The 2025 rate fight
How Colorado Springs solar customers kept their net metering
Because Colorado Springs Utilities is a community-owned municipal utility, its net metering is set by the City Council, not the state commission, which cuts both ways. For its 2026 rate case, CSU proposed net-metering changes that included a demand charge, a structure that would have raised many solar customers' bills significantly. After customer opposition, the City Council removed those changes from the 2026 rate case, so existing solar customers stayed on their current flat-rate net metering. CSU has signaled it may revisit residential solar rates, so this is a local policy worth watching if you install here.
Low rates from a municipal utility
Colorado Springs Utilities's average residential electricity price has risen from 12.33 cents per kWh in 2015 to 14.45 cents in 2024, an increase of about 17 percent, or roughly 1.8 percent per year. The chart shows CSU's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.
Current residential rates
CSU residential rates are shown below, from the utility's published tariffs and the public Utility Rate Database. Rates vary by plan, season, and usage and change over time.
| Plan | Energy charge | Fixed / basic |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Wise Standard Time-of-Day (ETR, default) | Summer on-peak about 29c, off-peak about 7.3c; winter on-peak about 14.5c, off-peak about 7.3c per kWh, plus an Electric Cost Adjustment. On-peak is 5 to 9 pm weekdays | about $0.68 per day access and facilities charge (about $20 per month) |
| Fixed Seasonal Option (ETR-F, flat) | About 8.1c winter, about 10.7c summer per kWh | about $0.78 per day |
As a municipal utility, Colorado Springs Utilities sets its own rates through the Utilities Board and City Council rather than the state commission. On-peak hours on the default time-of-day plan are 5 to 9 pm on weekdays. A March 2026 fuel-cost decrease lowered the typical residential bill. Confirm current figures on the Colorado Springs Utilities rate pages.
Retail up to usage, pennies past it
Colorado Springs Utilities is a community-owned municipal utility, so it sets its own net metering rules rather than following the state commission. Exported solar is netted against your usage each billing period, net credits roll forward, and any net excess remaining at year end is bought back at a low cogeneration rate well below the retail price. Credits are forfeited if you close your account, and net metering is not available on the time-of-day residential rate. A notable recent development: for its 2026 rate case, CSU proposed net metering changes that included a demand charge, which would have raised many solar customers' bills significantly; after customer opposition, the City Council removed those changes from the 2026 rate case, leaving existing solar customers on their current flat-rate net metering, though CSU has said it may revisit residential solar rates. Because excess earns so little, sizing to your own usage matters most. Whether solar makes sense depends on your usage, roof, and rate plan, so get a site-specific quote.
A local rate fight worth watching
Colorado Springs Utilities is community owned rather than investor owned, which shapes everything: its rates are low, its net metering is generous up to your own usage but pays little for surplus, and its solar rules are decided by the City Council rather than a state commission. Exports net against your usage at retail each billing period, and net excess at year end is bought back at a low cogeneration rate well below retail.
The municipal governance is also why local politics matters here. In 2025, CSU proposed a demand charge on solar customers that the City Council ultimately removed from the rate case, preserving flat-rate net metering. With low rates and a low buyback for surplus, the honest design is a system sized to your own usage, and it is worth watching CSU's future solar proposals. Get a site-specific quote.
CSU service area
CSU serves the City of Colorado Springs, in El Paso County.
To confirm whether a specific address is served by CSU, check your electricity bill. A ZIP lookup tool is coming to this site.
Full data and sources
Per-utility prices are computed from EIA Form 861 (bundled residential revenue divided by sales), which reconciles to the EIA's published figures. These are public-domain U.S. government data.
| Year | CSU (c/kWh) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 12.33 |
| 2016 | 12.15 |
| 2017 | 12.4 |
| 2018 | 12.61 |
| 2019 | 12.83 |
| 2020 | 12.42 |
| 2021 | 12.71 |
| 2022 | 13.98 |
| 2023 | 14.1 |
| 2024 | 14.45 |
Sources: EIA Form 861 annual data (Sales_Ult_Cust files, 2015-2024) · EIA Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price (Table 6) · Colorado Springs Utilities solar energy program · Colorado Springs Utilities net metering agreement · Colorado Springs Utilities residential rates
What rising CSU rates could cost you
CSU rates have risen about 1.8% per year. Enter your bill to see what that pace of increase could compound to over time, and what you have likely already absorbed. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at CSU's historical average rate increase (1.8% per year, from EIA data); it assumes your usage stays the same except for any add-ons you select. Actual rates depend on your usage, rate plan, and the utility's future filings, and are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice.
FAQ
Does Colorado Springs Utilities have net metering?
Yes, on its own municipal terms. Exported solar nets against your usage at the retail rate each billing period, credits roll forward, and any net excess remaining at year end is bought back at a low cogeneration rate well below retail. Net metering is not available on the time-of-day residential rate.
Did Colorado Springs add a solar fee?
It proposed one but did not adopt it. For its 2026 rate case, CSU proposed net-metering changes including a demand charge that would have raised many solar customers' bills. After customer opposition, the City Council removed those changes, leaving existing solar customers on flat-rate net metering, though CSU has said it may revisit residential solar rates.
Why are CSU's solar rules different from Xcel's?
Colorado Springs Utilities is a community-owned municipal utility governed by the Utilities Board and City Council, not the state Public Utilities Commission that regulates Xcel. So CSU sets its own net metering and rates locally, which is why its rules and its recent rate fight look different from investor-owned Xcel's.
Is solar worth it on Colorado Springs Utilities?
CSU's rates are low, so each offset kWh saves less than on a high-rate utility, and surplus earns little at the year-end cogeneration rate. That points toward a system sized to your own usage. Because CSU has signaled possible future solar rate changes, confirm the current rules before installing and get site-specific numbers.