Cheap municipal power in San Antonio
CPS Energy's average residential electricity price has risen from 10.66 cents per kWh in 2015 to 12.4 cents in 2025, an increase of about 16 percent, or roughly 1.5 percent per year. The chart shows CPS Energy's average residential price by year. Hover any point for the exact figure.
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.
| Plan | Energy charge | Fixed / basic |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Service (Rate RE), energy charge | 7.503 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 month | included on bill |
| Summer Peak Capacity Charge (June-September only) | 2.150 c/kWh on usage above 600 kWh/mo | summer 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.
The 600 kWh line
Summer usage above 600 kWh costs extra, and solar can duck it
From June through September, CPS adds a Peak Capacity Charge of 2.15 cents per kWh to usage above 600 kWh a month. A system that keeps your net grid draw under that line in summer is trimming the most expensive slice of the bill, which is worth more than any surplus credit the system could ever earn.
Retail up to your usage, pennies past it
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.
Size to the house, not the roof
San Antonio's municipal utility keeps power cheap, an all in average around 12.4 cents, and its net billing design pays retail only up to your own monthly usage. The moment a system overshoots the house, the marginal credit collapses to about 2 cents.
So the playbook is unusually clear: match the system to consumption, let it net against retail, use it to stay under the summer 600 kWh peak charge line, and treat surplus as a design mistake rather than a revenue stream. With rates this low, payback runs longer than in high rate states regardless, so get site-specific numbers before committing.
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.
What rising CPS Energy rates could cost you
CPS Energy rates have risen about 1.5% 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 CPS Energy's historical average rate increase (1.5% 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.
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 | CPS Energy (c/kWh) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 10.66 |
| 2016 | 10.73 |
| 2017 | 11.04 |
| 2018 | 11.06 |
| 2019 | 10.69 |
| 2020 | 10.74 |
| 2021 | 10.95 |
| 2022 | 12.22 |
| 2023 | 12.11 |
| 2024 | 12.43 |
| 2025 | 12.4 |
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
Does CPS Energy have net metering?
It uses net billing, not one for one net metering. Exports offset your bill at the full retail rate, roughly 12 cents, but only up to the amount of grid power your home used that month. Surplus beyond that earns about 2 cents per kWh, netted monthly.
Should I oversize a solar system in San Antonio?
The rate design says no. Production beyond your own monthly usage is credited at roughly 2 cents instead of 12, so overproduction earns about a sixth of what self-matched production is worth.
What is the CPS Peak Capacity Charge?
A summer only charge of 2.15 cents per kWh on usage above 600 kWh per month, June through September. Solar that keeps net summer draw below the line avoids it entirely.
Why is solar payback slower on CPS than in California?
Because the power being offset is cheap. CPS's all in average is around 12.4 cents, roughly a third of what PG&E charges, so each solar kWh saves proportionally less even though the netting terms up to your usage are fair.