Title: How Utility Bills Might Affect Your Credit History
Headings: Does Paying Utility Bills Affect Your Credit Score?
Does Paying Utility Bills Affect Your Credit Score?
Alternative Credit-Scoring Methods
Utility Accounts in Collections
Service Provider Payment History Checks
Building Your Credit
Monitor Your Credit
Fix Errors in Your Credit Reports
Keep Paying on Time
Get Current on Bills That Affect Your Credit Score
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Content: How Utility Bills Might Affect Your Credit History
The Balance Credit Scores & Credit Monitoring
Does Paying Utility Bills Affect Your Credit Score? •••
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Justin Pritchard, CFP, is a fee-only advisor and an expert on banking. He covers banking basics, checking, saving, loans, and mortgages. He has an MBA from the University of Colorado, and has worked for credit unions and large financial firms, in addition to writing about personal finance for nearly two decades. Read The Balance's editorial policies
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Marguerita is a Certified Financial Planner® who helps people meet their life goals through the proper management of financial resources. She specializes in divorce, death, career changes, and caring for aging relatives. Article Reviewed on August 29, 2020
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Marguerita Cheng
Updated August 29, 2020
To build credit, you need to borrow money and make loan payments on time. The longer you do that, the better your credit will be in general. 1 ﻿ But since you also need to pay utility bills before their due date, you may wonder if paying these bills positively affects your credit scores. It may seem like on-time payments are on-time payments whether you’re repaying a loan or keeping the electricity on.