Last update: July 2021
If you’re reading this, you’re most likely trying to figure out which state has the cheapest electricity rates. Electricity rates by state can vary sharply. Many large industries consume well over 10 million kilowatt-hours annually. With the rise of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it is not uncommon to find a company shopping around for which state offers the lowest energy costs.
We’ll take a look at electricity rates by state for different sectors of the market including residential, commercial, and industrial, and do a state-by-state comparison to the national average.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, for 2021, the U.S. average for residential, commercial, and industrial is 13.76 cents/kWh, 10.99 cents/kWh, and 6.77 cents/kWh, respectively. Energy prices have increased an average of five percent from 2020 to 2021.
| Sector | 2020 | 2021 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Residential | 13.08 cents/kWh | 13.76 cents/kWh | 5.2% |
Commercial | 10.41 cents/kWh | 10.99 cents/kWh | 5.6% |
Industrial | 6.40 cents/kWh | 6.77 cents/kWh | 5.8% |
2021 U.S. Average for Residential is 13.76 Cents Per kWh
| State | 2020 | 2021 | State | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 12.77 cents/kWh | 13.73 cents/kWh | Hawaii | 33.10 cents/kWh | 32.80 cents/kWh |
Alaska | 22.32 cents/kWh | 22.15 cents/kWh | Idaho | 9.64 cents/kWh | 9.65 cents/kWh |
Arizona | 12.16 cents/kWh | 12.54 cents/kWh | Illinois | 13.17 cents/kWh | 14.04 cents/kWh |
Arkansas | 10.13 cents/kWh | 10.95 cents/kWh | Indiana | 12.19 cents/kWh | 13.93 cents/kWh |
California | 20.49 cents/kWh | 23.37 cents/kWh | Iowa | 12.40 cents/kWh | 12.35 cents/kWh |
Colorado | 12.04 cents/kWh | 12.53 cents/kWh | Kansas | 12.68 cents/kWh | 13.60 cents/kWh |
Connecticut | 23.30 cents/kWh | 23.72 cents/kWh | Kentucky | 10.76 cents/kWh | 12.08 cents/kWh |
Delaware | 12.95 cents/kWh | 12.74 cents/kWh | Louisiana | 9.08 cents/kWh | 11.04 cents/kWh |
Florida | 11.64 cents/kWh | 11.77 cents/kWh | Maine | 16.53 cents/kWh | 16.46 cents/kWh |
Georgia | 11.40 cents/kWh | 12.23 cents/kWh | Maryland | 13.59 cents/kWh | 12.98 cents/kWh |
Massachusetts | 22.80 cents/kWh | 23.45 cents/kWh | New Mexico | 12.47 cents/kWh | 13.09 cents/kWh |
Michigan | 16.05 cents/kWh | 17.62 cents/kWh | New York | 17.17 cents/kWh | 18.50 cents/kWh |
Minnesota | 12.85 cents/kWh | 13.17 cents/kWh | North Carolina | 11.68 cents/kWh | 11.67 cents/kWh |
Mississippi | 11.54 cents/kWh | 12.13 cents/kWh | North Dakota | 10.00 cents/kWh | 10.79 cents/kWh |
Missouri | 9.99 cents/kWh | 11.15 cents/kWh | Ohio | 11.78 cents/kWh | 13.16 cents/kWh |
Montanna | 11.32 cents/kWh | 11.08 cents/kWh | Oklahoma | 9.84 cents/kWh | 11.45 cents/kWh |
Nebraska | 10.55 cents/kWh | 11.62 cents/kWh | Oregon | 10.95 cents/kWh | 11.33 cents/kWh |
Nevada | 12.12 cents/kWh | 12.18 cents/kWh | Pennsylvania | 13.75 cents/kWh | 13.76 cents/kWh |
New Hampshire | 18.97 cents/kWh | 19.80 cents/kWh | Rhode Island | 23.25 cents/kWh | 23.54 cents/kWh |
New Jersey | 16.14 cents/kWh | 16.54 cents/kWh | South Carolina | 12.79 cents/kWh | 13.29 cents/kWh |
South Dakota | 11.18 cents/kWh | 11.96 cents/kWh | Tennessee | 10.81 cents/kWh | 11.57 cents/kWh |
Texas | 12.09 cents/kWh | 11.97 cents/kWh | Utah | 10.16 cents/kWh | 10.07 cents/kWh |
Vermont | 19.60 cents/kWh | 19.47 cents/kWh | Virginia | 12.27 cents/kWh | 12.87 cents/kWh |
Washington | 9.60 cents/kWh | 10.13 cents/kWh | West Virginia | 11.98 cents/kWh | 12.43 cents/kWh |
Wisconsin | 14.73 cents/kWh | 14.62 cents/kWh | Wyoming | 10.71 cents/kWh | 11.11 cents/kWh |
2021 U.S. Average for Commercial is 10.99 Cents Per kWh
| State | 2020 | 2021 | State | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 11.43 cents/kWh | 12.28 cents/kWh | Hawaii | 33.10 cents/kWh | 33.17 cents/kWh |
Alaska | 19.54 cents/kWh | 19.01 cents/kWh | Idaho | 7.47 cents/kWh | 7.73 cents/kWh |
Arizona | 9.59 cents/kWh | 9.96 cents/kWh | Illinois | 8.99 cents/kWh | 9.60 cents/kWh |
Arkansas | 8.46 cents/kWh | 8.73 cents/kWh | Indiana | 10.83 cents/kWh | 11.53 cents/kWh |
California | 15.57 cents/kWh | 18.70 cents/kWh | Iowa | 9.86 cents/kWh | 9.18 cents/kWh |
Colorado | 9.76 cents/kWh | 10.35 cents/kWh | Kansas | 10.24 cents/kWh | 10.63 cents/kWh |
Connecticut | 17.19 cents/kWh | 16.81 cents/kWh | Kentucky | 10.33 cents/kWh | 10.82 cents/kWh |
Delaware | 9.78 cents/kWh | 9.07 cents/kWh | Louisiana | 8.59 cents/kWh | 10.15 cents/kWh |
Florida | 9.34 cents/kWh | 9.34 cents/kWh | Maine | 12.74 cents/kWh | 12.31 cents/kWh |
Georgia | 9.70 cents/kWh | 10.40 cents/kWh | Maryland | 9.90 cents/kWh | 9.91 cents/kWh |
Massachusetts | 16.23 cents/kWh | 15.80 cents/kWh | New Mexico | 9.44 cents/kWh | 10.37 cents/kWh |
Michigan | 11.51 cents/kWh | 12.24 cents/kWh | New York | 13.33 cents/kWh | 15.85 cents/kWh |
Minnesota | 10.00 cents/kWh | 10.81 cents/kWh | North Carolina | 8.96 cents/kWh | 7.96 cents/kWh |
Mississippi | 10.53 cents/kWh | 11.04 cents/kWh | North Dakota | 8.81 cents/kWh | 8.89 cents/kWh |
Missouri | 8.05 cents/kWh | 8.41 cents/kWh | Ohio | 9.34 cents/kWh | 9.78 cents/kWh |
Montanna | 10.36 cents/kWh | 10.42 cents/kWh | Oklahoma | 7.08 cents/kWh | 7.90 cents/kWh |
Nebraska | 8.81 cents/kWh | 8.77 cents/kWh | Oregon | 8.99 cents/kWh | 9.07 cents/kWh |
Nevada | 7.68 cents/kWh | 7.30 cents/kWh | Pennsylvania | 8.62 cents/kWh | 8.64 cents/kWh |
New Hampshire | 15.43 cents/kWh | 16.62 cents/kWh | Rhode Island | 15.58 cents/kWh | 15.12 cents/kWh |
New Jersey | 12.08 cents/kWh | 12.41 cents/kWh | South Carolina | 10.22 cents/kWh | 10.21 cents/kWh |
South Dakota | 9.24 cents/kWh | 9.68 cents/kWh | Tennessee | 10.70 cents/kWh | 10.90 cents/kWh |
Texas | 7.84 cents/kWh | 10.50 cents/kWh | Utah | 8.11 cents/kWh | 8.06 cents/kWh |
Vermont | 16.42 cents/kWh | 16.52 cents/kWh | Virginia | 8.10 cents/kWh | 6.62 cents/kWh |
Washington | 8.96 cents/kWh | 9.04 cents/kWh | West Virginia | 9.60 cents/kWh | 9.72 cents/kWh |
Wisconsin | 10.79 cents/kWh | 10.77 cents/kWh | Wyoming | 9.36 cents/kWh | 9.90 cents/kWh |
2021 U.S. Average for Industrial is 6.77 Cents Per kWh
| State | 2020 | 2021 | State | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 5.36 cents/kWh | 6.34 cents/kWh | Hawaii | 26.15 cents/kWh | 25.49 cents/kWh |
Alaska | 16.35 cents/kWh | 16.83 cents/kWh | Idaho | 5.16 cents/kWh | 6.00 cents/kWh |
Arizona | 5.31 cents/kWh | 5.98 cents/kWh | Illinois | 6.63 cents/kWh | 6.95 cents/kWh |
Arkansas | 5.38 cents/kWh | 5.65 cents/kWh | Indiana | 6.60 cents/kWh | 6.66 cents/kWh |
California | 12.37 cents/kWh | 13.28 cents/kWh | Iowa | 6.19 cents/kWh | 5.52 cents/kWh |
Colorado | 7.12 cents/kWh | 7.65 cents/kWh | Kansas | 7.22 cents/kWh | 7.26 cents/kWh |
Connecticut | 13.64 cents/kWh | 11.30 cents/kWh | Kentucky | 5.07 cents/kWh | 5.54 cents/kWh |
Delaware | 6.96 cents/kWh | 7.85 cents/kWh | Louisiana | 4.66 cents/kWh | 5.91 cents/kWh |
Florida | 7.17 cents/kWh | 7.37 cents/kWh | Maine | 8.92 cents/kWh | 8.75 cents/kWh |
Georgia | 5.05 cents/kWh | 5.90 cents/kWh | Maryland | 7.62 cents/kWh | 8.03 cents/kWh |
Massachusetts | 13.88 cents/kWh | 14.57 cents/kWh | New Mexico | 5.34 cents/kWh | 6.03 cents/kWh |
Michigan | 7.08 cents/kWh | 7.40 cents/kWh | New York | 5.24 cents/kWh | 7.39 cents/kWh |
Minnesota | 7.46 cents/kWh | 8.39 cents/kWh | North Carolina | 5.84 cents/kWh | 5.90 cents/kWh |
Mississippi | 5.87 cents/kWh | 5.89 cents/kWh | North Dakota | 8.48 cents/kWh | 6.97 cents/kWh |
Missouri | 5.89 cents/kWh | 6.45 cents/kWh | Ohio | 5.45 cents/kWh | 6.18 cents/kWh |
Montanna | 4.89 cents/kWh | 5.59 cents/kWh | Oklahoma | 4.07 cents/kWh | 4.77 cents/kWh |
Nebraska | 8.22 cents/kWh | 8.09 cents/kWh | Oregon | 5.87 cents/kWh | 6.08 cents/kWh |
Nevada | 4.61 cents/kWh | 5.13 cents/kWh | Pennsylvania | 6.11 cents/kWh | 6.08 cents/kWh |
New Hampshire | 12.94 cents/kWh | 13.52 cents/kWh | Rhode Island | 15.48 cents/kWh | 15.82 cents/kWh |
New Jersey | 10.14 cents/kWh | 10.03 cents/kWh | South Carolina | 5.49 cents/kWh | 5.64 cents/kWh |
South Dakota | 7.63 cents/kWh | 7.73 cents/kWh | Tennessee | 5.45 cents/kWh | 5.38 cents/kWh |
Texas | 5.39 cents/kWh | 6.18 cents/kWh | Utah | 5.57 cents/kWh | 5.98 cents/kWh |
Vermont | 10.85 cents/kWh | 11.04 cents/kWh | Virginia | 6.59 cents/kWh | 5.58cents/kWh |
Washington | 4.86 cents/kWh | 5.66 cents/kWh | West Virginia | 5.76 cents/kWh | 6.14 cents/kWh |
Wisconsin | 7.28 cents/kWh | 7.17 cents/kWh | Wyoming | 6.82 cents/kWh | 6.41 cents/kWh |
Factors that Affect Electricity Rates by State
- Where you live – There are geographical factors that play a role in the price of electricity. For example, due to its abundance of natural resources and flat landscape, Texas leads the nation in the net-generation of power.
- Time of year – The fall and spring seasons bring mild weather which tends to reduce energy demand. During hot summers or cold winters, the demand for air-conditioning or heating can drive up energy costs
- Time of day – On and off-peak hours play an important role in energy prices. On-peak hours refer to the time of day when electricity demand is at its highest. Off-peak hours are the time when the demand is at its lowest.
- Regulations – One factor that can impact electricity rates by state are state regulations. The more regulations that are placed on energy suppliers, the higher the price will be. States such as Texas that follow free market principles generally have lower prices.