Rate Comparisons

A statewide survey of electric utilities shows CORE members pay less on average.

CORE’s average bills – residential, small commercial, large commercial and industrial – are lower than the average bills of other reporting Colorado electric utilities, according to the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities’ (CAMU) July 2023 survey of nearly 50 electric utilities, including cooperatives, municipalities and investor-owned utilities (IOUs).

Per the survey:

• The average cost for 700 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of service on CORE’s residential rate – $101.08 – is lower than both the $105.67 average among all types of electric utilities and the $109.61 average among electric cooperatives.

• The average for 2,000 kWh with a 10-kilowatt (kW) peak on CORE’s small commercial rate is $252.88. Averages among all types of electric utilities and cooperatives are $266.44 and $258.72, respectively.

• On CORE’s large commercial rate, 45,000 kWh with a 130-kilowatt peak costs an average of $4,897, compared to the average of $5,188 among cooperatives, municipalities and IOUs.

• Under CORE’s industrial rate, 1,900,000 kWh with a 3,000-kilowatt peak costs an average of $166,358, compared to $167,365 among all utility types. CORE is committed to keeping electric service affordable. While most other electric utilities introduced rate increases in the last year, we will have no general rate increase in 2023. We also returned $5 million in capital credits to members in September, bringing our 10-year total to more than $120 million.

Why is my bill lower or higher than the average?

Even if you consume approximately 700 kilowatt-hours of electrical energy in a billing period, your bill might not exactly match CORE’s residential average of $101.08. This is due to several factors, including:

• Your monthly demand charge, which is based on your electrical demand measured at the meter and allows CORE to accurately charge for your highest rate of electricity usage during the “on-peak” hours of 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. This “peak window” is when members typically consume the most electricity and place the highest electrical demand on our system. For CORE’s residential members, the demand charge is $3 multiplied by the highest electric demand (in kilowatts) that occurred within one 60-minute interval during the peak window. This “peak demand” occurs only once during each billing period. Members who limit their use of electricity during on-peak hours will see a lower demand charge, whereas high electricity use in that window creates a higher demand charge.

• The current wholesale power cost adjustment (WPCA). The WPCA is recalculated quarterly in response to, or in anticipation of, variances in costs of the wholesale power we purchase and distribute to members.

• Your location. Members who reside in incorporated towns and cities that have franchise agreements with CORE are on a different residential rate, but typically pay franchise fees and/or municipal taxes as part of their monthly bill. Franchise fees and municipal taxes appear as line items on your monthly bill and vary based on where you reside. Some members do not have any franchise fees or municipal taxes applied to their electric service.