Developing Retail Customer Rates Learning Path
This learning path provides a structured introduction to developing retail electric customer rates and explains how accounting tools like cost allocations and regulatory deferrals support the ratemaking process. It’s ideal for utility and cooperative finance professionals, analysts, and managers who need a clear roadmap for cost-of-service analysis and rate design.
All of the courses in every learning path are included with an annual membership!
About this learning path
Learn how retail electric rates are built—from revenue requirements and cost allocation to modern rate design decisions. This learning path gives you the practical foundation needed to participate confidently in rate studies, pricing discussions, and board or management reviews.
Completing this learning path will give you the skills to:
Explain the retail ratemaking process, including revenue requirements and cost-of-service fundamentals. 
Apply accounting allocations and regulatory deferrals in support of defensible rates and cost recovery. 
Design tailored rate options, including rate structures for new technologies such as electric vehicles. 
Interpret and question rate study results in a way that supports sound financial decisions by management and boards.
Receive 4.50 hours of NASBA Certified Professional Education Credits (credits awarded for each class).
Earn a Power and Utilities Retail Rates Expert Certificate and a verifiable digital badge upon completion—ready to add to your professional profile.
This learning path is for:
- Utility and cooperative finance professionals involved in budgeting, cost analysis, and rate studies. 
- Analysts and managers responsible for pricing, revenue forecasting, and cost allocation. 
- Board members and policymakers who need a working understanding of how retail rates are developed and justified. 
- Consultants advising utilities on rate design and revenue requirements.
- Auditors of cooperatives and utilities.
"This learning path clarified how revenue requirements, cost allocations, and regulatory accounting all come together in retail electric rates. The courses are practical, easy to follow, and gave me the confidence to participate meaningfully in rate discussions with management and our board. It’s an excellent foundation for anyone involved in electric rate studies or pricing decisions."
Cindy
Rates Analyst
This learning path includes the following courses:
Co-op and Utility Rate Study Fundamentals: Building Revenue Requirements, Cost of Service, and Rates
Value: $97.00 Included!
A practical introduction to utility rate studies—learn the ratemaking process, from revenue requirements and cost allocation to cost-of-service analysis and designing fair, defensible rates. (CPE credits -1.00)
A Practical Guide to Modern Water Pricing Strategies
Value: $97.00 Included!
Water rates must be designed to fully recover the true cost of operating the utility. This course walks through revenue requirements, cost causation, and designing fair, defensible rates step by step. (1.00 credits)
The Keys to Allocating Interdepartmental Costs
Value: $97.00 Included!
Allocating support costs in a multi-service utility or cooperative often raises the question, “How will this affect my budget?” Learn proven industry methods that improve clarity, build confidence, and make discussions easier. (CPE credits - 0.50)
Developing Electric Vehicle Rates
Value: $97.00 Included!
Electric vehicles are placing more demand on electric distribution systems and have earned the right to their own rate. Here are trends in the industry and how to calculate innovative rates for your system. (1.00 credits)
A Utility Accountant's Yearly Journey Using Regulatory Accounting
Value: $97.00 Included!
GASB 62 is your ally in aligning unexpected events with rate recovery from customers. Here’s a practical guide to implementing GASB 62, our top use cases, plus the GASB 62 song for your next Board meeting! (1.00 credits)
Taught by a nationally recognized utility accounting expert
Russ Hissom
CPA
Russ Hissom, CPA, is a national utility accounting and rate expert with 35+ years of experience helping electric cooperatives and electric, gas, water, wastewater, and broadband utilities improve accounting and work order processes, strengthen financial performance, enhance operational excellence, support strategy development and implementation, and design fair, sustainable rates.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This learning path is designed for utility and cooperative finance professionals, analysts, managers, board members, and consultants who need a practical understanding of how retail electric rates are developed, justified, and evaluated. It’s well suited for those involved in budgeting, cost allocation, rate studies, and rate design decisions.
This learning path includes a structured sequence of on-demand courses that cover core retail electric ratemaking topics, such as interdepartmental cost allocation, regulatory accounting practices, cost-of-service fundamentals, electric vehicle rate design, and key pricing principles.
Course access is unlimited after purchase.
This learning path adds to your knowledge, making your career skills deeper and giving you tools to provide value to your organization.
The information is taken from industry best practices, real-life examples, and the experience of the instructor in providing practical solutions to power and utilities organizations.
The course number of CPE hours are shown in the course description. You'll receive a course completion certificate that also shows the number of CPE hours when you complete 100% of the course and take the course quiz. CPE hours are computed based on a 50 minute presentation hour.
Utility Accounting and Rates Specialists, LLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: NASBAregistry.org.
All course materials can be downloaded for each lessons. These include course slides, exercises, and Excel templates that can be tailored to your organization.
This learning path covers the full spectrum of ratemaking - from developing the revenue requirement, to allocating costs in the cost of service study, to designing customer rates.
This bundle provides a structured, progressive sequence of courses that build on one another, helping you understand not just individual accounting rules, but how all aspects of utility finance fit together. It is designed to develop well-rounded expertise in the business of an electric utility, not just isolated technical topics.
The courses are fully on-demand and self-paced, allowing you to complete the learning path on your own schedule. Most participants work through the material over several weeks, applying what they learn immediately to their day-to-day utility finance responsibilities.
Upon completion, participants earn a Power and Utilities Retail Rates Expert Certificate and a verifiable digital badge. The certificate documents course completion for professional records, while the digital badge provides a shareable, online credential that can be added to professional profiles (such as LinkedIn) to demonstrate expertise in cost-of-service and ratemaking knowledge.
This course also includes:
- $485 value - save 47% over individual course prices
- All course downloads and templates you can tailor to your organization
- 30 Days Money Back Guarantee
- Study on your own terms with 24/7 access
- Revisit any lesson as many times as you like
- Access from anywhere across multiple devices
We Have Served Over 1,000 Professionals from All Experience Levels!
What Our Students Say
Our students have grown their skills by taking our courses. Here are just a few of their stories.Course Accreditation, Requirements, and Refund and Cancellation Policy
Course #: FT-1, FT-3, FT-7, ATG-2, AT-15
Program Level: Basic
Area of Study: Accounting - Technical
Delivery: QAS Self Study
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None
CPE Credits: 5.00 for all courses
Last Reviewed: 8.1.24
Access Period: 12 months
Exam Questions: 5
Passing Grade: 70%
Retakes: Unlimited
Refunds and cancellations: Requests for refunds must be made in writing within 30 days for purchasing the course. No refunds will be granted after the qualified assessment has been completed. For any concerns, please contact us at 608 628 4020 or at [email protected].
Companies and markets that we serve
Utility Accounting and Rates Specialists, LLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: NASBAregistry.org.
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