Why is my SRP bill so high? If your Salt River Project (SRP) bill jumped this summer, there may be more going on than simply using more electricity. With SRP, your bill depends on which price plan you're on, when you use power and how much you use at one time. Summer seasons, air conditioning, pool pumps and EV charging all play a part.
That makes SRP a clear example of why any home-energy plan should start with the bill itself. Below, we walk through what changed, what drives a high summer bill and what to check first.
SRP Changed Its Residential Price Plans
SRP redesigned its residential pricing starting with the November 2025 billing cycle. SRP estimated the average residential increase at about 3.5%. That's about $5.61 a month for a home using 1,117 kWh (kilowatt-hours, the unit on your bill).
The main plans now are:
- Basic, with one price per kWh no matter the time of day
- Conserve 6–9 p.m. and Save, a time-of-use (TOU) plan, where the price depends on the time of day
- Manage Demand 5–10 p.m. and Save, a TOU plan with a demand charge
- M-Power, SRP's prepaid option
SRP also has separate price plans for solar customers. If you haven't looked at your plan since the change, now is a good time.
Don't Forget the Monthly Service Charge
Every SRP bill also has a fixed monthly service charge. It's $20 for most apartments and condos, $30 for a typical single-family home and $40 for homes with service over 225 amps. You pay it no matter how little power you use.
SRP Has Three Seasons, Not Two
Winter runs November through April. Summer covers May, June, September and October. July and August are the summer peak, with the highest prices of the year. So a jump from June to July can come from price alone, even before you count the extra AC use.
Summer Prices Can Change a Lot by Time of Day
On some SRP plans, the gap between peak and cheap hours is huge. Take the Conserve plan in July and August. SRP's standard on-peak price is 40.20¢ per kWh from 6–9 p.m. on weekdays. The super off-peak price, from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. every day, is 6.61¢.
That's roughly a sixfold difference. So the question isn't just “How much electricity did I use?” It's also “When did I use it?”
How much did you use?
On SRP, when you used it can matter just as much.
The Temporary 2026 Price Cut
SRP lowered all energy prices by 0.38¢ per kWh on May–October 2026 bills. The reason was lower natural gas and market power costs. The prices above are SRP's standard prices, which don't include this cut.
Standard prices return with November 2026 bills. If you compare bills across years, check which prices applied. Don't assume this summer's lower prices will last.
Arizona AC Creates the Perfect Peak Problem
The hottest part of the day is often when your home needs the most cooling. That pushes AC use right into the most expensive hours. More runtime from extreme heat, plus more of that runtime at peak prices, can add up to a surprisingly large bill.
Demand Plans Add Another Layer
The Manage Demand plan charges for demand, not just total use. Demand is how much power your home pulls at one time. On this plan, the demand charge (a fee based on your highest use) uses the average of each weekday's highest one-hour use from 5–10 p.m.
Picture two AC units, an oven, a dryer, a pool pump and an EV charger all running at once. Even if that only lasts an hour, it can set a high demand number. SRP estimates that central AC alone draws about 3 kW (kilowatts).
kWh and Demand Are Different
Think of electricity like water. kWh is how many gallons you used during the month. Demand is how far you opened the faucet at one moment. A home can use a moderate amount of energy and still create a big demand spike.
Step 1: Identify Your SRP Price Plan
Check your bill to see which plan you're on. It could be Basic, Conserve, Manage Demand, M-Power or a solar plan. It could also be an older plan like EZ-3, Time-of-Use or the old EV plan. SRP froze those in November 2025, and they end by the November 2029 billing cycle.
Don't compare your bill with a neighbor's unless you're on the same plan. Two identical houses can pay very different amounts because of their plan and their timing.
Step 2: Check Your Peak-Hour Usage
If you're on a time-based plan, look at what runs during the expensive hours. Common culprits are AC, pool pumps, EV chargers, dryers, dishwashers and electric water heaters. Some of these are easy to shift. Others aren't.
You may not want to shut off your AC on a Phoenix summer evening. But you probably don't need to charge the EV and run the dryer at the same time.
Step 3: Stagger Big Loads and Pre-Cool
On Manage Demand, spreading out big loads can lower your demand charge. That's a habit change, not an equipment purchase. Run the dryer, dishwasher and EV charger at different times, and keep them out of peak hours when you can.
Pre-cooling helps too. SRP suggests cooling your home about 3 degrees cooler before peak. That's 3–6 p.m. on Conserve or 3–5 p.m. on Manage Demand. Then set the thermostat 2–3 degrees warmer during peak hours.
Step 4: Use SRP's Price Comparison Tool
SRP's Price Comparison tool shows how your own usage would cost on other plans. You need 12 months of history at the home to use it.
SRP also lowers the risk of trying a new plan. On Manage Demand, if your first three bills aren't lower, SRP credits the difference and switches you back. On Conserve, you can switch back within 90 days. Before you assume the house is the whole problem, see whether your plan is a poor fit.
Step 5: Look at Your HVAC
Arizona summers are brutal on cooling systems. Warning signs include long run times, hot rooms, weak airflow, frequent repairs, older equipment and trouble holding the thermostat setting. An inefficient system running through peak hours is an expensive combination.
Step 6: Check the Attic and Ducts
Heat coming into the house matters. Look at attic insulation, air sealing, duct leaks, shading and windows. If cool air leaks out before it reaches your rooms, you're paying for electricity you never feel. SRP offers rebates for qualifying AC upgrades, attic insulation and duct repair.
Are Data Centers Making SRP Bills Higher?
Data centers made up about 5.1% of SRP's summer 2025 peak, and they're its fastest-growing group of customers. But SRP says large customers, including data centers, pay for their own new infrastructure. SRP also says data centers are not the reason it raises prices.
For most homeowners, the causes worth checking first are closer to home: AC use, your price plan, demand spikes and pool equipment.
Step 7: Cut the Household Load
Here's a simple example. Suppose your home uses 23,000 kWh a year, and HVAC and efficiency upgrades bring that down to 18,000 kWh. That's 5,000 fewer kWh to buy every year. With SRP, changing when and how quickly you use power can save money too, depending on your plan.
Step 8: Look at Solar the SRP Way
Arizona has excellent sun, but SRP solar works differently from Arizona Public Service (APS) solar. SRP has its own solar plans, including Customer Generation and Time-of-Use Export. These stay open until they close with the November 2029 billing cycle.
The export credit is what SRP pays for extra solar you send to the grid. The right system depends on that credit, your SRP plan, your daytime load, when you use power and the system price. Don't use an APS solar estimate for an SRP home.
Step 9: Weigh Battery Storage
In SRP territory, a battery can do several jobs. It can back up key loads in an outage, store solar for later and cut your evening peak. It can also keep critical cooling running. That makes batteries interesting on time-based and demand plans, but the numbers still need to be run against your actual plan.
Should You Buy Solar Because Your SRP Bill Is High?
Not automatically. Here's the order that makes sense:
- Identify your SRP price plan.
- Check your total kWh.
- Check your peak-hour usage.
- Check demand spikes, if your plan has a demand charge.
- Look at HVAC and insulation.
- Then size solar and battery storage.
Sometimes the first fix is simply using electricity at different times.
The Ashborn Approach
Before recommending anything, Ashborn Partners looks at your SRP price plan, total usage, peak-hour usage and demand. We also review your HVAC, insulation and ducts, and only then look at solar, battery storage and whole-home efficiency. We connect you with participating providers in your area when an upgrade makes sense.
Fix the load. Understand when you use it. Then decide how to power it.
SRP prices shown are standard prices. May–October 2026 SRP bills included a temporary 0.38¢/kWh reduction, with standard prices returning with November 2026 bills. Prices and plans can change.