Skip to main content
Avista Logo
Avista Star Burst
Search our site
  • Sign in
    Search our site
  • {{alertsCount}}
    {{data.CustomerName}}
    •  
      Your Profile
    •  
      Update contact info
    •  
      Update sign in info
    •  
      Notification center
      {{alertsCount}}
    •  
      Sign Out
    • Your Account
      •  
        Account Management
        Account Summary
        Your Enrollments
        Your Profile
        Alert Preferences
        Manage Rental Properties
        Text and Mobile App
        Customer News
        Connections Blog
         
        Your Bill
        Pay Your Bill
        View your usage
        Billing History
        Compare Your Bills
        Ways To Pay
        Manage Payments
        Comfort Level Billing
        Understand Your Bill
         
        Payment and energy assistance
        Payment Assistance by State
        Payment Arrangements
        Energy Assistance
        New Customers
        Residential / Business
        Moving?
        Start / Stop / Transfer Service
        High / Low / Average

        Download our mobile app

        View account balances and due dates, access bill and payment history, view and report outages and more

        Learn more

    • Save Energy
      •  
        Residential
        Energy Saving Tips
        Rebates
        Energy Saving Tools
        Project Financing
        Energy Manager
         
        Business
        Energy Saving Tips
        Rebates
        Programs and Services
        Small Business Project Financing
        Find your Account Executive
         
        Green Options
        My Clean Energy
        Go solar
        Renewable Natural Gas
        Community Renewable Options
        Electric Transportation
        Compressed Natural Gas

        Avista Marketplace

        Find the best price, energy efficiency information, consumer ratings, and buy all in one place.

        Shop now

    • Safety
      •  
        Call 811 Before You Dig
        Natural Gas Safety
        Safety Videos
        Tree Pruning
         
        Electric Safety
        Wildfire Resiliency
        Safety Around Dams
        Kid's Center
         
        Beware of Scams
        Emergency Responders
        Public Officials

        Call 811 before you dig

        State law requires you to call at least two working days before you dig

        Know what’s below

    • Outages
      •  
        Outage Report / Status
        Report an Electric Outage
        Check Status
        Outage Map
         
        Safety and Preparation
        Outage Center
         
        Text and Mobile App
        Alert Preferences

        Keep track of outages

        Outage information, including an outage map and an alert center, at your fingertips.

        Stay connected

    • About Us
      •  
        Avista At A Glance
        Our Company
        ESG/Corporate Responsibility
        Working at Avista
        Our Community
        Integrated Resource Planning
        FERC Standards of Conduct and Price Reporting
        Our Energy Mix
        Connections Blog
         
        Electric and Gas Service
        Rates and Tariffs
        Construction Services
        Become a Supplier or Contractor
        Smart Meters
         
         
        Environmental Stewardship
        Celebrate Our Rivers
        Our Commitment
        Climate Change
        Recreation
        Water Flow Information
    • Contact Us
      •  
        Give us a call

        Residential customers:
        (800) 227-9187


        Business customers:
        (800) 936-6629


        Hearing impaired:
        dial 711


        Our phone lines are open:
        7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday
        9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturdays

         
        Email us

        We'll get back to you within 2 business days (excluding holidays).

        Send us an email


        Construction services

        Need gas or electric service to your property?

        Request a construction job


        Social Media
         
        Mailing address
        Bill payments may be mailed to (or placed in the drop box) at:
        1411 E. Mission Ave.
        Spokane, WA ‍99252-0001
        Downed power line? Damaged utility pole?

        Smell or hear a gas leak or need to report a downed power line?

        Call (800) 227-9187.

    ╳
    Account has a stopped service as of {{ data.AgreementStoppedDate }} View details
    Address: {{data.ServiceAddress[0].Value}} (other addresses)
    Account has a stopped service as of {{ data.AgreementStoppedDate }} View details
    Address: {{data.ServiceAddress[0].Value}} (other addresses)
    Too many failed attempts
    We're sorry, your account has been locked. For your security, please contact us at (800) 227-9187.
    Close

    Return to managed accounts

    Managed By: {{data.ManagerName}} and {{data.Managers.length - 1}} more

    Managers

    • {{manager.ManagerName}}
    Remove account manager
    Click Confirm below to remove the ability for this party to manage your account.
    {{clientManagerError}}
    Cancel

    About Rates

    We are always working to keep your energy prices fair and affordable.

    Unlike most companies who can change their prices whenever they want, Avista is regulated. To change our rates, we must first file a rate case with state commissioners to explain why our expenses are outpacing our income. Here's the detailed and regulated process that follows a rate request.

     

    Transcript

    Speaker 1: It's a product you almost never think about but you count on it 24 hours a day, seven days a week: energy. Flip the switch, the lights go on. Turn on the gas, now you're cooking. It's our job at Avista to deliver that energy safely and reliably every day. You may have heard about a rate case we filed and wondered: so what is a rate case anyway? 

    A rate case is the way we request to change prices or rates to recover our cost of delivering your electricity and natural gas. We're regulated by three state utility commissions, so before we can adjust our prices we must make the case that current rates are not sufficient to cover our costs. That's different from the way most companies operate. When costs change for, say, a gas station owner, he simply adjusts his price for a gallon of gas, sometimes even on a daily basis. But because we're regulated, we can't change prices whenever we see the need. We must first file a rate case to explain why our expenses are outpacing our income.

    While we work hard to keep those expenses down, the cost of delivering energy continues to go up, costs like all the equipment and people it takes to maintain thousands of miles of pipes and wires, or repairing damages and restoring service after storm outages, or investing in upgrading and optimizing our system. It can add up to millions of dollars every year.

    As part of this process, we conduct extensive analysis and provide thousands of pages of documents to regulators and other parties when we file a rate case. Depending on the state, regulators have between seven and 11 months to review the details and make a final ruling, setting rates that are fair and reasonable both for customers and for Avista.

    It takes a lot to deliver the electricity and natural gas you rely on every day. Now, if you hear about a rate case, you'll know the role it plays in delivering that energy. You can be sure the next time you flip the switch or turn on the gas, it will be there. 

    How rates work

    What are rates?

    The rates you pay for energy cover two types of costs:

    1. 50% of your bill pays for the generation of the electricity you use – the actual cost of turning water, gas, or wind into power, and
    2. 50% covers the costs to safely and reliably deliver that energy to your home or business
    What do customers pay?

    Avista customers pay an average of $2.80 a day for electricity. That’s less than 12¢ an hour to watch TV, listen to music, play video games, charge your phone, do laundry, see in the dark, or keep food fresh. Natural gas is even less expensive at under 8¢ an hour.

    On average, electric and natural gas rates have remained affordable.

    Dollar bill split up into parts showing how many cents of that dollar go towards different parts of rates

    How do my electric rates compare nationwide?

    On average, the total monthly cost of Avista’s residential electric service is 32% lower than the national average, for investor-owned utilities.

    Here's a detailed breakdown:

    Chart comparing cost of power nationwide
    Where do my rate dollars go?

    Equipment, maintenance, and planning.

    Avista generates power from 8 hydroelectric projects and 7 thermal generation plants and receives power from 58 wind turbines. Then we send it over 19,000 miles of distribution lines across 30,000 square miles to more than 300,000 customers.

    Maintaining and improving a massive infrastructure made up of pipes, poles, dams, turbines, and substations means that, every year, we invest hundreds of millions of dollars into our systems. It’s all part of our commitment to provide reliable energy – both now and well into the future.

    What's the difference between investor and public-owned utilities?

    Avista is an investor-owned utility. Our shareholders invest money that the company uses to conduct business and provide safe, reliable energy to customers. Click on the link below to learn more about the distinctions between investor and public utilities.

    Investor-owned and public utility 

    Are rates regulated?

    Yes. Utility commissions in each state set the prices you pay for energy.

    Can Avista raise your rates anytime?

    No. Rates can only be changed with approval from state public utility commissions. It's a carefully regulated process that typically takes several months.

    Why would Avista request a rate change?

    Maintaining and improving a massive infrastructure made up of pipes, poles, dams, turbines, and substations means that, every year, we invest hundreds of millions of dollars into our system. Many parts of our system are more than 50 years old. It’s all part of our commitment to provide you with reliable energy – both now and well into the future. It’s the right thing to do.

    When the rates we charge aren’t enough to cover the rising costs of facilities, equipment, damage repair, etc., we file a request with the commission to explain why our expenses are outpacing our income.

    Comparison of the price of a pole between 1960 and 2015
    What is the rate change process?

    Avista files a request with the commissions any time there is a need to adjust rates. The commissions in charge (Washington, Idaho, Oregon) investigate the request and follow the following steps:

    • Analyze costs or part replacements, upgrades, and more
    • Review thousands of pages of information about the projects, business cases, or items we are requesting to include recovery for in rates
    • Invite public testimony and review comments

    The commissions then determine and set fair and reasonable rates.

    More resources

    Read more about the topics you care about in these informational one-sheets.

    Fair and reasonable rates

    You want fair and reasonable rates. So do we. Learn how we work with state utility commissions to ensure that happens.

    Know the process

    Energy at a bargain

    Imagine life without energy. Check out how much it costs a day, on average, to power all the things you love.

    Energy for life

    Behind the light switch

    You may be surprised to learn exactly what it takes to turn on the lights. Learn more about the massive infrastructure we continuously maintain to provide you with safe, reliable energy.

    Poles, pipes, etc.

    Community investment

    As an investor-owned utility, Avista is driving economic growth to help create jobs and strengthen our communities. Learn how we differ from a PUD.

    Rates and community

    Know your rates

    Learn more about how rates are set, what they cover and how Avista compares to other investor-owned utilities across America.

    Let's compare

    Rate definitions

    Multiple filings with differing components across three states can seem confusing or complicated. To provide some clarity, we’ve defined common terms we communicate about.

    Get clarity

    Executive salaries

    Compensation and salaries for our executives combined account for less than one-half of one penny out of every rate dollar. Find out what your rate dollars really pay for.

    Reliable systems

    Compensation

    The details about Avista’s rates, expenses, earnings and executive compensation can be complex. Learn more about how we set compensation that is aligned with the marketplace.

    A sound investment

    Profits and shareholders

    As a utility and business, Avista must bring in money to cover the expenses of providing safe, reliable energy to our customers. Learn more about where this money comes from and how it is spent.

    Return on investment

    • Our Commitment
    • Working at Avista
    • Integrated Resource Planning
    • Washington's Clean Energy Future
    • About Our Energy Mix
    • Our Rates and Tariffs
      • About Rates
      • Washington - Electric
      • Washington - Natural Gas
      • Washington PBR Metrics
      • Washington - Rate Requests
      • Idaho - Electric
      • Idaho - Natural Gas
      • Idaho - Rate Requests
      • Oregon - Natural Gas
      • Oregon - Rate Requests
    • FERC Standards of Conduct and Price Reporting
    • Celebrate Our Rivers
    • Contact Us
    • Our Community
    • Construction Services
    • Smart Meters
    • Become a Supplier or Contractor
    Your account

    Account summary

    Get help paying your bill

    Make a payment

    New customer information

    Understand your bill

    Your enrollments

    Moving?

    High / Low / Average

    New customer information

    Start, stop, transfer service

    Outages

    Check outage status

    Outage map

    Plan ahead for a power outage

    Report an electric outage

    Your home

    Activities for kids

    Find a home improvement contractor

    Furnace filter program

    Plant the right tree in the right place

    Rebates for your home

    Residential energy saving advice

    Shop for appliances

    Your business

    Become a supplier or contractor

    Business improvement case studies

    Business rebates

    Energy saving tips for your business

    Get personalized business help

    Washington Clean Buildings Standards

    Safety

    Beware of scams

    Electric safety

    Natural gas safety

    Safety around dams

    Safety videos

    Tree pruning

    Wildfire resiliency

    Community

    Avista scholarships

    Beware of scams

    Meet up with us in the community

    Plan a trip along the river

    Green options

    Electric vehicles

    Go solar

    Renewable natural gas

    Support renewable energy

    Customer support

    Assistance programs

    Beware of scams

    File a claim

    Find a pay station

    Fuel cost comparison calculators

    Get help paying your bill

    Get services for your project

    New customer information

    About us

    About our energy mix

    Current Avista projects

    How we protect natural resources

    Meet your local managers

    Our commitment

    Rates and tariffs

    Give us a call

    Residential: (800) 227-9187

    Business: (800) 936-6629

    Hearing impaired: Dial 711

    Our phone lines are open

    7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday

    Mobile app
    Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo
    Your account

    Account summary

    Get help paying your bill

    Make a payment

    New customer information

    Understand your bill

    Your enrollments

    Moving?

    High / Low / Average

    New customer information

    Start, stop, transfer service

    Outages

    Check outage status

    Outage map

    Plan ahead for a power outage

    Report an electric outage

    Your home

    Activities for kids

    Find a home improvement contractor

    Furnace filter program

    Plant the right tree in the right place

    Rebates for your home

    Residential energy saving advice

    Shop for appliances

    Your business

    Become a supplier or contractor

    Business improvement case studies

    Business rebates

    Energy saving tips for your business

    Get personalized business help

    Washington Clean Buildings Standards

    Safety

    Beware of scams

    Electric safety

    Natural gas safety

    Safety around dams

    Safety videos

    Tree pruning

    Wildfire resiliency

    Community

    Avista scholarships

    Beware of scams

    Meet up with us in the community

    Plan a trip along the river

    Green options

    Electric vehicles

    Go solar

    Renewable natural gas

    Support renewable energy

    Customer support

    Assistance programs

    Beware of scams

    File a claim

    Find a pay station

    Fuel cost comparison calculators

    Get help paying your bill

    Get services for your project

    New customer information

    About us

    About our energy mix

    Current Avista projects

    How we protect natural resources

    Meet your local managers

    Our commitment

    Rates and tariffs

    Give us a call

    Residential: (800) 227-9187

    Business: (800) 936-6629

    Hearing impaired: Dial 711

    Our phone lines are open

    7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday

    Mobile app
    Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Apple Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo Avista Play Store Link Logo
    Avista Logo
    Contact Us Careers Connections Blog Investors ESG/Corporate Responsibility Policies, Guidelines & Hotline

    ©2023 Avista Corporation. All Rights Reserved

    ©2023 Avista Corporation. All Rights Reserved