Avista and solar
Avista is an investor-owned utility serving about 376,350 homes in Washington, Idaho, Montana. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.3¢1% above Washington average
- Typical bill
- $130911 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 14.7 yrs7 kW, cash
Export rules for Avista customers
Full retail net metering, annual netting.
~78% of threshold (Jan 2026); no successor tariff.
Solar for a typical Avista home
| System | 7 kW (80% of 911 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,950 |
| First-year savings | $1,246 |
| Payback | 14.7 years |
| 25-year net | $21,093 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 5,938
- Share of customers
- 1.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 40 MW
- Residential customers
- 376,350
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Avista and solar
Does Avista have net metering?
~78% of threshold (Jan 2026); no successor tariff.
How much does electricity cost with Avista?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 911 kWh a month, a bill of about $130.
Is solar worth it with Avista?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 7 kW system costing about $19,950 pays back in about 14.7 years, with $21,093 net over 25 years.
How many Avista customers have solar?
About 5,938 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Avista Corp (EIA ID 20169). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.