Typical customer: Worth it

LADWP and solar

LADWP is a municipal utility serving about 1,415,602 homes in California. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.

Average price (2026 est.): 27.9¢16% below California average
Typical bill: $131469 kWh a month
Exports credited: RetailFull retail net metering
Typical payback: 7.5 yrs3.7 kW, cash

Export rules for LADWP customers

Full retail net metering, monthly netting.

Municipal; still offers traditional NEM with ~1:1 retail credits and 12-month true-up (not CPUC-regulated). Verify current LADWP tariff; changes have been discussed.

Source

Net Energy Metering (NEM rider, effective Sept 1, 2008): billing-period netting at full retail; if generation exceeds usage, excess credited at the rate schedule's energy pricing and carried forward; non-energy charges still apply; remaining credit zeroed at service termination (no cash-out).

California net metering details

Solar for a typical LADWP home

System	3.7 kW (110% of 469 kWh/month)
Cost	$12,380
First-year savings	$1,549
Payback	7.5 years
25-year net	$47,900

Uses the utility's average price; time-of-use plans can change this, so pick your plan in the calculator.

Current residential rate plans

Rates we verified from LADWP's tariff documents. Prices are per kWh including the main riders where noted; check your bill for the plan you're on.

R-1A: Standard Residential Rate (tiered)

Plan for solar customers. Effective 2026-10-01. Fixed charge $7.90/month.

Period	Price
12am–12am (3 months)	30.6¢
12am–12am (2 months)	30.2¢
12am–12am (1 months)	30.2¢
12am–12am (3 months)	32.3¢
12am–12am (3 months)	33.2¢

Period rates above are TIER 2 (typical marginal kWh). Tier 1/Tier 2/Tier 3 $/kWh (2026, incl. adjustment factors): Jan-Mar 0.24771/0.30630/0.30630; Apr-May 0.24362/0.30221/0.30221; Jun 0.24362/0.30221/0.38922; Jul-Sep 0.26408/0.32267/0.40968; Oct-Dec 0.27292/0.33151/0.33151. Monthly tiers: Zone 1 (cooler) Tier 1 first 350 kWh, Tier 2 next 700, Tier 3 >1,050; Zone 2 (hotter) Tier 1 first 500, Tier 2 next 1,000, Tier 3 >1,500 (bi-monthly billing doubles these).

Tariff document

R-1B: Time-of-Use Residential Rate

Plan for solar customers. Effective 2026-10-01. Fixed charge $12.00/month.

Period	Price
1pm–5pm (3 months)	27.6¢
10am–1pm, 5pm–8pm (3 months)	27.6¢
12am–10am, 8pm–12am (3 months)	25.3¢
1pm–5pm (2 months)	27.2¢
10am–1pm, 5pm–8pm (2 months)	27.2¢
12am–10am, 8pm–12am (2 months)	24.9¢
1pm–5pm (1 months)	33.1¢
10am–1pm, 5pm–8pm (1 months)	27.2¢
12am–10am, 8pm–12am (1 months)	24.5¢
1pm–5pm (3 months)	35.1¢
10am–1pm, 5pm–8pm (3 months)	29.3¢
12am–10am, 8pm–12am (3 months)	26.5¢
1pm–5pm (3 months)	30.2¢
10am–1pm, 5pm–8pm (3 months)	30.2¢
12am–10am, 8pm–12am (3 months)	27.8¢

Tariff document

Solar adoption

Homes with solar (2025): 95,898
Share of customers: 6.8%
Residential solar capacity: 603 MW
Residential customers: 1,415,602

EIA-861, 2025.

Cities served

Questions about LADWP and solar

Does LADWP have net metering?

Municipal; still offers traditional NEM with ~1:1 retail credits and 12-month true-up (not CPUC-regulated). Verify current LADWP tariff; changes have been discussed.

How much does electricity cost with LADWP?

Residential customers paid an average of 26.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 27.9¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 469 kWh a month, a bill of about $131.

Is solar worth it with LADWP?

For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 3.7 kW system costing about $12,380 pays back in about 7.5 years, with $47,900 net over 25 years.

How many LADWP customers have solar?

About 95,898 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 6.8% of residential customers (EIA-861).

Legal name: Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (EIA ID 11208). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026, utility tariff sheets.