Utilities

• Home office and overall electronics typically use very little electricity (1 cent or less per hour on average), and because summer on-peak hours don’t begin until 2 p.m., only a few hours of a typical workday fall within this time frame (2-5 p.m.).
• Many residents have found it convenient to get higher electric-use chores out of the way before the on-peak hours begin by throwing in a load of laundry or running their dishwasher in the morning while working from home.
• With the weather warming up, you can save ~50 cents/load by hanging your laundry on a clothesline. Clotheslines are allowed everywhere in Fort Collins.
• While you are home, manage the shades to minimize sun coming in on hot days and minimize the need for air conditioning.
• Also while at home, open windows during the mornings to take advantage of the cool air and close them when it begins to warm up.
• Program or manually adjust your thermostat to cool your home before 2 p.m., then set it higher during the 2-7 p.m. on-peak hours.
• If possible, take a break from your work and prepare food earlier in the day and reheat meals in the evening.

More Tips

If you are unable to pay your bill, please contact us as soon as possible at 970-212-2900 to set up a payment arrangement or to be connected with one of our partner agencies that distribute payment assistance on our behalf. You may also request payment assistance by calling Catholic Charities Larimer County, 970-484-5010, or La Familia/The Family Center, 970-221-1615. 

Utilities’ Affordability Program offers additional resources, including the Income-Qualified Assistance Program (discounted rates to customers who receive LEAP/applications accepted through LEAP), Payment Assistance Fund and Medical Assistance Program.

The switch to TOD pricing was not a rate increase, rather it was designed to generate the same amount of revenue on an annual basis as the previous rate structure. TOD prices align the cost of electricity that residents pay more closely to the market price of electricity. Because higher customer demands drive the higher costs, the prices during the on-peak hours are higher. This means that prices are lower during off-peak hours when demand and utility costs are also lower.

As a community-owned, cost-of-service utility, our rates are designed to recover the costs of providing electricity. This includes purchased power costs (generation and transmission); distribution costs (infrastructure, such as cables, transformers, substations and capital expenses); and operational costs (system maintenance, vehicle/truck maintenance, efficiency programs and overhead).

Take Control of Your Electric Bill

Off-peak prices are approximately 70% less than on-peak prices. Save money by shifting your electric use to the lower-priced, off-peak hours or by reducing your overall use. Remember, it’s not just about using less electricity, it’s also about using it at the right time of day.

Learn what it costs to run common household appliances and electronics. Some items may surprise you by using less than what you thought. See what shifts you can make to save the most.

Programs, Services and Rebates

Learn about our efficiency and conservation programs, services, rebates and home energy audits.

Keep an eye on your hourly, daily and monthly electric use with our Monitor My Use tool.

Check out a Home Energy Monitor from the library to identify which appliances use the most energy in your home, and take action to reduce energy use during on-peak hours.

Learn what it costs to operate common household appliances and electronics.

Appliance Comparison Cheat Sheet

Find out more about appliance and electronic electric use and costs with our Home Electricity Use By Room tool.

Home Electricity Use By Room Tool

Appliances:

• Save approximately 50¢ per load by drying your laundry during off-peak hours. Consider line drying clothing whenever possible to save even more.
• Run your dishwasher in the morning, later in the evening/night or on weekends.
• Incorporate stove-free dinners into your week when possible. Whether it's leftovers, using slow cookers, grilling or working in cold meals, there are several ways to enjoy dinner without using your electric stove or oven. 
• Enroll your electric water heater in Peak Partners and automatically shift when your water is heated.

Heating and Cooling:

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter months and a few degrees higher in the summer months, especially during on-peak hours. (U.S. Department of Energy recommends 78° in the summer and 68° in the winter).
  • Every 2 degrees higher you set your air conditioner can save up to 14% on cooling costs.
• Save up to 10% on heating bills by using a programmable or smart thermostat to minimize heating when away from home or asleep. (Be sure to check out these instant rebates.)
  • Learn more about thermostats and recommended settings at: energy.gov/energysaver/thermostats
• Try pre-cooling your home before 2 p.m. during the summer and pre-heating it before 5 p.m. in the winter and coasting through the on-peak hours.
• Use sunlight to your advantage. In the winter, leave curtains open during the day to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to shut out the cold. In the summer, close curtains during the day while you are gone to keep out the hot sun. 
• In warmer months, choose fans before air conditioning, especially during on-peak hours.

Electronics: 

• Charge electronics and electric vehicles overnight.
• Reduce ‘vampire’ power waste by unplugging electronics that are not in use or plugging them into a smart power strip.
• Turn off electronics, such as the TV, computer and video game console, when not in use.

Lighting:

• Install LED light bulbs, which use 75% less electricity than traditional incandescent light bulbs.
• Turn off lights when not in use and when you leave the room.

Time-of-Day Residential Rate Change Request Form.

Fort Collins Utilities has verified rate assignments based on whether a residence is heated entirely by non-electric heat sources (gas furnaces or gas boilers) or all-electric heat sources (electric baseboards or electric heat pumps). 

Residential customers with gas furnaces or gas boilers (approximately 90+ percent of customers) are on the TOD Rate as shown below.

Residential customers with electric baseboards or electric heat pumps (those with all-electric heat homes without gas heating) are on the Electric Heat TOD Rate as shown in the 'TOD Pricing - Electric Heat Customers' section.

TOD Pricing Estimator

Actual charges may vary due to rounding.

Service charges may apply.

Time-of-Day Residential Rate Change Request Form.

Fort Collins Utilities has verified rate assignments based on whether a residence is heated entirely by non-electric heat sources (gas furnaces or gas boilers) or all-electric heat sources (electric baseboards or electric heat pumps).

Residential customers with electric baseboards or electric heat pumps (homes without gas heating) are on the Electric Heat TOD Rate, as shown below, without a tier charge for use over 700 kWh.

Customers with gas furnaces or gas boilers are placed on the TOD Rate as shown in the above 'TOD Pricing' section. 

TOD Pricing Estimator

*PILOTs: A 6 percent payment in lieu of taxes that is calculated on electric, water and wastewater rates. PILOTs are a payment to the City's general fund to replace revenue the City would have received from the utility in taxes and franchise fees if the utility were privately owned.

Only the primary heating source determines the type of TOD rate for customers, not solar (PV), electric vehicle charging or other factors.

Actual charges may vary due to rounding.

Service charges may apply.

Actual charges may vary due to rounding.

Service charges may apply.

Fort Collins Utilities partners with local organizations to provide efficiency, conservation and bill payment assistance programs, including the Payment Assistance Fund and Income-Qualified Assistance Program, through our Affordability Portfolio.

Income-Qualified Assistance Program (IQAP) - Customers who qualify for the low-income energy assistance program (LEAP) may be qualified to receive a 23 percent discount on certain components of their monthly electric, water and wastewater bills.

Utilities also has a Medical Assistance Program (MAP), which offers medical rate discounts for customers who require medical equipment and/or air conditioning for medical purposes.

The electric line item descriptions on your bill will be associated with your off-peak and on-peak energy use. If the billing period crosses between a non-summer and summer month, your bill will break out the use for each season according to the different prices.