Average Electric Bill by State in 2026 (All 50 + DC)

The average US household electric bill depends far more on where you live than on how you live. The EIA’s latest figures put the national residential price at 18.31¢ per kWh (July 2026), but the state range runs from 12.72¢ in Louisiana to 48.00¢ in Hawaii, a gap of about 3.8 times. At the national average household use of roughly 900 kWh a month, that is the difference between a bill near $115 and one near $430. The table below prices all 50 states and DC, and the section after it explains why the cheapest rate does not always mean the cheapest bill.

How We Built the Table

Two inputs, both stated plainly:

• Rates: the EIA’s average residential price by state for July 2026, from Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (released September 24, 2026). EIA computes it as total residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold, so it already includes delivery charges and fixed fees spread across usage.
• Usage: the EIA reports that in 2022 the average US residential customer bought 10,791 kWh a year, or about 899 kWh a month. We round that to 900 kWh for a single yardstick.

The bill column is our arithmetic: rate × 900 kWh. It is an illustration of what the same amount of electricity costs in each state, not a forecast of your bill, and it is not an official EIA average bill. Summer months, a larger home or electric heat will push your real number above it.

Illustrative Monthly Bill at 900 kWh, by State

The Pattern Behind the Map

Three clusters stand out in the table, and they hold up regardless of the exact usage assumption:

1. The expensive tier is the Northeast, California and the islands. Eight of the ten highest-rate entries are New England, New York, California, Alaska and Hawaii. These are regions with high delivery costs, limited local generation or heavy fuel imports.
2. The cheap tier is the South, Plains and Mountain West. Louisiana, Nevada, Utah and North Dakota sit around 12.7-13.5¢.
3. The middle is wide. Most states fall between 14¢ and 20¢, so a move from one mid-priced state to another changes a bill by tens of dollars, not hundreds.

Rates are also rising. The same EIA series had the national average at 17.45¢ in July 2025, so 18.31¢ is a rise of about 5% in a year. Our guide to why your electric bill is so high covers the causes, and the data center guide covers the demand story in the grid regions where rates are climbing fastest.

Why the Cheapest Rate Is Not Always the Cheapest Bill

A bill is rate times kilowatt-hours, and usage differs sharply by state. The EIA’s per-customer figures for 2022 show Louisiana at the top with 14,774 kWh a year and Hawaii at the bottom with 6,178 kWh. Mixing that older usage with this year’s rates (our arithmetic, a rough illustration):

Louisiana’s rate is the lowest in the country, yet its implied bill lands close to the national average because households there buy far more electricity, most likely driven by long cooling seasons. Hawaii pays nearly four times the Louisiana rate but buys so little that its implied bill is about 1.5 times the national figure, not 3.8 times. Climate and housing set the usage; the rate sets the price of each unit. You need both numbers.

According to the EIA, air conditioning is the largest single residential electricity use nationally, at 19% of site electricity in 2020, followed by space heating and water heating at 12% each. That is why summer and winter bills swing so much more than spring and fall. For a closer look at the largest swing item, see what air conditioning costs per hour.

What to Do With Your State’s Number

• Find your own rate. Our electric bill estimator turns your kWh and rate into a monthly and annual cost. Divide your bill total by the kWh on it. If it is well above your state’s average in the table, the culprit may be a tiered rate, a fixed charge or an expensive default supplier in a deregulated market.
• Compare kWh, not dollars. If your kWh are far above the 900 yardstick, usage is the lever. If they are near it but the bill is high, the rate is.
• Start with the big item. Cooling or heating moves the most kilowatt-hours; our how to lower your electric bill guide ranks the fixes by payoff.
• Check always-on loads. They add a steady amount to every month, as we show in the standby power guide.

The Bottom Line

The average residential electricity price in 2026 is 18.31¢ per kWh, and at about 900 kWh a month that is roughly $165 a month. The state you live in can move that by a factor of nearly four at the rate level, from $114 in Louisiana to $432 in Hawaii on the same 900 kWh. Real bills are tempered by how much power each region’s households use, so compare your own kWh and your own all-in rate against the table before concluding a bill is too high.

FAQ

What is the average electric bill in the US?

At the EIA’s 2022 average use of about 899 kWh a month and July 2026’s national price of 18.31¢ per kWh, the arithmetic gives roughly $165 a month. That is our calculation, not an official EIA bill figure, and it varies with season and region.

Which state has the highest electric bill?

On rate, Hawaii is highest at 48.00¢ per kWh, followed by California (33.61¢) and Maine (32.41¢), per the EIA’s July 2026 data. On a 900 kWh month, that makes Hawaii about $432. Actual bills depend on usage, and Hawaii households use much less electricity than the national average.

Which state has the cheapest electricity?

Louisiana at 12.72¢ per kWh, then Nevada (12.77¢) and Utah (13.12¢), per the EIA’s July 2026 prices. A 900 kWh month costs about $114 in Louisiana by our arithmetic.

Why is my bill higher than the state average?

Common causes are higher usage than a typical home (a bigger house, electric heat, a pool pump or an EV), a tiered or time-of-use rate, and a seasonal peak. Compare this month’s kWh to the same month last year first, then divide the bill by the kWh to see your all-in rate.

How much is a 1,000 kWh electric bill?

At the 18.31¢ national average, 1,000 kWh is about $183. In a 13¢ state it is about $130, and in a 30¢ state about $300.