Black Hills Colorado Electric electricity rates
Investor-owned utility · Colorado
Black Hills Colorado Electric is a for-profit, investor-owned utility regulated by the state utility commission, serving 97,888 homes in Colorado. Its residential customers pay an average of 18.99¢/kWh including fixed and delivery charges, 6% more than the U.S. average.
Rate basis: EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07.
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Black Hills Colorado Electric bill estimates
| Monthly use | At average all-in rate | Base tariff charges* |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $94.95 | $54.12 |
| 1,000 kWh | $189.90 | $101.23 |
| 1,500 kWh | $284.85 | $148.35 |
| 2,000 kWh | $379.80 | $195.46 |
*Residential Service: RS-2 (effective 2020-04-01, $7.00/month customer charge), energy and fixed charges from the OpenEI Utility Rate Database. Riders, fuel adjustments and taxes are often billed separately, so real bills usually land closer to the all-in column. Calculate your bill.
Black Hills Colorado Electric residential rate plans
| Plan | Effective | Customer charge | Energy charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service: RS-2 | 2020-04-01 | $7.00 | 9.42¢ |
| Residential Service: RS-1time-of-use | 2020-04-01 | $9.08 | 14.8¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
Source: OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. Rates change. Check the linked tariff or your bill for current figures.
Black Hills Colorado Electric rate history
2015–2025: +19% change in the average residential rate (15.69¢ → 18.71¢). Annual EIA-861 data.
Outages & reliability
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Reliability history
| 2025 | Black Hills Colorado Electric | Colorado avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outage minutes per customer (SAIDI) | 95 | 269 | 266 |
| Outages per customer (SAIFI) | 0.90 | 1.26 | 1.34 |
| Average restoration time (CAIDI) | 105 min | — | — |
| Outage minutes excluding major storms | 95 | 118 | 121 |
Outages in counties served (2025)
From ORNL EAGLE-I, which tracks customers without power every 15 minutes. These counts cover every utility in each county. Weighted across Black Hills Colorado Electric's counties, customers averaged 72 min without power.
| County | Outage min/customer | Days with outages | Peak customers out | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer | 454 | 7 | 1,767 | 2025-08-26 |
| Teller | 296 | 36 | 2,130 | 2025-06-17 |
| Crowley | 172 | 7 | 1,051 | 2025-02-08 |
| Pueblo | 121 | 33 | 11,006 | 2025-04-18 |
| Fremont | 96 | 24 | 5,380 | 2025-10-28 |
| El Paso | 55 | 41 | 8,823 | 2025-08-27 |
| Otero | 24 | 5 | 255 | 2025-11-16 |
Black Hills Colorado Electric service area
Black Hills Colorado Electric serves 7 counties in Colorado and 84 ZIP codes.
Crowley, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Otero, Pueblo, Teller
Cities: Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Security-Widefield, Pueblo West, Fountain, Cañon City, Fort Carson, Lamar, Woodland Park, La Junta, Stratmoor, Air Force Academy, Salida, Manitou Springs, Florence, Rocky Ford, Penrose, Lincoln Park, Walsenburg, Coal Creek, Las Animas, Center, Colorado City, Cascade-Chipita Park, Springfield, Cripple Creek, Fowler, Ordway
Programs, smart meters & solar
| Smart meters (AMI) for homes | 100% |
| Time-based rate programs | None reported |
| Net-metered solar homes | 10,256 |
| Residential efficiency incentives paid (2025) | $245,000 |
| Residential energy saved by programs | 907 MWh |
Black Hills Colorado Electric at a glance
| Ownership | Investor-owned utility |
| Services | — |
| Commercial rate | 14.02¢/kWh |
| Industrial rate | 11.51¢/kWh |
| Retail revenue (2025) | $258,586,000 |
| Electricity sold (2025) | 1,754,156 MWh |
| Balancing authority | PSCO |
| EIA utility ID | 56146 |
| Website | CO PUC |
Other utilities in Colorado
Frequently asked questions
What is Black Hills Colorado Electric's electricity rate?
Black Hills Colorado Electric residential customers pay an average of 18.99¢ per kWh, all charges included (EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07). That's 15% above the Colorado average of 16.58¢ and 6% above the U.S. average.
What is the average Black Hills Colorado Electric electric bill?
About $96 a month. The average Black Hills Colorado Electric home uses 506 kWh a month. At 1,000 kWh the bill would be about $190.
How many customers does Black Hills Colorado Electric have?
Black Hills Colorado Electric serves 97,888 residential customers and 111,502 customers in total in Colorado, across 7 counties.
How reliable is Black Hills Colorado Electric?
In 2025, the average Black Hills Colorado Electric customer was without power for 95 min (SAIDI) over 0.90 interruptions (SAIFI), including major storms. Excluding major event days it was 95 min. The Colorado average was 4 hr 29 min and the U.S. average 4 hr 26 min.
Does Black Hills Colorado Electric offer time-of-use rates?
Yes. The OpenEI rate database lists 1 time-of-use residential plan, including Residential Service: RS-1. Running big appliances off-peak can cut their cost. Pick the plan in the calculator above to see by how much.
Does Black Hills Colorado Electric offer net metering for solar?
Black Hills Colorado Electric had 10,256 residential net-metered customers in 2025 with 73.2 MW of capacity. Estimate solar savings at this utility's rate.
Sources: EIA-861 2025 and EIA-861M (through July 2026), OpenEI URDB, ORNL EAGLE-I, U.S. Census. Methodology. Spot an error? Rates change often, so confirm with Black Hills Colorado Electric before making decisions.