Santa Barbara electricity and gas rates
Who supplies power and gas to Santa Barbara houses and what a typical house uses: about 424 kWh of electricity and 35 therms of gas a month. The city adds a 6% utility users tax.
Electricity: Santa Barbara Clean Energy with Southern California Edison delivery
SCE Domestic rate with SBCE Green Start: $0.38379 per kWh in total (generation $0.09631 + SCE delivery $0.26027 + surcharges $0.02721), an average monthly bill of $162.73 at 424 kWh. SCE rates as of June 1, 2026; SBCE rates as of March 15, 2026. SCE's Base Services Charge is $24.15 a month for residential customers not enrolled in CARE or FERA and not living in deed-restricted affordable housing. Santa Barbara Clean Energy serves residents of the City, with SCE delivering and billing. SCE's Schedule DM (multifamily) is exempt from the Base Services Charge; the charge is assessed daily at about $0.80, so it is about $24.15 in a typical month.
| Charge | Price |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $24.15 a month |
| Per kWh | 38.38¢ |
Gas: Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)
SoCalGas's August 2026 average non-CARE residential bill was $68.91 a month, based on a typical 35 therms; its bundled residential average rate (gas transportation, Public Purpose Program surcharge and gas commodity) fell from $2.09 to $2.00 per therm in August, and commodity rates change monthly. SoCalGas's non-CARE residential fixed charge was $0.16 per day as of September 2025.
| Charge | Price |
|---|---|
| Fixed charge | $4.87 a month |
| Per therm | $1.8298 |
Ways to pay less
- Income-qualified: SCE CARE rate. Through SCE's CARE program, qualifying households receive 32.5% off their electric bills; you may qualify based on household size and the total income of everyone living in the home. How: Apply online at sce.com or call SCE's automated line at 1-800-798-5723; no additional documentation is required to apply.
- Income-qualified: SoCalGas CARE. You may qualify for 20% off your monthly natural gas bill through CARE if someone in your household receives public assistance such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh or SSI, or if household income is under the program's limit. How: Apply online with SoCalGas at socalgas.com; no additional documentation is required.
Sources
Checked October 22, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.
Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.