Arkansas did not have a rate change on October 1, 2026 that we could find. Entergy Arkansas, the state’s largest utility with about 735,000 customers, changed bills in steps earlier in the year and has more requests pending.
This article covers Entergy Arkansas. It does not cover SWEPCO, OG&E’s Arkansas territory, or the electric cooperatives.
Quick Summary
| Item | Timing | Residential impact at 1,000 kWh | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual rate review | January 2026 | About +$6 a month (4.54%) | Reported as approved |
| Generating Arkansas Jobs Act rider | June 2026 bills | +$5.77 a month | Filed March 2026 |
| Nuclear tax credit | June 2026 bills | −$1.55 a month | Filed March 2026 |
| General rate filing | January 2027 | About +$1.16 a month | Requested |
The New Construction Rider
The Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025 lets utilities recover the cost of new generation during construction, in yearly steps, instead of all at once when a plant opens.
Entergy’s March 2026 filing covers the Ironwood and Jefferson power stations and the Arkansas Cypress solar and battery project. Talk Business & Politics reported:
- Rider: +$5.77 a month at 1,000 kWh, about 4.17%.
- Federal nuclear tax credit: −$1.55 a month, about 1.14%.
- Net: $5.77 − $1.55 = +$4.22 a month, about 3%.
- Timing: approved changes show up in June bills. The filing repeats every year around March 1.
The General Rate Filing
On February 27, 2026, Entergy Arkansas asked the Arkansas Public Service Commission for a base rate change effective January 2027:
- Residential: less than 1%, about $1.16 a month at 1,000 kWh.
- All customers: less than 2%.
- New options: optional time-of-use rates, a 50% discount on the customer charge for more than 113,000 low-income households, and a seasonal agricultural rate.
The January 2026 Step
The Camden News reported in January 2026 that residential rates were rising about $6 a month after the commission approved a 4.54% increase. We could only read the headline, so we report it without detail.
What This Means for Homeowners With Solar
We did not verify Arkansas’s current net metering or export credit rules for this article, so we give no export rates here. Ask your utility for its current solar tariff, and check how exported energy is credited before sizing a system. Fixed monthly charges are not reduced by solar.
Riders billed per kWh are avoided by solar you use yourself. Our solar payback guide shows how the retail rate and the export credit change the math.
What to Check on Your Bill
- The customer charge.
- Rider lines added in June 2026.
- The energy cost recovery (fuel) line.
For help sorting the lines on your bill, see our guide to reading your electric bill.
Limitations
Figures come from Talk Business & Politics and a newspaper headline. We did not confirm that the commission approved the June rider as filed, and we did not open the dockets. SWEPCO’s separate request was not researched.
Sources
- Talk Business & Politics, “Entergy Arkansas rate filing outlines investments, rate hikes and decreases,” March 2026
- Talk Business & Politics, “Entergy Arkansas requests rate hike, residential bills to rise by $1,” Feb. 2026
- Camden News, “Entergy’s residential rates rising about $6 per month; Arkansas Public Service Commission OK’d 4.54% increase,” Jan. 4, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Did Arkansas electric rates change on October 1, 2026?
We found no change on that date for Entergy Arkansas. Its 2026 changes came in January and June.
What is the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act rider?
A charge that lets Entergy Arkansas recover the cost of new power plants while they are being built, in annual steps. The 2026 filing put it at $5.77 a month for a customer using 1,000 kWh.
Is another Entergy Arkansas increase coming?
Entergy asked on February 27, 2026 for an increase of about $1.16 a month at 1,000 kWh, to take effect in January 2027 if approved. The rider is also refiled every year around March 1.
