EIA electricity data · 2024
What does electricity cost in your state?
Compare residential, commercial, and industrial electricity rates across all 50 states using current Energy Information Administration filings, refreshed as new monthly releases land.
Compare electricity rates by state/sector, generation mixes, and trends using official EIA data with rankings.
North Dakota has the cheapest electricity in the US; Hawaii the most expensive
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA Form 861, 2024), residential electricity costs 11.51¢ per kWh in North Dakota, the lowest in the country, versus 42.86¢ in Hawaii, the highest - a 3.7× spread around a 16.48¢ national average. The gap is set by fuel mix, regulation, and geography, not household usage.
The national picture · 2024
Residential electricity runs from 11.51¢ per kWh in North Dakota to 42.86¢ in Hawaii - a 3.7× spread set by fuel mix, regulation, and geography, around a 16.48¢ national average.
The figures below are EIA state averages by sector, useful for comparing states, not a quote for any single home or plan. Source: EIA Form-861 retail prices and State Electricity Profiles.
Electricity Prices by State
View all →Alabama
AL
residential
Alaska
AK
residential
Arizona
AZ
residential
Arkansas
AR
residential
California
CA
residential
Colorado
CO
residential
Connecticut
CT
residential
Delaware
DE
residential
District of Columbia
DC
residential
Florida
FL
residential
Georgia
GA
residential
Hawaii
HI
residential
What this data tells you
U.S. residential electricity prices vary by roughly a factor of three across states, driven by fuel mix, regulatory structure (regulated vs. deregulated markets), transmission constraints, and climate-driven demand. States with abundant hydropower and natural gas (Washington, Idaho, Louisiana) consistently sit at the low end; import-dependent island and isolated grids (Hawaii, Alaska) sit at the high end. Renewable share has risen across most states since 2015, but the relationship between higher renewable penetration and retail price is non-linear: rapid build-out can pressure prices upward in the short term while delivering long-run savings as fuel costs fall away.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity (Retail Sales of Electricity to Ultimate Customers; State Electricity Profiles). See our methodology for how we transform EIA tables into the views above.
How to use these numbers
A state average tells you where your state stands, not what you'll pay.
- Compare your state against the cheapest (North Dakota, 11.51¢) and the priciest (Hawaii, 42.86¢) to see how much of the gap is structural. See the rankings
- Open your state to read residential, commercial, and industrial rates side by side, plus the fuel mix behind them. Browse all states
- Check the multi-year trend before you judge a rate, a low price that is rising fast can cost more over a decade than a steady one. See national trend
- Estimate your own bill from your monthly kWh and your state rate. Cost calculator
Figures are EIA state-level averages by sector. Your actual rate depends on your utility, plan, and usage, see our disclaimer.
Guides & Analysis
Plain-language explainers from our team, written to help you read the underlying EIA data correctly.
Electricity Rates Explained
What cents per kWh means and how bills are calculated.
Why Prices Vary
What makes electricity cheap or expensive by state.
Energy Sources Explained
Gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, how each powers the grid.
Cheapest States for Electricity
All 50 states ranked by cents per kWh and why costs differ.
Renewable vs. Fossil Fuel Costs
How solar, wind, gas, and coal compare on LCOE.
Understanding Rate Structures
Flat, tiered, and time-of-use pricing, demand charges, and fees.
Comparing Utility Costs Across States
How to compare electricity costs fairly between states.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does RateWatt get its energy price data?
All data comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy. EIA collects electricity and natural gas price data from utilities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
How often are energy prices updated?
EIA publishes monthly state-level electricity and natural gas price data, typically with a 2-3 month lag. We update our database when new EIA releases become available.
Is RateWatt free?
Yes, RateWatt is completely free. You can look up energy prices for any state, view price trends, and compare rates across states without any account or payment.
Why do energy prices vary so much between states?
State energy prices are influenced by fuel sources (coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewables), local regulations, transmission costs, climate-driven demand, and market structure. States with abundant hydropower or natural gas typically have lower rates.
The 10 cheapest states (2024)
Residential price, cents per kWh, from EIA Form 861.
- North Dakota
North Dakota
11.51 ¢/kWh
- Idaho
Idaho
11.52 ¢/kWh
- Nebraska
Nebraska
11.53 ¢/kWh
- Louisiana
Louisiana
11.73 ¢/kWh
- Washington
Washington
11.9 ¢/kWh
- Utah
Utah
12.22 ¢/kWh
- Oklahoma
Oklahoma
12.24 ¢/kWh
- Arkansas
Arkansas
12.32 ¢/kWh
- Tennessee
Tennessee
12.42 ¢/kWh
- Wyoming
Wyoming
12.47 ¢/kWh
What this shows Every state here sits well below the 16.48¢/kWh national residential average, driven by cheap hydro, in-state natural gas, or both.
The US electricity bill keeps climbing
National average residential rate, 2016 to 2024.
Up 31% since 2016, EIA Form 861 annual data. See the full trend →
About this data
How RateWatt works, and why you can trust these figures
What this site is
RateWatt tracks U.S. state electricity prices and generation mix. All data comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy, which collects electricity price data from utilities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Editorial process
- Source. Download EIA Form 861 (retail electricity sales, revenue, and customer counts by state and sector) and EIA Electric Power Monthly (generation by energy source) for each state.
- Verify. Cross-reference against the EIA State Energy Data System (SEDS) historical time series to confirm trend consistency before publishing.
- Publish. Compute average retail electricity prices and generation-mix breakdowns directly from the source tables, and refresh the database when new EIA releases become available.
Editorial independence & corrections
The RateWatt editorial team is independent and is not affiliated with the EIA or the Department of Energy. Found an error or a stale figure? Get in touch via the contact page. See our methodology for full source attribution.
Frequently asked
Where does RateWatt get its energy price data?
All data comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy. EIA collects electricity and natural gas price data from utilities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
How often are energy prices updated?
EIA publishes monthly state-level electricity and natural gas price data, typically with a 2-3 month lag. We update our database when new EIA releases become available.
Is RateWatt free?
Yes, RateWatt is completely free. You can look up energy prices for any state, view price trends, and compare rates across states without any account or payment.
Why do energy prices vary so much between states?
State energy prices are influenced by fuel sources (coal, natural gas, nuclear, renewables), local regulations, transmission costs, climate-driven demand, and market structure. States with abundant hydropower or natural gas typically have lower rates.