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2 Big Ways the APS Rate Case Isn’t Over Yet

Sabrina Lopez
November 15, 2017
2 min read

When the Arizona Corporate Commission voted to approve the APS rate case last August, many customers breathed a sigh of relief. At that time, APS suggested that most households would see an average monthly increase of around $6.

While somewhat true, that estimated $6 increase is only part of the story. The bigger changes are coming between now and May 1, 2018, when all APS customers must select a new plan. If you don’t select your plan, APS will do it.

Fortunately, APS provides some helpful tools to help you see how these new plans impact your monthly bill. We've compiled a “how-to” guide to using the APS rate comparison tool to help you get started. I've included my results as a reference, and even showed how solar would wipe away 80% of my bill.

 

1. The 2017 increase is only an interim bump: After the APS Rate Case vote, all APS customers who were not grandfathered solar customers received a short-term, moderate increase. Other than that, your plan stayed the same. At the same time, APS rolled out six all-new rate plans that are the only ones available for new solar and non-solar customers.

2. Existing APS customers must select a new plan by May 1, 2018: In addition to new customers, all existing APS customers are also required to select from the new rate plans by May 1, 2018. Only solar customers already commissioned or contracted with APS by August 31, 2017, are exempt from this transition. If you’re not a grandfathered solar customer and have not been selected by May 1, 2018, we strongly suggest reviewing the options before APS chooses you.

Because of this large-scale migration, APS has provided a plan comparison tool that applies your past energy use to the new plans. The tool is a great way to see how your monthly bill will change under the new plans. When I ran my numbers, I saw a 20% increase, which is on the lower end of most increases that I’ve seen since I’m a relatively low-energy user. On the higher end, I've seen up to 35% increases. 

The best news is that solar works exceptionally well against these new rate plans and is one of the best ways to soften the blow coming in 2018.

Get a free quote below.