Residents in Franklin, WI who request quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace spend an average of $205 monthly on electricity. That adds up to $2,460 per year. A different way to look at it is that a typical Franklin, WI resident uses 1,043 kWh of electricity per month and 12,516 kWh over the year.
(For what it’s worth: Franklin, WI 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 Franklin, WI is 20 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh)—roughly 1% 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).
Wisconsin’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 Wisconsin, all of which are Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), meaning they're private for-profit companies:
We Energies
Wisconsin Power and Light
Xcel Energy
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 utility customers in Wisconsin have the option to sign up for variable rate plans, usually 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 on your monthly electric bill if used alongside a solar or solar-plus-storage system.
How clean is the electricity in Wisconsin?
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 74% of the electricity on Wisconsin’s utility grid comes from fossil fuels—primarily natural gas—as of August 2025.
Only about 13% comes from renewable sources. Given that nearly three-fourths of the grid’s energy comes from fossil fuels, installing a home solar panel system in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Franklin, WI homeowners who install them—and pay upfront—break even after an average of just 12.14 years. Then, the solar panels will continue to produce free electricity for years to come.
Does Wisconsin offer net metering?
When the sun is shining, your solar panels will usually generate more than enough electricity to meet your home's needs at any given moment.
That extra energy doesn't go to waste. In Wisconsin, most utility companies are required to offer customers net metering, a solar buyback program that provides energy credits for all the solar power you send to the grid. Later, when you need to take power from the electricity grid (like at night or on cloudy days), your utility company deducts from your banked energy credits instead of charging you.
Under net metering, what's important is the total amount of solar power you produce throughout the year—not when you produce it. At the end of every month, you'll only be billed for the electricity you take from the grid.
Some utility companies let you roll over credits from month to month and even year to year, while others will give you a check for the value of your remaining credits at the end of the month or year.
How much can you save with solar?
Between rising electricity prices and state solar incentives, you can often save when you go solar in Franklin, WI.
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 Wisconsin
Current monthly electric bill | 10-year electricity cost | 20-year electricity cost | 30-year electricity cost |
|---|---|---|---|
$50 | $6,700 | $15,000 | $26,000 |
$100 | $13,000 | $30,000 | $52,000 |
$150 | $20,000 | $46,000 | $78,000 |
$200 | $27,000 | $61,000 | $100,000 |
$250 | $33,000 | $76,000 | $130,000 |
Assuming a 2% annual increase based on inflation and average annual electric rate increases in Wisconsin.
Let's assume you pay $205 for electricity monthly (the Franklin, WI 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 $26,000 before any available incentives.
In the first year with solar, you'll avoid spending $2,500 on electric bills. Over five years, you'll avoid $12,900; by 10 years, you'll have avoided $27,400. Solar panels are usually covered under warranty for 25 years—by then, you'll have avoided spending $82,900 on electric bills in Franklin, WI.
The average payback period in Franklin, WI is 12.14 years, so by this point, you've already broken even on your investment. When you subtract your upfront installation cost, you'll pocket $57,200 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 Franklin, WI:
Elite+ InstallerScreened & Verified4.8 /5.0363 Reviews
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.031 Reviews
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified4.5 /5.0107 Reviews
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified4.4 /5.014 Reviews
Advanced InstallerScreened & Verified4.7 /5.013 Reviews
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