Georgia in top 5 states with highest utility costs, report finds

As some officials in Georgia debate a utility rate increase, a recent report found that Georgians already pay some of the highest utility bills in the country.

The report from Move.org, which specializes in all things moving, analyzed the average monthly utility costs in each state and found that Georgia is the fifth most expensive state for utility costs in the country.

Georgia was joined in the top five by three other Southern states: Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. Hawaii had the overall most expensive utilities, according to the report.

The report looked at costs of electricity, gas, water, internet and cable. Nationwide, the researchers found that apartment dwellers should budget between $100-$150 per month for utilities, while homeowners should expect to dole out around $400 per month.

In Georgia, utility costs tend to be more around $441.10 for the average household, according to the report.

» RELATED: Georgia's energy consumption costs are among the highest in America, study finds
So how did the report's authors get their data? The researchers looked at electricity bill costs based on electricity consumption data and pricing from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

For natural gas, they looked at average gas usage and pricing data from TECO Energy. Water bill costs were based on data from Cirlcle of Blue.

The sum of those costs were used to calculate the average costs for each state.

“States were ranked solely based on how much utilities cost their residents each month on average. Other factors were not considered for our rankings,” the researchers wrote.

Their methodology and list of sources can be found here.

Here's a breakdown of the data they compiled for Georgia
Rank: 5
Electricity: $126.38
Natural gas: $99.33
Water: $70.39
Internet: $60
Cable: $85
Total: $441.10

Here's a breakdown of the average monthly utility costs nationwide
Electricity: $110.76
Natural gas: $72.1
Water: $70.39
Cable TV: $85
Internet: $60
Trash/recycling: $14
Total cost: $398.24

Here are some tips from NerdWallet on saving on utility costs: