Utah Electricity Rates: What to Know

For more than a decade, Utah has been one of the cheapest states in America to buy electricity. As of early 2026, the typical Utah household still pays roughly 11 to 14 cents per kilowatt-hour — about 30% below the national average of 16.7 cents. Rocky Mountain Power uses 700 kWh per month as its benchmark residential bill, and that usage translates to around $94 for an average customer, compared to the national average of $147 or more.

That cheap-power era is ending. In June 2024, Rocky Mountain Power asked regulators for a two-year rate increase of roughly 30%. In December 2025, it filed a separate 4.48% surcharge to seed a wildfire self-insurance fund. Data centers are racing to build in Utah and straining the grid. The state legislature is forcing the utility to keep aging coal plants running. And PacifiCorp, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, is buried under more than $48 billion in pending wildfire claims in other states. Understanding how these pressures reach your monthly bill — and what you can do about them — is the difference between being caught off-guard and staying ahead of the curve.

How Utah's Electricity Market Works

Utah is a regulated electricity market. Unlike deregulated states where you can shop for an electricity provider, Utah residential customers are served by whichever utility holds the franchise for their area. You do not get to choose.

The Utah Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates the state's investor-owned utilities, setting rates, approving rate cases, and establishing the rules that utilities must follow. Rocky Mountain Power — a subsidiary of PacifiCorp, itself owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy — serves approximately 80% of Utah electricity customers and is the main utility the PSC regulates. The remaining 20% of customers are served by municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives, which are self-governing and set their own rates through city councils or elected boards.

Here is a quick breakdown of Utah's utility types:

Utility Type	Regulation	Examples
Investor-Owned Utility	PSC-regulated	Rocky Mountain Power
Municipal Utilities	City council / self-governing	Provo Power, Logan Light & Power, St. George, Lehi City Power, Bountiful, Murray City
Rural Electric Cooperatives	Elected board / self-governing	Garkane Energy, Dixie Power, Moon Lake Electric, Strawberry Electric

Utah does not have retail choice, community choice aggregation, or any other mechanism that lets residential customers pick their provider. A 2025 law (SB 132) created an exception for industrial data centers over 100 megawatts, allowing them to build their own generation off the public grid — but this does not apply to households.

The practical takeaway: your main lever for controlling electricity costs in Utah is not choosing a provider. It is managing your usage, picking the right rate plan, taking advantage of utility programs, and investing in efficiency upgrades that permanently lower your consumption.

What Utahns Actually Pay

Let's put real numbers on the table. The average residential electricity rate in Utah in early 2026 ranges from about 11 to 14 cents per kWh, depending on the data source. The state's own Department of Commerce reports an average of 11.85 cents/kWh for 2025, while EnergySage's analysis of real utility bills in March 2026 puts the average closer to 14 cents. Utah ranks as one of the three cheapest states in the country for residential electricity, behind only Louisiana and a handful of others in any given month.

The average monthly electric bill is harder to pin down because Utah households tend to use less electricity than the national average. The EIA reported an average monthly bill of about $94 for Utah residents in 2025, well below the national average of $147-156. However, EnergySage's March 2026 real-bill data puts Utah's average closer to $169, reflecting a combination of climbing rates and higher-consuming households in their sample.

The real story is the trajectory. Here is how Rocky Mountain Power's residential rate actions have stacked up over the last five years:

Year	Rocky Mountain Power Rate Action
2022	Stable; modest adjustments
2023	Stable; modest adjustments
2024 (filed June)	30% increase requested over 2 years (later revised to 18.1%)
April 2025	4.7% approved (one-quarter of the 18.1% request)
Dec 2025 (filed)	Additional 4.48% Fire Fund surcharge pending (for 10 years)
2026	Additional rate case activity expected

That April 2025 decision is worth dwelling on. Rocky Mountain Power asked for 18.1%. The Utah PSC granted 4.7%, adding only $4.31 per month to the bill of a typical 700 kWh residential customer. Rocky Mountain Power called the decision "shortsighted," filed for a rehearing, and was denied — the PSC called the rehearing request "offensive" in its denial order. The company has threatened to appeal to the Utah Supreme Court.

Then in December 2025, Rocky Mountain Power came back with a separate 4.48% surcharge, this time to build a wildfire self-insurance fund authorized by 2024 Utah legislation. That would add another $3.70 per month per customer for 10 years, collecting roughly $1,090 total from each household. If approved, it would push residential bills up about 10% total across 2025-2026 rate actions — the steepest increase Utah has seen in years.

If your bill has been climbing and you're not sure where the money is going, our guide on how to read your electric bill and spot overcharges walks through every line item.

Rocky Mountain Power: Utah's Dominant Utility

Roughly four out of five Utah electricity customers are served by Rocky Mountain Power, which makes understanding this single utility essential for understanding Utah rates. The company serves approximately 1.1 million customers across Salt Lake County, Davis, Weber, most of Utah County, Tooele, Summit, Wasatch, Cache, Box Elder, and much of rural Utah.

A Subsidiary of a Subsidiary

Rocky Mountain Power is a division of PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, and as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, and northern California. PacifiCorp itself is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Warren Buffett's energy holding company. This ownership structure matters because decisions made in Portland, Oregon about wildfire liability and clean energy flow through to Utah ratepayers in ways you might not expect.

The 2024-2025 Rate Case Fight

In June 2024, Rocky Mountain Power requested a cumulative 30% rate increase spread across 2025 and 2026 — a $667 million revenue increase it said was needed for wildfire mitigation, generation investments, and transmission upgrades. Public outcry was loud. Governor Spencer Cox publicly criticized the proposal. The company revised its request down to 18.1% for 2025 alone.

After months of hearings, the Utah PSC approved only 4.7% in April 2025. The commission specifically rejected Rocky Mountain Power's proposed wildfire cost recovery mechanism, finding it would "burden ratepayers with hundreds of millions of dollars" in costs that properly belonged elsewhere. The commission also declined to approve recovery for certain cost categories the utility had included.

Rocky Mountain Power asked for a rehearing in May 2025. The PSC denied it in July, calling parts of the rehearing request "offensive." The company has said it plans to appeal to the Utah Supreme Court.

The 4.48% Fire Fund Surcharge

In December 2025, Rocky Mountain Power filed a separate request for a 4.48% surcharge to build a restricted wildfire self-insurance fund. This is authorized by a 2024 Utah law that allows utilities to collect money through ratepayer surcharges to build fire funds — money that sits in a restricted account and is available only as a last resort if catastrophic fire liabilities exceed insurance coverage.

The Fire Fund collection would add about $3.70 per month to the average residential bill for 10 years, totaling approximately $1,090 per customer. As of early 2026, the PSC has not yet ruled on the request. If approved, it will push Utah rates meaningfully higher even while the PSC continues to push back on other cost recovery requests.

Why Utah's Cheap Electricity Era Is Ending

Utah's historically low rates have rested on three foundations: abundant coal generation at plants like Hunter and Huntington, a stable population relative to generation capacity, and a regulatory environment that kept costs down. All three foundations are shifting at once.

Pressure 1: Data Center Load Explosion

Utah is in the middle of a massive data center boom. Developers are racing to build hyperscale facilities along the Wasatch Front and in Tooele County, drawn by cheap power, good transmission, a skilled workforce, and favorable tax treatment. The scale is staggering: collective energy demand from the Western region is projected to grow 32% by 2030 and 55% by 2035, an annual growth rate of 4.5%. Some individual data center sites propose loads of 12 gigawatts — roughly triple Utah's current entire power supply.

Rocky Mountain Power has publicly admitted it cannot meet the surge in demand. That has two consequences. First, private companies with 100+ megawatt loads are now building their own off-grid generation — often natural gas turbines — under Utah's 2025 SB 132 law, bypassing the regulated utility. Second, Rocky Mountain Power is proposing major transmission, generation, and grid upgrades to serve remaining data center demand, and those capital costs are flowing into rates for residential customers too.

Pressure 2: PacifiCorp's Wildfire Liability

Even though Utah itself has had minimal direct wildfire losses, Utah customers are caught in the financial fallout from PacifiCorp's wildfire liabilities in Oregon and California. The numbers are staggering. As of early 2025, PacifiCorp faced $48 billion in pending wildfire claims, with more than $650 million already paid or awarded. The Labor Day 2020 Oregon fires alone have produced more than $2.2 billion in agreed settlements.

Utah's regulators and political leaders have drawn a hard line: Utah ratepayers should not pay for Oregon and California wildfire damages. Governor Cox and state legislators have publicly argued this. The Utah PSC rejected Rocky Mountain Power's proposed wildfire cost recovery plan in April 2025 for exactly this reason. Three Utah power providers — Deseret Generation & Transmission, UAMPS, and UMPA — filed a FERC complaint blocking PacifiCorp from adding $1.7 billion in wildfire costs to wholesale transmission rates that would affect Utah municipal utility customers.

But wildfire costs still reach Utah bills indirectly. PacifiCorp's credit rating has been downgraded by S&P and Moody's, raising the company's borrowing costs — and those higher costs flow through to rate base whenever the company builds new infrastructure. The company's financial stress has also forced it to cancel planned renewable energy purchases, which delays the long-term cost benefits of cheap wind and solar. And the entire utility insurance industry is repricing risk across the West, pushing insurance costs higher for every utility, including Rocky Mountain Power.

Pressure 3: Operation Gigawatt and New Generation

In October 2024, Governor Cox unveiled Operation Gigawatt, an ambitious plan to double Utah's electricity generation over 10 years. The all-of-the-above approach includes nuclear (small modular reactors), geothermal, natural gas, storage, and solar. A nuclear partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, a planned Nuclear Innovation Campus in Tooele County, and a small nuclear plant near Brigham City have all been announced.

Doubling generation is necessary to serve data center and population growth. But it is not free. Every new power plant, every transmission line, every storage facility enters the rate base — the pool of capital investment on which the utility is allowed to earn a return. The more rate base grows, the more rates must rise to pay for it.

Coal vs. Clean: Utah's Generation Fight

Utah's relationship with coal is unique. Roughly 48-50% of Utah's electricity still comes from coal, with natural gas providing another 28-31% and solar contributing about 15-17%. The remaining slice comes from hydro, wind, geothermal, and biomass. While most Western states are racing to retire coal plants, Utah has been fighting to keep them running.

HB 374 and the Coal Mandate

In 2024, the Utah Legislature passed House Bill 374, sponsored by Rep. Colin Jack of St. George. The bill rewrote Utah's state energy policy, establishing a priority order that lists "adequate, reliable, dispatchable, affordable, sustainable, secure and clean" — in that sequence. More critically, the bill prevents early retirement of generators unless they are replaced with resources of "equal or greater capability," effectively requiring Rocky Mountain Power to keep coal plants operating past their previously planned retirement dates.

The two affected plants are Hunter (three units near Castle Dale) and Huntington (two units near the town of Huntington). Combined, these plants represent roughly 2 gigawatts of coal generation. Rocky Mountain Power's 2025 Integrated Resource Plan now keeps both plants operating past 2030, and in some scenarios past 2040.

Here is the irony: Rocky Mountain Power's own modeling showed that retiring Hunter by 2030 would be lower cost for customers than keeping it running. The legal obligation to maintain coal under HB 374 is actively raising Utah electricity costs — the opposite of the law's "affordable" stated priority. Utah's Office of Consumer Services warned during the 2024 legislative session that the bill would "result in unintended additional costs and risks that will burden ratepayers."

Utah Clean Energy, Sierra Club, and other advocacy groups have fought this direction through rate case interventions, arguing that keeping aging coal plants running imposes unnecessary costs on ratepayers. So far, the coal mandate stands.

Generation Mix Snapshot

Source	Approximate Share of Utah Generation (2025)
Coal	48-50%
Natural gas	28-31%
Solar (utility + rooftop)	15-17%
Hydroelectric	2-3%
Wind	2%
Geothermal	1-2%

Despite coal's dominance, low-carbon generation reached a record high in Utah in 2025, largely because of utility-scale and rooftop solar growth. The direction is changing, but slowly — and at a cost.

Understanding Utah's Rate Structures

Most Utah residential customers are served by Rocky Mountain Power on Schedule 1, the residential service tariff. The structure is relatively simple compared to tiered or aggressively time-of-use structures in other states, but a few details are worth understanding.

Standard Energy Charge

Rocky Mountain Power uses a seasonal energy charge that varies between summer and winter months. Summer rates (generally May through September) are higher to reflect peak air conditioning demand; winter rates are lower. There is also a monthly customer charge — a fixed fee that covers grid connection, billing, and customer service — plus various adjustments for power cost balancing, demand-side management, and other line items.

The New Schedule 1 Time-of-Use Default

Rocky Mountain Power has rolled out a residential Time-of-Use (TOU) option as a pilot, and as of December 1, 2025, customers previously on Schedule 2 and Schedule 2E were moved to the new Schedule 1 TOU structure. Peak hours are generally 6 PM to 10 PM on weekdays, with off-peak rates at all other times including weekends. Super off-peak periods offer even lower rates in some seasons.

The TOU structure rewards flexibility. If you can shift your heaviest electricity use — laundry, dishwasher, EV charging, pool pumps, water heating — outside the 6-10 PM weekday window, you'll pay substantially less per kilowatt-hour. EV owners benefit the most, since overnight charging falls squarely in the cheapest off-peak window. For the first year of enrollment, Rocky Mountain Power offers bill protection: your TOU bill cannot exceed the standard rate by more than 10%, so there is minimal risk in trying it.

If you have not already, a smart thermostat can automate much of the peak-avoidance behavior — pre-cooling the house before peak hours and letting it drift slightly during the expensive window.

What's On Your Bill

A typical Rocky Mountain Power bill includes several components beyond the energy charge:

• Energy charge — the per-kWh rate, varies by season and time of use
• Customer/facilities charge — fixed monthly connection fee
• Energy Balancing Account (EBA) — adjustment for actual vs. forecast fuel and purchased power costs
• DSM charge — funds the company's demand-side management and efficiency programs
• Schedule 97 surcharge — recovers costs from renewable energy programs
• Fire Fund surcharge — pending approval, would add a line item for wildfire self-insurance
• Franchise taxes — vary by city and county
• State and local taxes

Understanding these line items matters because some fund programs you can benefit from. The DSM charge, for example, funds rebates for heat pumps, insulation, and efficient appliances — if you're not using those rebates, you're paying in without getting anything out.

Solar Energy in Utah: The Post-Net-Metering Reality

Utah has world-class solar resources. The state gets 300+ days of sun per year, excellent solar irradiance, and relatively moderate panel degradation compared to more humid climates. By pure physics, Utah should be a top-tier solar state. But Utah's solar economics have deteriorated dramatically over the last eight years, and prospective customers need to understand what they're actually signing up for.

The End of Net Metering

In 2017, Utah eliminated traditional one-to-one net metering for new Rocky Mountain Power solar customers. Customers who had already installed solar were grandfathered at legacy rates, but new installations entered a transitional program. In October 2020, that transitional program was replaced by Schedule 137, known as "Net Billing Service."

Under Schedule 137, solar customers are still credited for excess electricity exported to the grid, but at a value far below the retail rate:

• Residential retail rate: Roughly 11-14 cents/kWh
• Schedule 137 export credit (2025): Approximately 4.12-5.6 cents/kWh, depending on season

That means when your panels produce more than your home is using, each excess kWh is worth less than half what you pay to buy electricity. The export credit rate is recalculated each March 1 based on Rocky Mountain Power's avoided cost. In March 2025, the summer export rate was reduced 26%, from about 5.70 cents to about 4.12 cents per kWh.

Utah Clean Energy and other consumer advocates appealed the Schedule 137 framework, arguing that the export credit dramatically underpays solar customers for the value they provide to the grid. The PSC declined the appeal, so the framework stands.

What This Means for Rooftop Solar Economics

The practical implication is that oversizing your solar system — installing more panels than your household typically uses so you can "zero out" your bill through annual true-ups — no longer makes financial sense in Utah. Every kWh you export for credit is worth a fraction of what it was under net metering.

Right-sized systems designed for self-consumption still pencil out, but payback periods have lengthened considerably. Utah's average residential solar cost is roughly $2.50-2.90 per watt in 2026, putting a typical 10 kW system at $25,000-29,000 before incentives. Payback periods now run 10-15 years for many Utah homeowners, compared to 6-8 years in states with strong net metering.

Gone: Utah Solar Tax Credit

The Utah Renewable Energy Systems Tax Credit (RESTC) expired for residential solar at the end of 2023. Systems installed in 2024 and later do not qualify for the state credit. Carryforwards are allowed through 2027 for anyone who installed during eligible years.

Gone: Federal ITC

The federal Investment Tax Credit for residential solar, which gave homeowners a 30% credit on system costs, expired at the end of 2025. Systems installed in 2026 and later do not receive the federal credit either.

Still Available: Wattsmart Battery Program

Rocky Mountain Power's Wattsmart Battery Program still offers a $400 per kilowatt incentive (up to $2,000 maximum) for approved home battery systems. The customer enrolls the battery in a grid services program, allowing the utility to call on it during peak demand periods in exchange for the rebate. Pairing a battery with solar lets you store excess generation for evening use instead of exporting it at the low Schedule 137 rate, effectively capturing more of your solar's retail value.

Should You Still Go Solar?

The honest answer is: it depends. For homeowners with high electricity consumption, south-facing roofs, and the ability to self-consume most generation, solar still makes sense — especially when paired with a battery and enrolled in the TOU rate plan to maximize avoided-cost savings. Our guide on choosing the best solar panels for your home covers sizing and selection.

For customers with modest bills or unfavorable roofs, the math is tougher than it used to be. Community solar remains an option worth exploring for those who cannot install rooftop panels — our guide on community solar explains how it works.

Strategies to Lower Your Utah Electricity Bill

With rates climbing on multiple fronts, every efficiency improvement becomes more valuable over time. Here are the highest-impact strategies for Utah homeowners:

1. Move to the Time-of-Use Rate Plan

The new Schedule 1 TOU option can meaningfully lower your bill if you can shift usage away from the 6-10 PM weekday peak. With first-year bill protection capping any downside at 10%, there is minimal risk to trying it. EV owners, in particular, should enroll — overnight charging falls squarely in the cheapest off-peak window.

2. Claim Every Available Rebate

Rocky Mountain Power funds efficiency rebates through its Wattsmart programs — rebates for heat pumps, smart thermostats, efficient appliances, insulation, and more. You're already paying into these programs through the DSM charge on your bill. Not using them is leaving money on the table. Visit wattsmart.com to browse current offers.

3. Upgrade to a Heat Pump

Utah winters are cold, and natural gas furnaces have historically been the default. But modern cold-climate heat pumps can cut heating energy consumption in half or more, and they double as efficient air conditioners for Utah's hot summers. Combined with Wasatch Front air quality concerns, heat pumps also eliminate indoor combustion emissions. Our guide on the best heat pumps for 2026 covers model selection, sizing, and installer considerations.

4. Invest in Weatherization

Utah's climate swings from 100°F summer days to sub-zero winter nights, which makes insulation and air sealing enormously valuable. Adding attic insulation, sealing ductwork, weatherstripping doors and windows, and installing a smart thermostat can reduce heating and cooling energy use by 20-30%. For a comprehensive roadmap, see our guide on how to cut your electric bill in half.

5. Consider Solar (With Eyes Open)

Solar still makes sense for the right Utah households — particularly those with high usage, good roofs, and willingness to pair panels with a battery. The key is right-sizing for self-consumption rather than oversizing to export. The Wattsmart Battery rebate of up to $2,000 helps offset storage costs. Every kWh you generate and consume yourself offsets electricity at the full retail rate, even though exported kWh are worth only the Schedule 137 credit.

6. Electrify Strategically

If you're still running gas appliances — water heater, dryer, range — switching to efficient electric alternatives can lower overall energy costs, especially when paired with heat pump heating and solar. Our whole-home electrification guide walks through the process step by step.

7. Monitor Your Usage

You cannot manage what you do not measure. A home energy monitor shows you exactly where your electricity is going in real time, often revealing surprises: an old freezer running inefficiently, a phantom load from home electronics, or HVAC cycling more than it should. Combined with TOU rates, a monitor helps you identify which loads to shift and which to eliminate entirely.

Low-Income Assistance: The HEAT Program

Utah has several safety nets for households struggling with utility costs, and the most important is the HEAT program.

HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Target)

HEAT is Utah's name for its implementation of the federal LIHEAP program, administered by the Utah Department of Workforce Services. It provides year-round energy bill payment assistance for eligible low-income households.

FY 2026 funding: Approximately $25.7 million, including $652,394 from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act

FY 2026 benefits:

• Heating and cooling: $140 minimum to $800 maximum
• Crisis assistance: Up to $1,500 maximum

Eligibility: Total household income at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level

Application window: October 1 through September 30 for vulnerable populations (households with disabled members, elderly 60+, or children under 6); November 1 through September 30 for the general public, or until federal LIHEAP funds are exhausted.

HEAT is administered locally through community action agencies across the state. Contact your local agency directly or call 211 to find out where to apply.

The LIHEAP Funding Crisis

Federal LIHEAP funding was disrupted by the October 2025 federal government shutdown, and full FY 2026 disbursement has been uncertain. Utah HEAT funding could be affected if federal disbursements lag, so apply as early in the program year as possible to avoid running into funding exhaustion.

Winter Disconnection Moratorium

Utah has a formal Winter Moratorium that protects eligible households from utility shut-offs between November 15 and March 15. The moratorium applies to customers served by PSC-regulated utilities (Rocky Mountain Power and Dominion Energy Natural Gas). To qualify, you must be enrolled in HEAT or a qualifying payment plan with your utility, and you must adhere to the payment plan terms.

The moratorium is not automatic. You must apply and demonstrate eligibility. If you're behind on your utility bill as winter approaches, contact your utility and apply for HEAT before November 15.

Rocky Mountain Power Assistance Programs

Rocky Mountain Power also offers its own assistance programs:

• Lifeline rate (Schedule 3) — reduced rate for income-qualified customers
• Energy Assistance for Arrearage Relief — help catching up on past-due balances
• Cool Keeper — optional load management for air conditioners

LDS Church Heat/Water Program

Utah is unique in having a robust church-administered utility assistance program. The LDS Church operates a Heat/Water program that helps cover energy bills for families in need, accessible through local bishops or community referrals. It fills gaps between federal and state assistance cycles and does not require LDS membership.

Federal HOMES and HEAR Rebates

Two new federal rebate programs are launching in Utah in spring 2026 through the Governor's Office of Energy Development:

• HOMES (Home Efficiency Rebates): Covers 50-100% of project costs up to $10,000, depending on income and the energy savings achieved
• HEAR (Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates): Point-of-sale rebates for low and moderate income households buying high-efficiency electric appliances and weatherization materials

Both programs can dramatically lower the upfront cost of efficiency and electrification projects for qualifying households.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average electricity rate in Utah?

As of early 2026, Utah residential electricity rates average between 11 and 14 cents per kWh, depending on the data source. Utah remains one of the three cheapest states in the country for residential electricity, with rates roughly 30% below the national average of 16.7 cents/kWh. However, Rocky Mountain Power has been pushing for significant rate increases, and the era of ultra-cheap Utah electricity is ending.

Why is my Utah electricity bill going up?

Multiple pressures are converging. Rocky Mountain Power was approved for a 4.7% rate increase in April 2025 and has filed a separate 4.48% wildfire Fire Fund surcharge pending PSC approval. Data center load growth is straining the grid and driving new generation and transmission investments. HB 374 requires the utility to keep aging coal plants running, which raises costs. And PacifiCorp's broader wildfire liabilities are raising the company's borrowing costs, which flow through to rate base.

Can I choose my electricity provider in Utah?

No. Utah is a regulated market. Rocky Mountain Power serves approximately 80% of Utah customers, with the rest served by municipal utilities (Provo, Logan, St. George, Lehi, Bountiful, Murray, and others) or rural electric cooperatives (Garkane, Dixie Power, Moon Lake, Strawberry Electric). You do not get to pick your provider. Your lever for reducing costs is managing usage and taking advantage of rate plans and incentive programs.

Will Utah customers have to pay for Oregon wildfire costs?

Not directly, as much as possible. The Utah PSC rejected Rocky Mountain Power's wildfire cost recovery plan in April 2025 specifically to prevent Utah ratepayers from subsidizing out-of-state wildfire damages. Three Utah power providers also filed a FERC complaint blocking PacifiCorp from adding $1.7 billion in wildfire costs to wholesale transmission rates. However, PacifiCorp's weakened financial condition does raise its borrowing costs, which flow through indirectly to all customers.

Is solar still worth it in Utah?

It depends on your situation. Utah has excellent solar resources, but the economics have deteriorated since 2017. Traditional net metering was eliminated, replaced by Schedule 137 which credits exported solar at only 4.12-5.6 cents/kWh (less than half retail). The state tax credit expired in 2023, and the federal tax credit expired at the end of 2025. Right-sized systems for self-consumption still make sense, especially when paired with a battery enrolled in the Wattsmart Battery Program. Payback periods now run 10-15 years for most Utah homeowners.

What is Rocky Mountain Power's Fire Fund surcharge?

In December 2025, Rocky Mountain Power filed a request for a 4.48% rate surcharge to fund a restricted wildfire self-insurance account. This was authorized by a 2024 Utah law allowing utilities to build fire funds through ratepayer surcharges. If approved, the surcharge would add about $3.70 per month to the average residential bill for 10 years, collecting approximately $1,090 per customer total. The fund would only be used as a last resort if catastrophic fire liabilities exceed normal insurance. The PSC decision is pending as of early 2026.

What is HB 374?

House Bill 374, passed by the Utah Legislature in 2024, rewrote Utah's state energy policy to prioritize dispatchable generation — specifically, it prevents the early retirement of power plants unless they are replaced with resources of equal or greater capability. In practice, this requires Rocky Mountain Power to keep the Hunter and Huntington coal plants operating well past 2030, even though the utility's own modeling shows that retiring Hunter by 2030 would be cheaper for customers. The law has been criticized by consumer advocates for increasing costs.

What happens if I cannot pay my electricity bill?

Apply to Utah's HEAT program through your local community action agency or call 211. HEAT provides year-round energy assistance for households at or below 150% of federal poverty level, with benefits of $140-800 for regular heating/cooling and up to $1,500 for crisis situations. Utah also has a Winter Moratorium that protects eligible customers from shut-off between November 15 and March 15, provided they are enrolled in HEAT or a qualifying payment plan. Contact your utility directly and apply as early as possible — do not wait for a disconnection notice.

Your Utah Electricity Action Plan

Here's a concrete plan to take control of your electricity costs:

This week:

1. Pull up your most recent Rocky Mountain Power bill (or municipal utility bill) and identify your current rate schedule, monthly kWh usage, and all the line items. If anything looks unfamiliar, our bill reading guide will help decode it.
2. Log into your utility's online account portal and review your usage history for the past 12 months. Note your seasonal highs and lows.
3. Check whether you have been automatically moved to the new Schedule 1 Time-of-Use option. If not, consider enrolling — first-year bill protection caps any downside at 10%.

This month:

4. Visit wattsmart.com (for Rocky Mountain Power customers) and browse available rebates. Focus on your biggest energy users first: heating/cooling systems, water heater, insulation, and lighting.
5. Check your eligibility for the new HOMES and HEAR federal rebate programs launching in Utah spring 2026 through the Governor's Office of Energy Development.
6. If you have an EV or plan to buy one, set up overnight charging to hit the TOU off-peak window (generally 10 PM to 6 AM weekdays and all day weekends).
7. If you're considering solar, get at least three quotes and have installers model your system for self-consumption — not oversized for export. Ask specifically about pairing with a Wattsmart-enrolled battery.

If you're struggling to pay your bill:

8. Call 211 or your local community action agency and apply for the HEAT program. Do not wait — federal LIHEAP funding is tight this year.
9. Contact Rocky Mountain Power and ask about the Lifeline rate (Schedule 3), Energy Assistance for Arrearage Relief, and payment plan options.
10. If you're facing winter shut-off, confirm enrollment in HEAT before November 15 to qualify for the Winter Moratorium.
11. In Utah, also check whether the LDS Church Heat/Water program in your area can help. Assistance is available regardless of church membership.

For the long term:

12. Budget for continued rate increases — likely 4-10% per year through the rest of this decade as Operation Gigawatt investments, data center load, and the Fire Fund surcharge all compound.
13. Prioritize high-impact efficiency upgrades: heat pumps, insulation, efficient water heaters, and sealed ductwork. Every kWh you eliminate today is worth more tomorrow as rates climb.
14. Consider a home energy monitor to identify hidden waste and track the impact of your changes.
15. If you're planning any major renovation or equipment replacement, use it as an opportunity to electrify, weatherize, and stack utility, state, and federal incentives.

Utah's cheap electricity era is ending. Rocky Mountain Power is pushing for significant rate increases, the legislature is forcing the utility to maintain expensive coal plants, data center growth is straining the grid, and PacifiCorp's financial stress from out-of-state wildfires is cascading through the company. The good news is that Utah's PSC has been unusually aggressive in pushing back on rate increases — granting only 4.7% of an 18.1% request is extraordinary by any measure. The state still has strong tools available for consumers who act now. The Utahns who will pay the least over the next decade are the ones who start using them today.