Riverside Public Utilities Rate Selection Guide
Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) is a municipally-owned electric utility serving roughly 113,000 customers in the City of Riverside, California. RPU offers customer energy data through its KUBRA-powered WebConnect portal and an AMI program built on Tantalus networking and SmartWorks MDMS, plus an AB 802 building benchmarking program for large commercial buildings.
Riverside Public Utilities Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule TOU | Large General & Industrial | On-peak energy $0.1295/kWh; on-peak demand $8.29/kW (2026) | Large facilities 150 kW+ that can shift load off the noon-6pm summer on-peak window |
| Schedule GS | Medium Commercial | Customer + demand + energy (see tariff book) | Mid-size commercial below the 150 kW TOU threshold |
| Schedule TC | Traffic Control | $0.1283/kWh (2026, energy-only) | Municipal traffic signal accounts |
Market Overview
RPU is a municipally-owned, vertically integrated electric utility governed by the City of Riverside Board of Public Utilities and City Council. Rates are set locally by resolution, not by the CPUC. There is no retail electric choice — customers cannot shop for a competitive supplier — though RPU participates in wholesale markets through CAISO.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Riverside Public Utilities Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
RPU's commercial and industrial rates are set by City resolution and stepped through 2028 under the 2023 rate plan. Schedule TOU (Large General and Industrial Service) applies to customers designed for 150 kW or greater and is fully time-of-use with separate on/mid/off-peak demand and energy charges. Dollar values below are verified from the adopted Schedule TOU and Schedule TC tariffs; medium and small commercial schedules are listed structurally — confirm exact rates in the tariff book.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule TOU - Large General & Industrial Service | industrial | Customers designed for 150 kW or greater, or with demand >=150 kW in any two of the prior 12 months. | TOU. 2026 verified: Customer charge $742.28/mo; Reliability charge $350-$2,650/mo by demand tier; Demand charge per kW on-peak $8.29, mid-peak $4.14, off-peak $2.08; Network Access $5.83/kW (HV $4.20/kW); Energy per kWh on-peak $0.1295, mid-peak $0.1061, off-peak $0.0907. Summer on-peak 12pm-6pm. | — |
| Schedule GS - General Service (Medium Commercial) | commercial | Medium commercial customers below the 150 kW Schedule TOU threshold. | Customer charge + demand charge + energy charge. Specific dollar values not extracted in this research — see the electric rules and rates tariff book for current GS rates. | — |
| Schedule DTOU - Domestic/Small Commercial TOU | commercial | Time-of-use customers below the large C&I threshold. | Time-of-use energy and demand structure. Exact rates not extracted here — refer to the adopted Schedule DTOU tariff. | — |
| Schedule TC - Traffic Control Service | commercial | Service to all municipal traffic signals. | Energy-only. 2026 verified: all usage $0.1283/kWh (rising to $0.1423 by 2028). Subject to Power Cost Adjustment Factor and Public Benefits Charge. | — |
| Schedule TOU Renewable Option | industrial | Schedule TOU customers electing 100% renewable energy. | Adds $0.0129/kWh (verified) above the standard Schedule TOU energy charges for 100% renewable supply from RPU's portfolio. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large industrial / manufacturing facility (150 kW+)
Schedule TOU is the only applicable rate at this size and is demand- and TOU-heavy.
On-peak demand ($8.29/kW) plus a rising Network Access Charge make 15-minute peak demand the dominant cost lever.
- Pre-cool and run heavy loads outside 12pm-6pm summer weekdays
- Deploy battery storage or curtailment to clip max demand
- Enroll in Power Partners for summer event incentives
Mid-size commercial office / retail
Below 150 kW, customers fall on Schedule GS or DTOU rather than TOU.
Smaller demand profiles avoid Schedule TOU's tiered Reliability Charge; TOU options still reward off-peak usage.
- Confirm current GS/DTOU rates in the tariff book
- Track demand to avoid crossing into the 150 kW TOU tier
- Use WebConnect usage charts to find load-shift opportunities
Sustainability-driven large customer
Schedule TOU customers can elect 100% renewable supply.
Adds a verified $0.0129/kWh premium for 100% renewable energy from RPU's portfolio.
- Model the +$0.0129/kWh premium against ESG/RECs goals
- Combine with AB 802 benchmarking for reporting
- Pair with on-site solar where feasible
Energy consultant / aggregator managing RPU accounts
RPU has no customer-data API; data access is manual or via AB 802.
Programmatic ingestion isn't available, so plan for portal downloads and AB 802 building data with signed authorizations.
- Use AB 802 for building-level annual kWh on large buildings
- Collect customer authorizations before contacting RPU
- Expect manual WebConnect exports rather than API feeds
Historical Rate Trends
Under the August 2023 rate plan (Board Resolution 2023-2, Council Resolution 24041), RPU adopted a multi-year schedule of annual increases through 2028. Schedule TOU energy, demand, customer, and Network Access charges all step up each January 1.
January 1, 2025
Schedule TOU on-peak energy rose from $0.1197 to $0.1245/kWh; on-peak demand from $7.66 to $7.97/kW.
+4.0%January 1, 2026
Schedule TOU on-peak energy rose to $0.1295/kWh; on-peak demand to $8.29/kW; Network Access to $5.83/kW.
+4.0%Overall trend: Steadily increasing; Network Access Charge rising fastest (about +20%/yr).
Next expected change: January 1, 2027 — on-peak energy moves to $0.1314/kWh and on-peak demand to $8.41/kW per the adopted plan.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Schedule TOU is dominated by demand and time-of-use charges, the highest-value strategies for Riverside C&I customers focus on shaving the narrow summer on-peak window and managing maximum demand.
Shift load out of summer on-peak (12pm-6pm)
For: Schedule TOU (150 kW+)
On-peak energy ($0.1295/kWh) is ~43% higher than off-peak ($0.0907/kWh) and on-peak demand is $8.29/kW. Shifting process load, charging, and HVAC pre-cooling outside 12pm-6pm summer weekdays cuts both charges.
Peak demand management / battery storage
For: All large C&I
Network Access and demand charges are billed on maximum 15-minute demand. Battery storage or load curtailment to clip demand peaks reduces the fastest-escalating charges.
Enroll in Power Partners demand response
For: Commercial 150 kW+
Commercial customers 150 kW+ earn incentives for reducing load during summer grid-stress events (Jul-Oct).
Benchmark via AB 802 and target efficiency rebates
For: Buildings 50,000+ sq ft
Use AB 802 building data in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to identify inefficiencies, then capture RPU commercial rebates for lighting/HVAC upgrades.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Riverside Public Utilities interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
What rate applies to a large commercial or industrial customer at RPU?▾
Schedule TOU (Large General and Industrial Service) applies to customers designed for 150 kW or greater, or that exceed 150 kW in any two of the prior 12 months. It is fully time-of-use with separate on-peak, mid-peak, and off-peak demand and energy charges. For 2026 the on-peak energy charge is $0.1295/kWh and on-peak demand is $8.29/kW.
When is the on-peak period on Schedule TOU?▾
Summer on-peak (June 1-Sept 30) is 12:00pm-6:00pm weekdays except holidays; winter on-peak is 5:00pm-9:00pm weekdays. Shifting load out of these windows reduces both on-peak energy and demand charges.
Does RPU offer a Green Button download or data API?▾
RPU does not publicly advertise Green Button Download My Data or a customer-data API. Usage is viewed in the WebConnect portal, and large commercial buildings can get building-level annual data through the AB 802 benchmarking program. Contact RPU at (951) 782-0330 to confirm any ESPI/XML availability.
How can a consultant access a customer's RPU data?▾
There is no formal third-party API. Options are credential delegation through WebConnect, or — for buildings 50,000+ sq ft — an AB 802 request submitted with the customer's signed Account Holder Consent Form.
Are RPU's C&I rates increasing?▾
Yes. Under the August 2023 rate plan, Schedule TOU energy, demand, customer, and Network Access charges step up every January 1 through 2028. The Network Access Charge is rising fastest, from $3.87/kW in 2024 to $7.77/kW by 2028.
Can RPU customers shop for a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. RPU is a regulated municipal utility with no retail electric choice. Rates are set by the City of Riverside Board of Public Utilities and City Council, and RPU procures wholesale power through CAISO.
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