City of Bristol electricity rates
City of Bristol charges an average of 10.81 cents per kilowatt-hour to residential customers, and the average household on its system paid $135 a month using 1,251 kilowatt-hours, according to its 2024 filing with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Municipal utility TVA Tennessee
Where City of Bristol sits
It is a smaller system, serving 29,622 residential customers, which means its fixed costs are spread across a narrow base. At 10.81¢ per kilowatt-hour it is one of the cheaper places to buy electricity in Tennessee, 25.3% under the statewide average of 14.47¢.
Consumption here is high, 1,251 kilowatt-hours a month against a national average of 871. Long cooling seasons, large detached homes and electric resistance heating are the usual causes, and together they matter more to the bill than the rate does.
Owned by the city it serves and governed by a local board rather than the state commission. No shareholder return is built into the rate. That matters because a bill is not only the cost of generating electricity: it also carries the cost of the network, and who owns that network changes how it is paid for.
| Rate | Monthly bill | Monthly kWh | |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Bristol | 10.81¢ | $135 | 1,251 |
| Tennessee average | 14.47¢ | $162 | 1,199 |
| United States average | 18.44¢ | $155 | 871 |
Utility figures: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024. State and national figures: Electric Power Monthly, May 2026. Methodology
Where City of Bristol delivers
Its service territory covers one county in Tennessee.
- Sullivan
How often the power goes out
In 2024 the average City of Bristol customer went 545 minutes without electricity across 2.78 interruptions. The median across the 941 utilities that report this is 185 minutes.
That is far worse than typical, and figures at this level almost always reflect a major storm season rather than everyday performance. A single hurricane or ice storm can dominate the annual number.
Other Tennessee utilities
| Utility | Rate | Bill | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Electric Service | 13.47¢ | $138 | 417,640 |
| City of Memphis | 12.16¢ | $139 | 380,286 |
| Caney Fork Electric Coop, Inc | 12.89¢ | $149 | 29,631 |
| City of Cleveland | 12.53¢ | $138 | 29,331 |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | 13.00¢ | $166 | 29,331 |
City of Bristol rates: common questions
How much does City of Bristol charge per kilowatt-hour?
An average of 10.81 cents per kilowatt-hour across its residential customers in 2024. That is -25.3% against the Tennessee average of 14.47¢ and -41.4% against the national average of 18.44¢. It is an all-in average across every residential rate schedule the utility offers, not a specific tariff.
What is the average City of Bristol bill?
$135 a month, based on total residential revenue divided by residential customers over the 2024 survey year, at an average of 1,251 kWh a month. The national average bill is $155 at 871 kWh.
Who owns City of Bristol?
It is classified by the EIA as a municipal utility. Owned by the city it serves and governed by a local board rather than the state commission. No shareholder return is built into the rate.
Is City of Bristol expensive compared with other Tennessee utilities?
It ranks #82 of the 83 Tennessee utilities covered here, counting from the most expensive. Nationally it ranks #1219 of 1369.