United States data
Electricity rates by state, August 2026
The average residential price of electricity in each state, in cents per kilowatt hour, from the EIA's Electric Power Monthly released 23 October 2026. Ranked from dearest to cheapest, with the same month a year earlier.
The US average is 18.16 cents per kWh, up 3.4% on August 2025. Hawaii is the dearest state at 47.18 cents and Nevada the cheapest at 12.72. 19 states sit above the national average and prices rose in 44 of 51 on a year earlier.
| # | State | August 2026 | Aug 2025 | Change | 1.5 kW heater, 1 hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18.16 | 17.57 | up 3.4% | 27 cents | |
| 1 | Hawaii | 47.18 | 38.53 | up 22.5% | 71 cents |
| 2 | Maine | 32.11 | 28.14 | up 14.1% | 48 cents |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 30.48 | 30.55 | down 0.2% | 46 cents |
| 4 | California | 29.75 | 30.92 | down 3.8% | 45 cents |
| 5 | Alaska | 29.41 | 27.79 | up 5.8% | 44 cents |
| 6 | New York | 28.65 | 26.64 | up 7.5% | 43 cents |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 28.18 | 26.53 | up 6.2% | 42 cents |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 27.64 | 24.44 | up 13.1% | 41 cents |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 25.98 | 23.18 | up 12.1% | 39 cents |
| 10 | New Jersey | 24.61 | 24.7 | down 0.4% | 37 cents |
| 11 | Connecticut | 24.51 | 30.17 | down 18.8% | 37 cents |
| 12 | Vermont | 23.84 | 22.1 | up 7.9% | 36 cents |
| 13 | Michigan | 22.99 | 20.73 | up 10.9% | 34 cents |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 21.77 | 19.93 | up 9.2% | 33 cents |
| 15 | Maryland | 21.4 | 19.89 | up 7.6% | 32 cents |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 19.41 | 18.44 | up 5.3% | 29 cents |
| 17 | Ohio | 19.38 | 17.55 | up 10.4% | 29 cents |
| 18 | Illinois | 19.32 | 18.03 | up 7.2% | 29 cents |
| 19 | Delaware | 18.7 | 16.85 | up 11.0% | 28 cents |
| 20 | Virginia | 17.64 | 15.85 | up 11.3% | 26 cents |
| 21 | Minnesota | 17.2 | 16.89 | up 1.8% | 26 cents |
| 22 | Colorado | 17.17 | 16.21 | up 5.9% | 26 cents |
| 23 | Iowa | 17.06 | 15.48 | up 10.2% | 26 cents |
| 24 | Indiana | 17.02 | 16.21 | up 5.0% | 26 cents |
| 25 | New Mexico | 16.51 | 15.98 | up 3.3% | 25 cents |
| 26 | Alabama | 16.33 | 16.26 | up 0.4% | 24 cents |
| 27 | West Virginia | 16.31 | 15.62 | up 4.4% | 24 cents |
| 28 | Missouri | 16.02 | 15.32 | up 4.6% | 24 cents |
| 29 | Oregon | 15.92 | 15.85 | up 0.4% | 24 cents |
| 30 | Texas | 15.91 | 15.4 | up 3.3% | 24 cents |
| 31 | Georgia | 15.9 | 15.55 | up 2.3% | 24 cents |
| 32 | South Carolina | 15.76 | 15.16 | up 4.0% | 24 cents |
| 33 | Montana | 15.57 | 14.29 | up 9.0% | 23 cents |
| 34 | Kansas | 15.47 | 14.65 | up 5.6% | 23 cents |
| 35 | South Dakota | 15.15 | 13.9 | up 9.0% | 23 cents |
| 36 | Arizona | 15.05 | 15.09 | down 0.3% | 23 cents |
| 37 | Florida | 14.99 | 15.33 | down 2.2% | 22 cents |
| 38 | North Carolina | 14.95 | 14.59 | up 2.5% | 22 cents |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 14.82 | 14.42 | up 2.8% | 22 cents |
| 40 | Washington | 14.63 | 13.65 | up 7.2% | 22 cents |
| 41 | Mississippi | 14.43 | 13.61 | up 6.0% | 22 cents |
| 42 | Wyoming | 14.43 | 14.33 | up 0.7% | 22 cents |
| 43 | Arkansas | 14.37 | 13.33 | up 7.8% | 22 cents |
| 44 | Kentucky | 13.8 | 13.1 | up 5.3% | 21 cents |
| 45 | Nebraska | 13.54 | 12.8 | up 5.8% | 20 cents |
| 46 | Tennessee | 13.42 | 13.09 | up 2.5% | 20 cents |
| 47 | Idaho | 13.37 | 12.08 | up 10.7% | 20 cents |
| 48 | North Dakota | 13.31 | 12.97 | up 2.6% | 20 cents |
| 49 | Utah | 13.31 | 13.62 | down 2.3% | 20 cents |
| 50 | Louisiana | 12.87 | 12.55 | up 2.5% | 19 cents |
| 51 | Nevada | 12.72 | 12.54 | up 1.4% | 19 cents |
Cents per kilowatt hour, residential sector. 2026 values are preliminary estimates from the EIA's cutoff model sample, 2025 values are final. The last column is 1.5 kWh at the state rate, the cost of running a 1,500 watt space heater flat out for one hour.
What the number is
The EIA divides the revenue utilities collected from households in the month by the kilowatt hours they sold to households, for each state. So the figure is an all-in average that includes the energy charge, delivery and the taxes and fees that appear on bills, blended across every utility and tariff in the state. It is the right number for a quick estimate and the wrong one for your exact bill, which is why every calculator on this site lets you replace it.
Why states differ by three to one
Hawaii burns imported oil for most of its power, which puts it far above everyone. The Northeast and California pay for older grids, expensive delivery networks and, in California, wildfire costs folded into rates. The cheapest states sit on hydro (Washington, Idaho), coal and gas close to the wellhead (North Dakota, Louisiana, Utah) or large public power systems (Nebraska, Tennessee). Deregulated states such as Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio show the average of many competing retail offers, so a household there can often beat the state figure by switching.
How to find your own rate
Take last month's bill, divide the total amount by the kilowatt hours used, and you have an all-in rate comparable to this table. If you only want the energy charge, it is printed per kWh on the bill, but it leaves out delivery, so it understates what an extra kilowatt hour really costs you.
Using the table
Every appliance page on the US side carries this table priced for that appliance, from a space heater to a hot tub. The EV charging page turns it into cost per 100 miles.
Questions people ask
What is the average electricity rate in the US right now?
18.16 cents per kWh for homes, the EIA residential average for August 2026 (preliminary), up 3.4% on August 2025 (17.57 cents).
Which state has the cheapest electricity?
Nevada, at 12.72 cents per kWh in August 2026. Louisiana (12.87) and Utah (13.31) are next.
Which state has the most expensive electricity?
Hawaii, at 47.18 cents per kWh. In the contiguous states, Maine is highest at 32.11.
Why is my bill's rate different from the table?
The table is a state average: total residential revenue divided by total residential kilowatt hours, so it blends every utility, tariff and fee in the state. Your tariff can sit well above or below it. Every calculator on this site takes your own rate.
How often does this page update?
When the EIA publishes the next Electric Power Monthly, due 24 November 2026. The data file that feeds this page records the release it came from.
Sources
The electricity price on this page is read from the data file that also lists the release it came from. The wattage range is a published typical range, not a measurement of your appliance.