City of Ames: rates, outages and net metering

City of Ames is an municipal utility serving 28,108 customer accounts in Iowa; 24,979 of them are residential. Its SAIDI of 19 minutes is 0.19 times the national median reporter (99).

City of Ames: 570 kWh a month costs roughly $69 in energy at 12.10 ¢/kWh, -9.7% on the Iowa average of 13.40 ¢.

Its SAIDI of 19 minutes is 0.19 times the national median reporter (99).

City of Ames: outage minutes

SAIDI against national median: 0.19x19 minutes against 99

Reliability is the sharpest contrast for City of Ames: 19 minutes a year without power per customer, 0.19 times the national median of 99. Among 4 Iowa utilities that report SAIDI it ranks 1 (1 = fewest minutes); the Iowa median is 68.

SAIFI adds the frequency view: 0.26 interruptions a customer a year, 0.26 times the national median (1.01), with 72 minutes per interruption.

How it compares

City of Ames
City of Ames, 2024	Home	Business	Bill	SAIDI
City of Ames	12.10 ¢/kWh	8.51 ¢/kWh	$69at 570 kWh	19 minSAIDI
Iowa average against this company, which is 2 of 5 on price	+1.30 ¢/kWhcompany 9.7% below	+1.71 ¢/kWhcompany 16.8% below	+$7a month at 570 kWh	+49 mincompany 49 below
MidAmerican Energy CoLowest in this table	11.01 ¢/kWhcompany 9.8% above	8.43 ¢/kWhcompany 0.9% above	$636 less than company	88 mincompany 69 below

Compare 19 Iowa companies

City of Ames: 2025

City of Ames: +0.2% on 2024 for homes, Iowa +2.4%.

City of Ames home price, 2025: 12.12 ¢/kWh+0.2% on 2024, early release
City of Ames SAIDI, 2025: 21 min+12% on 2024, early release
City of Ames against Iowa, 2025: -2.2 pointsCity of Ames +0.2%, Iowa +2.4%, price in Iowa 13.72 ¢

City of Ames reported 12.12 ¢/kWh for homes in 2025, +0.2% on its 2024 figure of 12.10, while the Iowa average moved +2.4%. Its SAIDI is 21 minutes against 19 in 2024.

Carbon context

City of Ames serves 24,979 homes in Iowa. At 570 kWh a month that is about 163 kg of CO₂, or 1,956 kg a year, at the Iowa plant rate, state generation and not this utility: Iowa generation mix.

City of Ames charts

Residential price since 2015: 12.10 ¢ in 2024

11.24 ¢ in 2015, 12.10 ¢ in 2024 (+7.6%); Iowa 11.63 to 13.40 ¢.

City of Ames residential price 2015-2024, 2015 to 2024: 10 rows

Year	City of Ames	Gap to Iowa residential	Gap to U.S. residential
2015	11.24	-0.39	-1.41
2016	10.70	-1.24	-1.85
2017	12.04	-0.30	-0.85
2018	11.67	-0.57	-1.20
2019	11.64	-0.82	-1.37
2020	11.60	-0.86	-1.55
2021	11.55	-1.18	-2.11
2022	11.73	-1.42	-3.31
2023	12.19	-1.12	-3.81
2024	12.10	-1.30	-4.38

10 rows from EIA retail sales.

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City of Ames SAIDI, 2015-2024

39 min in 2015, 19 in 2024.

City of Ames SAIDI by year, 2015 to 2024: 10 rows

Year	City of Ames, no major events
2015	39
2016	95
2017	40
2018	40
2019	16
2020	35
2021	37
2022	16
2023	15
2024	19

10 rows from EIA-861 survey.

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Reliability: SAIDI 18.8 min

18.8 min, 0.19x the median reporter, rank 51 of 673.

min

Company, no major events18.8
Company, with major events39.2

City of Ames, Reliability: EIA-861 survey.

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Analyst note

From 11.24 ¢ in 2015 to 12.10 ¢ in 2024, a move of +7.6%: City of Ames lagged its state (+15.2%) by 7.6 points, and -22.7 points against the U.S. City of Ames's sharpest move came in 2017, +12.5%. The high is 12.19 ¢ (2023) and the low 10.70 ¢ (2016). 2024: -0.8% here, +0.7% for the Iowa average. SAIDI at City of Ames (major events excluded) fell from 39 minutes in 2015 to 19 in 2024, -52%; best year 2023 at 15. Against the national median, City of Ames came in lower on SAIDI in 10 of 10 years, and 2024 ended at 19 minutes, -81 from the median. 2020: 2137 minutes with major events, 35 without, the widest gap of any year. City of Ames has 1 cheaper and 3 higher-priced Iowa peers among 5 with 20,000+ homes. Next cheaper, MidAmerican Energy Co, bills 11.01 ¢ (-1.08). Next higher-priced, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, bills 13.56 ¢ (+1.46).

The data favor customers here: bills run 9.7% under the Iowa norm, and 19 outage minutes sit 81% under the national median.

Home accounts at City of Ames went from 22,810 in 2015 to 24,979 in 2024, +9.5%. Business customers paid 0.70 times the home price in 2024 (8.51 against 12.10 ¢); the ratio was 0.70 in 2015. SAIFI went from 0.86 in 2015 to 0.26 in 2024, between 0.13 and 0.96.

Outages and home price of City of Ames (EIA utility 554), 2013 to 2024

By 2024 the average City of Ames customer sat through 19 minutes of outage, against 23 in 2013 (−18%). Its best year was 2023 (15 min), its worst 2016 (95 min), across 12 filed years. Against a Iowa median of 66 minutes in 2024, City of Ames was below the middle.

Corrected for inflation, a City of Ames home paid 12.41 ¢/kWh in 2024 against 15.72 ¢ in 2013, −21.0%; the bill itself went 11.38 ¢ to 12.10 ¢ (+6.3%). A home using 1,000 kWh a month paid $1,886 for the year at the 2013 real price and $1,490 at the 2024 price. Place on home price: 32nd cheapest of 73 in 2013, 4th of 21 in 2024 among Iowa utilities with 1,000+ homes.

City of Ames outage minutes a customer, 2013 to 2024: 19 in 2024

City of Ames at 19 min in 2024 and the Iowa median at 66.

City of Ames home price since 2013: −21.0% after inflation

City of Ames: 12.41 ¢ in 2025 dollars (solid) and 12.10 ¢ as billed (dashed) in 2024.

City of Ames, EIA utility 554, year by year among Iowa utilities

City of Ames 2013-2024: 12 rows

Year, City of Ames	¢ billed	¢ in 2025 $	Price place, City of Ames	SAIDI min	SAIFI	SAIDI place, City of Ames	Iowa median SAIDI
2013	11.38	15.72	32 of 73	23	1.00	3 of 21	79
2014	11.42	15.53	32 of 74	64	0.52	9 of 22	71
2015	11.24	15.27	27 of 74	39	0.86	5 of 22	53
2016	10.70	14.35	21 of 74	95	0.96	16 of 22	79
2017	12.04	15.81	31 of 73	40	0.52	5 of 20	62
2018	11.67	14.96	31 of 73	40	0.52	3 of 21	93
2019	11.64	14.66	30 of 79	16	0.19	3 of 24	85
2020	11.60	14.43	5 of 21	35	0.35	3 of 12	64
2021	11.55	13.72	5 of 21	37	0.60	3 of 12	73
2022	11.73	12.90	5 of 21	16	0.16	3 of 13	68
2023	12.19	12.88	5 of 21	15	0.13	3 of 13	55
2024	12.10	12.41	4 of 21	19	0.26	3 of 13	66

City of Ames, EIA utility 554: EIA-861, CPI-U.

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SAIDI explained, Iowa real prices.

Facts

Customer accounts: 28,1081.6% of Iowa total
Residential accounts: 24,9791.7% of Iowa homes
Commercial accounts: 3,12111.1% of the base
Residential rate: 12.10 ¢/kWhplace 2 of 5, -9.7% against the state
Commercial rate: 8.51 ¢/kWhplace 3 of 10, -16.8% against the state
SAIDI, no major events: 18.8 minbetter than 93% of reporters
SAIFI, no major events: 0.260.26x the median
SAIDI with major events: 39.2 min52.1% from event days
Net-metered capacity: 2.3 MW926 installations
Counties served: 1all in Iowa
Average residential use: 6,845 kWh/yr570 a month
Implied monthly bill: $69-$25 on the U.S. rate, 570 kWh
Residential rate since 2015: +7.6%11.24 to 12.10 ¢/kWh
SAIDI trend: -52%39 min in 2015, 19 in 2024

Data tables

2024 by sector, City of Ames

City of Ames sector	Accounts	Rate ¢/kWh	Gap to Iowa ¢/kWh
Residential	24,979	12.10	-1.30
Commercial	3,121	8.51	-1.71

Year by year, City of Ames

Year	Home accounts, City of Ames	Home ¢	Business ¢	Ratio	SAIDI	SAIFI
2015	22,810	11.24	7.86	0.70	39	0.86
2016	23,122	10.70	7.22	0.68	95	0.96
2017	23,445	12.04	8.60	0.71	40	0.52
2018	23,946	11.67	8.25	0.71	40	0.52
2019	23,943	11.64	8.13	0.70	16	0.19
2020	24,342	11.60	8.14	0.70	35	0.35
2021	24,900	11.55	8.19	0.71	37	0.60
2022	24,889	11.73	8.71	0.74	16	0.16
2023	24,832	12.19	8.48	0.70	15	0.13
2024	24,979	12.10	8.51	0.70	19	0.26

Peers of City of Ames in Iowa, place 2 of 5 on home price

Utility near City of Ames on price	SAIDI min, gap to City of Ames	Home ¢, gap to City of Ames	Gap % to City of Ames	Accounts, City of Ames = 1
1. MidAmerican Energy Co	+69	-1.08	-9.0%	26.27
2. City of Ames (this utility)	19	12.10	-	1.00
3. Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop	+80	+1.46	+12.1%	0.86
4. Linn County REC	+97	+2.13	+17.6%	1.24
5. Interstate Power and Light Co	No data	+5.81	+48.0%	17.94

Who buys City of Ames's electricity

Class at City of Ames	Accounts	Of City of Ames accounts	Of City of Ames MWh sold	kWh a year per City of Ames account
Residential	24,979	88.9%	26.3%	6,845
Commercial	3,121	11.1%	51.4%	107,208
Industrial and other	8	0.03%	22.3%	18,149,125

City of Ames: meters, rate options and solar

Measure	City of Ames	Iowa context	City of Ames detail
Time-of-use rate for City of Ames homes	Not on file	8 of 18 Iowa utilities offer one	no dynamic-pricing count filed by City of Ames
Net-metered installations	926	95% residential	35.2 homes per 1,000 accounts, 2.5 kW average

Monthly energy cost by use, City of Ames

kWh	Share of a 570 kWh month	Cost a month at 12.10 ¢	vs U.S.	Cost a year
250	44%	$30.24	-$10.96	$363
500	88%	$60.48	-$21.92	$726
750	131%	$90.72	-$32.88	$1,089
1,000	175%	$120.96	-$43.84	$1,451
1,500	263%	$181.44	-$65.76	$2,177
2,000	351%	$241.92	-$87.68	$2,903

Outage record, City of Ames

Measure, City of Ames	No events	All events	Converted
SAIDI minutes	18.8	39.2	0.31 h
SAIFI interruptions	0.260	0.470	3.85 yr apart
CAIDI minutes	72.2	83.3	1.20 h

Territory of City of Ames

1 Iowa counties, region MRO:

Iowa other states: 1 of 1 county of City of Ames drawn

City of Ames: 1 county listed by EIA-861, Census 2023 outlines.

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County list

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Questions on City of Ames

How many customers does City of Ames serve in Iowa?

28,108 accounts in 2024: residential 24,979, commercial 3,121, industrial 8.

What is the average residential rate of City of Ames?

In 2024 homes paid 12.10 cents; against the Iowa average that is -9.7%.

How reliable is City of Ames by SAIDI and SAIFI?

SAIDI 18.8 min and SAIFI 0.26 a year, major events excluded; ratio to the national median 0.19, CAIDI 72 min.

How much solar net metering is on the City of Ames grid?

926 installations with 2.3 MW, of which residential installations number 879.

What is the monthly bill at City of Ames for average use?

570 kWh at 12.10 cents comes to about $69, energy only.

How does City of Ames rank on price within Iowa?

Rank 2 of 5 in Iowa on price, -9.7% against the state average; 1 charge less than 12.10 ¢.

What share of City of Ames sales do homes buy?

Homes take 26.3% of 650,763 MWh, commercial accounts 51.4%, industrial and other 22.3%; the 3,121 commercial accounts use 107,208 kWh each, 15.7 times a home.

At City of Ames, are smart meters in homes, with a TOU option?

City of Ames reports no home time-of-use rate; 8 of 18 Iowa filers do.

Has City of Ames moved up the Iowa price list since 2015?

2nd cheapest of 5 in 2015, 2nd of 5 in 2024; its price rose 7.6% while Iowa rose 15.2%.

What did City of Ames charge homes in 2025?

12.12 cents per kWh, +0.2% on the 12.10 of 2024 (EIA early release for 2025).

Utilities with a similar home price

Home prices nearest to City of Ames at 12.10 ¢/kWh in 2024, among companies with a page here, any state.

Medina Electric Coop, IncTexas, 12.10 ¢/kWh, 0.00 ¢ below
City of OcalaFlorida, 12.11 ¢/kWh, 0.01 ¢ above
Carteret-Craven El Member CorpNorth Carolina, 12.15 ¢/kWh, 0.05 ¢ above
City of MemphisTennessee, 12.16 ¢/kWh, 0.06 ¢ above

Rate plans on file

1 home plan record, energy charges: 9.7 to 11.7 ¢/kWh.

Time-of-use: 1, e.g. Residential

Who offers time-of-use and tiered rates (17 Apr 2026 snapshot).

Primary sources for City of Ames: rates, outages and net metering

EIA-861 annual report entry for City of Ames: rates, outages and net metering, customers and sales
EIA-861 form instructions for City of Ames: rates, outages and net metering, how a customer is counted
EIA state profiles for City of Ames: rates, outages and net metering, the state price average