Colorado Electricity Rates
Rate data for Colorado is being refreshed. The regulator and market facts below are current; figures return with the next data load.
Can you choose your electricity supplier in Colorado?
No. Colorado has not opened its residential electricity market to competition, so the utility that delivers your power also sells it. Its prices are set in rate cases before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, and the rate you pay depends on which utility serves your address, your rate schedule, and the season.
Grid operator: No RTO; Western bilateral market (WECC). Wholesale power costs flow through to retail bills on the regulator's schedule rather than month to month, which is why regulated-state rates move more slowly than the market-based states listed below.
Want to shop for a supplier? Retail choice is open on this site in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC.
You cannot shop for a supplier in Colorado and your address decides whether you get a PUC-regulated company, a city utility or a self-regulated co-op, so what you can control is timing: Xcel puts every home on a default time-of-use rate where weekday 5-9 p.m. power costs 2.7 times the off-peak price unless you opt out, while income-qualified Xcel and Black Hills customers can cap bills at no more than 6% of income through PIPP and state law lets renters and low-income customers subscribe to a shared community solar garden instead of a rooftop.
Who will deliver your power in Colorado
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Xcel Energy (Public Service Company of Colorado)investor-owned
Public Service Company of Colorado, doing business as Xcel Energy, is one of the two investor-owned electric utilities the Colorado PUC regulates (the other is Black Hills); the PUC's Time of Use page calls them Colorado's two regulated electric utilities. A PUC-approved rate increase raises the average Colorado residential electric bill about 4.77%, or $5 a month, starting Aug. 29, 2026.
Xcel's moving page does not state ID, deposit or lead-time requirements; the PUC's deposit rules (Rule 3403, see startService) apply to Xcel, and Xcel's rate-review page gives 800-895-4999 for payment arrangements and assistance. Residential customers are enrolled in Time of Use pricing by default and must contact Xcel to opt out to a flat rate.
Start service with Xcel Energy →Sources: co.my.xcelenergy.com, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, xcelenergy.com
Colorado Springs Utilitiesmunicipal
City-owned four-service utility (electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater) serving Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region since 1924; the PUC lists it as a municipally owned utility, and CSU says decisions are made by its locally elected Utilities Board, not by the PUC in Denver. About 245,642 electric meters (per CSU's Electric service page).
New arrivals apply on the Start Service page in My Account with the name and Social Security number of the main contact, the names of everyone else on the account, the new service and mailing address, and the requested start date. Applications can take up to three days to complete and are prioritized by start date; business customers should apply at least three business days ahead.
Start service with Colorado Springs Utilities →Sources: csu.org, csu.org, csu.org, puc.colorado.gov
CORE Electric Cooperativecooperative
Member-owned cooperative serving nearly 400,000 people across a nearly 5,000-square-mile area along Colorado's Front Range, divided into seven districts each with a member-elected director; listed by the PUC as an electric co-op. About nearly 400,000 people served (per CORE); meter or member count not stated.
Start or transfer service at an existing address online or by calling Member Services at (800) 332-9540; start dates can be reserved up to 30 days in advance, and holidays and weekends are not available. CORE's Rates and Regulations say a consumer with no payment record at CORE in the past 48 months must pay a deposit equal to an estimated 90-day bill unless they agree to a credit check with a satisfactory rating or enroll in the prepaid billing plan or AutoPay for at least 12 months; residential deposits are refunded after 24 consecutive months with no past-due amount, and no interest accrues on deposits from January 1, 2026. CORE provides only electric service, and every consumer becomes a member at the time of application.
Start service with CORE Electric Cooperative →Sources: core.coop, core.coop, core.coop, puc.colorado.gov
United Powercooperative
Member-owned cooperative based in Brighton serving 900 square miles north and east of Denver in two noncontiguous areas (the plains northeast of Denver plus the Coal Creek and Golden Gate canyons), covering 17 communities such as Brighton, Thornton, Westminster, Arvada, Broomfield, Commerce City, Erie, Firestone and Fort Lupton across parts of Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, Gilpin, Jefferson and Weld counties. About 117,067 meters as of Dec. 31, 2025 (per United Power); average residential bill $131.62/month.
Apply online with your new and previous addresses, connection date, and the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of everyone on the account; a 'soft hit' credit inquiry is required for all new members. New service is typically handled within 24 hours but can take up to three days, is not processed on weekends or holidays, and same-day activation requires contacting a Member Services representative by email or at 303-637-1300. A deposit, if required, will not exceed an estimated 90-day bill and is credited back after 12 months with no late payments; it can be waived by enrolling in Auto Pay for at least a year, using Pay As You Go prepaid billing, passing a free 'mini' credit check, or providing a letter of credit from your previous utility showing no more than two late payments and no disconnection in the prior 12 months.
Start service with United Power →Sources: unitedpower.com, unitedpower.com, unitedpower.com, unitedpower.com
Black Hills Energy (Black Hills Colorado Electric)investor-owned
Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC is the second PUC-regulated investor-owned electric utility in Colorado; its parent Black Hills Energy serves 1.35 million gas and electric customers across eight states, and its Colorado electric system is in southern Colorado (the company describes adding utility-scale solar 'to our system in Southern Colorado').
The start/stop/move page is a web app that would not render for this research, so no Black Hills-specific deposit or lead-time claim is made; customer service is 888-890-5554, Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. MT, and the online contact form accepts documents such as leases, 'positive identification information' or landlord forms. PUC deposit rules (Rule 3403) apply; Time of Use pricing is opt-in at Black Hills, with on-peak hours 5-8 p.m.
Start service with Black Hills Energy →Sources: blackhillsenergy.com, blackhillsenergy.com, blackhillsenergy.com, blackhillsenergy.com, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov
Fort Collins Utilitiesmunicipal
City of Fort Collins utility delivering electric, water, wastewater and stormwater services to more than 75,000 customers (count covers all four services, not electric alone). About more than 75,000 customers across electric, water, wastewater and stormwater (per the City of Fort Collins).
Start or stop service through the city's online form; anyone registering must be the customer and authorized account holder, and third parties may not create an account on a customer's behalf. Customer Service is 970-212-2900 (222 Laporte Ave.), 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday; the form says requests may be scheduled as early as the next business day; the page does not state ID or deposit rules.
Start service with Fort Collins Utilities →Sources: secure.fcgov.com, fortcollins.gov, fortcollins.gov
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in Colorado
Deposits. For PUC-regulated utilities (Xcel Energy and Black Hills), Rule 3403 caps any deposit at an estimated 90-day bill (60 days if you pay in advance), bars a deposit from an applicant who shows written proof of 12 consecutive months of good payment history from a prior utility ending within 60 days of applying, and bars one from anyone who is or was within the last 12 months a LEAP participant or who received Energy Outreach Colorado bill assistance in the last 12 months. Every utility that takes deposits must offer at least one payment alternative that does not require a Social Security number, a deposit may be paid in installments, and it is refunded with simple interest (4.08% for 2026, 4.93% for 2025) after one year of on-time payment with no more than two late payments. (law.cornell.edu)
Choosing a supplier. No. Colorado has no residential retail-choice program: electric cooperatives serve 'all members and consumers within their certificated territories,' and the only choice legislation on the books, HB21-1269 (signed June 25, 2021), merely ordered a PUC study of 'community choice energy' under which communities 'may choose to purchase their electricity from a wholesale supplier other than the local investor-owned electric utility,' while stating the act 'does not change current statutes and regulations governing the electricity system.' (Sources: PUC Electric Regulation in Colorado page; Colorado General Assembly HB21-1269 page.)
The PUC's deposit, billing and disconnection rules apply to customers of the investor-owned utilities: under C.R.S. 40-9.5-103 and Rule 3000(b), cooperatives that voted to exempt themselves from the Public Utilities Law are outside most PUC rules, and the PUC says nearly all Colorado co-ops have done so (Kansas-based Wheatland Electric is the only co-op still under PUC jurisdiction), so a co-op's board sets its own deposit and service terms and may change rates after 30 days' public notice, with complaints going to the co-op board or, if signed by 25 or more customers, to the PUC. Colorado Springs Utilities says its decisions are made by its locally elected Utilities Board, not the PUC. For regulated utilities, the Know Your Rights page says a new customer must be given a copy of the rates within 60 days of starting service, bills cannot be due sooner than 15 days after mailing, service cannot be disconnected for a balance under $50, and a shut-off can be stopped by paying at least one-tenth of the amount on the notice and setting up an installment plan.
Sources: law.cornell.edu, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, law.cornell.edu, colorado.public.law, puc.colorado.gov, leg.colorado.gov
Help paying an electric bill in Colorado
LEAP, the Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Colorado Department of Human Services, through county human services offices
Households that pay home heating costs directly or as part of rent, provide proof of lawful presence for members born outside the U.S., and have gross monthly income at or below 60% of state median income: for the 2026-27 season (Nov. 1, 2026-April 30, 2027) that is $3,774 for one person, $4,936 for two and $7,258 for four. Apply from Nov. 1 online at Colorado PEAK or by mail or email to your county office (paper applications by calling 1-866-HEAT-HELP, 1-866-432-8435), with Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone in the household, proof of income and your most recent heating bill; most non-emergency applications are processed in 10 to 25 days, benefits are usually paid straight to your heating fuel vendor, and the PUC notes LEAP enrollment also prevents disconnection and exempts you from utility deposits.
Sources: cdhs.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, law.cornell.edu, acf.gov
Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Regulated by the Colorado PUC and run by Xcel Energy, Black Hills Energy, Atmos Energy and Colorado Natural Gas; made mandatory for investor-owned utilities by SB26-002 (signed June 2, 2026, effective Aug. 12, 2026)
Income-qualified customers of Xcel, Black Hills, Atmos or Colorado Natural Gas whose household income is within 60% of state median income, 80% of area median income or 200% of the federal poverty level and who are referred by LEAP, Energy Outreach Colorado bill assistance or the Weatherization Assistance Program; the plan limits electric or gas bills to a maximum of 6% of yearly income through a fixed bill credit for 24 months plus help with past-due balances, and the utility mails an acceptance or denial letter within 30 days (Xcel 866-975-7327, Black Hills 888-890-5554). SB26-002 caps a PIPP customer's bill at a percentage of household income 'typically ranging from 2% to 6%' depending on the heating source provided and the size of the utility, and adds arrearage credits.
Sources: puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, leg.colorado.gov
Energy Outreach Colorado Bill Payment Assistance
Energy Outreach Colorado (statewide nonprofit) through partner agencies
Income-qualified renters or homeowners who are past due on a utility bill or low on fuel and who pay their utility or fuel bill directly rather than as part of rent; help is available year-round, with agencies found by calling 1-866-432-8435. EOC says it has invested more than $410 million since 1989 in bill payments, furnace repairs, community-solar subscriptions and efficiency upgrades, and its Get Help page lists two emergency programs (past-due energy bills and heating repair/replacement).
Sources: puc.colorado.gov, energyoutreach.org, energyoutreach.org
Colorado Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Colorado Energy Office, through local weatherization service providers
Income-qualified households, with eligibility set by county, household size and income on the WAP Income Eligibility Chart, or automatically through current enrollment in AND, TANF, SSI, SNAP or LEAP; services (insulation, air sealing and similar no-cost upgrades) depend on funding and may involve a waiting list. Renters qualify with the property owner's permission, and buildings with five or more units apply through Energy Outreach Colorado at (303) 825-8750.
Sources: energyoffice.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov
Black Hills Energy
Black Hills tells Colorado customers to start with LEAP, then lists Black Hills Cares (help for eligible customers with Black Hills bills or emergency energy-related expenses), the Black Hills Energy Affordability Program (BHEAP) for income-qualified residential customers, the Colorado Medical Exemption Program for customers meeting medical and income qualifications, a Medical Extension Program for medically essential service, and the state Property Tax, Rent and Heat (PTC) Rebate of up to $1,112 a year.
Source: blackhillsenergy.com
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)available
- PUC Rule 3664 requires investor-owned utilities to net meter renewable systems sized to no more than 120% of the customer's average annual consumption (200% for multi-unit properties), rolling excess kWh forward 1:1 month to month; within 60 days after year-end the utility pays out accrued credits at its average hourly incremental cost unless the customer makes a one-time written election to roll credits over indefinitely. Rule 3664 is not among the rules Rule 3000 extends to exempt cooperatives (3000(b)) or municipal utilities (3000(d)-(e)), so ask a co-op or city utility for its own net-metering terms.
Source: law.cornell.edu
- Community solaravailable
- Under C.R.S. 40-2-127 a 'community solar garden' is a shared solar facility of 5 MW or less (up to 10 MW with PUC approval after July 1, 2023) with at least ten subscribers; a subscriber must be a retail customer of the same utility, each subscription must be at least 1 kW and no more than 120% of the subscriber's average annual consumption, and the law expressly aims to let renters and low-income customers own solar interests that stay portable when you move within the utility's territory. Energy Outreach Colorado lists a Community Solar option among its lower-your-costs programs, and United Power says it powered Colorado's first community solar project in 2010.
Source: colorado.public.law
- Time-of-use ratesavailable
- Xcel Energy residential customers are on Time of Use pricing by default: since November 1, 2025 on-peak is 5-9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays year-round, priced 2.7 times off-peak ($0.21277 vs $0.07884 per kWh base rate in June-September, $0.18331 vs $0.06792 October-May), and customers who contact Xcel can opt out to a flat rate that sits between the two. Black Hills offers TOU only on request with on-peak 5-8 p.m., and Fort Collins Utilities uses Time-of-Day pricing with weekday on-peak hours of 2-7 p.m. May-September and 5-9 p.m. October-April, with off-peak prices about 70% below on-peak.
Source: puc.colorado.gov
Questions people ask before moving to Colorado
How far ahead should I set up electricity before moving to Colorado?
A few business days is enough at most utilities: Colorado Springs Utilities says applications can take up to three days and are prioritized by start date, United Power typically connects within 24 hours but allows up to three days and does not process requests on weekends or holidays (call 303-637-1300 for same-day), and CORE lets you reserve a start date up to 30 days ahead but not on weekends or holidays. Fort Collins requires the account holder to submit the online form personally, and Xcel and Black Hills both route moves through online start/stop apps; Black Hills customer service is 888-890-5554, weekdays 7 a.m.-5 p.m. MT.
Sources: csu.org, unitedpower.com, core.coop, secure.fcgov.com, blackhillsenergy.com, co.my.xcelenergy.com, blackhillsenergy.com
Will I have to pay a deposit to turn on power in Colorado?
At Xcel or Black Hills, PUC Rule 3403 caps a deposit at an estimated 90-day bill, waives it if you bring written proof of 12 months of good payment history from your last utility (ending within 60 days of applying) or have had LEAP or Energy Outreach Colorado help in the past year, requires a payment option that does not need a Social Security number, and refunds it with interest (4.08% in 2026) after a year with no more than two late payments. Co-ops set their own rules: United Power runs a soft credit inquiry on every new member and caps any deposit at a 90-day bill, waivable by Auto Pay, prepaid billing, a free mini credit check or a letter of credit, while CORE charges new consumers a 90-day-bill deposit unless they pass a credit check or stay on prepaid billing or AutoPay for 12 months.
Sources: law.cornell.edu, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, unitedpower.com, unitedpower.com, core.coop
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Colorado, and who regulates my utility?
No. Your address determines your utility, which may be a PUC-regulated investor-owned company (Xcel Energy or Black Hills), a city utility such as Colorado Springs Utilities or Fort Collins Utilities, or a member-owned cooperative such as CORE or United Power; the 2021 community-choice law only ordered a study and 'does not change current statutes and regulations governing the electricity system.' Nearly every Colorado co-op has voted itself out of PUC regulation, so its board sets rates and deposit rules and hears complaints, and the PUC's authority over a co-op's billing, deposits and disconnections is limited.
Sources: puc.colorado.gov, leg.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, colorado.public.law, fortcollins.gov
Why does my Xcel bill change by the hour, and can I switch it off?
Xcel's default residential rate is Time of Use: electricity used 5-9 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays costs 2.7 times the off-peak price (base rates of $0.21277 vs $0.07884 per kWh in summer and $0.18331 vs $0.06792 the rest of the year), with weekends and holidays entirely off-peak. You can opt out by contacting Xcel for a flat rate that is higher than off-peak but lower than on-peak; Black Hills customers must ask to get TOU (on-peak 5-8 p.m.), and Fort Collins Utilities uses Time-of-Day pricing with on-peak 2-7 p.m. May-September and 5-9 p.m. October-April.
Sources: puc.colorado.gov, fortcollins.gov
What help is there if I cannot afford my Colorado electric bill?
Apply for LEAP between Nov. 1 and April 30 (income up to 60% of state median, for example $3,774 a month for one person or $7,258 for four in 2026-27) online at Colorado PEAK or by phone at 1-866-HEAT-HELP; approval also blocks disconnection, waives utility deposits, and is the usual referral into PIPP, which caps an Xcel or Black Hills bill at no more than 6% of yearly income for 24 months with help on past-due balances. Outside LEAP season, Energy Outreach Colorado pays past-due bills year-round for income-qualified households who pay the utility directly, and the state Weatherization Assistance Program provides free efficiency upgrades.
Sources: cdhs.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, puc.colorado.gov, energyoffice.colorado.gov
Researched 2026-10-16 from utility, regulator, and agency pages; every statement links to where it was read. Rules change: confirm deposits and program dates with the utility or agency before you rely on them.
Every state ranked by residential rate, updated weekly: Electricity Rates by State →