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

US Electricity Prices: May 2026 Report

The short answer

The average US residential electricity rate was 18.4¢/kWh in May 2026, down 2.1% from April and up 6.2% from May 2025. Idaho had the cheapest electricity (12.4¢) and Hawaii the most expensive (52.0¢), while Illinois saw the biggest monthly increase (+16.5%).

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

US average18.4¢per kWh
vs prior month−2.1%
vs a year ago+6.2%
Spread4.2×HI vs ID

Biggest monthly increases

  1. Illinois20.5¢ → 23.9¢+16.5%
  2. Hawaii46.6¢ → 52.0¢+11.5%
  3. North Dakota12.4¢ → 13.6¢+10.2%
  4. South Dakota14.5¢ → 15.7¢+8.3%
  5. Montana13.9¢ → 14.7¢+5.5%

Biggest monthly decreases

  1. Connecticut32.2¢ → 27.4¢−15.1%
  2. North Carolina16.3¢ → 15.1¢−7.1%
  3. New Mexico15.2¢ → 14.1¢−6.8%
  4. California35.3¢ → 33.3¢−5.7%
  5. South Carolina17.1¢ → 16.2¢−5.2%

Largest increases over the past year

  1. Illinois18.6¢ → 23.9¢+28.4%
  2. Hawaii41.0¢ → 52.0¢+26.7%
  3. District of Columbia20.4¢ → 25.4¢+24.3%
  4. Virginia15.3¢ → 17.6¢+15.4%
  5. Maryland19.0¢ → 21.8¢+14.6%

What it means for your bills this season

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

ApplianceTypical useUS averageIdahoHawaii
Central Air Conditioner8 hours a day$157$105$443
Window Air Conditioner8 hours a day$40.39$27.05$114
Pool Pump8 hours a day$67.31$45.08$190

Electricity prices by state, May 2026

Alabama: 16.8¢/kWhAL16.8Alaska: 28.2¢/kWhAK28.2Arizona: 15.2¢/kWhAZ15.2Arkansas: 14.4¢/kWhAR14.4California: 33.3¢/kWhCA33.3Colorado: 16.2¢/kWhCO16.2Connecticut: 27.4¢/kWhCT27.4Delaware: 19.4¢/kWhDE19.4District of Columbia: 25.4¢/kWhDC25.4Florida: 15.2¢/kWhFL15.2Georgia: 15.8¢/kWhGA15.8Hawaii: 52.0¢/kWhHI52.0Idaho: 12.4¢/kWhID12.4Illinois: 23.9¢/kWhIL23.9Indiana: 18.2¢/kWhIN18.2Iowa: 14.1¢/kWhIA14.1Kansas: 15.1¢/kWhKS15.1Kentucky: 15.0¢/kWhKY15.0Louisiana: 14.2¢/kWhLA14.2Maine: 28.6¢/kWhME28.6Maryland: 21.8¢/kWhMD21.8Massachusetts: 28.8¢/kWhMA28.8Michigan: 22.0¢/kWhMI22.0Minnesota: 17.0¢/kWhMN17.0Mississippi: 16.2¢/kWhMS16.2Missouri: 13.7¢/kWhMO13.7Montana: 14.7¢/kWhMT14.7Nebraska: 13.6¢/kWhNE13.6Nevada: 13.6¢/kWhNV13.6New Hampshire: 27.3¢/kWhNH27.3New Jersey: 23.3¢/kWhNJ23.3New Mexico: 14.1¢/kWhNM14.1New York: 29.9¢/kWhNY29.9North Carolina: 15.1¢/kWhNC15.1North Dakota: 13.6¢/kWhND13.6Ohio: 19.5¢/kWhOH19.5Oklahoma: 13.4¢/kWhOK13.4Oregon: 16.3¢/kWhOR16.3Pennsylvania: 21.6¢/kWhPA21.6Rhode Island: 29.5¢/kWhRI29.5South Carolina: 16.2¢/kWhSC16.2South Dakota: 15.7¢/kWhSD15.7Tennessee: 14.5¢/kWhTN14.5Texas: 16.4¢/kWhTX16.4Utah: 13.0¢/kWhUT13.0Vermont: 24.9¢/kWhVT24.9Virginia: 17.6¢/kWhVA17.6Washington: 15.0¢/kWhWA15.0West Virginia: 16.8¢/kWhWV16.8Wisconsin: 19.7¢/kWhWI19.7Wyoming: 14.8¢/kWhWY14.812.4¢14.4¢15.7¢17.6¢24.9¢52.0¢¢ per kWh

Every state’s rate in May 2026

Average residential price, cents per kWh. Source: U.S. EIA.
1 Idaho 12.4¢ −2.8% +4.0%
2 Utah 13.0¢ −2.5% +2.9%
3 Oklahoma 13.4¢ +0.5% +3.4%
4 Nebraska 13.6¢ +2.3% +3.3%
5 Nevada 13.6¢ −4.8% +2.3%
6 North Dakota 13.6¢ +10.2% +3.9%
7 Missouri 13.7¢ −2.4% +5.1%
8 New Mexico 14.1¢ −6.8% −2.6%
9 Iowa 14.1¢ +2.0% −0.1%
10 Louisiana 14.2¢ −2.0% +6.7%
11 Arkansas 14.4¢ +1.4% +8.9%
12 Tennessee 14.5¢ −3.1% +5.4%
13 Montana 14.7¢ +5.5% +13.9%
14 Wyoming 14.8¢ +0.8% +7.1%
15 Washington 15.0¢ +4.1% +9.5%
16 Kentucky 15.0¢ −0.3% +8.2%
17 North Carolina 15.1¢ −7.1% +5.4%
18 Kansas 15.1¢ −4.1% +2.7%
19 Florida 15.2¢ −1.4% +1.3%
20 Arizona 15.2¢ −1.6% −3.1%
21 South Dakota 15.7¢ +8.3% +9.8%
22 Georgia 15.8¢ +3.1% +5.7%
23 Colorado 16.2¢ −2.3% +3.7%
24 Mississippi 16.2¢ −3.6% +8.9%
25 South Carolina 16.2¢ −5.2% +5.0%
26 Oregon 16.3¢ +3.1% +2.3%
27 Texas 16.4¢ −3.2% +5.9%
28 Alabama 16.8¢ −3.7% +3.8%
29 West Virginia 16.8¢ +4.6% +3.8%
30 Minnesota 17.0¢ +3.4% +7.0%
31 Virginia 17.6¢ +1.3% +15.4%
32 Indiana 18.2¢ +1.4% +7.4%
33 Delaware 19.4¢ +3.1% +6.9%
34 Ohio 19.5¢ +0.2% +14.2%
35 Wisconsin 19.7¢ +2.8% +4.2%
36 Pennsylvania 21.6¢ +0.4% +11.7%
37 Maryland 21.8¢ −1.4% +14.6%
38 Michigan 22.0¢ +2.9% +8.8%
39 New Jersey 23.3¢ −1.1% +13.6%
40 Illinois 23.9¢ +16.5% +28.4%
41 Vermont 24.9¢ +1.3% +4.8%
42 District of Columbia 25.4¢ 0% +24.3%
43 New Hampshire 27.3¢ +0.3% +13.8%
44 Connecticut 27.4¢ −15.1% −13.4%
45 Alaska 28.2¢ +3.2% +8.2%
46 Maine 28.6¢ +0.7% +2.6%
47 Massachusetts 28.8¢ −2.1% −3.6%
48 Rhode Island 29.5¢ +4.1% +1.6%
49 New York 29.9¢ +1.6% +12.1%
50 California 33.3¢ −5.7% −0.1%
51 Hawaii 52.0¢ +11.5% +26.7%

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