City Utilities of Springfield Rate Selection Guide
City Utilities of Springfield (CU) is a municipal multi-service utility serving ~121,600 electric customers (plus natural gas, water, broadband, and transit) across southwest Missouri. CU's MyAccount portal runs on the Smart Energy Water (SEW) platform, which exposes REST APIs for authorized third-party integrations. CU is mid-AMI rollout and has no documented Green Button or EDI program; C&I rates are set by City Council ordinance with verified per-unit figures published through 04/2026.
City Utilities of Springfield Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Power | Commercial (<300 kW) | $47.50/mo + $0.0590/kWh + ~$15.23/kW demand (gen+tx+dist sec) | Small/mid C&I three-phase sites |
| Large General Power | Industrial (300-1,500 kW) | $330/mo + $0.0590/kWh + unbundled demand; load-factor credit | Mid-size industrial / large commercial |
| Large Power | Industrial (>=1,500 kW) | $480/mo + $0.0590/kWh + demand (gen $10.12/kW); PF penalty | Large industrial, esp. transmission-voltage service |
| Interruptible Power | Industrial (interruptible) | Lower demand pricing w/ curtailment (see tariff) | Flexible-load industrial that can curtail |
Market Overview
City Utilities of Springfield is a municipally owned, vertically integrated utility governed by its Board of Public Utilities and the Springfield City Council. Retail electric rates are set by City Council ordinance (e.g., General Ordinance No. 6812) rather than by the Missouri PSC, and there is no retail electric choice. All C&I customers take bundled service under published ordinance rate schedules.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the City Utilities of Springfield Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
CU's electric C&I rates are set by City Council ordinance (General Ordinance No. 6812 / Council Bill 2023-218) with stepped values published through April 2026 and thereafter. Verified per-unit figures below are taken directly from CU's published rate sheets. All rates are subject to a monthly Fuel Adjustment Clause (electric fuel adjustment was -$0.0016/kWh effective June 2026). Service outside city limits adds 5%. Billing demand is generally 90% of the highest summer (Jul-Sep) 30-minute demand.
Effective: April 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Power Service | commercial | Commercial and industrial three-phase requirements within/adjacent to Springfield city limits (below the 300 kW Large General Power threshold). | Effective 04/2026: Customer charge $47.50/mo; Energy $0.0590/kWh; Demand — Generation $10.42/kW, Transmission $2.57/kW, Distribution primary $2.24/kW or secondary $2.82/kW. Subject to Fuel Adjustment Clause. (Until 04/2025 figures: $45.50 / $0.0585 / $10.10 gen.) | — |
| Large General Power Service | industrial | Commercial and industrial customers with monthly demands of 300 kW or greater but less than 1,500 kW. | Effective 04/2026: Customer charge $330.00/mo; Energy $0.0590/kWh; Demand — Generation $10.42/kW, Transmission $2.57/kW, Distribution primary $2.24/kW or secondary $2.82/kW. Load Factor Adjustment credit of $0.0100/kW per hour-use above 365 hours-use. Subject to Fuel Adjustment Clause. | — |
| Large Power Service | industrial | Commercial and industrial customers with monthly demands of 1,500 kW or greater. | Effective 04/2026: Customer charge $480.00/mo; Energy $0.0590/kWh; Demand — Generation $10.12/kW, Transmission $2.57/kW, Distribution primary $2.24/kW or secondary $2.82/kW (no distribution demand at transmission voltage 69/161 kV). Power-factor charge $0.025/kW per whole percent below 100% PF. Subject to Fuel Adjustment Clause. | — |
| General Lighting Service | commercial | Small commercial general lighting and power customers below the General Power three-phase threshold. | Customer charge + per-kWh energy charge; published in CU's rate sheets and set by City Council ordinance. Subject to Fuel Adjustment Clause. Confirm current per-unit figures on the CU rates page. | — |
| Interruptible Power Service | industrial | Large industrial customers electing interruptible service in exchange for lower demand pricing. | Demand/energy-based interruptible rate with curtailment provisions; published in CU's rate sheets by ordinance. Confirm current per-unit figures on the CU rates page. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small/mid commercial three-phase facility (<300 kW)
Take General Power service and manage coincident demand; energy is $0.0590/kWh effective 04/2026.
Below 300 kW, General Power applies with a modest $47.50/mo customer charge. The unbundled per-kW demand charge (~$15/kW gen+tx+dist) makes peak management the main lever.
- Stagger large equipment startups to trim peak demand
- Watch the 300 kW threshold that moves you to Large General Power
- Track the monthly fuel adjustment on the bill
Mid-size industrial / large commercial (300-1,500 kW)
Take Large General Power service and raise load factor to capture the hours-use credit.
At 300-1,500 kW the $330/mo customer charge and unbundled demand dominate. The $0.0100/kW load-factor credit above 365 hours-use rewards flatter, higher-utilization operation.
- Flatten load to exceed 365 hours-use for the credit
- Meter at primary voltage to cut distribution demand ($2.24 vs $2.82/kW)
- Manage the Jul-Sep peak that sets ratcheted billing demand
Large industrial plant (>=1,500 kW)
Take Large Power service, correct power factor, and consider transmission-voltage service.
At >=1,500 kW the $480/mo customer charge, $10.12/kW generation demand, and the $0.025/kW-per-percent power-factor penalty are the big drivers. Transmission-voltage service (69/161 kV) with customer-owned transformation avoids the distribution demand charge.
- Install PF correction to reach near-unity and kill the penalty
- Evaluate transmission-voltage service to drop distribution demand
- Shave summer peaks to lower ratcheted billing demand
Energy manager / consultant integrating data
Use the SEW REST API with customer authorization for billing and usage data since CU has no Green Button/EDI.
CU runs MyAccount on the SEW platform, which exposes REST APIs (OAuth/JSON). Registering on the SEW developer portal plus a customer authorization in MyAccount is the documented programmatic path.
- Register at https://api.sew.ai/signup
- Have the customer authorize your org in MyAccount
- Confirm CU-specific scope with info@cityutilities.net
- Check AMI status at the site via (417) 831-8800
Historical Rate Trends
CU electric rates are set by City Council ordinance. General Ordinance No. 6812 (Council Bill 2023-218, approved Sep 2023) established stepped C&I rates effective Cycle 1 April 2024, with further steps at 04/2025, 04/2026, and thereafter. In 2026 the City Council approved additional electric rate increases averaging ~3% in 2027 and ~3.6% in 2028.
April 1, 2024
Ordinance 6812 C&I rates take effect (Cycle 1 April 2024), e.g. General Power customer charge $45.50, energy $0.0585/kWh.
steppedApril 1, 2026
Next ordinance step: General Power customer charge $47.50, energy $0.0590/kWh, generation demand $10.42/kW; Large Power customer charge $480/mo.
steppedApril 1, 2026
Additional approved rate adjustment raising a typical bill ~$14/month for summer 2026; future increases ~3% (2027), ~3.6% (2028).
~3-3.6%/yrOverall trend: Steadily increasing — stepped ordinance increases plus a rate adjustment effective April 1, raising a typical bill by about $14/month for summer 2026 (driven partly by higher fuel costs).
Next expected change: Further stepped increases beyond 04/2026 per Ordinance 6812, plus approved ~3% (2027) and ~3.6% (2028) increases.
Cost Optimization Strategies
As a regulated municipal monopoly with no supplier choice, CU C&I cost optimization centers on rate-class selection, demand and power-factor management, load factor, and metering voltage rather than supplier shopping.
Correct power factor on Large Power service
For: Large Power customers (>=1,500 kW)
Large Power carries a $0.025/kW penalty for each whole percent the monthly power factor is below 100%. Installing capacitors/PF correction to reach near-unity eliminates the penalty on large demand.
Manage summer peak (Jul-Sep) billing demand
For: All demand-metered C&I classes
Billing demand is set at 90% of the highest 30-minute demand in July-September and ratchets through the year. Shaving the summer coincident peak lowers the demand floor for all subsequent months.
Raise load factor for the Large General Power credit
For: Large General Power customers (300-1,500 kW)
Large General Power grants a $0.0100/kW credit per whole hour-use above 365 hours-use (kWh / kW demand). Running flatter, higher-utilization load captures the credit.
Take service at primary or transmission voltage
For: Large General Power and Large Power customers able to own transformation
Primary-voltage metering reduces the distribution demand charge (primary $2.24/kW vs secondary $2.82/kW); Large Power at transmission voltage (69/161 kV) avoids the distribution demand charge entirely when the customer owns transformation.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download City Utilities of Springfield interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a C&I customer or consultant get usage data programmatically from City Utilities?▾
CU's MyAccount runs on the Smart Energy Water (SEW) platform, which exposes REST APIs (OAuth/JSON). A third party registers on the SEW developer portal (https://api.sew.ai/), the customer authorizes the organization in MyAccount, and the third party then queries account, billing, and usage endpoints. CU has not published a CU-specific program doc, so confirm scope with info@cityutilities.net.
Does City Utilities support Green Button or EDI for C&I data?▾
No. CU has not announced a Green Button Download/Connect My Data implementation or a public EDI program for customer data. The practical programmatic path is the SEW REST API with customer consent; EDI/vendor matters go through Purchasing at (417) 831-8363.
Which electric rate class applies to my commercial or industrial facility?▾
It is set by monthly demand: General Power Service for three-phase C&I below 300 kW, Large General Power Service for 300 kW to under 1,500 kW, and Large Power Service for 1,500 kW and above. Effective 04/2026 the energy charge is $0.0590/kWh across these classes; customer charges are $47.50, $330, and $480 per month respectively.
How is billing demand determined, and why does my summer usage matter all year?▾
Billing demand is generally the greater of the current month's highest 30-minute demand or 90% of the highest 30-minute demand in the most recent July, August, or September. Because the summer peak ratchets the demand floor for following months, shaving the Jul-Sep coincident peak lowers demand charges all year.
What can large industrial customers do to lower their CU electric bill?▾
Correct power factor (Large Power adds $0.025/kW for each percent below 100% PF), take service at primary or transmission voltage to cut or avoid the distribution demand charge, raise load factor to capture the Large General Power hours-use credit ($0.0100/kW above 365 hours-use), and shave the summer peak that sets ratcheted billing demand.
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