U.S. Electricity Prices by State: Use the Right Number

Use the dated federal price data instead of copying a number from an undated list.

EIA publishes state data and explains how retail electricity prices vary by locality and customer type. Follow its current state and electricity-price resources, note the stated data year, and avoid presenting an old comparison as today’s utility rate.

EIA average retail prices are revenue divided by electricity sold, not a tariff quoted to one household.

The EIA figure blends customers and includes delivered-electricity revenue such as generation, transmission, distribution, taxes, and fees. Your utility, supplier, rate class, usage level, and time of use can produce a different bill.

Match the denominator and charges to the question you are asking.

For a quick whole-bill comparison, divide the current electric bill by billed kWh and record that the result includes fixed charges. For the marginal cost of running one more appliance, use the applicable per-kWh supply and delivery charges, tiers, or time-of-use period shown on the tariff or bill.

Climate, home size, fuels, and consumption matter as much as cents per kWh.

A lower state average does not guarantee a lower monthly bill. Compare both price and kWh, keep billing periods aligned, and use weather-normalized or twelve-month totals when deciding whether a change actually reduced use.