City of Seattle electricity rates
Municipal utility · Washington · WECC region · CAISO
City of Seattle is a city-owned municipal utility, governed locally rather than by the state commission, serving 472,309 homes in Washington. Its residential customers pay an average of 15.00¢/kWh including fixed and delivery charges, 17% less than the U.S. average.
Rate basis: EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07.
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City of Seattle bill estimates
| Monthly use | At average all-in rate | Base tariff charges* |
|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $75.00 | $82.09 |
| 1,000 kWh | $150.00 | $151.69 |
| 1,500 kWh | $225.00 | $221.29 |
| 2,000 kWh | $300.00 | $290.89 |
*Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattle (effective 2025-01-01, $12.49/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.
City of Seattle residential rate plans
| Plan | Effective | Customer charge | Energy charges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattle | 2025-01-01 | $12.49 | 13.92¢ first 16 kWh |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.16 | 2.9¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.12 | 2.8¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.16 | 2.9¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.00 | 2.8¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.16 | 2.9¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.12 | 2.8¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.15 | 2.9¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use | 2017-10-01 | $2.16 | 2.9¢ (12am–12am) — summer weekdays |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Renton | 2025-01-01 | $12.49 | 14.10¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Park | 2025-01-01 | $13.29 | 15.00¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King County | 2025-01-01 | $13.49 | 15.23¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park | 2025-01-01 | $13.49 | 15.23¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwila | 2025-01-01 | $13.39 | 15.11¢ |
Source: OpenEI U.S. Utility Rate Database. Rates change. Check the linked tariff or your bill for current figures.
City of Seattle rate history
2015–2025: +62% change in the average residential rate (9.08¢ → 14.74¢). Annual EIA-861 data.
Outages & reliability
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Reliability history
| 2025 | City of Seattle | Washington avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outage minutes per customer (SAIDI) | 158 | 372 | 266 |
| Outages per customer (SAIFI) | 1.04 | 1.42 | 1.34 |
| Average restoration time (CAIDI) | 2 hr 32 min | — | — |
| Outage minutes excluding major storms | 129 | 141 | 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 City of Seattle's counties, customers averaged 6 hr 7 min without power.
| County | Outage min/customer | Days with outages | Peak customers out | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | 367 | 60 | 122,136 | 2025-10-26 |
City of Seattle service area
City of Seattle serves King County in Washington and 62 ZIP codes.
King
Cities: Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline, Burien, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mercer Island, Inglewood-Finn Hill, Kenmore, Mountlake Terrace, Tukwila, Columbia City, Bothell West, Bryn Mawr-Skyway, White Center, Lake Forest Park, Picnic Point, Alderwood Manor, Brier, Riverton, Boulevard Park, Esperance, Clyde Hill, Medina, Meadowdale, Woodway, Yarrow Point
Programs, smart meters & solar
| Smart meters (AMI) for homes | 99% |
| Time-based rate programs | Time-of-use rates |
| Homes on time-based rates | 158 |
| Net-metered solar homes | 8,695 |
| Home batteries paired with solar | 197 |
| Residential efficiency incentives paid (2025) | $1,944,015 |
| Residential energy saved by programs | 21,026 MWh |
City of Seattle at a glance
| Ownership | Municipal utility |
| Services | Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Wholesale Marketing |
| Commercial rate | 13.44¢/kWh |
| Industrial rate | 11.41¢/kWh |
| Retail revenue (2025) | $1,198,183,000 |
| Electricity sold (2025) | 9,099,996 MWh |
| Peak demand | 1,465 MW summer · 1,816 MW winter |
| Power from own generation | 42% (rest purchased) |
| Line losses | 3.0% |
| Balancing authority | SCL |
| EIA utility ID | 16868 |
| Website | www.commerce.wa.gov/growing-the-economy/energy/energy-independence-act/eia-reporting |
Other utilities in Washington
Frequently asked questions
What is City of Seattle's electricity rate?
City of Seattle residential customers pay an average of 15.00¢ per kWh, all charges included (EIA-861M monthly utility data, 12 months ending 2026-07). That's 6% above the Washington average of 14.12¢ and 17% below the U.S. average.
What is the average City of Seattle electric bill?
About $89 a month. The average City of Seattle home uses 594 kWh a month. At 1,000 kWh the bill would be about $150.
How many customers does City of Seattle have?
City of Seattle serves 472,309 residential customers and 525,040 customers in total in Washington, across 1 county.
How reliable is City of Seattle?
In 2025, the average City of Seattle customer was without power for 2 hr 38 min (SAIDI) over 1.04 interruptions (SAIFI), including major storms. Excluding major event days it was 2 hr 9 min. The Washington average was 6 hr 12 min and the U.S. average 4 hr 26 min.
Does City of Seattle offer time-of-use rates?
Yes. The OpenEI rate database lists 8 time-of-use residential plans, including Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shoreline. Running big appliances off-peak can cut their cost. Pick the plan in the calculator above to see by how much.
Does City of Seattle offer net metering for solar?
City of Seattle had 8,695 residential net-metered customers in 2025 with 64.3 MW of capacity and 197 solar-paired batteries. 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 City of Seattle before making decisions.