Plug-in solar savings on Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility
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The short answer: on Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility's Residential rate of 14¢/kWh,[source] the example kit (800 W, $1,000) saves about $111 a year and pays for itself in about 9.0 years, assuming typical placement and that you use most of its power at home.
What the example kit saves on Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility
| Where the panels go | Saves a year | Pays back in |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent: south-facing, tilted, no shade | $146 | 6.8 years |
| Typical: well-placed | $111 | 9.0 years |
| Shaded or vertical balcony | $81 | 12.4 years |
Power you send back to the grid is valued at $0, so a kit sized to what you use during the day saves the most. Run your own numbers, including how savings add up over the years.
Where this rate comes from
Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility's residential rate, effective January 1, 2026: $0.1191 for baseline use, $0.14 from 101% to 130% of baseline and $0.25686 above that, all year. We use the middle tier; if your use is well above baseline, your savings may be higher. RCMU serves limited areas of the city; SCE serves the rest. This utility also adds a monthly per-kWh power cost adjustment that can raise or lower the price; its current value isn't published, so it isn't included and your bill may differ.[source]
Discounts
CARE and FERA are CPUC programs for investor-owned utilities, so they don't apply here. City, district and co-op utilities run their own discount programs, which we haven't verified.
SB 868 and Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility
SB 868 covers local publicly owned utilities such as Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility, as well as investor-owned utilities. Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility may ask you to register a qualifying kit through a simple online form, but can't charge fees related to it.[source] Read SB 868 explained and run through the checks before you buy.
Estimates only. Not electrical, legal or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How much could a plug-in solar kit save on Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility?
- About $111 a year for an example 800 W kit with typical placement, at Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility's Residential rate of 14¢/kWh, paying back in about 9.0 years. Your result depends on your usage and where the panels go.
- Does SB 868 apply to Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility customers?
- Yes. The law covers both investor-owned and local publicly owned electric utilities. Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Utility may ask you to register a qualifying kit online, but can't charge fees related to it.