Electricity Rates by State in 2026: Data and Cost Examples

Updated September 22, 2026. This page and the calculators use the same stored electricity-rate table.

The benchmark and its limits

The stored U.S. residential average is 18.34¢/kWh for June 2026. Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released 2026-08-26, checked 2026-09-22. These are preliminary monthly averages, not utility offers or a forecast. This snapshot does not update automatically.

A state average is a starting input, not the price of the next kWh on your bill. Utilities, seasons, usage tiers, time-of-use windows, fixed charges, and customer mix all affect the average. One summer month also does not represent an annual-average heating or charging price. Use 12 months of bills and your tariff for an investment decision.

The U.S. average is the published national figure; it is not an unweighted average of the state rows. Monthly preliminary figures can be revised by EIA. The period, release date, and review date mean different things and are shown separately.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia

Find the rate that matches your decision

For an overview, dividing the electricity portion of a bill by billed kWh gives an effective average. For a new EV or heat pump, identify the charges that actually increase with each extra kWh. Include applicable delivery and generation charges. Keep a fixed monthly service charge separate unless the upgrade changes it.

For time-of-use pricing, calculate consumption in each time window and multiply by that window's price. A low overnight price may come with a higher daytime rate or an added monthly fee. Compare the entire household bill on both plans before choosing a plan for an EV.

For rooftop solar, separate the price of electricity purchased from the credit paid for exports. A state residential average cannot establish export compensation. Read the interconnection agreement and current tariff; annual-average modeling will not reproduce an hourly net-billing settlement.

Solar: count self-consumption and exports separately

Consider an illustrative system producing 8,400 kWh in its first year. Assume 40% is used in the home, imported electricity costs $0.20/kWh, and exports earn $0.05/kWh. These are scenario inputs, not utility offers.

• Self-consumed generation: 3,360 kWh × $0.20 = $672 in avoided purchases.
• Exported generation: 5,040 kWh × $0.05 = $252 in credits.
• First-year gross value: $924. After $150 of annual operating costs, net is $774.

At an assumed $22,000 net installation cost, simple payback is about 28.4 years. Setting export compensation to zero lowers annual net to $522 and extends simple payback to about 42.1 years. Neither simple calculation includes degradation, replacement costs, financing, or changes in tariffs. Do not describe either as recovery within a 25-year horizon.

Valuing every generated kWh at the retail rate would overstate savings in this example. The Solar ROI Calculator exposes self-consumption, export credit, operating costs, and annual cash flow so those assumptions can be changed separately.

EV charging: consumption multiplied by price

These consumption levels are illustrative, not specifications for named vehicles. They represent electricity measured at the wall, including charging losses. If you start with battery-side consumption instead, account for charging efficiency once.

For a chosen example of 15,000 miles per year, 30 kWh per 100 miles at the wall, and $0.20/kWh, annual charging costs $900. A gas car at 30 mpg and an assumed $3.60/gallon costs $1,800 in fuel, making operating fuel savings $900. At $0.45/kWh for all charging, EV electricity costs $2,025 and is $225 more expensive than gas in the same example.

Vehicle purchase price, insurance, maintenance, depreciation, and charger installation are separate costs. Lower fuel cost does not automatically mean a lower total ownership cost.

Treat future prices as scenarios

A current monthly average does not establish future rate growth. Try flat prices, higher retail prices, and lower export credits independently. A plan that works only with aggressive increases should be described as sensitive to that assumption.

Check your utility's actual rates before requesting an installer quote. Use the Rate Optimizer to compare a whole-home scenario and the EV Charging Calculator to separate home and public charging.

Correction: Earlier versions used inconsistent national and state figures, unsupported growth forecasts, and solar examples that valued all exports at retail. The rate table now shares the calculator data; examples distinguish chosen inputs from published averages.