. Ask whether that bill-back is a flat fee or based on usage.

 

Fort Collins Time-of-Day Electric Rates for 2026

Fort Collins bills residential electric by time of day. The standard plan on the city's 2026 residential rates page starts with a $12.67 base charge each month. After that:

• Off-peak is 8.98 cents per kWh (nights, weekends, big holidays).
• 32.30 cents on summer weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. (May through September).
• 29.78 cents on non-summer weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m. (October through April).
• An extra 3.16 cents per kWh for usage beyond 700 kWh in a month.

The city's own 2026 bill comparison puts a 620 kWh month at $90.22. All-electric homes that average more than 1,100 kWh a month can qualify for a separate Electric Heat rate with no tier charge.

What time-of-day pricing means for four roommates

It means the 6 p.m. dinner-and-laundry rush is the most expensive part of your day. Run the dishwasher before bed. Start the dryer at 9:15 p.m. or on Saturday. Keep the space heater off from 5 to 9 in January (seriously, it adds up). On a shared bill, that's the easiest money four people will ever save.

 

Xcel Gas Bills for Fort Collins Student Rentals

Xcel's gas rates went up this fall. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel's gas rate settlement on Sept. 4, 2026, raising the average residential bill 8.6%, or $5.16 a month, starting Oct. 6, as Kiowa County Press reported. Xcel had asked for 11.4%.

Gas swings hardest with the seasons. An older house with a gas furnace bills far more in January than June, so ask for a year of history. Whoever's name is on the Xcel account should be the roommate who actually opens mail.

 

Internet Options: Connexion and the Building Deal

Connexion, the city's own fiber service, is the obvious first call. Its student plan page lists 1-gig symmetrical service at $70 a month, or $50 for verified college students, with Wi-Fi equipment, installation and unlimited data included and no contract. You sign up with a .edu email and verify enrollment within seven days to get the credit. Coverage varies by address.

Many big complexes skip the choice and bundle internet through a contracted provider. That isn't always a win. A December 2025 reviewer at The District at Campus West blamed the building's provider, Pavlov Media, for Wi-Fi problems, and a July 2025 reviewer at Flats at the Oval described nearly 20 days of internet problems. If internet is bundled, ask who to call when it drops.

 

Utilities Included vs. Billed Back at CSU Apartments

Assume nothing is included until the leasing office says so in writing. Every Fort Collins property we checked on FMP shows base rent with a note that it hasn't posted its monthly fees yet. That fee line is where bill-backs hide.

Check the pricing basis too. Take The Mark Fort Collins, roughly 0.9 miles from campus: $897 for a four-bedroom, $1,352 for a one-bedroom. Rent falling as bedrooms rise only makes sense per bed, so that $897 is your share before utilities. The Standard at Fort Collins, 0.4 miles away, lists five-bedroom plans from $737 and four-bedrooms from $857, also per bed. One February 2026 reviewer there said residents "pay WAY too much for water and electric," which is exactly the line item worth asking about on a tour.

In a house, you'll usually put city utilities, gas and internet in your own names and split them. Read our guide on how to split utilities with roommates before the first bill shows up.

Trash: houses vs. big complexes

Houses and buildings with seven or fewer units fall under the city's contract with Republic Services, with the smallest cart (35 gallons, every two weeks) at $11.41 a month. Buildings with eight or more units use dumpsters, and that cost usually rides along in your fees.

 

What CSU Students Pay for Utilities Each Month

Call it $75 to $95 each in a four-bedroom house. An all-electric apartment with a flat bill-back usually comes in under that. We built the house number from the city's 2026 rates.

Electric for a 620 kWh month is about $90. Water and sewer base charges plus normal use add another $80 or so. Connexion is $50 to $70, there's a small stormwater fee, and then gas, which depends almost entirely on how old the furnace is. Divide by four.

Utilities also aren't standing still. The city has proposed 2027 increases of 7% for electric, 15% for water and 10% for wastewater, pending a City Council vote in November. Leave a cushion. For rent itself, see what CSU students pay to rent in Fort Collins.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Utilities Near Colorado State

Who is the electric company in Fort Collins?

Fort Collins Utilities, a city department. Xcel doesn't sell electricity inside the city's service area, so your power, water and sewer all come on one city bill.

When are on-peak hours in Fort Collins?

In the cold months, October through April, it's 5 to 9 p.m. on weekdays. From May through September the window shifts to 2 to 7 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and big holidays? Cheap all day.

How much should a CSU student budget for utilities?

$75 to $95 per person if four of you share a house. A gas furnace in January, or a lot of cooking at 6 p.m., pushes you to the high end.

Does Connexion have a student discount?

Yes. Verified college students get $20 off every Connexion internet plan, which brings the 1-gig plan to $50 a month. You need a .edu email as your contact and must verify enrollment within seven days.

Do I need a gas account near CSU?

Maybe not. Plenty of student apartments are all-electric, and then Xcel never enters the picture. A gas furnace, water heater or stove means someone opens an Xcel account.