A paid utility bill feels like the most disposable paper in the house, right up until a DMV clerk, a bank or a new school asks you to prove where you live. Then it's the one document everyone wants.
The short answer, in the US: keep utility bills for a year. The FTC's current list puts "credit card and utility bills" in its "Keep for a Year" group. (Its older "pack rat's guide" said to shred them right after paying; the June 2025 alert is the FTC's current advice.) Beyond that, three situations earn a bill a longer stay: you need recent ones as proof of address, you're disputing a charge, or you deduct part of your utilities for a home office.
The master retention chart covers everything else in the filing box. This page is just the utility pile: electric, gas, water, trash, internet and phone.
How long to keep each kind of utility bill
| Document | Keep for | Why / source |
|---|---|---|
| Paid, ordinary monthly bill | 1 year | FTC June 2025 "Keep for a Year" list: "credit card and utility bills" |
| Most recent bill or two, for proof of address | Until newer ones replace them (common practice) | California's DMV accepts a home utility or cell phone bill as REAL ID residency proof |
| Bill you're disputing | Until the dispute is settled (no official rule) | It's your evidence of what was charged |
| Bills behind a home-office deduction | Generally the later of 3 years from the return due date or filing date, or 2 years after the tax was paid | IRS Publication 587 |
| Final bill after you move out | Until the account shows a zero balance and any deposit is refunded (common practice) | No official rule |
Why a year is enough for most bills
A utility bill does its main job within a month or two. You check that last month's payment posted, that the usage looks like your household, and that no mystery fee has appeared. A year of bills also gives you a full round of seasons to compare against, which is the fastest way to spot a meter problem or a rate change you didn't agree to.
After that, an ordinary paid bill answers no question you're likely to ask. Most providers keep your billing history in your online account, and if you can get your bills there, the FTC suggests considering shredding the paper copies of anything on its keep-for-a-year list.
Utility bills as proof of address
This is the reason most people end up digging for a utility bill. Agencies and banks often want a document that ties your name to your home address, and a bill from the electric or water company is one of the most widely accepted.
Take California as an example. For a REAL ID, the DMV's list of residency documents includes "a mortgage bill, home utility or cell phone bill, vehicle registration card, and bank statement." Other states and agencies keep their own lists, and many care about how recent the bill is, so check the exact rule before you go. A proof of address explainer goes through what usually counts and what doesn't.
The practical upshot: you don't need years of bills for this, just the latest one or two, in the right name, at the right address. If the account is in a partner's or landlord's name, that's worth knowing before you're standing at a counter. Moving is when this comes up most, since a new address needs proof before you've had time to receive any mail there.
Disputes and moving out
There's no official federal retention rule for utility disputes, so the practical answer is simple: if you're arguing about a bill, keep that bill, the ones on either side of it, and notes on who you spoke with and when, until the correction shows up on a later bill.
The same goes for the final bill when you move. A common practice is to keep it, with proof that you paid, until the account is closed at a zero balance and any deposit has been refunded. A stray final charge that turns up months later is much easier to settle with the bill in hand.
Home-office bills and taxes
If you use part of your home for business, utilities can be partly deductible. IRS Publication 587 says you can deduct the business part, and that "generally, the business percentage for utilities is the same as the percentage of your home used for business." It also says to "keep canceled checks, receipts, and other evidence of expenses you paid."
For how long, Publication 587 says to keep records as long as they're important for any tax law, which is usually the later of 3 years from the return's due date or the date you filed, or 2 years after the tax was paid. In the US, generally, that means those bills move from the one-year pile into that year's tax folder. Rules differ for unusual cases, so check IRS.gov or a tax professional if you're unsure.
Where to keep them
Utility bills are a scan-and-shred category: they carry your name, address and account number, so the paper goes through a shredder once you have a copy.
On an iPhone, the Files app is enough. Open Files, tap the More button (the three dots), tap Scan Documents, and hold the bill in view; in Auto mode it captures by itself. Choose a folder and tap Save. A simple setup is two folders: "Utilities" for the rolling year, and the current tax-year folder for anything that supports a home-office deduction. The utility bill page covers what's printed on one and where to find each part.
Paperlock skips the folders: save a bill and it reads the provider, the billing date and the amount, keeps it behind Face ID, and "what was my electric bill last January?" gets an answer with the bill attached. Handy when the proof-of-address request comes from a counter rather than from home.