Why Is My Electric Bill So High in Utah?
11 Verified Causes — And the Fixes That Actually Work in 2026
Tyler Gordon (owner) and Jason Grimes (DOPL Licensed Master Electrician) lead 20+ licensed Utah electricians. 1,500+ completed Utah jobs. BBB A+. 55+ five-star reviews. Free assessment — no phone quotes.
"Our RMP bill went from $189/month to $12/month after Elite Electric installed the solar + Sigenergy battery. Tyler came to our home first, no satellite quote."
★ UT Exclusive
★ UT ExclusiveWhy Is My Electric Bill So High in Utah?
Your Utah electricity bill is high primarily because Rocky Mountain Power raised rates 89% between 2020 and 2026, from an average $89/month to $168/month. Contributing causes include air conditioning (40-50% of summer bills), electric heating, inefficient appliances, EV Level-1 charging, poor insulation, and hot tub/pool equipment. Installing solar + battery typically drops monthly bills to $11-14.
RMP Raised Utah Electricity Rates 89% Since 2020. Here's the Full History.
According to Jason Grimes, DOPL Licensed Master Electrician at Elite Electric: "The single biggest reason Sandy homeowners ask why their electric bill is so high is Rocky Mountain Power rate increases. The rates have nearly doubled in 6 years — and another increase is already pending approval."
11 Reasons Your Utah Electric Bill Is So High — And the Fix for Each
After installing solar, EV chargers, and panel upgrades in 1,500+ Utah homes, Jason Grimes' licensed team has identified the exact causes behind high RMP bills. Here are all 11 — ranked by impact.
Rocky Mountain Power Rate Increases (89% Since 2020)
The most significant factor is beyond your control — RMP has raised residential rates 89% since 2020. From an average of $89/month in 2020 to $168/month in 2026. Another rate increase is currently pending PSC approval. The only permanent fix is generating your own electricity with solar. Elite Electric's 8kW solar systems drop average RMP bills from $168/month to $11–14/month. Fix: Solar + battery storage.
Air Conditioning in Utah Summer Heat (Accounts for 40–50% of Summer Bills)
Sandy, UT summers regularly hit 95–105°F. Your air conditioner is almost certainly your largest single energy draw in June, July, and August — accounting for 40–50% of your summer electricity bill. A 3-ton central AC unit running 8 hours/day uses about 720 kWh/month in peak summer. At RMP's 2026 rate of $0.14–0.18/kWh, that's $100–130/month just for AC. Fix: Solar system offsets your AC draw entirely during peak sun hours.
Electric Heating in Utah Winter
Electric forced-air furnaces, electric heat pumps, and electric baseboard heaters are extremely expensive to run in Utah winters. Sandy's January average low is 22°F, and many pre-1990 Sandy homes have electric heating from the original construction. If you're on electric heat, you're likely paying $80–150/month extra November through March. Fix: Battery storage lets you bank daytime solar energy to power your electric heat at night — reducing grid draw by 60–80%.
EV Charging on Level 1 (120V) Overnight
A Level 1 (120V outlet) EV charger uses 1.4 kW. Charging overnight for 10 hours = 14 kWh = $2.10/night at RMP's 2026 rate. That's $63/month added to your electric bill — at the slowest, least efficient charging method. A Level 2 charger (240V) charges your car 3× faster, often charges it fully in 3–4 hours instead of 10, and can be scheduled to charge during off-peak hours when RMP rates are lower. Fix: Elite Electric installs Level 2 EV chargers in Sandy starting at $800. Cut your EV charging cost by scheduling off-peak.
Old Appliances and Equipment (Pre-2000 Efficiency Ratings)
An Energy Star-certified 2024 refrigerator uses ~400 kWh/year. A 1990s refrigerator uses 1,200–1,500 kWh/year. That's 3–4× more electricity for the same cold food. Pre-2000 washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters have similar inefficiency gaps. If your Sandy home still has appliances from the 1990s or early 2000s, you're likely paying $50–80/month more than necessary. Fix: Replace the highest-draw appliances first (refrigerator, water heater, HVAC). Solar offsets the rest.
Hot Tub or Swimming Pool Equipment Running Year-Round
A hot tub running continuously uses 100–400 kWh/month depending on size, insulation, and Utah ambient temperature. A pool pump running 6–8 hours/day in summer uses 200–400 kWh/month. Together, that's a $40–100/month addition to your electric bill that most homeowners never isolate. In Sandy, where hot tubs are common in mid-range homes, this is often a hidden surprise on the bill. Fix: Solar system offsets pool/spa loads. A proper 240V timer for your pool pump also helps significantly.
Poor Home Insulation (Common in Sandy Homes Built Before 1990)
45% of Sandy homes were built before 1990 — when insulation standards were significantly lower than today. R-13 wall insulation was standard; modern code calls for R-20+. A poorly insulated Sandy home loses conditioned air faster, causing your HVAC to run longer and consume more electricity. The DOE estimates poor insulation adds 10–30% to heating and cooling costs. Fix: While insulation is outside our scope, Elite Electric's solar + battery system offsets the increased electricity draw. An energy audit from RMP is free for most Utah homeowners.
Vampire Loads — Always-On Devices Drawing Standby Power
The average American home has 40+ devices drawing standby power 24/7. Game consoles, TVs, chargers, streaming boxes, cable boxes, and smart home hubs collectively use 10–40 watts continuously. At 40W standby for 24 hours = 28.8 kWh/month. At $0.17/kWh, that's $4.90/month in phantom electricity. Multiply by 3–4 TVs, 2 consoles, 5 chargers, and the bill climbs fast. Fix: Smart power strips automatically cut standby power. Solar offsets the remainder.
Wrong RMP Rate Plan — Missing Time-of-Use Savings
Most Utah homeowners are on RMP's standard flat-rate plan. But RMP offers a Time-of-Use (TOU) rate plan where electricity costs less during off-peak hours (typically 10pm–7am) and more during peak hours (3pm–8pm). If you run your dishwasher, laundry, and EV charger during off-peak hours, you can reduce your bill 10–15% without any hardware changes. Fix: Switch to RMP's TOU plan (free through RMP's website). Elite Electric installs smart EV chargers with scheduling to automatically charge at off-peak rates.
Electric Water Heater Running at Default 140°F
A standard 50-gallon electric water heater set to 140°F uses 4,000–5,500 watts to heat and maintain temperature. Running an average of 3–4 hours/day, that's 360–660 kWh/month — $50–95/month just for hot water. Most manufacturers ship water heaters at 140°F; the DOE recommends 120°F for most households, which reduces water heating energy use by 6–10%. Fix: Lower your water heater to 120°F (free). Solar offsets the remaining draw. A heat pump water heater upgrade cuts electric water heating cost by 60%.
Older 100-Amp Panel Causing Inefficient Load Distribution
45% of Sandy homes have 100-amp electrical panels. These older panels can create inefficiencies when modern high-draw appliances (EV chargers, heat pumps, electric ranges, battery storage) are added without proper load balancing. An undersized panel can also cause voltage drop across circuits, making appliances work harder and use more power. Fix: Elite Electric's DOPL Licensed team assesses your panel as part of every free solar and EV charger assessment — at no charge. Panel upgrades cost $1,200–2,500 in Sandy, UT.
"When a Sandy homeowner asks why their electric bill is so high, the answer is almost always some combination of RMP rate increases, air conditioning, and one or two specific high-draw appliances. Solar + battery storage addresses all of them simultaneously — and locks in your electricity rate for 25 years."
10 Years Paying RMP vs 10 Years With Solar — The Real Numbers
Most solar companies show you a payback period. What they don't show you is the 10-year total cost comparison — what you'll actually spend either way.
How to Read Your Rocky Mountain Power Bill — 6 Lines That Tell You Everything
Most RMP bills have 6-8 line items. Most homeowners only look at the total. Here's what each line actually means — and which ones tell you whether solar will help.
The flat monthly fee RMP charges every customer regardless of usage — currently $8-11/month. Solar cannot eliminate this line. It's why most solar customers still pay $11-14/month after installation — that's mostly the customer charge.
This is the big one. Your kilowatt-hours consumed × RMP's current rate (~$0.14-0.18/kWh depending on tier). This is the line solar eliminates. If your bill is $168/month, roughly $155 of that is this line. Track your kWh, not just the dollar amount — if kWh is flat but bill rises, it's rate increases. If kWh rises, something new is drawing power.
RMP passes through their fuel cost (coal, natural gas) as a variable monthly charge. This fluctuates with commodity prices and is why your bill varies even when your usage doesn't. Solar-generated electricity has zero fuel cost — locking in $0 fuel adjustment on solar-covered consumption.
The cost of maintaining the grid infrastructure in your area. A small per-kWh charge. Under net metering, you still pay this on kWh you draw from the grid at night — but solar customers draw far fewer grid kWh, so this line shrinks proportionally.
If you have solar, this line shows the kWh credit earned from your excess daytime generation exported to the grid at ~$0.13/kWh. Elite Electric solar customers in Sandy typically earn $140-160 in credits monthly in summer, which offset their winter draws and keep the annual bill near $11-14/month average.
Log into RMP My Account and download 24 months of usage data. If your kWh is stable but bill rises: rate increases are the cause — solar will fix it. If your kWh is rising: a new appliance or behavior is the cause — identify it first, then solar offsets what remains. Call Jason for a free analysis: (801) 928-7219
How to Permanently Lower Your Utah Electric Bill — Ranked by ROI
These are the solutions Elite Electric installs in Sandy and 25+ Utah cities — ranked by the size of the bill reduction and payback period.
Solar Panel Installation
Average RMP bill drops from $168/month to $11–14/month. 8kW system produces 11,500–12,800 kWh/year in Sandy. System paid off in 6–9 years. 25-year production warranty.
Battery Storage (Sigenergy or Tesla Powerwall)
Store daytime solar to power your home at night. Discharge battery during RMP peak hours. Eliminates grid draw 18–22 hours/day. Net cost from $2,440 after Battery §48E + RMP rebate.
Level 2 EV Charger + TOU Scheduling
Schedule your EV to charge off-peak (10pm–7am) at lower RMP rates. Level 2 charges in 3–4 hours vs 10+ hours overnight. Reduces charging electricity cost by 15–25% on TOU plan.
Panel Upgrade (100A → 200A or 400A)
A proper 200A panel allows efficient load distribution across all circuits — reduces voltage drop that makes appliances work harder. Required for EV chargers, solar, and battery storage on most pre-1990 Sandy homes.
How to Audit Your Own Utah Electric Bill in 10 Minutes
Before calling anyone, do this. It takes 10 minutes and will show you exactly which of the 11 reasons above is driving your high bill.
Log in to RMP's My Account portal and download the last 12 monthly usage statements. Look for the kWh column — not the dollar column (rates change, kWh usage reflects your actual consumption). If your kWh use is flat but your bill went up, RMP rate increases are the cause. If kWh is rising, something new is drawing power.
Does your bill spike in summer (July–August)? That's air conditioning. Does it spike in winter (December–February)? That's heating. Does it spike both? You likely have electric heat AND air conditioning. Each 100 kWh increase above your baseline roughly equals a medium appliance running 24/7 for a month — or 14 hours of EV Level-1 charging per day.
Look at your breaker panel. Count the double-pole (wide) breakers — these are 240V circuits for heavy equipment: dryers, ranges, water heaters, air conditioners, hot tubs, and EV chargers. Each one is a significant draw. If you have 6+ double-pole breakers and a 100A panel, you're likely overloading your panel's capacity — a safety concern AND an efficiency issue.
If your bills are above $130/month or if you want to eliminate your RMP bill with solar, call Tyler at (801) 928-7219. Jason Grimes and our DOPL Licensed team visit your Sandy home in person — check your panel, roof, shading, and meter — and give you a flat-rate written quote within 24 hours. No satellite estimate. No phone quote. The visit is always free.
What Utah Homeowners Say About Elite Electric
Real customers. Real installs. Real results — not a stock photo in sight.
“Our RMP bill dropped from $189 to $12/month after Elite Electric installed solar and the Sigenergy battery. Tyler visited our home before quoting — invoice matched the quote exactly.”
“Our 1978 Sandy home was paying $178/month to RMP. Elite Electric upgraded the panel and installed a 9kW Enphase system — now averaging $11/month. First inspection passed. Flat-rate quote never changed.”
“Tyler told us upfront our 100A panel needed upgrading before solar — two other companies never mentioned it. One flat-rate quote covered both. No surprises on invoice.”
Tyler Gordon
Tyler oversees every project — from the free on-site assessment to the final inspection. He personally calls every customer after install. Jason Grimes, our DOPL Licensed Master Electrician, leads the licensed field crew.
Jason Grimes
Jason holds the Utah DOPL Master Electrician license — verifiable at dopl.utah.gov. He leads every technical installation, oversees every permit, and attends every final inspection across 25+ Utah cities.
Plus 18+ additional licensed electricians, project managers, and support staff — 20+ team members total.
Get Your Free Assessment — No Phone Quotes
Tyler comes to your home first. Jason's team reviews every proposal. Flat-rate written quote within 24 hours. Zero commitment.
FAQ — Why Is My Electric Bill So High Utah
Real questions from Utah homeowners. Straight answers from Jason Grimes, DOPL Licensed Master Electrician.
Ready to Stop Overpaying Rocky Mountain Power?
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