City of Columbus and solar
City of Columbus is a municipal utility serving about 15,346 homes in Ohio. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is not worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.0¢23% below Ohio average
- Typical bill
- $83594 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~57%Reduced export credit
- Typical payback
- 17.4 yrs4.4 kW, cash
Export rules for City of Columbus customers
Reduced export credit (Ohio rule).
Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
Solar for a typical City of Columbus home
| System | 4.4 kW (80% of 594 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $14,500 |
| First-year savings | $786 |
| Payback | 17.4 years |
| 25-year net | $8,219 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 9
- Share of customers
- 0.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 0 MW
- Residential customers
- 15,346
EIA-861, 2025.
Cities served
Questions about City of Columbus and solar
Does City of Columbus have net metering?
City of Columbus follows Ohio's rules: Ohio's investor-owned utilities must offer net metering. Within a month, solar offsets your usage at full retail; any extra energy beyond your monthly use is credited only at the generation (energy supply) price, roughly half of the retail rate.
How much does electricity cost with City of Columbus?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.0¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 594 kWh a month, a bill of about $83.
Is solar worth it with City of Columbus?
For a typical customer, solar is not worth it: a 4.4 kW system costing about $14,500 pays back in about 17.4 years, with $8,219 net over 25 years.
How many City of Columbus customers have solar?
About 9 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 0.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: City of Columbus - (OH) (EIA ID 4065). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.