Home electricity prices by state, August 2026

Name: U.S. Residential Electricity Prices by State, August 2026
Creator: WattCost
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The average price U.S. households paid per kWh in each state, how it changed in a year, and what that means for one common appliance.

Updated Oct 24, 2026Updated monthly after each EIA releaseHow we calculate

18.16¢U.S. average per kWh, August 2026

+3.4%change from August 2025

44 of 51states and DC where prices rose

3.7×highest vs lowest state

Source: U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (residential sector), August 2026 (released October 23, 2026)
Next update: Nov 24, 2026
Unit: cents per kWh, residential sector, all utilities in the state
License: CC BY 4.0, credit WattCost (EIA source data is public domain)

Key numbers

The U.S. average residential price was 18.16¢/kWh in August 2026, +3.4% from 17.57¢ in August 2025.
Prices rose from a year earlier in 44 of the 50 states and DC.
Hawaii was the most expensive at 47.18¢ and Nevada the cheapest at 12.72¢, a 3.7× gap.
For a 1,500 W space heater at 8 hours a day that means $65.38 a month nationally, and $45.79 to $170 depending on the state.

Biggest 1-year increases

Hawaii, +22.5% (38.53¢ to 47.18¢)
Maine, +14.1% (28.14¢ to 32.11¢)
New Hampshire, +13.1% (24.44¢ to 27.64¢)
District of Columbia, +12.1% (23.18¢ to 25.98¢)
Virginia, +11.3% (15.85¢ to 17.64¢)

Biggest decreases

Connecticut, -18.8% (30.17¢ to 24.51¢)
California, -3.8% (30.92¢ to 29.75¢)
Utah, -2.3% (13.62¢ to 13.31¢)
Florida, -2.2% (15.33¢ to 14.99¢)
New Jersey, -0.4% (24.70¢ to 24.61¢)

Highest prices

Hawaii, 47.18¢/kWh
Maine, 32.11¢/kWh
Massachusetts, 30.48¢/kWh
California, 29.75¢/kWh
Alaska, 29.41¢/kWh

Lowest prices

Nevada, 12.72¢/kWh
Louisiana, 12.87¢/kWh
North Dakota, 13.31¢/kWh
Utah, 13.31¢/kWh
Idaho, 13.37¢/kWh

Full table

Download CSV

Rank	State	PriceAugust 2026	PriceAugust 2025	1-year change	Heater per hour1,500 W	8 h a dayper month	24 h a dayper month
1	Hawaii	47.18¢	38.53¢	+22.5%	$0.71	$170	$510
2	Maine	32.11¢	28.14¢	+14.1%	$0.48	$116	$347
3	Massachusetts	30.48¢	30.55¢	-0.2%	$0.46	$110	$329
4	California	29.75¢	30.92¢	-3.8%	$0.45	$107	$321
5	Alaska	29.41¢	27.79¢	+5.8%	$0.44	$106	$318
6	New York	28.65¢	26.64¢	+7.5%	$0.43	$103	$309
7	Rhode Island	28.18¢	26.53¢	+6.2%	$0.42	$101	$304
8	New Hampshire	27.64¢	24.44¢	+13.1%	$0.41	$99.50	$299
9	District of Columbia	25.98¢	23.18¢	+12.1%	$0.39	$93.53	$281
10	New Jersey	24.61¢	24.70¢	-0.4%	$0.37	$88.60	$266
11	Connecticut	24.51¢	30.17¢	-18.8%	$0.37	$88.24	$265
12	Vermont	23.84¢	22.10¢	+7.9%	$0.36	$85.82	$257
13	Michigan	22.99¢	20.73¢	+10.9%	$0.34	$82.76	$248
14	Pennsylvania	21.77¢	19.93¢	+9.2%	$0.33	$78.37	$235
15	Maryland	21.40¢	19.89¢	+7.6%	$0.32	$77.04	$231
16	Wisconsin	19.41¢	18.44¢	+5.3%	$0.29	$69.88	$210
17	Ohio	19.38¢	17.55¢	+10.4%	$0.29	$69.77	$209
18	Illinois	19.32¢	18.03¢	+7.2%	$0.29	$69.55	$209
19	Delaware	18.70¢	16.85¢	+11.0%	$0.28	$67.32	$202
20	Virginia	17.64¢	15.85¢	+11.3%	$0.26	$63.50	$191
21	Minnesota	17.20¢	16.89¢	+1.8%	$0.26	$61.92	$186
22	Colorado	17.17¢	16.21¢	+5.9%	$0.26	$61.81	$185
23	Iowa	17.06¢	15.48¢	+10.2%	$0.26	$61.42	$184
24	Indiana	17.02¢	16.21¢	+5.0%	$0.26	$61.27	$184
25	New Mexico	16.51¢	15.98¢	+3.3%	$0.25	$59.44	$178
26	Alabama	16.33¢	16.26¢	+0.4%	$0.24	$58.79	$176
27	West Virginia	16.31¢	15.62¢	+4.4%	$0.24	$58.72	$176
28	Missouri	16.02¢	15.32¢	+4.6%	$0.24	$57.67	$173
29	Oregon	15.92¢	15.85¢	+0.4%	$0.24	$57.31	$172
30	Texas	15.91¢	15.40¢	+3.3%	$0.24	$57.28	$172
31	Georgia	15.90¢	15.55¢	+2.3%	$0.24	$57.24	$172
32	South Carolina	15.76¢	15.16¢	+4.0%	$0.24	$56.74	$170
33	Montana	15.57¢	14.29¢	+9.0%	$0.23	$56.05	$168
34	Kansas	15.47¢	14.65¢	+5.6%	$0.23	$55.69	$167
35	South Dakota	15.15¢	13.90¢	+9.0%	$0.23	$54.54	$164
36	Arizona	15.05¢	15.09¢	-0.3%	$0.23	$54.18	$163
37	Florida	14.99¢	15.33¢	-2.2%	$0.22	$53.96	$162
38	North Carolina	14.95¢	14.59¢	+2.5%	$0.22	$53.82	$161
39	Oklahoma	14.82¢	14.42¢	+2.8%	$0.22	$53.35	$160
40	Washington	14.63¢	13.65¢	+7.2%	$0.22	$52.67	$158
41	Mississippi	14.43¢	13.61¢	+6.0%	$0.22	$51.95	$156
42	Wyoming	14.43¢	14.33¢	+0.7%	$0.22	$51.95	$156
43	Arkansas	14.37¢	13.33¢	+7.8%	$0.22	$51.73	$155
44	Kentucky	13.80¢	13.10¢	+5.3%	$0.21	$49.68	$149
45	Nebraska	13.54¢	12.80¢	+5.8%	$0.20	$48.74	$146
46	Tennessee	13.42¢	13.09¢	+2.5%	$0.20	$48.31	$145
47	Idaho	13.37¢	12.08¢	+10.7%	$0.20	$48.13	$144
48	North Dakota	13.31¢	12.97¢	+2.6%	$0.20	$47.92	$144
49	Utah	13.31¢	13.62¢	-2.3%	$0.20	$47.92	$144
50	Louisiana	12.87¢	12.55¢	+2.5%	$0.19	$46.33	$139
51	Nevada	12.72¢	12.54¢	+1.4%	$0.19	$45.79	$137
	U.S. average	18.16¢	17.57¢	+3.4%	$0.27	$65.38	$196

Use this data

You can use these numbers in articles, reports and posts under CC BY 4.0. Please credit WattCost with a link. The prices themselves are public EIA data; we add the 1-year change, the rank and the appliance costs.

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Suggested citation

WattCost, “U.S. Residential Electricity Prices by State, August 2026”, https://wattcost-energy-costs.static.hf.space/electricity-prices-by-state.html (data: U.S. EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, released October 23, 2026).

Need a different cut, such as another appliance, other hours or a region? wattcost@mail.grokbot.com

Method: EIA's average residential price is residential revenue ÷ kWh sold in the month, so it includes delivery and other charges. The 1-year change compares the same month a year earlier from the same EIA table. Space heater cost = 1.5 kW × hours × 30 days × price. Full methodology.