Avista Utilities Rate Selection Guide
Avista Utilities is an investor-owned electric and gas utility serving roughly 422,000 electric customers across eastern Washington and northern Idaho, plus natural gas customers in WA, ID, and OR. Avista offers billing and usage data through its myAvista portal, an Account Manager delegation feature for third parties, and a Python-based Avista Digital Exchange SDK for programmatic access.
Avista Utilities Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 11 | commercial | $30 basic + 13.519¢/9.841¢ per kWh + $10/kW over 20 kW | Small to mid-size commercial sites under ~250,000 kWh/month |
| Schedule 21 | commercial | 8.338¢/7.431¢ per kWh + $900 first 50 kW, $10/kW above | Large commercial/light-industrial with significant demand |
| Schedule 25 | industrial | 5.745¢/5.160¢/4.211¢ per kWh + $47,891 first 3,000 kVa | Heavy industrial loads of 3,000+ kVa on long-term contract |
Market Overview
Avista is a regulated, vertically integrated investor-owned utility. Electric rates are set by the Washington UTC and Idaho PUC (gas also by Oregon PUC). There is no retail electric choice in Avista's service territory; customers cannot shop for a competitive electric supplier.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Avista Utilities Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Avista's Washington electric C&I rates are set by published tariff schedules effective January 1, 2026. Schedule 11 (General Service) carries a $30.00 basic charge with energy at 13.519¢/kWh (first 3,650 kWh) and 9.841¢/kWh thereafter, plus a $10.00/kW demand charge above 20 kW. Schedule 21 (Large General Service) and Schedule 25 (Extra Large General Service, 3,000+ kVa) offer declining-block energy rates and contract demand charges. All schedules are subject to riders (Schedules 58, 61, 64/63, 66, 88, 91, 92, 93, 98, 99 and decoupling Schedule 75).
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule 11 - General Service | commercial | General service (lighting and power) through a single kWh meter. | $30.00 basic charge; energy 13.519¢/kWh first 3,650 kWh, 9.841¢/kWh over 3,650 kWh; demand $10.00/kW for each kW above the first 20 kW. Minimum $30.00 single-phase / $37.35 three-phase. | — |
| Schedule 17 - Time-of-Use General Service | commercial | Optional time-of-use general service for commercial customers. | Time-differentiated energy and demand charges; see tariff sheet for on/off-peak pricing. | — |
| Schedule 21 - Large General Service | commercial | Large general service through one meter; requires a 5-year+ written contract. | Energy 8.338¢/kWh first 250,000 kWh, 7.431¢/kWh over 250,000 kWh; demand $900.00 for first 50 kW, $10.00/kW above 50 kW. Annual minimum $11.50/kW of highest demand. Primary voltage discount of 20¢/kW at 11 kV+. | — |
| Schedule 25 - Extra Large General Service | industrial | All power requirements through one meter for demand of at least 3,000 kVa; 5-year+ contract. | Energy 5.745¢/kWh first 500,000 kWh, 5.160¢/kWh next 5.5M kWh, 4.211¢/kWh over 6M kWh; demand $47,891.00 for first 3,000 kVa, $12.98/kVa above. Annual minimum $1,177,388. Primary voltage discounts $0.20-$4.39/kVa. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility
Office or retail sites under ~250,000 kWh/month with moderate demand.
Schedule 11's $30 basic charge and tiered energy rate fit smaller loads; demand charge only applies above 20 kW.
- Track 15-minute demand to stay efficient on the $10/kW charge above 20 kW
- Consider Schedule 17 TOU if load can shift off-peak
Large commercial / light industrial
Facilities with sustained demand and high monthly kWh.
Lower energy rates (8.338¢/7.431¢) offset the $900 demand block; suited to larger, steady loads.
- Negotiate the required 5-year contract terms carefully
- Pursue 11 kV primary service for the 20¢/kW discount
- Watch the $11.50/kW annual minimum
Heavy industrial (3,000+ kVa)
Manufacturing or data-center-scale loads averaging 3,000+ kVa.
Lowest energy blocks (down to 4.211¢/kWh) reward high-volume consumption, though demand and annual minimums are large.
- Model the $1,177,388 annual minimum against expected load
- Take 60 kV+ service for up to $4.39/kVa discount
- Use interval data to manage 30-minute peak kVa
Customers needing programmatic data
Energy teams or vendors needing automated usage/billing feeds.
Rate choice is independent of data access; use ADE SDK or custom EDI for automated feeds since there is no Green Button or public API.
- Request Avista Digital Exchange access for SDK-based data
- Use Account Manager delegation for portal access by consultants
Historical Rate Trends
Avista files periodic general rate cases with the Washington UTC and Idaho PUC. The current WA electric tariff schedules (11, 21, 25) became effective January 1, 2026.
January 1, 2026
Current WA electric tariff schedules (11, 21, 25) effective.
n/aOverall trend: Rising — Avista has pursued multi-year rate increases through general rate cases.
Next expected change: Avista filed a multi-year general rate case with the WUTC in January 2026; a decision is expected in late 2026, with rate changes likely thereafter.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Avista C&I rates are demand-driven with declining energy blocks, the biggest levers for commercial and industrial customers are demand management, schedule selection by size, and primary-voltage service.
Peak demand management
For: All C&I customers with demand charges
Avista bills demand at $10/kW (Schedules 11/21) and $12.98/kVa (Schedule 25). Shaving 15-minute peaks via staggered equipment startup or storage reduces demand charges.
Right-size the rate schedule
For: Commercial and industrial customers
Energy rates decline from Schedule 11 to 21 to 25. Verify that a growing facility is on the lowest-cost schedule it qualifies for, weighing contract and annual-minimum commitments.
Take primary voltage service
For: Large customers able to own transformers
Schedules 21 and 25 offer primary voltage discounts (20¢/kW; up to $4.39/kVa) for customers who own transformation at 11 kV or higher.
Use interval data for load-factor improvement
For: C&I customers with interval data access
Pull AMI/portal usage (or custom interval feeds via ADE/EDI) to identify low-load-factor periods and flatten the load profile, improving blended cost.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Avista Utilities interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a C&I customer get 15-minute interval data from Avista?▾
Avista's AMI meters collect 15-minute data, but the myAvista portal only displays hourly aggregates. To obtain raw 15-minute interval data, C&I customers must arrange a custom EDI, SFTP, or Avista Digital Exchange data feed by contacting Avista Business Services at (800) 936-6629.
Can an energy consultant access our Avista account data?▾
Yes. The account holder can authorize a consultant through the Account Manager feature in the myAvista portal, granting portal access to billing and usage data. There is no automated third-party API for this path; for programmatic access use the Avista Digital Exchange SDK.
Does Avista support Green Button?▾
No. Avista has not implemented Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data (ESPI). Programmatic access is available only through the Avista Digital Exchange SDK or custom EDI/SFTP arrangements.
What programmatic options exist for developers?▾
The Avista Digital Exchange (ADE) provides a Python SDK (avista-digital-exchange-sdk) authenticated with Energy Collaboratives tokens. It supports data store management and IoT/meter time-range queries. Request access via Avista Business Services.
Is there a public REST API?▾
No public REST or SOAP API is documented. The Avista Digital Exchange Python SDK is the primary programmatic path; custom REST/SFTP access may be available to enterprise customers on request.
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