How long should I keep my utility bills?

Utility bills should be kept for a year after they are received, since the recipient might want to use them later to compare utility prices. Someone who uses a home office for business purposes might need to hang onto utility bill receipts for tax purposes.

Instead of hanging onto paper copies of utility bills, it's more efficient to scan them into PDF files and store them on a computer, a cloud or a flash drive. Utility bills should be shredded after being electronically stored if they contain a Social Security number, a financial account number or any other type of sensitive personal data.