Residents in San Juan County, NM who request quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace spend an average of $133 monthly on electricity. That adds up to $1,596 per year. A different way to look at it is that a typical San Juan County, NM resident uses 940 kWh of electricity per month and 11,280 kWh over the year.
(For what it’s worth: San Juan County, NM residents shopping for solar on EnergySage may use more electricity than a typical household.)
The easiest way to compare electricity costs across regions is to look at the electricity rate. In the U.S., residential rates generally range from 11 ¢/kWh all the way up to 34 ¢/kWh.
As of February 2026, the cost of electricity in San Juan County, NM is 14 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh)—roughly 29% lower than the national average cost. That number is based on real-world electric bills shared with EnergySage over the past 12 months. You can compare that number to the most recent average state electric price reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
New Mexico’s electricity market is regulated, so you can’t choose which company supplies your electricity. Instead, the state determines your electric utility company based on where you live. There are three primary electricity companies in New Mexico, all of which are Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), meaning they're private for-profit companies:
PNM Resources
Xcel Energy
El Paso Electric Company
While the IOUs cover much of the state, some towns and cities are served by municipally-owned, not-for-profit utility companies that aren't subject to the same requirements as IOUs. These organizations may offer lower rates, but they may not provide benefits like net metering (though many still do).
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When you pay your electric bill, you’re not only covering the costs to produce that electricity, but also the costs of running and maintaining the electrical grid, as well as public benefit funds that promote things like renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Electric bill costs are rolled into fixed (monthly customer charges) and variable charges (¢/kWh that you use).
Fixed charges, like the flat fee for having a meter, generally remain the same monthly unless your utility makes a policy update.
Your variable charges will change every month and depend on your electricity rate and how much electricity you use.
Your electric bill's variable charges will include a supply (or generation) charge and a transmission and distribution (or delivery) charge. The supply charge covers the cost of electricity generation, while the transmission and distribution charges cover the cost of delivering it to your home.
Most residents in New Mexico have the option to sign up for variable-rate plans, like time-of-use (TOU) rates or demand charge plans. TOU rates mean you pay different rates per kWh depending on the time of day and season, while demand charge plans can help you save even more money on your monthly electric bill if used with a solar or solar-plus-energy storage system.
How clean is the electricity in New Mexico?
Due to the complex nature of utility grids, it's not easy to pin down exact data regarding exactly where the energy that goes to your specific home comes from, but according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 57% of the electricity on New Mexico’s utility grid comes from fossil fuels—primarily natural gas and coal—as of August 2025.
About 43% comes from renewable sources. That’s a decent amount, but given that more than half of the grid’s energy comes from fossil fuels, installing a home solar panel system in New Mexico will almost always shrink your carbon footprint.
Some electricity suppliers give you the option to pay a bit more so that most (or even all) of your electricity comes from renewable sources. If you’re unwilling or unable to go solar in New Mexico but still want to reduce your carbon footprint, this is a great alternative. It just won’t save you any money in most cases. (Though occasionally it could if it’s through a municipal group-buy program).
As long as you have a suitable roof, one of the surest ways to save on energy is to go solar—ideally with a vetted contractor offering a competitive price.
Solar panels will reduce or even eliminate your electric bills in the short term and protect you against rising electricity costs in the long run, too. The amount you save depends on how much you spend on electricity now and how much of your electric bill you can offset with solar energy.
Solar panels are a big investment, but San Juan County, NM homeowners who install them—and pay upfront—break even after an average of just 11.53 years. Then, the solar panels will continue to produce free electricity for years to come.
Does New Mexico offer net metering?
When the sun is shining, your solar panels will usually generate more than enough energy to meet your home's needs at any given moment.
All that extra energy doesn’t go to waste. In New Mexico, regulated electric companies are required to offer net metering, a solar buyback program that provides energy credits for all the solar power generated and sent to the grid. Later, when you need to pull energy from the grid (like at night or on cloudy days), the utility company deducts from your stored energy credits instead of charging you.
Under net metering, what matters is the total amount of solar power you send to the grid—not when you produce it. At the end of the month, you'll only be billed for the electricity you take from the grid.
How much can you save with solar?
Between rising electricity prices and state solar incentives, you can save big when you go solar in San Juan County, NM.
Just take a look at how much you'll spend on electricity over time based on your current bill. It’s easy to see how going solar can pay off quickly.
Electricity cost over time in New Mexico
Current monthly electric bill | 10-year electricity cost | 20-year electricity cost | 30-year electricity cost |
|---|---|---|---|
$50 | $6,400 | $14,000 | $23,000 |
$100 | $13,000 | $28,000 | $45,000 |
$150 | $19,000 | $42,000 | $68,000 |
$200 | $26,000 | $55,000 | $90,000 |
$250 | $32,000 | $69,000 | $110,000 |
Assuming a 2% annual increase based on inflation and average annual electric rate increases in New Mexico.
Let's assume you pay $133 for electricity monthly (the San Juan County, NM average) and that electricity prices increase by 2% annually. Let's also assume you buy your solar panel system upfront and that it costs you $18,000 before any available incentives.
In the first year with solar, you'll avoid spending $1,600 on electric bills. Over five years, you'll avoid $8,200; by 10 years, you'll have avoided $17,100. Solar panels are usually covered under warranty for 25 years—by then, you'll have avoided spending $48,000 on electric bills in San Juan County, NM.
The average payback period in San Juan County, NM is 11.53 years, so by this point, you've already broken even on your investment. When you subtract your upfront installation cost, you'll pocket $30,100 over 25 years with solar.
Your solar savings depend on you
How much your utility company charges for electricity is a big indicator of how much you'll save with solar. But your exact solar savings depend on your unique situation—including your energy usage, roof layout, system size, and how you pay for your system.
Here are some reasons your savings could be below average:
You don’t use much electricity, or your roof is small or has a less-than-ideal layout. You might have a relatively long payback period, so you'll save a little less over time.
You don't install enough solar panels to 100% offset your energy use. You’ll pay less up front but save less in the long run.
You finance your solar panel system with a loan or sign a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) instead of paying up front. These types of arrangements can make a lot of sense for keeping your capital flexible and will allow you to start saving sooner. But they will cut into your long-term savings.
Choosing a high-quality solar installer is the key to getting a top-notch solar panel system that will help you save on electric bills.
We pre-screen all solar companies on EnergySage to ensure they get the job done right. Here are the highest-rated EnergySage installers in San Juan County, NM:
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.06 Reviews
Approved InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.025 Reviews
Helping customers make informed decisions since 2009.
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