New Berlin, Wisconsin
Your complete local energy guide: electricity rates, solar panels, home batteries, generators, and EV charging. Compare costs, incentives, permits, and find local installation professionals.
Your complete New Berlin energy guide
Everything you need to find and understand about energy in New Berlin: what electricity costs, who supplies it, and how solar, home batteries, generators and EV charging fit your home, with local incentives, permits and where to start.
New Berlin energy dashboard
General information
What every New Berlin home deals with, whatever you installWhat this means for your home
Short answers, from the local numbersHeating and cooling. New Berlin has about 7,180 heating degree-days and 630 cooling degree-days a year (NASA POWER, base 65°F), at about 820 feet. Insulate and seal the attic and ducts, service the heating system, and ask your utility about time-of-use plans.
Wisconsin electricity costs →Rooftop solar in New Berlin makes roughly 1,130 kWh a year per kW of panels (our estimate from NASA POWER sunshine of 3.87 kWh per square meter per day). We Energies’ net metering rate (CGS NM, under 300 kW) nets what you send out against what you take in during each billing period; any excess is credited at its avoided energy cost rate, $0.03636 per kWh on the flat residential rate for 2026. Interconnection follows the PSC 119 rules, and a home battery or EV that backs up the house only when the grid is down needs a separate backup generation application. Size solar to what you use at home, or pair it with a battery.
Wisconsin incentives →Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator. FEMA rates Waukesha County cold waves “relatively high”.
Get a quote →Tell us your project and your city and we match you with a licensed installer who serves your area. It is free, with no obligation.
Request a quote →Tags show the scope of each number: New Berlin, a whole utility, Wisconsin, or the U.S. Data checked October 21, 2026; sources are listed at the bottom. Utility figures are for the whole utility, not New Berlin alone. The numbers for each solution are in its own section below, in its own color: solar yellow, battery green, generator red, EV purple.
How we rank: price and outage ranks compare Wisconsin with the other states and D.C. (EIA Electric Power Monthly, July 2026; EIA-861 reliability reports, 2024). Sun: NASA POWER. Public charging: AFDC, October 2026.
New Berlin electricity providers
Do not assume every New Berlin home has the same provider. Wisconsin Electric Power serves homes in New Berlin. Check the top of your bill, or ask the utility with your address.
- Type: investor-owned.
- Home customers (2024): 1,048,148.
- Price: 19.23 cents per kWh on average, utility-wide (EIA-861).
- Outage minutes (2024): 109 normal days, 296 with major events.
- Solar export: We Energies’ net metering rate (CGS NM, under 300 kW) nets what you send out against what you take in during each billing period; any excess is credited at its avoided energy cost rate, $0.03636 per kWh on the flat residential rate for 2026. Interconnection follows the PSC 119 rules, and a home battery or EV that backs up the house only when the grid is down needs a separate backup generation application.
- Programs: An EV charging pilot credits $0.04 per kWh for charging between midnight and 8 a.m. on the standard rate (up to 400 kWh a month) and offers time-of-use rates; we found no We Energies home battery or charger-hardware rebate.
Program details are from each utility’s own pages, read October 2026; we have not verified anything we do not state. Statewide: Wisconsin utilities.
New Berlin electricity rates and average bills
In New Berlin the price you pay is set by your own utility: We Energies, Alliant, WPS, Xcel and Madison Gas and Electric rates go through the Public Service Commission, while city utilities and co-ops set theirs through their boards or councils. The averages below are for each whole utility, not one street; your bill is the real number.
| Utility | Price we confirmed |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Electric Power | 19.23 cents per kWh, utility-wide average, 2024 (EIA-861) |
Wisconsin average residential price, July 2026: 19.06 cents per kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, preliminary), against 18.31 for the U.S. This state number is not a price for New Berlin alone.
Why electricity bills are high in New Berlin
- Heating. New Berlin has about 7,180 heating degree-days a year (NASA POWER, base 65°F), so heating is the big load.
- Which utility you have. In 2024 Madison Gas and Electric homes averaged 20.34 cents per kWh and We Energies homes 19.23, against 15.83 for Xcel and 16.23 for WPS (EIA-861), so the same use costs more on some bills.
- Long, very cold winters. FEMA rates cold waves very high across the state, so heating drives the winter bill; ask Focus on Energy about heat pump discounts and use time-of-use rates only if you can shift use.
- Your plan and your home. The rate plan, the size and age of the house, and when you use power all change the bill; compare plans before you assume the price is fixed.
Most of this is cooling or heating and timing, which means a lot of it can be changed. See our guide to what uses the most electricity, and the next section.
How to lower your electric bill in New Berlin
- Check your rate plan. Ask about time-of-use rates at We Energies, WPS and MGE, and about the overnight EV charging credit ($0.04 per kWh at We Energies and WPS).
- Move big loads out of the peak. Run the dishwasher, laundry and EV charging when power is cheapest on your plan.
- Attack heating and cooling first. Shade windows, seal and insulate the attic and ducts, service the air conditioner and use a smart thermostat.
- Pick efficient equipment. See our guide to lowering your electric bill.
- Size solar to your own use. It saves the most on power you use at home; see the solar section below.
- Add a battery if exports pay little. It moves midday power into the evening peak.
- Charge an EV cheaply. Use the cheap hours on your plan.
We have not put dollar savings on these steps because they depend on your home and plan. Use the calculators in the cost section to test your own numbers.
Power outages and backup power in New Berlin
In 2024 the average Wisconsin Electric Power customer lost 109 minutes of power in a normal year (296 with major events; EIA-861, whole utility). FEMA rates the biggest risks in Waukesha County as: cold waves (relatively high); hail (relatively high); tornadoes (relatively high).
- Cold waves (relatively high): Cold waves raise demand and can cause both outages and frozen pipes. Keep at least one room warm with a battery-run heater circuit or a generator.
- Hail (relatively high): Hail is hard on rooftop solar; ask installers about impact-rated panels and your insurer about coverage.
- Tornadoes (relatively high): Tornado-season storms cut power quickly. A battery that switches on by itself, or a portable generator ready to go, covers the first night; sirens and weather radios need power too.
| Backup option | Best for | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Portable power station | Phones, internet, a fan and small medical devices | Power stations |
| Home battery | Silent, automatic backup; works with solar | New Berlin battery guide |
| Standby generator | Multi-day outages and central air conditioning | New Berlin generator guide |
See also our backup power guide.
Solar panels in New Berlin
About 1,130 kWh a year from each kW of rooftop panels here (our estimate). We Energies, WPS and Alliant net your solar against your use within the billing period and credit surplus at about 3.6 to 4.3 cents per kWh; Xcel and MGE net at or near the retail rate, and city utilities and co-ops set their own terms.
- Permits come from City of New Berlin Department of Community Development; the utility must approve the connection before you switch on.
Info about Solar Panel Installation in New BerlinGet solar quotes
Home batteries in New Berlin
A battery keeps the essentials running in an outage and moves midday power into the expensive evening peak. Heat limits where it can go, and local permits apply.
- It earns the most where evening power costs more than midday power or where a utility pays for sharing it.
Info about Home Battery Installation in New BerlinGet battery quotes
Backup generators in New Berlin
A standby generator runs as long as it has fuel, which suits multi-day storms and big loads like central air conditioning. A transfer switch keeps it from feeding power back to the grid.
- Natural gas or propane: a propane tank may need its own permit.
Info about Backup Generator Installation in New BerlinGet generator quotes
EV chargers in New Berlin
Most charging happens at home on a Level 2 charger, and your rate plan decides what it costs.
- A licensed electrician installs it, usually with a permit.
Info about Home EV Charger Installation in New BerlinGet EV charger quotes
Find fueling and charging stations in New Berlin
Looking for a charger or a fuel pump near you? Each card below opens its own page, with a map that starts on New Berlin, the station counts, the price of the fuel, how it compares with the others, and what to know before you go. Station data: U.S. Department of Energy, read 2026-10-22.
Station counts: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, public stations open 2026-10-22.
Not on the map, or something wrong? Submit a new station or report a change to the U.S. Department of Energy, which runs the map.
New Berlin energy system costs and savings
We could not find verified installed prices for New Berlin alone, so these are the closest sourced figures, labeled by where they come from. Real quotes depend on your home, equipment and installer.
| Solution | Typical cost (source) | What it can save | Try the calculator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panels | $3.05 a watt in Wisconsin (EnergySage, October 2026); about $18,300 for a 6 kW system (our arithmetic) | Each kW makes about 1,130 kWh a year (our estimate); used at home it saves your retail price per kWh | Solar savings |
| Home battery | About $16,683 for 13 kWh in Wisconsin (EnergySage, before incentives) | Moves cheap midday or night power into the expensive evening; some utilities pay for sharing it | Battery sizing |
| Standby generator | $8,000 to $16,000 installed incl. generator (Generac, U.S.) | No savings; avoids losses in outages | Generator sizing |
| EV charger | About $800 to $3,000 before the charger (EnergySage, U.S. range) | Charging at home costs less than most public fast charging | EV charging cost |
Each guide has a calculator built for New Berlin: solar, battery, generator and EV.
Rebates, tax credits and financing in Wisconsin (checked October 21, 2026)
| Program | Status | What we confirmed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D): solar and batteries | ENDED | Not allowed for expenditures after December 31, 2025; solar or a battery finished in 2026 gets nothing. | IRS |
| Federal charger credit (30C) | ENDED | Not allowed for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. | IRS |
| Federal EV purchase credit (30D) | ENDED | Not allowed for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. | IRS |
| Focus on Energy solar rebate | ACTIVE | $600 per kW DC up to $2,400 for systems bought and installed in 2026 at homes served by a participating utility; apply within 60 days and by Jan. 31, 2027 | Focus on Energy |
| Wisconsin solar property-tax exemption | ACTIVE | Solar energy systems are exempt from general property tax; file form PR-303 with the local assessor by March 1 | Wisconsin Department of Revenue |
| Wisconsin sales tax exemption: solar and wind products | ACTIVE | Products that make at least 200 watts of AC from sunlight or wind are exempt from state sales tax; whether batteries qualify is not confirmed | Wis. Admin. Code Tax 11.10 |
| Wisconsin Electric Power: solar and programs | CHECK | We Energies’ net metering rate (CGS NM, under 300 kW) nets what you send out against what you take in during each billing period; any excess is credited at its avoided energy cost rate, $0.03636 per kWh on the flat residential rate for 2026. Interconnection follows the PSC 119 rules, and a home battery or EV that backs up the house only when the grid is down needs a separate backup generation application. An EV charging pilot credits $0.04 per kWh for charging between midnight and 8 a.m. on the standard rate (up to 400 kWh a month) and offers time-of-use rates; we found no We Energies home battery or charger-hardware rebate. | See the utility’s own pages |
Financing. You can pay cash, borrow, or lease or sign a power purchase agreement, and each changes who gets any incentive. Ask any company offering a lease who claims what and what you pay in total. Compare the options in our buy versus lease guide.
A generator has never qualified for a federal credit. Rules and amounts change, so check each program page before you count on it, and talk to a tax professional about your own situation. Statewide detail: Wisconsin incentives table.
Compare energy solutions for your New Berlin home
| Solar panels | Home battery | Standby generator | EV charger | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Make your own power | Store power; backup; peak shifting | Make power in an outage | Charge a car at home |
| Typical cost (not New Berlin quotes) | $3.05 a watt in Wisconsin (EnergySage) | $16,683 for 13 kWh in Wisconsin (EnergySage) | $8,000 to $16,000 installed incl. generator (Generac) | About $800 to $3,000 before the charger (EnergySage) |
| Installation factors | Roof, shade, panel size, utility approval | Location (heat), panel, program rules, permits | Gas line or propane tank, pad, transfer switch, permits | Panel capacity, distance to panel, outdoor rating |
| Operating cost | None; small inverter replacement later | None; may earn utility payments | Fuel while it runs | Electricity |
| Maintenance | Occasional cleaning and checks | Little; app monitoring | Oil and filter, annual inspection, exercise runs | Little |
| Financial benefit | Bill savings, mainly on power used at home | Evening-peak savings, any utility bonus | None; avoids loss during outages | Lower fuel cost than gasoline |
| Backup in an outage | Only with a battery or special inverter | Yes, silent and automatic | Yes, for as long as fuel lasts | No (unless vehicle-to-home equipment) |
| Works well with | Battery, EV | Solar, EV overnight | Battery for short outages | Solar, time-of-use plan |
Common combinations in New Berlin: solar plus battery for bill savings and backup; battery plus generator for everyday outages and multi-day events; solar plus an EV charger on a time-of-use plan.
New Berlin energy permits, regulations and installation rules
| Project | City permit office | Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | City of New Berlin Department of Community Development. Permit applications are made at City Hall, and the electrical permit must be filed by a licensed contractor under the Wisconsin electrical code. | Interconnection approval before you switch on |
| Home battery | The same office; ask whether a fire-department or placement rule applies to batteries | Interconnection approval; ask about battery requirements |
| Generator | Electrical permit, and a gas or propane permit where required | Ask the utility about transfer-switch rules |
| EV charger | Electrical permit from the same office | Optional rate plans or rebates |
- City permit page: City of New Berlin Department of Community Development.
- HOAs: We could not confirm a Wisconsin law that overrides private HOA rules; Wis. Stat. 66.0401 limits what cities and counties may do, so read your declaration and ask the association in writing.
- Contractors: check the license on the DSPS credential lookup (electricians and electrical contractors).
- Details and links are on each guide: solar, battery, generator, EV charger. Statewide rules: Wisconsin laws and permits.
Find local energy installers and get quotes in New Berlin
We do not rank or rate companies. When you compare solar installers, battery installers, generator installers and EV charger installers in New Berlin, ask each bid to include:
- License: a license you can check on the DSPS credential lookup (electricians and electrical contractors).
- Sizing to your loads and your rate plan.
- Itemized, written price: equipment models, permits, utility fees and what is excluded.
- Warranty and service: who services the system if the installer closes.
- Permits and inspections: who pulls them, and whether the utility paperwork is included.
Pick what you need, tell us about your home, and we will reply ourselves. Need more than one? Send a request for the first and mention the others in the message. Nothing is shared with an installer unless you choose one. We are lining up independent, licensed installers in the New Berlin area. Read how it works.
New Berlin energy FAQs
Which utility serves my New Berlin home?
It depends on your address. Wisconsin Electric Power serves homes in New Berlin. Check the top of your electric bill or ask the utility with your address.
Is solar worth it in New Berlin?
Rooftop solar here makes about 1,130 kWh a year per kW of panels (our estimate). Solar you use, or net within the billing period, offsets the full price, but surplus is credited at only about 3.6 to 4.3 cents per kWh at We Energies, WPS and Alliant, while Xcel and MGE net at or near the retail rate. Wisconsin has no state solar tax credit, but Focus on Energy pays $600 per kW up to $2,400 and solar equipment is exempt from sales and property tax. See the Wisconsin incentives.
Is there a federal tax credit in 2026?
No. The 25D credit for solar and batteries ended for expenditures after December 31, 2025, the charger credit ended after June 30, 2026, and the EV purchase credit ended after September 30, 2025 (IRS). Wisconsin has no state income tax credit for home solar that we could find; its state benefits are the sales tax exemption, the property tax exemption and the Focus on Energy rebate.
Should I get a battery or a generator in New Berlin?
A battery is silent and automatic, works with solar and can save money at the evening peak. A generator keeps running as long as it has fuel and suits multi-day outages. Many homes choose a battery first; see the comparison table above.
How much does home battery installation cost in New Berlin?
EnergySage’s data shows about $16,683 for a 13 kWh battery in Wisconsin before incentives; local quotes differ.
What do I need to power my air conditioner in an outage?
It takes a large battery system or a standby generator, because starting a central air conditioner needs far more power than running it. Check your unit’s nameplate and consider a soft starter, or back up a window or mini-split unit instead.
How much does a home EV charger install cost?
EnergySage’s U.S. range is about $800 to $3,000 before the charger; your panel and wiring decide your price. We Energies and WPS credit $0.04 per kWh for charging a battery EV between midnight and 8 a.m. on their standard rates (up to 400 kWh a month), and MGE offers an EV time-of-use rate; Wisconsin has no state EV purchase credit that we could find.
Do I need a permit?
Usually yes for all four. City of New Berlin Department of Community Development handles permits in New Berlin. The utility must approve any system that connects to your wiring.
Does weather affect solar panels, batteries and generators?
Yes. Panels lose a little output when hot, many batteries reduce power in extreme heat or cold, and generators derate in heat. Pick equipment rated for New Berlin’s weather.
How do I choose an installer?
Ask for the contractor license number and look it up on the DSPS credential lookup (electricians and electrical contractors), get itemized written bids, make sure the installer sizes the system to your loads and your rate plan, and check warranty and service. We do not rank installers.
New Berlin energy resources
- New Berlin solar panel installation
- New Berlin home battery installation
- New Berlin backup generator installation
- New Berlin home EV charger installation
- Milwaukee and Southeast energy guide
- West Allis energy guide
- Waukesha energy guide
- Brookfield energy guide
- Wauwatosa energy guide
- Milwaukee energy guide
- Wisconsin energy guide
- Solar savings calculator
- Battery backup calculator
- Generator sizing calculator
- EV charging cost calculator
- DIY solar kits
- Solar generators
- Backup power guide
- Incentives guide
Sources and data checks
About the price and outage numbers at the top of this page: 2024 averages for each whole utility (EIA-861), not your plan or street. Outage time is a normal year without major storms. In the Texas retail-choice area the price shown is the state average, because the wires companies do not sell power.
Each linked guide lists its own sources and the items we could not confirm. We re-check these pages and welcome corrections.
| What | Applies to | Source | Checked | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility prices and outages | Wisconsin Electric Power (whole utility, 2024) | EIA Form 861 | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| State price and rank | Wisconsin | EIA Electric Power Monthly | October 21, 2026 | Verified (preliminary) |
| Sunshine and climate | New Berlin | NASA POWER | October 21, 2026 | Verified (our estimate of output) |
| Hazards | Waukesha County | FEMA National Risk Index | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| Public charging and fuel stations | New Berlin | Alternative Fuels Data Center | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| Federal credits | U.S. | IRS | October 21, 2026 | Verified |
| City permits | New Berlin | City of New Berlin Department of Community Development | October 21, 2026 | Verified page; confirm details |
| Costs | Wisconsin, U.S. | EnergySage; Generac | October 21, 2026 | Verified (not New Berlin quotes) |
General information, not financial, tax, legal or electrical advice. Estimates are ours and are not promises. See our editorial policy.