City of Bentonville and solar
City of Bentonville is a municipal utility serving about 22,559 homes in Arkansas. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.3¢9% below Arkansas average
- Typical bill
- $1331,084 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~30%Avoided-cost export credit
- Typical payback
- 15.8 yrs7.4 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Bentonville customers
Avoided-cost export credit (Arkansas rule).
Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
Solar for a typical City of Bentonville home
| System | 7.4 kW (80% of 1,084 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $20,150 |
| First-year savings | $1,262 |
| Payback | 15.8 years |
| 25-year net | $15,433 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 418
- Share of customers
- 1.9%
- Residential solar capacity
- 10 MW
- Residential customers
- 22,559
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about City of Bentonville and solar
Does City of Bentonville have net metering?
City of Bentonville follows Arkansas's rules: Under Act 278 of 2023, new solar customers (applications after Sept 30, 2024) still offset their own usage at retail, but any excess electricity sent to the grid is credited only at the utility's avoided cost, often under half of retail. Customers who connected earlier keep 1:1 retail credit through 2039-2040.
How much does electricity cost with City of Bentonville?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.3¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,084 kWh a month, a bill of about $133.
Is solar worth it with City of Bentonville?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 7.4 kW system costing about $20,150 pays back in about 15.8 years, with $15,433 net over 25 years.
How many City of Bentonville customers have solar?
About 418 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.9% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Bentonville - (AR) (EIA ID 1586). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.