U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Monthly report · Published

US Electricity Prices: March 2026 Report

The short answer

The average US residential electricity rate was 18.8¢/kWh in March 2026, up 6.7% from February and up 10.2% from March 2025. North Dakota had the cheapest electricity (12.0¢) and Hawaii the most expensive (42.2¢), while Maryland saw the biggest monthly increase (+78.5%).

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

US average18.8¢per kWh
vs prior month+6.7%
vs a year ago+10.2%
Spread3.5×HI vs ND

Biggest monthly increases

  1. Maryland20.1¢ → 35.9¢+78.5%
  2. Tennessee12.8¢ → 15.1¢+17.6%
  3. West Virginia14.4¢ → 16.4¢+13.6%
  4. Indiana16.1¢ → 17.9¢+11.1%
  5. Nebraska11.8¢ → 13.1¢+11.1%

Biggest monthly decreases

  1. Maine32.2¢ → 28.3¢−12.0%
  2. Florida15.8¢ → 14.9¢−5.9%
  3. New York30.0¢ → 28.6¢−4.8%
  4. Arizona16.0¢ → 15.6¢−2.7%
  5. Minnesota15.4¢ → 15.1¢−2.0%

Largest increases over the past year

  1. Maryland18.9¢ → 35.9¢+89.3%
  2. District of Columbia20.4¢ → 25.0¢+22.5%
  3. New Jersey19.9¢ → 23.5¢+18.2%
  4. New Hampshire22.8¢ → 26.9¢+18.0%
  5. Ohio16.1¢ → 18.8¢+16.6%

What it means for your bills this season

At March 2026 prices, here’s what typical use of seasonal appliances costs per month — and how much it depends on where you live.

ApplianceTypical useUS averageNorth DakotaHawaii
Space Heater8 hours a day$68.74$43.62$154
Heat Pump8 hours a day$137$87.24$308
Electric Blanket8 hours a day$4.58$2.91$10.28

Electricity prices by state, March 2026

Alabama: 17.2¢/kWhAL17.2Alaska: 27.2¢/kWhAK27.2Arizona: 15.6¢/kWhAZ15.6Arkansas: 13.6¢/kWhAR13.6California: 33.4¢/kWhCA33.4Colorado: 16.7¢/kWhCO16.7Connecticut: 30.5¢/kWhCT30.5Delaware: 17.6¢/kWhDE17.6District of Columbia: 25.0¢/kWhDC25.0Florida: 14.9¢/kWhFL14.9Georgia: 15.0¢/kWhGA15.0Hawaii: 42.2¢/kWhHI42.2Idaho: 13.0¢/kWhID13.0Illinois: 18.9¢/kWhIL18.9Indiana: 17.9¢/kWhIN17.9Iowa: 13.4¢/kWhIA13.4Kansas: 15.3¢/kWhKS15.3Kentucky: 14.9¢/kWhKY14.9Louisiana: 14.2¢/kWhLA14.2Maine: 28.3¢/kWhME28.3Maryland: 35.9¢/kWhMD35.9Massachusetts: 30.2¢/kWhMA30.2Michigan: 21.2¢/kWhMI21.2Minnesota: 15.1¢/kWhMN15.1Mississippi: 16.3¢/kWhMS16.3Missouri: 13.4¢/kWhMO13.4Montana: 13.5¢/kWhMT13.5Nebraska: 13.1¢/kWhNE13.1Nevada: 14.2¢/kWhNV14.2New Hampshire: 26.9¢/kWhNH26.9New Jersey: 23.5¢/kWhNJ23.5New Mexico: 14.8¢/kWhNM14.8New York: 28.6¢/kWhNY28.6North Carolina: 16.0¢/kWhNC16.0North Dakota: 12.0¢/kWhND12.0Ohio: 18.8¢/kWhOH18.8Oklahoma: 13.6¢/kWhOK13.6Oregon: 14.9¢/kWhOR14.9Pennsylvania: 20.9¢/kWhPA20.9Rhode Island: 29.9¢/kWhRI29.9South Carolina: 16.5¢/kWhSC16.5South Dakota: 14.3¢/kWhSD14.3Tennessee: 15.1¢/kWhTN15.1Texas: 16.4¢/kWhTX16.4Utah: 13.2¢/kWhUT13.2Vermont: 24.1¢/kWhVT24.1Virginia: 17.1¢/kWhVA17.1Washington: 14.4¢/kWhWA14.4West Virginia: 16.4¢/kWhWV16.4Wisconsin: 18.8¢/kWhWI18.8Wyoming: 13.6¢/kWhWY13.612.0¢14.2¢15.1¢17.2¢25.0¢42.2¢¢ per kWh

Every state’s rate in March 2026

Average residential price, cents per kWh. Source: U.S. EIA.
1 North Dakota 12.0¢ +2.7% +7.6%
2 Idaho 13.0¢ +3.0% +12.4%
3 Nebraska 13.1¢ +11.1% +11.9%
4 Utah 13.2¢ −1.2% +6.3%
5 Iowa 13.4¢ +5.3% +7.5%
6 Missouri 13.4¢ +10.4% +11.9%
7 Montana 13.5¢ +1.1% +13.0%
8 Oklahoma 13.6¢ +5.2% +9.6%
9 Wyoming 13.6¢ +4.2% +9.5%
10 Arkansas 13.6¢ +7.1% +8.3%
11 Louisiana 14.2¢ +10.0% +8.4%
12 Nevada 14.2¢ −1.5% −1.8%
13 South Dakota 14.3¢ +7.9% +12.1%
14 Washington 14.4¢ +2.1% +14.1%
15 New Mexico 14.8¢ −1.7% +0.2%
16 Florida 14.9¢ −5.9% −1.5%
17 Kentucky 14.9¢ +10.9% +12.7%
18 Oregon 14.9¢ +1.7% −1.8%
19 Georgia 15.0¢ +6.2% +2.2%
20 Minnesota 15.1¢ −2.0% −0.1%
21 Tennessee 15.1¢ +17.6% +12.8%
22 Kansas 15.3¢ +1.5% +7.0%
23 Arizona 15.6¢ −2.7% +3.0%
24 North Carolina 16.0¢ +9.3% +8.1%
25 Mississippi 16.3¢ +10.7% +11.3%
26 West Virginia 16.4¢ +13.6% +3.0%
27 Texas 16.4¢ +6.4% +7.3%
28 South Carolina 16.5¢ +1.9% +7.7%
29 Colorado 16.7¢ −0.3% +11.3%
30 Virginia 17.1¢ +6.8% +14.5%
31 Alabama 17.2¢ +6.0% +3.6%
32 Delaware 17.6¢ +8.4% +5.6%
33 Indiana 17.9¢ +11.1% +8.8%
34 Ohio 18.8¢ +7.2% +16.6%
35 Wisconsin 18.8¢ +0.3% +5.9%
36 Illinois 18.9¢ +5.8% +7.5%
37 Pennsylvania 20.9¢ +3.1% +13.6%
38 Michigan 21.2¢ +6.0% +9.6%
39 New Jersey 23.5¢ +1.6% +18.2%
40 Vermont 24.1¢ +3.6% +7.7%
41 District of Columbia 25.0¢ +4.3% +22.5%
42 New Hampshire 26.9¢ +1.5% +18.0%
43 Alaska 27.2¢ +5.4% +5.4%
44 Maine 28.3¢ −12.0% +0.2%
45 New York 28.6¢ −4.8% +12.2%
46 Rhode Island 29.9¢ +1.6% −7.4%
47 Massachusetts 30.2¢ −0.8% +0.1%
48 Connecticut 30.5¢ −1.0% −6.2%
49 California 33.4¢ +0.4% +2.7%
50 Maryland 35.9¢ +78.5% +89.3%
51 Hawaii 42.2¢ −1.8% +2.7%

Using this data? It’s free under CC BY 4.0 — please credit “Applicost, based on EIA data” with a link to this page. Charts and CSV: open data.

Sources & method