Electricity rates by state

Residential electricity rates in all 50 states

The table ranks every state by its average residential price over the last 12 months of EIA data, which smooths out the summer and winter swings that a single month shows.^[eia861m] The average is total residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold, so it is what households actually paid per kWh, all charges included. Select a state name with a page for its utilities and its electricity choice rules.

Change compares the 12-month averages Sep 2025–Aug 2026 and Sep 2024–Aug 2025. Bill is the average monthly bill per residential customer over Sep 2025–Aug 2026. 2026 months are preliminary.

Electricity prices by state: cheapest and most expensive

Hawaii has the most expensive residential electricity at 44.27¢ per kWh; California (32.34¢) and Massachusetts (30.39¢) follow. Among the lower 48, California is highest at 32.34¢. The cheapest electricity by state is in North Dakota (12.35¢), Nebraska (12.74¢) and Idaho (12.77¢).^[eia861m]

A low rate does not always mean a low bill. Southern states with cheap power use far more of it for air conditioning and electric heat, so a Louisiana household paid $157.66 a month on average against $163.90 in California, where the rate is more than twice as high. The average electric bill page ranks states by what households actually pay.

Average electricity rate: how prices moved

The U.S. average electricity rate was 18.16¢ per kWh in August 2026 and 18.04¢ over the last 12 months, against 16.94¢ in Sep 2024–Aug 2025.^[eia861m] The monthly line is seasonal, so compare the same month across years or use 12-month averages, as the table above does.

Rates rose fastest in District of Columbia (+19.8%), New Hampshire (+13.8%) and Maryland (+12.7%) year over year, and fell in Nevada, Connecticut.^[eia861m]

Electricity cost per kWh by state and sector

Homes pay more per kWh than businesses and factories in every large state because the cost of local wires and meters is spread over less electricity per customer. EIA's Electric Power Monthly reports each sector separately; August 2026 figures for the largest states:^{[epm56a][eia861m]}

Use the residential figure for a home budget. To turn any of these rates into a bill, enter it in the calculator above or in the full electricity cost calculator, which also adds a fixed monthly charge. Appliance-level estimates are on the kWh calculator.

Why electricity rates differ by state

Four things set most of the gap between states:

• Fuel mix. States that generate with natural gas or oil pass fuel price swings through to customers; states with large hydro output, such as Idaho, sit near the bottom of the table.
• Delivery costs. Wires, poles, meters and grid upgrades are paid through rates, and in choice states the delivery charge alone can be half the bill (see the utility tables on the state pages).
• Market structure. In retail choice states like Pennsylvania or Ohio, the supply part of the bill can come from a competitive supplier; the delivery part stays with the utility.
• Usage. Fixed monthly charges weigh more on a small apartment than on an all-electric house, so low-use states show higher averages per kWh.

For heating decisions the per-kWh price matters most: a minimum-efficiency heat pump beats a 95% gas furnace only where electricity costs less than about 12.46¢ per kWh at the U.S. average gas price of $1.58 per therm, and the heat pump vs furnace cost calculator works it out for your state.