In short: Inside Burlington, the city-owned Burlington Electric Department charged about 18.9¢ per kWh in 2024, well below Green Mountain Power’s 22.1¢ in the suburbs. BED pays up to $5,000 toward a new EV and $900 toward a home charger. Burlington gets less sun than southern Vermont, and the Champlain Valley took Debby’s worst damage in 2024.
Below: what each Burlington-area utility offers for solar, batteries and EVs, the city’s solar permit checklist, and storm planning. For statewide rules (net metering rates, the plug-in solar law, tax exemptions, licensing), see our Vermont energy guide.
Burlington at a glance
- Utilities: Burlington Electric Department (BED) serves the city of Burlington. In the rest of Chittenden County, EIA lists Green Mountain Power (GMP) and Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC). Check your bill.
- Price, 2024 average: BED about 18.9¢ per kWh, GMP 22.1¢, VEC 23.3¢ (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales).
- Outages, 2024: VEC 896 minutes per customer with major events, 232 without; GMP reported 667 and 281 under a different standard (EIA-861). BED’s figure was not usable.
- Sun: about 3.53 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,030 kWh a year per kW of panels; BED says about 1,100 for a well-aimed, unshaded array.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Chittenden County “relatively high” for lightning and “relatively moderate” for ice storms, river flooding, strong wind and winter weather.
- Public charging: Burlington 181 public ports, South Burlington 121, Williston 25, Colchester 19, Essex 13 (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Burlington Electric Department (city of Burlington):
- Rates: as posted, the standard residential rate has a $10.97 monthly charge, 14.4¢ for the first 100 kWh and 19.7¢ after that, plus an efficiency charge and the city’s 3.5% franchise fee. A 2.99% rate change applies to bills from October 1, 2026. A residential time-of-use rate is available.
- Solar: BED keeps two running totals, your exports and your use, and the export credit can differ from the usage price (solar billing). Its distributed generation map rates each circuit’s room for new solar; on a “low” circuit, a system impact study is required.
- EVs: rebates of $5,000 for a new all-electric vehicle ($5,700 if income-qualified), $2,000 for a new plug-in hybrid and $1,300 for a used EV, for vehicles up to $60,000 registered in Burlington, through 2026. The charger rebate is up to $900 ($1,000 if income-qualified), capped at 75% of installed cost, for a ChargePoint Home Flex enrolled in BED’s EV rate. That rate credits about 9¢ per kWh for charging between 10 p.m. and noon.
Green Mountain Power (most suburbs; check your bill) has the state’s best-known battery programs. Besides the battery lease on our state page, its Bring Your Own Device program pays $850 per kW of battery enrolled for three-hour discharge, or $950 per kW for four hours, up to $10,500, in return for sharing stored energy at peaks. Before storms likely to cause outages, GMP takes steps so you have backup. For EVs, GMP pays up to $1,500 on a new all-electric car ($2,500 with the income adder) and lends a free Level 2 charger, with up to $500 toward installation on its discount EV rates.
Vermont Electric Co-op serves parts of the county; its website blocked our checks, so ask it directly about programs.
Backup power in Burlington
Wind and summer storms are the local pattern. When the remnants of Debby hit in August 2024, GMP said the most severe damage was in the Champlain Valley, with winds over 60 mph; by the next day it had restored more than 36,000 customers, with about 9,900 still waiting. Lightning is the county’s top-rated hazard, and ice storms rate moderate.
- GMP homes: a home battery through the lease or BYOD gives automatic backup and earns money. Size it with the battery backup calculator.
- Longer outages or wells: a generator with a transfer switch. See generator installation and the generator sizing tool.
- Apartments: a portable power station.
Compare options in our backup power guide. Run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house with the exhaust pointed away, and keep carbon monoxide alarms inside (CPSC).
Solar in Burlington
By our rough estimate, a 6 kW system makes about 6,200 kWh a year here. Used at home, that would have been worth about $1,170 at BED’s 2024 average price or $1,370 at GMP’s. The city’s lower price means slower payback inside Burlington, so check your circuit on BED’s map and get several bids, as BED advises. These are estimates, not quotes.
Check your roof with the solar potential tool and solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how net metering works.
Home batteries in Burlington
For GMP customers, batteries pay: 5 kW enrolled in BYOD at three hours would earn $4,250, or you can lease two batteries instead. BED does not list a home battery rebate, so inside the city a battery is mainly backup, and BED notes that solar alone shuts off in an outage without one. See battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging in Burlington
At 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs about $5.70 per 100 miles at BED’s 2024 average price, before the EV rate credit, or $6.60 on GMP (our estimate). The five cities share 359 public ports, and since May 2026 two linked DC fast chargers on St. Paul Street deliver up to 125 kW. BED’s public chargers cost 25¢ per kWh. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and permits. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Burlington: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Burlington: the Permitting and Inspections Department issues the permits, and BED requires contractors to get them for charger rebates. The city’s PV solar checklist asks for a building permit application, a roof layout and system documents. Roofs flatter than 3:12, roofs with more than one shingle layer, and raised or tilted panels need a structural engineer.
- State rule: Vermont’s Division of Fire Safety does not require a state electrical permit for owner-occupied single-family homes, but the work must be done by a licensed electrician, and local permits may apply. Rentals and duplexes need a state electrical permit.
- Suburbs: South Burlington, Essex, Colchester and Williston have their own zoning and permit offices; ask before you install.
- Net metering: solar is registered with the Public Utility Commission through ePUC and your utility.
License checks are on the state page. Check condo or HOA rules before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Burlington
- South Burlington
- Essex
- Colchester
- Williston
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Burlington energy questions
How much does Burlington Electric pay toward an EV?
Through 2026, $5,000 for a new all-electric vehicle ($5,700 if income-qualified, $3,250 for high-mileage drivers), $2,000 for a new plug-in hybrid and $1,300 for a used one. The vehicle must cost $60,000 or less and be registered in Burlington. Apply within 90 days.
How does Green Mountain Power’s Bring Your Own Device program pay?
Once, upfront: $850 per kW enrolled for three-hour discharge or $950 per kW for four hours, up to $10,500. You choose the battery and installer and share some stored energy at peaks a few times a month. Retrofits to existing solar in some areas earn $100 per kW more.
Does my roof need an engineer for solar in Burlington?
Sometimes. The city’s checklist requires a structural engineer for roofs flatter than 3:12, roofs with more than one layer of shingles, and any raised or tilted panels. For flat-mounted panels on a pitched, single-layer roof of a one- to three-story wood-frame house, the installer or homeowner can complete the checklist.
Can every Burlington circuit take more solar?
Not equally. BED’s distributed generation map grades each circuit good, moderate or low for new solar. On a low circuit, a system impact study is required, which adds time and possibly cost. Check the map before you sign.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; outages; service territory); Burlington Electric Department rates, solar, solar billing, distributed generation, EV rebate and EV charger pages and May 11, 2026 news release; Green Mountain Power Bring Your Own Device, EV rebate, home charging and August 10, 2024 storm pages; City of Burlington PV solar checklist (archived March 2025; the city site blocked our checks); Vermont Division of Fire Safety permit code sheet; Vermont Public Utility Commission net-metering page; NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC station data; CPSC. Read October 2026 unless noted. Estimates are ours and labelled.