Residential Electricity Rates by State (Latest EIA Month)

By Sam Whitaker · Updated 2026-09-28

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The average U.S. residential electricity price was 18.31 cents per kWh in July 2026, up 4.9% from 17.45 cents in July 2025, according to Table 5.6.A of the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly. Hawaii had the highest average at 48.00 cents and Louisiana the lowest at 12.72 cents. Compared with July 2025, prices were higher in 44 states and the District of Columbia and lower in six states, led by Connecticut at −12.5%.

Data period: July 2026 and July 2025, residential sector. Both months are preliminary: EIA describes the monthly values as estimates based on a cutoff model sample and revises them when final annual data are published. EIA released its July 2026 monthly sales and price data on September 24, 2026; August 2026 data are scheduled for the end of October 2026. Change = (July 2026 − July 2025) ÷ July 2025, calculated from the values shown and rounded to one decimal.

Highest and lowest rates in July 2026

Five highest residential rates

Five lowest residential rates

Hawaii’s average was 3.77 times Louisiana’s (48.00 ÷ 12.72). Outside Hawaii, the highest averages were in California and three Northeastern states: Maine, Massachusetts and New York. The five lowest are spread across the South (Louisiana, Tennessee), the Mountain West (Nevada, Utah) and the northern Plains (North Dakota).

Largest changes since July 2025

The five largest increases:

• Hawaii: 39.36 to 48.00 cents, +22.0%
• New Hampshire: 22.79 to 26.60 cents, +16.7%
• Maine: 27.98 to 32.41 cents, +15.8%
• New York: 26.22 to 29.90 cents, +14.0%
• Maryland: 18.83 to 21.41 cents, +13.7%

All six declines:

• Connecticut: 27.60 to 24.16 cents, −12.5%
• Louisiana: 13.12 to 12.72 cents, −3.0%
• Utah: 13.45 to 13.12 cents, −2.5%
• Wyoming: 14.64 to 14.36 cents, −1.9%
• Florida: 15.11 to 15.03 cents, −0.5%
• New Jersey: 25.32 to 25.19 cents, −0.5%

Example: Hawaii’s change is (48.00 − 39.36) ÷ 39.36 = 8.64 ÷ 39.36 = 0.2195, or +22.0%. Connecticut’s is (24.16 − 27.60) ÷ 27.60 = −3.44 ÷ 27.60 = −0.1246, or −12.5%.

A single month is a snapshot. In the first seven months of 2026, Connecticut’s residential average ranged from 32.24 cents in April to 24.16 cents in July (preliminary Form EIA-861M data), so one July-to-July comparison can overstate or understate the longer trend. Monthly averages also move with the seasons: in 2024 the U.S. residential average ranged from 15.41 cents in January to 17.09 cents in October (final Form EIA-861M data). That is why this table compares July with July rather than with the previous month. For a steadier view, EIA’s Table 5.6.B reports year-to-date averages.

What EIA’s average price includes

EIA does not collect or publish utility rates or tariffs. Its average price is total residential revenue divided by total residential kWh sold in the state for the month. According to EIA, that revenue covers all costs of delivered electricity, including generation, transmission, distribution, taxes and fees. In practice:

• Fixed monthly customer charges are folded into the per-kWh figure. In high-use months they are spread over more kWh, which pulls the average down; in low-use months the reverse happens.
• Delivery charges are included along with supply, whether a household buys its supply from the utility or from a separate retail supplier.
• The state figure is weighted by kWh sold across every utility and supplier in the state, so the largest utilities count the most.
• It is an average, not the price of the next kWh. On a tiered or time-of-use tariff, one more kWh can cost well above or below it.

Example: 900 kWh priced at July 2026 state averages:

• Ohio: 900 × 19.45 cents = 17,505 cents = $175.05
• Washington: 900 × 14.71 cents = 13,239 cents = $132.39
• Hawaii: 900 × 48.00 cents = 43,200 cents = $432.00

Because the averages already include fixed charges and taxes, these results estimate an average-priced July 2026 bill for that usage, not a quote from any utility.

Why your tariff can differ from the state average

• Tiered (block) pricing: the first block of kWh each month is billed at one rate and usage above it at another, often higher, rate.
• Time-of-use pricing: kWh used during peak hours cost more than off-peak kWh. EIA does not publish peak or off-peak prices, so a state average cannot show them.
• Seasonal rates: many utilities charge different per-kWh rates in summer and winter.
• Fixed charges: a flat monthly customer charge raises the all-in price per kWh for low-use homes.
• Your utility versus the state: the state average blends investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and retail suppliers. Your utility’s average can sit well above or below it.
• Adjustment charges: fuel, purchased-power and other riders can change during the year.
• Retail choice: in states that allow it, the supply price depends on the supplier or plan you pick, while your utility still bills for delivery.

How to find your utility’s tariff

1. Find the rate schedule name or code on your bill (for example, a standard residential or time-of-use schedule), then look it up on your utility’s website, usually under rates, tariffs or pricing.
2. For investor-owned utilities, rates are reviewed and approved by the state public utility commission, and many commissions post the approved tariffs online. Cooperatives and municipal utilities publish their own.
3. The Utility Rate Database on OpenEI, which EIA points to and which is sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, lists rate structures for thousands of U.S. utilities. Each record shows when it was last updated, so confirm the details against your utility’s current tariff.
4. To see where your utility sits relative to the state average, use Table 6 of EIA’s Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, which lists residential customers, sales, revenue and average price for each utility by state. It is annual, and 2024 is the latest year.

Then check your own numbers against the table:

• All-in price (cents/kWh) = total electric charges ($) ÷ kWh × 100, which is comparable to the state figures above
• Usage rate (cents/kWh) = (total electric charges − fixed monthly charge) ÷ kWh × 100, which is closer to the per-kWh charges on your tariff

From rates to bills

For 2024 average monthly bills and kWh use in every state, see average electric bill by state. To turn a rate into the cost of a specific appliance, see cost to run appliances, and for charging an electric vehicle at home, see EV home charging cost by state.

Sources

• EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, July 2026 and 2025
• EIA, Electric Power Monthly: all tables, including year-to-date Table 5.6.B
• EIA, Form EIA-861M detailed data: monthly sales, revenue and prices, with release schedule
• EIA FAQ: Does EIA publish electricity sales and price data by state and by utility?
• EIA FAQ: Does EIA publish electric utility rate, tariff, and demand-charge data?
• EIA, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, including Table 6 by utility
• OpenEI, Utility Rate Database