Vantage Valley Eco · California and Arizona
California and Arizona solar starts with your bill.
We help California and Arizona homeowners read their electric bill, check the roof, and pressure-test any solar proposal before anyone sells you panels.
Book a 15-minute call See what your bill is doing
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A VVE professional calls you about your bill, solar, a proposal or your roof. Prefer that we find a time with you? Request help booking.
California electricity · 2023 to 2026
Same amount of electricity.
A different price.
Compare the 2023 annual average with the June 2026, Aug 26 release. The periods differ: this shows two reference points, not a full year 2026 increase.
29.51¢2023 annual average per kWh
34.74¢June 2026, Aug 26 release per kWh
+17.7%Difference between these reference points
At the 2023 annual average$177.06
At the June 2026, Aug 26 release$208.44
Difference$31.38
Illustrative comparison: usage × each published average price. This is not a bill estimate, a PG&E tariff or a savings forecast. These averages reflect revenue divided by electricity sold, including the mix of customer charges.
Compare three major California utilities.
SDG&E and PG&E are June 2026 residential averages. Southern California Edison is the October 1, 2026 average residential rate. Highest first within this group. These are not a statewide top three ranking or a list of providers you can freely switch between.
| Utility | Published average | At your selected usage |
|---|---|---|
| SDG&E | 45.5¢ / kWh | $273.00 |
| Southern California Edison | 34.5¢ / kWh | $207.00 |
| PG&E | 33.7¢ / kWh | $202.20 |
Source: SDG&E and PG&E, Public Advocates Office Q2 2026 report, page 8. Averages exclude the California Climate Credit. Southern California Edison: SCE Rates Advisory (Oct 1 average residential). Multiplication illustrates the averages, not a tariff calculation. These utility averages use a different basis from EIA’s statewide figures above.
Read the SDG&E and PG&E source → SCE Rates Advisory (Oct 1 average residential) →What if my provider is different?
California also has municipal utilities and community choice providers. Your address determines the applicable service territory. Check your bill for both delivery and generation providers. A utility name alone does not establish a rate plan or solar program eligibility.
Find California utility and community choice comparisons →
This tool does not yet calculate LADWP, SMUD, other municipal utilities, community choice plans or individual tariffs. VVE professional availability is confirmed separately from education coverage.
2023 source: EIA annual Table 2.10. 2023 is an annual average; June 2026 is a preliminary monthly average. Seasonality and customer mix can affect the comparison. Nominal prices, not adjusted for inflation. Not today’s tariff. Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. Released August 26, 2026. Checked September 22, 2026. Next EIA release scheduled September 24, 2026.
Arizona electricity · 2017 to 2026
Same amount of electricity.
2017 to 2026, one utility at a time.
Pick APS or SRP. Each shows one published energy price for one plan, from 2017 to 2026. APS prices are set by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). SRP prices are set by the SRP Board of Directors. APS and SRP numbers include different charges and should not be compared with each other.
APS: R-1 Fixed Energy Charge Plan, medium tier
Published price for households averaging 601 to 999 kWh a month. Prices set by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).
12.393¢per kWh, effective August 2017 (Decision No. 76295)
14.052¢per kWh, 2026 rate (in effect since 2024) (Decision No. 79293)
+13.4%Change in this one published energy price (APS R-1 medium tier), not a change in a whole bill
Effective August 2017; most residential customers moved onto the new 2017 rate plans from February to May 2018.
At 12.393¢, effective August 2017$111.54Energy charge only, not a bill
At 14.052¢, 2026 rate (in effect since 2024)$126.47Energy charge only, not a bill
Difference$14.93Energy charge only, not a bill
In between, the December 2021 tariff sheet set 12.282¢ per kWh for the same tier (Decision No. 78317).
The tariff sheet (Rate Schedule R-1, A.C.C. No. 6148, Revision No. 1) prints an effective date of Mar 8, 2024.
Real APS bills also include a daily Basic Service Charge, adjustor charges (such as the Power Supply Adjustment), and taxes, which are not shown.
Households averaging 600 kWh or less, or 1,000 kWh or more, are billed at a different tier price.
APS has a rate case pending at the ACC (Docket E-01345A-25-0105). Nothing from it is used here.
Illustrative comparison: your kWh × each published price. Energy charge only, not a bill. Nominal prices, not adjusted for inflation.
- 12.393¢: APS Rate Schedule R-Basic "Premier Choice", A.C.C. No. 5917 (archived copy (Internet Archive, snapshot 2020-09-24))
- 12.282¢: APS Rate Schedule R-1, A.C.C. No. 6115 (archived copy (Internet Archive, snapshot 2024-02-21))
- 14.052¢: APS Rate Schedule R-1, A.C.C. No. 6148, Revision No. 1
- Feb to May 2018 move: ACC Hearing Division recommended opinion and order, Docket E-01345A-18-0002 (Apr 9, 2019)
SRP: E-23 Basic Price Plan, winter price
Published price for winter bills (November to April billing cycles). Prices set by the SRP Board of Directors.
8.03¢per kWh, 2017 winter price
10.97¢per kWh, 2026 winter price
+36.6%Change in this one published energy price (SRP E-23 winter price), not a change in a whole bill
In effect from the November 2017 billing cycle; January to October 2017 bills carried a temporary lower price.
Current as of the January 2026 billing cycle.
At 8.03¢, 2017 winter price$72.27Energy charge only, not a bill
At 10.97¢, 2026 winter price$98.73Energy charge only, not a bill
Difference$26.46Energy charge only, not a bill
SRP's price includes its fuel and purchased power adjustment. Summer prices are higher.
Real SRP bills also include a monthly service charge and taxes, which are not shown.
Illustrative comparison: your kWh × each published price. Energy charge only, not a bill. Nominal prices, not adjusted for inflation.
- 8.03¢: SRP Basic Price Plan page (archived copy (Internet Archive, snapshot 2017-10-29))
- 8.03¢: SRP ratebook, April 2015 edition (archived 2018-04-13)
- 10.97¢: SRP 2025 Ratebook E-23 with TCA, January 2026 billing cycle
APS and SRP numbers include different charges and should not be compared with each other. Checked September 24, 2026.
How the call works
Fifteen minutes. Your bill first.
We look at your roof and any proposal.
You leave knowing your next question.
Our first local focus · Fresno solar
The story behind
your light switch.
How did electricity become something we expect at the touch of a switch? What changes when a home starts producing some of its own?
Follow the history, learn the basics and bring better questions to the solar conversation.
Already have solar
Panels on the roof.
Still a bill in the mail.
What to know before you add a battery or more panels.
- Already have solar and still see a monthly bill? That is common. True-up, non-bypassable charges and the Base Services Charge are separate from what your panels produce.
- Under today’s Net Billing Tariff, most of the value comes from using your own solar at home. Export credits are usually lower than the retail price you pay to buy power.
- A battery can store midday solar for evening peak hours, often 4 to 9 p.m. on common time-of-use plans, so you buy less grid power when it costs the most. Confirm the peak hours on your own rate plan.
- If you are still on NEM 1 or 2, expanding your panels by more than the greater of 1 kW or 10% of your original system can move you to Net Billing. Check the size before you add.
- Adding a battery alone often keeps your NEM status, but an SGIP reservation on or after June 4, 2024 can require a switch to Net Billing. Ask before you reserve.
- SGIP Small Residential Storage is closed. As of September 2026 it is not taking new applications.
- The federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) does not apply to installations completed after December 31, 2025, including battery-only projects finished in 2026.
How solar is credited in Arizona
APS RCP export rate: $0.05554/kWh for the 2026 tranche. That covers customers who apply Sep 1, 2026 – Aug 31, 2027 (ACC Decision No. 82122). Each customer's initial RCP rate applies for 10 years from interconnection. Source: APS Rate Rider RCP · Applications Sep 1, 2026 – Aug 31, 2027
SRP E-16 and E-28 export credit: $0.0187/kWh, "Effective as of the May 2026 Billing Cycle; subject to adjustment." It is recalculated each May from a 3-year average of hourly energy prices. Source: SRP ratebook, published Apr 27, 2026 · Effective as of the May 2026 Billing Cycle
On SRP E-15 and E-27, exports are netted against imports each billing cycle, tracked by TOU period. Any net excess is credited "at the retail per-kWh price under this price plan." Source: SRP E-15; SRP E-27
Batteries and evening use
APS TOU-E on-peak is 4–7 p.m. Mon–Fri, year-round. Source: APS TOU-E
SRP legacy solar plans on-peak: May–Oct, 2–8 p.m. weekdays. Nov–Apr, 5–9 a.m. and 5–9 p.m. weekdays. SRP E-28 on-peak is 6–9 p.m. weekdays. Source: SRP E-13; SRP E-28
Rates can change.
News for your home · Checked September 24, 2026
What changed.
What it means for you.
Recent source updates, explained through the parts of your home they affect.
California approved a monthly fixed charge for PG&E, SCE and SDG&E homes
In Decision 24-05-028 the CPUC set the levels at $6.00 for CARE households, $12.08 for FERA households and some residents of deed-restricted affordable rental housing, and $24.15 for other households (fixed monthly charge set by the CPUC, not a bill). The utilities bill it as a daily Base Services Charge.
Read the update →PG&E added a daily Base Services Charge on March 1, 2026
PG&E's tariff prints $0.79343 per day for households not on CARE or FERA, $0.39688 for FERA-eligible homes and $0.19713 for CARE-eligible homes (daily fixed charge, not a bill). The same day, the Tier 1 price on its E-1 plan went from 37.839¢ to 32.561¢ per kWh (energy charge only, not a bill).
Read the update →From the news
to your home.
Each update connects to a practical lesson. Follow VVE as we build the homeowner conversation.
Visit VVE on Facebook →What changed for an Arizona bill.
- On APS R-1, medium tier (601 to 999 kWh each month), energy charge 14.052 cents per kWh, effective March 8, 2024 (Source: APS Rate Schedule R-1, Decision No. 79293, effective Mar 8, 2024). Effective August 2017, R-Basic (now the R-1 medium tier) was 12.393 cents per kWh (Source: APS Rate Schedule R-Basic, Decision No. 76295, effective Aug 19, 2017). One published energy charge, not the full monthly bill. Other monthly averages use a different tier price.
- Legacy solar price plans E-13, E-14, E-15, and E-27 stay open until the November 2029 billing cycle (Source: SRP newsroom, Feb 27, 2025). E-13 and E-14 move to E-28. E-15 and E-27 move to E-16.
A little knowledge. A more useful conversation.
You don’t need to know everything.
You need to know what to ask.
01 · UNDERSTAND
What is happening?
Learn how the part of your home works. Separate what you have observed from what still needs checking.
02 · COMPARE
What are the options?
Look at the evidence, assumptions and written scope. A number without its context can lead you in the wrong direction.
03 · DECIDE
What makes sense now?
A repair, a closer assessment or time to plan. Choose the next step based on your home.
Four departments. One home.Sources you can checkLearn at your own pace
Every part has a story
More of the homeowner library.
A roof question can change a solar plan. A comfort problem can lead back to windows or ducts. Start with one chapter, then follow the connections.
Structure
The shell that protects what is inside.
Systems
The equipment that keeps daily life moving.
Protection
The conditions around your home worth understanding.
Performance
How the pieces work together, and what it costs to run them.
Check your property
See what the public record says about your home.
Enter your address for a free property report. It shows what public records say, what is estimated, and what nobody can know without a visit. No one contacts you unless you ask.
Enter your address for a property report. It shows what public records say, what is estimated, and what nobody can know without a visit. No one contacts you unless you ask.
Public record Estimated Needs a visit
Every line in the report says where it came from: Public record means a named public source you can check, Estimated means calculated from real data rather than measured at your home, and Needs a visit means nobody can know it without standing at the house.
Questions worth asking
Good information
leaves room for questions.
These chapters help you prepare for a decision. They do not diagnose a house from a screen.
Do you offer every service in the library?
The library covers the whole home. Our current local focus is solar education conversations in California and Arizona. Roofing and the other categories are educational; referrals depend on verified professional availability.
Are the numbers specific to my house?
No. Historical averages and examples are labeled. Your actual costs depend on your provider, plan, usage, property and the scope of any proposed work.
Can I read without booking a call?
Yes. Every chapter is available without an account or a conversation request. Follow the source links whenever you want to check a fact. When you have a question about your own home, a 15 minute call is the recommended next step.
What is the best next step?
Book a 15-minute call. A VVE professional talks through your bill, a proposal or your roof, and you leave with the questions worth asking and what to check next. There is no pressure and no obligation. Book a 15-minute call, or request help booking if you prefer that we find a time with you.
Our first local conversation · Solar
Bring your questions.
Speak with a VVE professional.
Thinking about solar in California or Arizona? Book a 15-minute call. Tell us what you want to understand and choose a time that works for you.
Book a 15-minute callMonday to Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM Pacific (Arizona does not change its clocks, so check the time difference). A time you book online is confirmed by email. A requested time needs confirmation. Roofing and other home topics are currently available as education.