Fort Collins Will Shift Utility Pricing on October 1

Residents will move to a nonsummer time-of-day electricity schedule for the winter months.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Utilities

Fort Collins Will Shift Utility Pricing on October 1

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Would you change your daily appliance usage to avoid peak-hour electricity rates?

Fort Collins Utilities will transition to a nonsummer time-of-day electricity pricing schedule starting October 1. This change adjusts peak usage hours to between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. daily through April 30.

Why it matters

Time-of-day pricing is designed to reflect the true cost of producing electricity when consumer demand is highest. By shifting demand, the utility aims to manage the strain on the electrical grid during peak periods.

Standard residential customers face peak rates of 29.78 cents per kilowatt hour, while those with electric heating pay 30.65 cents during the same window. Rates also increase for standard customers once usage exceeds 700 kilowatt hours.

The players

Fort Collins Utilities

This is the municipal agency responsible for providing electricity, water, and wastewater services to the residents of Fort Collins.

The details

Under the new schedule, peak electricity hours are restricted to 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, excluding weekends and holidays. Customers utilizing electric home heating systems may apply to use a specific alternative pricing structure provided by the utility.

The nonsummer peak electricity schedule begins on October 1.
The winter pricing period remains in effect through April 30.
Summer peak hours are scheduled from May through September.

Market Landscape

This transition aligns with the industry-wide move toward time-of-use pricing, which replaces legacy flat-rate models that do not account for variable generation costs. The shift positions the utility to better manage load requirements as regional electricity consumption patterns evolve.

Residents should adjust their heavy appliance usage to avoid the 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. peak window to keep monthly bills lower. Customers with electric heating should evaluate their household energy usage and verify if they qualify for the alternative heating-specific pricing tier.

The takeaway

Consumers can mitigate higher costs by running dishwashers or dryers during nonpeak hours before 5 p.m. or after 9 p.m. Understanding your home heating type is essential for determining which specific utility rate schedule will be the most cost-effective during the winter.