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Solar · Utility Guide

Solar with CPS Energy

CPS Energy is a municipal utility serving San Antonio, Texas (Bexar County and parts of 7 surrounding counties; ERCOT grid). Here is how its electricity rates have changed, what they are now, and how its net metering rules affect home solar.

  • Avg residential rate: about 12.43c per kWh (2024)
  • Rate increase: about +17% since 2015 (~1.7% per year)
  • Solar export: Net billing (retail to usage, ~2c surplus)
  • Customers: About 866,000 residential electric customers (EIA 2024); roughly 970,000 total electric customers across a 1,566-square-mile service area as of 2026.
EIA + public rate data Updated annually

CPS Energy rate increases over time

CPS Energy's average residential electricity price has risen from 10.66 cents per kWh in 2015 to 12.43 cents in 2024, an increase of about 17 percent, or roughly 1.7 percent per year. The chart shows CPS Energy's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.

CPS Energy residential price vs California average
Average residential price, cents per kWh. Source: EIA Form 861 (per-utility) and EIA retail-sales data (state average).

What rising CPS Energy rates could cost you

CPS Energy rates have risen about 1.7% 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.

$200
Adding usage soon?
1.7%
10 yrs
Your bill in 10 years$0
Total you'd pay CPS Energy over 10 yrs$0
Of that, extra from rate hikes$0
Extra absorbed, last 10 yrs$0
Projected monthly bill over time

Estimate only. Projects your current bill forward at CPS Energy's historical average rate increase (1.7% 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.

Current residential rates

CPS Energy 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.

PlanEnergy chargeFixed / basic
Residential Service (Rate RE), energy charge7.503 c/kWh for all kWh$9.50/mo Service Availability Charge
Fuel cost adjustment (floats monthly around base)~1.4 c/kWh base (0.01416 $/kWh); added/subtracted each monthincluded on bill
Summer Peak Capacity Charge (June-September only)2.150 c/kWh on usage above 600 kWh/mosummer billing periods only

From CPS Energy's official Residential Service Electric Rate (Rate RE) tariff, effective February 1, 2024 (most recent base rates; a 4.25% increase took effect that date). Base energy charge is 7.503 c/kWh plus a $9.50 monthly Service Availability Charge. A floating fuel adjustment (base 1.416 c/kWh) and other riders are added each month, and a summer-only Peak Capacity Charge of 2.150 c/kWh applies to usage above 600 kWh in June-September. These components combine to an all-in residential average of roughly 12.4 to 12.6 c/kWh, consistent with the EIA-861 2024 average of 12.43 c/kWh and CPS Energy's own projected ~12.6 c/kWh for mid-2026.

Net metering and solar export: Net billing (retail to usage, ~2c surplus)

CPS Energy uses net billing rather than one-to-one net metering. Solar energy you export to the grid offsets your bill at the full retail rate (roughly 12 c/kWh) but only up to the amount of electricity your home pulls from the grid that month. Any surplus you export beyond your own monthly usage is credited at a much lower avoided-cost rate of about 2 c/kWh. In practice this rewards sizing a system to match your own consumption: oversizing to bank large surpluses earns only the ~2c rate, so self-consumption is far more valuable than overproduction. Netting is done monthly.

What it means for solar

CPS Energy rates have risen about 1.7 percent per year over the past decade. Solar can offset that grid cost, every kWh you generate and use is a kWh you do not buy, but how much you save depends on your rate level and on how exported power is credited (Net billing (retail to usage, ~2c surplus)). Where exports are worth little, using your own solar, often with a battery, matters more than selling surplus back. Whether solar makes sense depends on your usage, roof, and rate plan, so get a site-specific quote.

CPS Energy service area

CPS Energy serves San Antonio, Texas (Bexar County and parts of 7 surrounding counties; ERCOT grid).

To confirm whether a specific address is served by CPS Energy, 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.

CPS Energy average residential electricity price by year
YearCPS Energy (c/kWh)
201510.66
201610.73
201711.04
201811.06
201910.69
202010.74
202110.95
202212.22
202312.11
202412.43

Sources: EIA Form 861 detailed data files (Sales_Ult_Cust, 2015-2024) - source of the price series · EIA Table 6, 2024 Utility Bundled Retail Sales - Residential (2024 value sanity check, 12.432969 c/kWh for City of San Antonio) · CPS Energy Residential Service Electric Rate (Rate RE) tariff, effective Feb 1, 2024 · CPS Energy Rates page · CPS Energy net metering / net billing - DSIRE program detail · SolarReviews - Going solar with CPS Energy (net billing: retail to usage, ~2c surplus) · CPS Energy - Wikipedia (service area, customer counts)

FAQ

How much have CPS Energy electricity rates gone up?

CPS Energy's average residential price rose about 17 percent since 2015, roughly 1.7 percent per year, reaching about 12.43 cents per kWh in 2024.

Does CPS Energy offer net metering for solar?

CPS Energy uses Net billing (retail to usage, ~2c surplus). See the net metering section above for exactly how exported solar is credited and what that means for your system.

Is solar worth it with CPS Energy?

It depends on your electricity usage, roof, system size, and whether you add a battery. Higher rates and rate increases make solar more attractive, but the value of exported power depends on CPS Energy's net metering rules. Get a site-specific quote rather than relying on a general estimate.

Where does this rate data come from?

The per-year prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Form 861, and the current rate structures come from the public Utility Rate Database. Both are public, free, and updated regularly.