Electricity rates — Colorado

What a typical bill in Colorado costs

At 1,000 kWh a month the 5 generally available plans here run from $1,686.22 on Energy Wise Plus Time-of-Day Option (ETR-P) to $2,060.51 on Residential Energy Time Of Use (Schedule RE-TOU), with a median of $2,035.24.

Effective rates span 14.1¢ to 17.2¢ per kWh at that usage.

What households in Colorado pay, by EIA's count

Colorado's residential electricity averaged 16.5¢ per kWh over the 12 months to June 2026, the 21st-highest of the 50 states and DC and 8% below the US average of 17.9¢. It sits between Alabama (16.4¢) and Indiana (16.9¢).

EIA lists 33 utilities serving homes in Colorado. By homes served, the largest 5 are Public Service Co of Colorado (1,365,053), City of Colorado Springs - (CO) (216,771), CORE Electric Cooperative (165,067), United Power, Inc (101,502), and Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC (89,252). Member-owned cooperatives supply about 26% and municipal utilities supply about 15% of its households.

Colorado homes used the most electricity in August and the least in April (2021–2025): a summer peak, 1.6 times the lightest month. August's bills were the highest, averaging $134; April's the lowest, $78. September was the dearest month per kWh, 10% above January.

The utilities with a ranked plan on this page serve about 63% of Colorado's households: Public Service Co of Colorado (1,365,053), City of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utility Company) (216,771). Their median plan at 1,000 kWh a month works out to 17.0¢ per kWh, 3% above EIA's average, which is why this page compares that median with other states'.

Chart of this for reuse (PNG), free to republish under CC BY 4.0 with credit to WattClear. Suggested alt text: “Bar chart. Colorado's average home electricity price, July 2025 to June 2026, was 7.5% higher than the 12 months before, the joint 16th-largest rise of the 50 states. Washington, DC: +24.9%. United States average: +6.7%. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.”

In the guides: Summer and winter bills, state by state

How Colorado compares

At 1,000 kWh a month the median plan in Colorado costs $2,035.24 a year: the 12th-lowest of the 30 states whose indexed plans stand for them, and 12% less than their median of $2,303.60. It sits between South Carolina ($2,003.82) and Virginia ($2,035.99).

Its cheapest open plan, Energy Wise Plus Time-of-Day Option (ETR-P) from City of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utility Company) at $1,686.22, is the 10th-lowest of the 30 states' cheapest plans.

In the guides: What published electricity plans cost, state by state

What each provider in Colorado costs

2 utilities serve customers across Colorado in this data. At 1,000 kWh a month the cheapest of them is City of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utility Company) at $1,686.22 a year on Energy Wise Plus Time-of-Day Option (ETR-P); the dearest is Public Service Co of Colorado at $2,035.24.

That is $349.02 a year between the best each provider offers.

Cheapest available plan by provider: City of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utility Company) $1,686.22; Public Service Co of Colorado $2,035.24.

Which plan in Colorado is cheapest as use rises

The cheapest plan in Colorado changes with consumption. At 500 kWh a month Energy Wise Standard Time of Day (ETR) wins at $964.88 a year; at 2,000 kWh Energy Wise Plus Time-of-Day Option (ETR-P) wins at $3,123.10.

The penalty for a poor choice grows with usage: $114.52 a year at 500 kWh against $899.63 at 2,000 kWh.

How Colorado's plans are structured

Of 20 priceable plans: 9 time-of-use, 2 priced by season, 11 with demand charges.

Fixed monthly charges run from $5.60 to $20.50.

Who provides Colorado's plans

These plans come from 4 utilities: City of Colorado Springs, Colorado (Utility Company), Intermountain Rural Elec Assn, Public Service Co of Colorado, United Power, Inc.

The largest saving among Colorado's plans

Moving from Residential Energy Time Of Use (Schedule RE-TOU) to Energy Wise Plus Time-of-Day Option (ETR-P) saves $374.29 a year at 1,000 kWh a month, with no change in consumption.

What the Colorado figures do not cover

9 of these plans price by the hour; their figures assume the typical hourly pattern of homes in Colorado, not this household's own hours.