Beginning with the November 2025 billing cycle, Salt River Project (SRP) introduced new residential rates that include adjustments for all customers. According to SRP, the approved changes will result in an overall net revenue change of 2.4%, with almost all SRP customers—solar and non-solar alike seeing some impact.
While updates apply across the board, this article focuses specifically on what the new rate structures mean for current and future solar customers. Some existing and legacy solar-compatible SRP rate plans will remain available for now, but all SRP solar customers will be required to adopt one of the new solar-compatible plans by November 2029. In other words, these updates will impact every existing SRP solar customer within the next four years.
This blog will outline what each group—current solar customers, future solar adopters, and those considering upgrades—needs to know to prepare for the transition ahead.
E-13 “Time-of-Use Export Price Plan”
E-14 “Electric Vehicle Export Price Plan”
E-15 “Average Demand Price Plan”
E-27 “Customer Generation Price Plan”
E-16 “Manage Demand 5-10 p.m. and Save”
E-28 “Conserve 6-9 p.m. and Save”
In the sections that follow, we’ll break down what’s changing in more detail, what it means for both new and existing solar customers, and why pairing solar with battery storage is now the smartest way to achieve success in SRP territory - even for existing SRP solar customers.
So, what exactly changes in November 2025? Below is a summary of the key updates—focused primarily on how they affect current and future SRP solar customers.
For a comprehensive overview of all residential rate changes, visit SRP’s official pricing update page.
The new monthly service charge (MSC) will increase by about 3.5% for non-solar residential plans. Solar customers, however, will see a slight reduction from the current $32.44 or $45.44—depending on service-panel size—to a new tiered structure. Most single-family homes will fall into Tier 2 with an MSC of $30/month, while larger homes with higher service capacity will move to Tier 3 at $40/month. In both cases, this is a slight MSC reduction for current solar customers.
All plans—including grandfathered solar plans—were transitioned to the new MSC structure beginning with the November 1, 2025 billing cycle. Use this form to find which tier applies to your home:
Customers on the current E-13 and E-27 rate plans will see no changes to their On-Peak hours until their plans are retired in November 2029. In addition, these plans remain open for new customers until their retirement in November 2029, but all customers will be required to select a new plan - with updated on-peak hours - by November 2029.
As a reminder, the current on-peak schedule is as follows:
|
Legacy Plans (retiring Nov. 2029) |
On Peak Hours |
|
E-13 “Time-of-Use Export Price Plan” |
Weekdays May–Oct: 2 p.m.–8 p.m. Weekdays Nov–Apr: 5 a.m.–9 a.m. and 5 p.m.–9 p.m. |
Beginning November 1, 2025, SRP’s new solar rate plans open for enrollment but will not be mandatory until November 2029, when all solar customers must migrate to them. Note the shift in on-peak hours to much later in the day.
|
Plan |
Super Off-Peak Hours |
Weekday On-Peak Hours |
Notes |
|
E-16 “Manage Demand 5-10 p.m. & Save” |
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. daily |
5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. |
Includes a demand charge component |
|
E-28 “Conserve 6-9 p.m. & Save” |
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. daily |
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. |
No demand charge component |
With SRP’s on-peak hours moving later in the day, solar panels alone will cover less of your highest-cost electricity. Adding a home battery allows you to store inexpensive daytime or excess solar energy for use during evening peaks. To preserve the greatest long-term savings, existing solar customers without a battery should evaluate adding one before the 2029 transition deadline.
If you’re already an SRP customer with solar—or you’re thinking about going solar—it’s important to understand how SRP values the energy your system sends back to the grid. This credit, known as your export rate, can make a big difference in your long-term savings.
SRP currently offers four solar-approved rate plans: E-13, E-14, E-15, and E-27. Each handles solar exports a little differently, and while all four of these plans remain open for new enrollment, all four are scheduled for retirement in November 2029. Let’s take a look at how the solar export rates are changing.
Customers on SRP’s existing solar-approved plans that are slated for retirement in November 2029 fall into two groups:
All four legacy plans remain open to new solar customers until November 2029, when SRP will retire them and transition all participants - including legacy solar customers - to the new generation of solar rate plans (E-16 and E-28). However, because these legacy plans will sunset in just a few years, new SRP solar customers should carefully weigh their options. While enrolling in a legacy plan may offer some short-term savings, it’s important to remember that all customers will ultimately be required to migrate to the new plans. The closer we get to 2029, the less sense it makes to design a system around a plan that will soon expire. Discuss the best long-term strategy with your solar consultant to ensure your system is optimized for this critical transition.
In short, SRP is rewarding customers who can add energy storage to their solar power systems and power their homes with stored energy later in the day, when the grid is busiest and electricity is most expensive to produce.
If you’re planning to install solar after November 1 2025, you’ll still be able to enroll in SRP’s existing/legacy solar rate plans—E-13, E-14, E-15, or E-27—until November 2029. After that date, all four legacy plans will be retired, and customers will move to SRP’s newly introduced solar plans E-16 or E-28.
To maximize long-term savings and ensure your system performs optimally beyond 2029, we recommend designing your solar project with the new rate plans in mind. Systems optimized for E-16 or E-28 must include battery storage for several key reasons:
In short:
The greatest long-term savings will come from solar + battery systems. Legacy plans like E-27 remain available for now and may offer short-term advantages, but new installations should be designed with the future E-16 and E-28 rate structures in mind. Even battery-only systems can be effective under these plans, taking advantage of low super off-peak prices by charging when rates are cheapest and discharging during costly evening peaks.
Designing around SRP’s next generation of rate plans keeps your system efficient, adaptable, and profitable for years to come—while also delivering reliable backup power as grid demands increase under growing population and climate pressures.
If you already have solar with SRP, the good news is you won’t be moved to the new rate plans until November 2029. When that transition occurs, you’ll need to choose between E-16 and E-28, both of which feature later evening on-peak hours, lower buyback/export rates and generally different savings dynamics than your current plan. To preserve and maximize your solar investment, adding a battery system should be part of your strategy before the switch.
The single biggest takeaway from SRP’s rate changes is this: batteries are no longer optional for maximizing solar savings, they’re a must have—for new and existing solar customers alike. Let’s take a closer look at why this is the case.
Without a battery, your system exports excess energy midday—when SRP’s new plans pay the least. By evening, when rates are highest and your panels produce little or nothing, you’re forced to buy electricity back at a premium on-peak price. This mismatch between production and consumption greatly reduces the value of any solar-only production and utility offset.
When solar is paired with a home battery, your system becomes smarter, more flexible, and significantly more valuable. Excess solar energy produced during the day—or even inexpensive grid power during SRP’s super off-peak hours—can be stored instead of exported back to the grid. That stored energy is then discharged in the evening when rates peak, allowing your home to run on self-produced power rather than expensive grid electricity. In addition to reducing or eliminating on-peak usage, batteries also help flatten demand spikes, lowering or avoiding demand-based charges entirely. This combination of solar and storage not only maximizes day-to-day savings but also ensures long-term compliance with SRP’s new E-16 and E-28 rate plans, which all solar customers will move to by November 2029.
Even without solar panels, batteries can deliver meaningful savings under SRP’s newer pricing structures. Homeowners can charge their batteries during super off-peak hours (8 a.m.–3 p.m.) when rates are lowest, then discharge stored power during on-peak evening periods to reduce reliance on expensive grid energy. This strategy flattens demand peaks, lowers bills, and provides backup power during outages—all without installing solar.
System Type Comparison
|
System Type |
How it Works |
Advantages |
Limitations |
Best For |
|
Solar Only |
Excess solar generation is exported to the grid for a utility credit that helps to further offset the bill. The grid is effectively functioning as a “virtual battery.” |
• Simpler system design — no battery needed. • Lower upfront cost due to lack of battery. |
• Not ideal where buyback credits are low - such is the case with SRPs new solar plans. • Dependent on utility grid (no backup power). • Does not work well on plans with demand fees. |
Legacy solar customers with grandfathered net metering plans or higher return net billing plans. Not ideal for the newer rate plans where solar export credits are dramatically reduced. |
|
Solar + Battery |
Solar panels power the home first; excess energy charges the battery. The battery then discharges during expensive on-peak hours, after sunset, or during outages. |
• Maximizes self-consumption and ROI amidst increasingly reduced export credits. • Can provides backup power during outages. • Enhances long-term energy independence. |
• Can be higher upfront cost due to battery addition. • For optimal protection and longevity, batteries are best installed inside a garage instead of outdoors. |
Where Low-value export credits or demand-based rate plans reduce ROI and make storage and self-consumption of excess energy the smarter strategy going forward. |
|
Battery Only |
Battery charges from the grid during off-peak or super off-peak hours (low cost) and discharges during on-peak hours (high cost). Batteries can be paired with solar panels later to reduce initial system cost. |
• Lower upfront cost (no solar panels yet). • Eliminates demand charges and costly on-peak energy. • Can provide backup during a blackout. • Can be upgraded with solar later to expand recharging capabilities and reduce grid reliance. |
• Less savings potential without solar offset during daytime hours. • Cannot recharge during extended outages without solar panels. |
Customers on TOU or demand-based rate plans who want to lower bills by shifting low-cost off-peak energy into expensive on-peak hours, gain blackout protection, and keep the option open to add solar later. |
In short, SRP’s new plans directly incentivize energy storage. Solar alone still provides value - especially in the short term, but solar plus storage unlocks the full benefits of these new rate plans while providing energy resilience in the event of blackouts.
Looking ahead, here’s what customers can expect over the next few years.
E-16 “Manage Demand 5-10 p.m. and Save”
E-28 “Conserve 6-9 p.m. and Save”
SRP’s November 2025 rate plan changes mark a major shift in how electricity is priced and how solar is valued - for new and legacy solar customers alike. If you’re already an SRP solar customer, there’s nothing that you need to do right now, but a battery addition should be on your radar before the mandated switchover in November 2029..
If you’re considering solar for the first time, understanding these new plans and the important role that batteries play is critical to designing a new system that truly delivers value.
At Sun Valley Solar Solutions, we’ve been helping Arizona homeowners navigate utility changes since 2006. Our experts can help you understand how these rate changes impact your unique situation—and design a solar + storage or a battery add-on solution that maximizes savings for years to come.