What is the average cost of electricity per kWh in the U.S.?

18.16¢ per kWh for homes in August 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +3.4% compared with August 2025.

Which state has the most expensive electricity?

Hawaii, at 47.18¢ per kWh in August 2026, +159.8% against the U.S. average.

Which state has the cheapest electricity?

Nevada, at 12.72¢ per kWh in August 2026. Electricity in Hawaii costs 3.7 times as much per kWh.

Does a cheap price per kWh mean a low electric bill?

Not always. A bill is the price per kWh times how much electricity a home uses. Nevada has the cheapest electricity, yet its average bill over the last 12 months was $119 a month, against $156 nationally. The table shows both the price and the average bill for each state.

How many states pay more than the national average?

19 of the 50 states plus D.C. had a residential price above the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh in August 2026. The U.S. figure is weighted by how much electricity each state sells, so it is not the price in a typical state; most states sit below it.

Electricity cost by state: every state ranked by price per kWh

Last updated October 21, 2026 · Prices: U.S. EIA, August 2026

How these numbers are made Report an error

Home electricity cost 18.16¢ per kWh on average in the U.S. in August 2026. Hawaii is the most expensive at 47.18¢ and Nevada the cheapest at 12.72¢, a 3.7-fold gap. 19 of the 50 states plus D.C. pay more than the national average. All prices are the U.S. Energy Information Administration's average residential figures.

Home electricity price per kWhThe 10 most and 5 least expensive states, August 2026. Every state is in the table below.

Hawaii47.18¢
Maine32.11¢
Massachusetts30.48¢
California29.75¢
Alaska29.41¢
New York28.65¢
Rhode Island28.18¢
New Hampshire27.64¢
District of Columbia25.98¢
New Jersey24.61¢
U.S. average18.16¢
Idaho13.37¢
North Dakota13.31¢
Utah13.31¢
Louisiana12.87¢
Nevada12.72¢

Residential electricity price by state in August 2026, most expensive first, with the difference from the U.S. average, the change over a year and the average monthly bill
#	State	Price/kWh	vs U.S.	1-yr change	Avg bill
1	Hawaii	47.18¢	+159.8%	+22.5%	$224
2	Maine	32.11¢	+76.8%	+14.1%	$156
3	Massachusetts	30.48¢	+67.8%	−0.2%	$182
4	California	29.75¢	+63.8%	−3.8%	$161
5	Alaska	29.41¢	+61.9%	+5.8%	$158
6	New York	28.65¢	+57.8%	+7.5%	$167
7	Rhode Island	28.18¢	+55.2%	+6.2%	$164
8	New Hampshire	27.64¢	+52.2%	+13.1%	$171
9	District of Columbia	25.98¢	+43.1%	+12.1%	$153
10	New Jersey	24.61¢	+35.5%	−0.4%	$158
11	Connecticut	24.51¢	+35.0%	−18.8%	$196
12	Vermont	23.84¢	+31.3%	+7.9%	$141
13	Michigan	22.99¢	+26.6%	+10.9%	$133
14	Pennsylvania	21.77¢	+19.9%	+9.2%	$174
15	Maryland	21.40¢	+17.8%	+7.6%	$199
16	Wisconsin	19.41¢	+6.9%	+5.3%	$124
17	Ohio	19.38¢	+6.7%	+10.4%	$158
18	Illinois	19.32¢	+6.4%	+7.2%	$132
19	Delaware	18.70¢	+3.0%	+11.0%	$165
20	Virginia	17.64¢	−2.9%	+11.3%	$173
21	Minnesota	17.20¢	−5.3%	+1.8%	$120
22	Colorado	17.17¢	−5.5%	+5.9%	$112
23	Iowa	17.06¢	−6.1%	+10.2%	$121
24	Indiana	17.02¢	−6.3%	+5.0%	$158
25	New Mexico	16.51¢	−9.1%	+3.3%	$99
26	Alabama	16.33¢	−10.1%	+0.4%	$185
27	West Virginia	16.31¢	−10.2%	+4.4%	$163
28	Missouri	16.02¢	−11.8%	+4.6%	$145
29	Oregon	15.92¢	−12.3%	+0.4%	$132
30	Texas	15.91¢	−12.4%	+3.3%	$176
31	Georgia	15.90¢	−12.4%	+2.3%	$162
32	South Carolina	15.76¢	−13.2%	+4.0%	$165
33	Montana	15.57¢	−14.3%	+9.0%	$115
34	Kansas	15.47¢	−14.8%	+5.6%	$132
35	South Dakota	15.15¢	−16.6%	+9.0%	$140
36	Arizona	15.05¢	−17.1%	−0.3%	$162
37	Florida	14.99¢	−17.5%	−2.2%	$169
38	North Carolina	14.95¢	−17.7%	+2.5%	$152
39	Oklahoma	14.82¢	−18.4%	+2.8%	$144
40	Washington	14.63¢	−19.4%	+7.2%	$132
41	Mississippi	14.43¢	−20.5%	+6.0%	$171
41	Wyoming	14.43¢	−20.5%	+0.7%	$114
43	Arkansas	14.37¢	−20.9%	+7.8%	$141
44	Kentucky	13.80¢	−24.0%	+5.3%	$154
45	Nebraska	13.54¢	−25.4%	+5.8%	$123
46	Tennessee	13.42¢	−26.1%	+2.5%	$162
47	Idaho	13.37¢	−26.4%	+10.7%	$114
48	North Dakota	13.31¢	−26.7%	+2.6%	$132
48	Utah	13.31¢	−26.7%	−2.3%	$104
50	Louisiana	12.87¢	−29.1%	+2.5%	$156
51	Nevada	12.72¢	−30.0%	+1.4%	$119
	U.S. average	18.16¢	–		$156

Price: average residential cents per kWh, August 2026, a preliminary EIA estimate. 1-yr change: against the same month a year earlier. Avg bill: mean monthly bill per residential customer over the last 12 months.

State guides

A closer look at one state: its seasonal bill curve, the one-year trend, and whether households can choose their supplier.

Price per kWh and your bill are different things

The price per kWh is what each unit of electricity costs. Your bill is that price times how much you use, so the two rankings don't match: Nevada has the cheapest electricity, yet its average bill is $119 a month against $156 nationally. For the full bill picture, including winter and summer, see the average electric bill in every state. For how prices moved over a year, see electricity price change by state.

What a price means for your appliances

Each of these works out running costs from the same EIA prices, state by state:

AC size calculator: How many BTU your room needs, from the ENERGY STAR sizing chart.
AC running cost by state: What a window AC costs per hour and per month in your state.
Space heater cost by state: What a space heater costs to run in every state, at 1,500 W and 750 W.
Christmas lights cost: What holiday lights and inflatables cost per night and per season, LED vs incandescent.
Electric fireplace & oil heater cost: What an electric fireplace or oil-filled radiator costs per hour, heat on or flame only.
Electric bill by state: The average monthly home electric bill in every state, summer, winter and over a year.
Engine block heater cost: What a block heater costs per night in every state, left on overnight or on a timer.
Electricity price change by state: How much home electricity prices changed in every state over a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cost of electricity per kWh in the U.S.?: 18.16¢ per kWh for homes in August 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +3.4% compared with August 2025.
Which state has the most expensive electricity?: Hawaii, at 47.18¢ per kWh in August 2026, +159.8% against the U.S. average.
Which state has the cheapest electricity?: Nevada, at 12.72¢ per kWh in August 2026. Electricity in Hawaii costs 3.7 times as much per kWh.
Does a cheap price per kWh mean a low electric bill?: Not always. A bill is the price per kWh times how much electricity a home uses. Nevada has the cheapest electricity, yet its average bill over the last 12 months was $119 a month, against $156 nationally. The table shows both the price and the average bill for each state.
How many states pay more than the national average?: 19 of the 50 states plus D.C. had a residential price above the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh in August 2026. The U.S. figure is weighted by how much electricity each state sells, so it is not the price in a typical state; most states sit below it.

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Sources

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