Setting Up Utilities in San Francisco

Setting up essential utility services in San Francisco involves navigating municipal monopolies alongside competitive local fiber providers. While electric, gas, water, and trash services are tied to designated single-provider utility systems, internet access varies widely depending on your building's infrastructure.

Master Utility Services Comparison

Utility Service	Service Provider	Average Monthly Cost	Setup Fee / Deposit	Account Transfer Process
Electricity & Gas	PG&E + CleanPowerSF	$80 – $250 / month	$0 – $200 (Deposit waived with SSN/credit check)	Online via pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000
Water & Sewer	SFPUC	$40 – $90 / month (or landlord paid)	$63 mandatory connection fee	Online via sfpuc.org or call 415-551-3000
Trash & Compost	Recology SF	$45 – $70 / month (standard 32-gal bins)	$0 (Account tied to property parcel)	Online via recology.com or call 415-330-1300
Gigabit Fiber Internet	Sonic Fiber	$50 / month (symmetrical 1 Gbps)	$0 – $50 installation	Online via sonic.com (check address coverage)
Fixed Wireless Internet	Monkeybrains WISP	$35 / month (30–100 Mbps)	$250 rooftop antenna installation	Online via monkeybrains.net
Cable Internet	Xfinity / Comcast	$45 – $95 / month	$0 – $100 self-install / tech visit	Online via xfinity.com

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1. Electricity & Gas (PG&E & CleanPowerSF)

Power in San Francisco is delivered through Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), but electricity generation is supplied automatically by CleanPowerSF (operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission).

• How Generation vs. Delivery Works: PG&E maintains the power grid infrastructure, wires, and gas lines, and issues your monthly consolidated statement. CleanPowerSF supplies clean, renewable energy (wind and solar) into the grid. You receive a single monthly bill combining PG&E delivery charges and CleanPowerSF generation charges.
• Account Setup: Register online at pge.com or call 1-800-743-5000 at least 3 business days before your lease start date.
• SSN & Credit Deposit: PG&E runs a soft credit check during online setup. If you have an established US credit history or SSN, the security deposit is waived. If you lack an SSN or US credit score, PG&E may require a $100 – $200 refundable deposit or proof of prior utility payment history. See SSN Application Process for social security setup details.
• CARE Program Discount: Low-to-moderate income households can apply for the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program, which provides a 20% – 35% discount on monthly electric and gas rates.

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2. Water & Sewer (SFPUC)

Municipal water and sewer services are managed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), drawing high-quality water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park.

• Multi-Family vs. Single-Family Billing: In pre-1979 multi-unit apartment buildings, water is frequently master-metered and paid by the landlord (or billed back proportionally via Ratio Utility Billing Systems / RUBS). In single-family homes or newer high-rise condos, tenants set up an individual SFPUC account.
• Connection Fee: SFPUC charges a mandatory $63 one-time setup fee on your first statement.
• Account Setup: Call SFPUC Customer Service at 415-551-3000 or open an account online at sfpuc.org.

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3. Trash, Recycling & Compost (Recology)

San Francisco mandates universal refuse collection under strict zero-waste environmental regulations. Waste management is handled exclusively by Recology SF.

• Mandatory 3-Bin System: San Francisco Environment Code Chapter 19 requires mandatory sorting into three distinct color-coded bins:
  • Blue Bin (Recycling): Paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and clean hard plastics.
  • Green Bin (Compost): Food scraps, soiled paper (pizza boxes, coffee filters), yard waste, and certified compostable packaging.
  • Black Bin (Landfill): Non-recyclable plastics, foam packaging, diapers, and cat litter.
• Standard Rates: Residential service for standard 32-gallon cart service ranges from $45 – $70 / month, billed quarterly or monthly.

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4. High-Speed Internet & Fiber Providers

Do not automatically default to legacy cable options. San Francisco features excellent independent fiber and wireless internet service providers (ISPs) offering superior speeds and customer service.

• Sonic Fiber: The premier regional choice. Sonic offers symmetric 1 Gbps (or 10 Gbps in upgraded zones) fiber-to-the-home for a flat $50 / month. Sonic has no data caps, no long-term contracts, and high net-neutrality ratings. Check availability at sonic.com.
• Monkeybrains: A legendary local Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP). Monkeybrains mounts a small directional antenna on your building's roof to beam high-speed internet (30–100+ Mbps) from city towers. It costs a flat $35 / month with no contracts, though initial antenna installation requires a $250 upfront setup fee.
• Xfinity / Comcast: The dominant cable provider across SF. Speeds range from 75 Mbps to 1200 Mbps for $45 – $95 / month. Watch out for promotional rate expirations after 12 months, equipment rental fees ($15/mo), and 1.2 TB monthly data caps unless paying for unlimited tiers.

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Account Setup Checklist

• Contact PG&E 3–5 days before move-in to transfer electric and gas service into your name.
• Verify with your landlord whether SFPUC water and Recology trash are included in your rent or billed separately.
• Pay the one-time $63 SFPUC connection fee if setting up a new water account.
• Check address coverage on Sonic and Monkeybrains before booking an Xfinity installation window.
• Review your initial PG&E statement to confirm enrollment in CleanPowerSF and check eligibility for CARE discounts.
• Review Move-In Landing Costs to budget total utility deposits alongside initial rent.