Tampa Utilities Setup: Electric, Water, Gas, Internet
Direct phone numbers and exactly which providers serve which streets. Everything you need to call before move-in day.
Tampa is one of the easier Florida cities to set up utilities in, mostly because the providers are big enough to staff actual call centers. TECO handles electric for almost every Tampa address inside city limits and most of unincorporated Hillsborough. The City of Tampa runs water and trash directly. Gas is Peoples Gas, owned by the same parent company as TECO, so you can usually combine the two on one bill. Internet has real competition here, with Frontier fiber pushing into more zip codes every quarter and Spectrum still owning the cable footprint. If you're closing on a home in South Tampa, Westchase, New Tampa, or Seminole Heights, this guide is the call sheet.
Electric in Tampa | Tampa Electric (TECO)
TECO serves nearly every address inside Tampa city limits and most of Hillsborough County. New service can be set up online or by phone, usually with same-day or next-business-day activation.
If you've had TECO at a previous Tampa address within the last two years and closed in good standing, If you're new to TECO, expect a soft credit pull during the application.
Water and Sewer | City of Tampa Water Department
The City of Tampa runs water and wastewater for every address inside city limits. Outside the limits, in unincorporated Hillsborough, the provider is Hillsborough County Public Utilities instead. Check your address before calling.
City of Tampa requires a signed service agreement before activation, which can be completed online or in person at 306 E. Jackson Street downtown. Service usually starts within one business day of the agreement being signed.
Gas in Tampa | TECO Peoples Gas
Peoples Gas is the only natural gas provider in Tampa proper. Most newer Tampa neighborhoods (Westchase, New Tampa, parts of South Tampa) are wired for gas appliances. Older neighborhoods are usually electric-only, so check whether the home actually has gas service before booking activation.
Trash and Recycling | City of Tampa Solid Waste
City of Tampa Solid Waste handles trash, recycling, and yard waste pickup for residential properties inside city limits. Service is automatic with the property and billed quarterly on a separate utility statement. New homeowners don't need to call to start service, but you should call to confirm the pickup schedule and request additional or replacement carts.
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Search Tampa homesInternet Providers in Tampa
Tampa has more internet competition than most Florida cities its size. Spectrum has the broadest cable footprint, Frontier fiber is now in roughly half of Tampa zip codes including most of South Tampa, and AT&T fiber covers parts of New Tampa and Westchase. T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are real options if you're outside the fiber zones.
Spectrum (Cable)
1-855-366-1888 · spectrum.com · Available at most Tampa addresses; no installation fee for self-install.
Frontier Fiber
1-855-552-9691 · frontier.com · Fiber speeds to 5 Gbps; check exact address eligibility before signing.
AT&T Fiber
1-855-660-8920 · att.com · Fiber in select neighborhoods; 5G Home Internet is the fallback elsewhere.
T-Mobile Home Internet
t-mobile.com · Flat $50 to $70/month; works almost anywhere with T-Mobile cell signal.
A few Tampa-specific notes
If you're moving from outside Florida, bring 12 months of utility payment history from your previous provider when you call. TECO and Peoples Gas both factor that into the activation paperwork and a clean payment record makes the rest of the call go faster.
Hurricane season runs June through November, and TECO's outage map at tampaelectric.com/outagemap is the one to bookmark. Multi-day outages are rare in central Tampa but common after a direct hit on the Pinellas side. If you're on a barrier island or in flood zone AE/VE, factor that into your home insurance call before closing.
For homebuyers, your Vreeland agent can pull the flood zone designation and historical TECO outage map for any Tampa address before you write an offer. That's the kind of due diligence a Tampa real estate agent who actually lives in the market does. We do.
Common questions about Tampa utilities
How fast can TECO turn on electric service in Tampa?+
Is my Tampa address on city water or county water?+
Do new Tampa homes come with gas service?+
How much should I budget monthly for Tampa utilities on a 2,000 sq ft home?+
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