Residential Rates
It is our goal to provide you reliable electric and water service and help you realize the best value from the services your receive. Our rates and fees support our operating costs, as well as support capital construction projects to serve our expanding community.
Rates schedules are approved by the Utility Board and the Rochester City Council.
2024 Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 that showcases the average retail rate and average incremental cost for production of a customer’s DER system.
Your Electric Service
We strive to provide value to the service that you receive. RPU provides several ways in which you can save and reduce your energy bill. Check out some of the following pages: Conserve & Save™ Rebates, Energy Audits, and Service Assured.
For questions about our rates please contact RPU Customer Service at 507.280.1500 or 800.778.3421
Electric Rates
A residential service is defined as individual private dwellings and individually metered apartments. Electricity is supplied at one point of delivery and measured through one meter. Existing multi-unit dwellings with less than three units and metered separately are also included.
Your electric bill consists of four monthly elements: the Energy Customer Charge, the Energy Charge, the Clean Air Rider, and the Power Supply Adjustment.
The Energy Customer Charge is a set charge for all residential customers regardless of energy usage. This charge covers the cost to maintain facilities and infrastructure to continue supplying customers with reliable electricity. This charge can include items such as meters, distribution poles, safety equipment, miscellaneous supplies, and account administration.
The Energy Charge is calculated according to the metered kilowatt-hours (kWh) consumed during the billing period. The per kWh rate is multiplied by the metered usage for the set billing period. There is nothing else included in this rate except for the energy consumed.
Non-Summer months are January through May and October through December. Summer months are June through September.
The Clean Air Rider covers the bond payments for the Emission Reduction Project (ERP). The amount that customers pay on the clean air rider is dependent on energy usage. The rate of the clean air rider will change each year depending on the debt service payment schedule. The payments are scheduled to be complete by 2030.
The Power Cost Adjustment is charged if the cost to supply customers with the electricity needed differs from an established base cost of 7.285 cents per kWh. This adjustment is made in cases such as higher market pricing for electricity, or the load is higher than projected. This adjustment is based on usage.
Your Water Service
It's easy to take water for granted! You turn on your tap and water comes out. It seems the only time we don't take water for granted is when we get our water bill. But, did you know that RPU provides water at some of the lowest rates within the State? And, RPU provides several ways in which you can save and reduce your water bill even further? Check our our Conserve & Save™ Water programs.
Single Family Residence
The typical single family residence has a 5/8 – inch meter (some larger homes may have a ¾ or 1-inch meter). Your water bill is a combination of the monthly water customer charge (which is based on meter size) and the amount of water used (the commodity charge). For billing purposes, RPU measures water used in hundred cubic feet (CCF). One CCF is equivalent to approximately 748 gallons. Once CCF is also known as one unit.
The water customer charge covers the cost to maintain facilities and infrastructure to continue supplying customers with reliable water. This charge can include items such as meters, distribution piping, safety equipment, miscellaneous supplies, and account administration.
In some cases, a service located outside of the Rochester city limits with individual water systems not connected to the City water system shall have a rate 2.0 times the customer and commodity charges.
Your Waste and Storm Water Service
As a cost of saving measure for the City or Rochester, RPU bills waste and storm water charges on behalf of Rochester’s Public Works department. Contact information for Public Works:
201 4th Street SE
Room 108
Rochester, MN 55904
Fax: 507-328-2401
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Waste Water Charge
Your waste water bill consists of two charges: fixed and quantity. The fixed charge is made per sanitary connection per month. The quantity charge is per one hundred cubic feet (Ccf) or one unit (one unit is equal to 748 gallons of water).
For the first three months of the year, your waste water charge is determined by the actual units of water used. Your base charge for April – December is determined by your average water usage during the months of January, February, and March. You will be charged this same “base” rate throughout the year regardless of summer watering etc…
For new construction, if no base is established during January, February, and March, the base of six units will be applied to your account for the remainder of the year.
For more information on current waste rates please visit:
https://www.rochestermn.gov/government/departments/public-works/wastewater-management
Phone: 507-328-2650
Storm Water Management
This monthly charge is used exclusively to support the storm water management program. Every developed residential and non-residential property parcel is charged a fee based on its size, land use and amount of impervious (or hard surface) area. This is an equitable approach because the charges are proportional to a property’s contribution to storm water runoff and impact on water quality.
For additional information on StormWater management please visit:
https://www.rochestermn.gov/government/departments/public-works/stormwater-management
Phone: 507-328-2400
Commercial Rates
RPU wants to provide you and your business with a high-quality, reliable power source. As our city grows, we work hard to improve existing infrastructure and add new facilities when appropriate so that all customers may experience the quality of power we’ve supplied for years.
We offer various electric rates based on the electric demand of your business. Refer to the rate schedule for a full listing of rates.
Rates are approved by the Utility Board and the Rochester City Council.
Special Rates
The following are special rates for qualified commercial and industrial customers.
Interruptible Rate is a way for commercial and industrial customers to save on their electric utility bill while helping RPU shed load during peak periods, most often during the Minnesota summers.
Time of Use Rate is available to commercial and industrial customers interested in saving money on their utility bill by using energy during off-peak hours.