Residents in Multnomah County, OR who request quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace spend an average of $179 monthly on electricity. That adds up to $2,148 per year. A different way to look at it is that a typical Multnomah County, OR resident uses 1,022 kWh of electricity per month and 12,264 kWh over the year.
(For what it’s worth: Multnomah County, OR 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 Multnomah County, OR is 18 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh)—roughly 12% 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).
Oregon’s electricity market is regulated for residential customers, which means 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 main utility companies in Oregon:
Pacific Power
Portland General Electric
Idaho Power Company
All three are Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), meaning they're private for-profit companies. There are also many “customer-owned” utility companies in Oregon. Some of these are town or city municipal power departments, and others are privately-owned cooperatives, such as the Central Electric Cooperative and Lane Electric Cooperative. You may pay lower rates with customer-owned utilities, but they may not all offer the same solar programs, such as net metering.
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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 utility customers in Oregon pay a flat rate for each kWh of electricity. While the rate may change over time, it doesn't change throughout the day or based on the energy market. But, some utilities do offer variable-rate plans like a time-of-use energy plan or a demand charge program.
How clean is the electricity in Oregon?
While it's hard to pin down a precise estimate, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 42% of the electricity on Oregon’s utility grid comes from fossil fuels—primarily natural gas—as of August 2025.
An impressive 58% comes from renewable sources. Still, installing a 100% renewable home solar panel system in Oregon will almost always shrink your carbon footprint.
Some utility companies in Oregon provide 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 Oregon 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 Multnomah County, OR homeowners who install them—and pay upfront—break even after an average of just 13.71 years. Then, the solar panels will continue to produce free electricity for years to come.
Does Oregon offer net metering?
On sunny days, your solar panels will usually produce more than enough electricity to meet your needs.
That extra energy doesn't go to waste. The biggest utility companies in Oregon (Pacific Power, Portland General Electric, and Idaho Power Company) offer net metering, a solar buyback program that provides energy credits for all the solar power you send to the grid. When you send electricity from your solar energy system to the grid, you’ll earn credits toward your monthly electric bill. Net metering makes it so you often owe very little, and maybe even nothing, on your power bill.
In Oregon, you can roll over any unused credits until the end of your annual billing cycle, which is typically in March. Any remaining funds after March do not roll over; instead, they go to support the Low Income Energy Assistance Program.
How much can you save with solar?
Electricity prices in the Beaver State are rising. With the help of solar incentives, you can save big when you go solar in Multnomah County, OR.
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 Oregon
Current monthly electric bill | 10-year electricity cost | 20-year electricity cost | 30-year electricity cost |
|---|---|---|---|
$50 | $7,100 | $17,000 | $31,000 |
$100 | $14,000 | $34,000 | $63,000 |
$150 | $21,000 | $51,000 | $94,000 |
$200 | $28,000 | $69,000 | $130,000 |
$250 | $35,000 | $86,000 | $160,000 |
Assuming a 4% annual increase based on inflation and average annual electric rate increases in Oregon.
Let's assume you pay $179 for electricity monthly (the Multnomah County, OR average) and that electricity prices increase by 4% annually. Let's also assume you buy your solar panel system upfront and that it costs you $20,000 before any available incentives.
In the first year with solar, you'll avoid spending $2,100 on electric bills. Over five years, you'll avoid $11,500; by 10 years, you'll have avoided $25,300. Solar panels are usually covered under warranty for 25 years—by then, you'll have avoided spending $84,700 on electric bills in Multnomah County, OR.
The average payback period in Multnomah County, OR is 13.71 years, so by this point, you've already broken even on your investment. When you subtract your upfront installation cost, you'll pocket $64,200 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 Multnomah County, OR:
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.072 Reviews
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified4.7 /5.012 Reviews
Advanced InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.038 Reviews
Advanced InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.01 Review
Advanced InstallerScreened & Verified4.8 /5.023 Reviews
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