Retail residential electricity prices in the United States have mostly risen over the last decades. In 2023, prices registered a year-over-year growth of 6.3 percent, the highest growth registered since the beginning of the century. Residential prices are projected to continue to grow by two percent in 2024. Drivers of electricity price growth The price of electricity is partially dependent on the various energy sources used for generation, such as coal, gas, oil, renewable energy, or nuclear. In the U.S., electricity prices are highly connected to natural gas prices. As the commodity is exposed to international markets that pay a higher rate, U.S. prices are also expected to rise, as it has been witnessed during the energy crisis in 2022. Electricity demand is also expected to increase, especially in regions that will likely require more heating or cooling as climate change impacts progress, driving up electricity prices. Which states pay the most for electricity? Electricity prices can vary greatly depending on both state and region. Hawaii has the highest electricity prices in the U.S., at roughly 43 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2023, due to the high costs of crude oil used to fuel the state’s electricity. In comparison, Idaho has one of the lowest retail rates. Much of the state’s energy is generated from hydroelectricity, which requires virtually no fuel. In addition, construction costs can be spread out over decades.

The retail price for electricity in the United States stood at an average of ***** U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024. This is the highest figure reported in the indicated period. Nevertheless, the U.S. still has one of the lowest electricity prices worldwide. As a major producer of primary energy, energy prices are lower than in countries that are more reliant on imports or impose higher taxes. Regional variations and sector disparities The impact of rising electricity costs across U.S. states is not uniform. Hawaii stands out with the highest household electricity price, reaching a staggering ***** U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour in September 2024. This stark contrast is primarily due to Hawaii's heavy reliance on imported oil for power generation. On the other hand, states like Utah benefit from lower rates, with prices around **** U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Regarding U.S. prices by sector, residential customers have borne the brunt of price increases, paying an average of ***** U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023, significantly more than commercial and industrial sectors. Factors driving price increases Several factors contribute to the upward trend in electricity prices. The integration of renewable energy sources, investments in smart grid technologies, and rising peak demand all play a role. Additionally, the global energy crisis of 2022 and natural disasters affecting power infrastructure have put pressure on the electric utility industry. The close connection between U.S. electricity prices and natural gas markets also influences rates, as domestic prices are affected by higher-paying international markets. Looking ahead, projections suggest a continued increase in electricity prices, with residential rates expected to grow by *** percent in 2024, driven by factors such as increased demand and the ongoing effects of climate change.

Graph and download economic data for Average Price: Electricity per Kilowatt-Hour in U.S. City Average (APU000072610) from Nov 1978 to May 2025 about electricity, energy, retail, price, and USA.

A table listing the average electricity rates (kWh) of all 50 U.S. states as of March 2025.

The average retail price of electricity for households has risen steadily in the United States, reaching a peak of around 15.98 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2023. In the U.S., electricity prices tend to reflect base overnight costs for power plants, their maintenance, fuel costs, and the operation of power grids. How electricity rates differ across states in the U.S. The price of electricity varies widely across states. Hawaii has continuously had one of the highest rates and Washington one of the lowest. In Hawaii, the power sector is largely reliant on petroleum and diesel generators. Crude oil is a comparatively expensive fuel and prices tend to be volatile, driving up overall electricity prices. Meanwhile, electricity prices are low in states which use hydropower as the main source of electricity, as Washington. In the U.S., costs of electricity are greatly shaped by the primary power source used per state. Maintaining the power grid In addition to primary fuel purchases, the costs required to operate and maintain transmission and distribution systems also impact the prices that a household pays. In 2022, power utilities reported a peak in grid operating expenses, with transmission-related costs reaching 15.9 billion U.S. dollars and almost six billion U.S. dollars invested in distribution networks.

A comprehensive dataset of average residential, commercial, and combined electricity rates in cents per kWh for all 50 U.S. states.

Germany Electricity decreased 28.96 EUR/MWh or 25.02% since the beginning of 2025, according to the latest spot benchmarks offered by sellers to buyers priced in megawatt hour (MWh). This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Germany Electricity Price.

This table contains consumer prices for electricity and gas. Weighted average monthly prices are published broken down into transport rate, delivery rates and taxes, both including and excluding VAT. These prices are published on a monthly basis. The prices presented in this table were used to compile the CPI up to May 2023. Prices for newly offered contracts were collected. Contract types that are no longer offered, but have been in previous reporting periods, are imputed. The average can therefore diverge from the prices paid for energy contracts by Dutch households.

Data available from January 2018 up to May 2023.

Status of the figures: The figures are definitive.

Changes as of 17 July 2023: This table will no longer be updated. Due to a change in the underlying data and accompanying method for calculcating average energy prices, a new table was created. See paragraph 3.

Changes as of 13 February: Average delivery rates are not shown in this table from January 2023 up to May 2023. With the introduction of the price cap, the average energy rates (delivery rates) of fixed and variable energy contracts together remained useful for calculating a development for the CPI. However, as a pricelevel, they are less useful. Average energy prices from January 2023 up to May 2023 are published in a customized table. In this publication, only data concerning new variable contracts are taken into account

When will new figures be published? Does not apply.

The average wholesale electricity price in July 2025 in the United Kingdom is forecast to amount to****** British pounds per megawatt-hour, a decrease from the previous month. A record high was reached in August 2022 when day-ahead baseload contracts averaged ***** British pounds per megawatt-hour.
Electricity price stabilization in Europe Electricity prices increased in 2024 compared to the previous year, when prices stabilized after the energy supply shortage. Price spikes were driven by the growing wholesale prices of natural gas and coal worldwide, which are among the main sources of power in the region.

… and in the United Kingdom? The United Kingdom was one of the countries with the highest electricity prices worldwide during the energy crisis. Since then, prices have been stabilizing, almost to pre-energy crisis levels. The use of nuclear, wind, and bioenergy for electricity generation has been increasing recently. The fuel types are an alternative to fossil fuels and are part of the country's power generation plans going into the future.

The electricity delivery process has experienced a major shift in recent years, driven by a push to reduce emissions. Governments across Europe are actively moving away from conventional sources of electricity generation, leading to a decline in the continent's dependency on fossil fuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables accounted for 41.7% of electricity generation in Europe in 2022, up from 32.9% in 2017. The rise of renewables has spurred an influx of renewable generators and necessitated increased investment in electricity networks. This has lifted revenue for transmission and distribution network operators. Revenue is forecast to rise at a compound annual rate of 8.7% over the five years through 2025, reaching €2.8 billion. Falling wholesale prices and a reduction in overall electricity consumption spurred a drop in revenue during the pandemic. Excess demand for natural gas as economies loosened pandemic-related restrictions spurred a strong rebound in wholesale electricity prices in 2021, translating to a jump in revenue. Wholesale prices recorded a renewed spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, spurring a surge in revenue generated by electricity producers and suppliers. Renewable generators were able to rake in extra profit from electricity sold to wholesale markets at inflated prices, counterbalancing a significant rise in costs for fossil fuel generators and electricity suppliers. Wholesale prices have since come down as Europe has diversified its fuel mix away from Russian gas. Revenue is forecast to decline by 5.1% in the current year. Revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 0.3% over the five years through 2030 to €2.9 billion. The revised Renewable Energy Directive of the EU has set a goal for 69% of electricity to be generated from renewables by 2030. Electricity generators will continue expanding their renewables capacity, while investment in upgrading the electricity network to accommodate the rapid shift to renewables will boost income for transmission and distribution network operators. Rising renewable electricity generation will place downward pressure on wholesale prices, though the electrification of heat and transport is set to spur an uptick in demand for electricity across the continent.

This table contains consumer prices for electricity and gas. Weighted average monthly prices are published broken down into transport rate, delivery rates and taxes, both including and excluding VAT. These prices are published on a monthly basis.

Data available from: January 2021

Status of the figures: When first published, the figures are provisional. These will become definitive with the following month’s publication.

Changes compared with previous version: Data on the most recent period have been added and/or adjustments have been implemented.

When will new figures be published? New figures will usually be published between the first and second Thursday of the month.

France Electricity decreased 4.49 EUR/MWh or 6.43% since the beginning of 2025, according to the latest spot benchmarks offered by sellers to buyers priced in megawatt hour (MWh). This dataset includes a chart with historical data for France Electricity Price.

Hawaii is the state with the highest household electricity price in the United States. In September 2024, the average retail price of electricity for Hawaiian residences amounted to 41.27 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. California followed in second, with 30.221 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Meanwhile, Utah registered the lowest price in the period, at around 11.4 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Why is electricity so expensive in Hawaii? Fossil fuels, and specifically oil, account for approximately 80 percent of Hawaii’s electricity mix, so the electricity price in this state can be roughly brought down to the price of oil in the country. Oil was by far the most expensive fossil fuel used for electricity generation in the country. As Hawaii depends on oil imports, the cost of transportation and infrastructure must be added to the oil price. Electricity prices worldwide The U.S. retail price for electricity increased almost every year since 1990. In 2023, it stood at 12.7 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour, almost double the charge put on electricity back in 1990. However, household electricity prices are around 25 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour lower in the U.S. when compared to European countries reliant on energy imports, such as Germany and Italy.

In 2022, the average end-use electricity price in the United States stood at around 12.2 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. This figure is projected to decrease in the coming three decades, to reach some 11 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour by 2050.

The electricity delivery process has experienced a major shift in recent years, driven by a push to reduce emissions. Governments across Europe are actively moving away from conventional sources of electricity generation, leading to a decline in the continent's dependency on fossil fuels. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables accounted for 41.7% of electricity generation in Europe in 2022, up from 32.9% in 2017. The rise of renewables has spurred an influx of renewable generators and necessitated increased investment in electricity networks. This has lifted revenue for transmission and distribution network operators. Revenue is forecast to rise at a compound annual rate of 8.7% over the five years through 2025, reaching €2.8 billion. Falling wholesale prices and a reduction in overall electricity consumption spurred a drop in revenue during the pandemic. Excess demand for natural gas as economies loosened pandemic-related restrictions spurred a strong rebound in wholesale electricity prices in 2021, translating to a jump in revenue. Wholesale prices recorded a renewed spike following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, spurring a surge in revenue generated by electricity producers and suppliers. Renewable generators were able to rake in extra profit from electricity sold to wholesale markets at inflated prices, counterbalancing a significant rise in costs for fossil fuel generators and electricity suppliers. Wholesale prices have since come down as Europe has diversified its fuel mix away from Russian gas. Revenue is forecast to decline by 5.1% in the current year. Revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual rate of 0.3% over the five years through 2030 to €2.9 billion. The revised Renewable Energy Directive of the EU has set a goal for 69% of electricity to be generated from renewables by 2030. Electricity generators will continue expanding their renewables capacity, while investment in upgrading the electricity network to accommodate the rapid shift to renewables will boost income for transmission and distribution network operators. Rising renewable electricity generation will place downward pressure on wholesale prices, though the electrification of heat and transport is set to spur an uptick in demand for electricity across the continent.

Spain Electricity decreased 37.61 EUR/MWh or 27.68% since the beginning of 2025, according to the latest spot benchmarks offered by sellers to buyers priced in megawatt hour (MWh). This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Spain Electricity Price.

Italy Electricity decreased 21.69 EUR/MWh or 15.74% since the beginning of 2025, according to the latest spot benchmarks offered by sellers to buyers priced in megawatt hour (MWh). This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Italy Electricity Price.

In January 2019 the European Commission published the third report on energy prices and costs in Europe. Published every two years, this most recent report finds that wholesale energy prices have fallen in recent years due to increasing competition on wholesale markets from greater amounts of renewable energy, improved interconnections and a more integrated internal electricity market.

The report also highlights how these lower supply costs, together with stable network tariffs, taxes and levies, enabled household electricity prices to fall in 2017 for the first time since 2008. However, the report also warns of the EU's ongoing high exposure to volatile and growing fossil fuel prices and notes that wholesale prices have started to rise again. Future electricity production costs are expected to increase for fossil fuel-generated electricity (due to import prices and the carbon price) and fall for renewables (linked to the decreasing costs of investment as technologies evolve), with the report suggesting that that electricity market prices could reduce the need for subsidising renewable energy technologies by 2030.