Why Hawaii and California pay the most for electricity
Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), Hawaii homes paid an average of 44.27¢ per kWh and California homes 32.34¢ per kWh, the two highest averages in the country, against 18.04¢ per kWh1 nationally. The two states got there by different routes: Hawaii generated 74.9%3 of its electricity from petroleum in 2025, while in California the gap is between utilities, with investor-owned utilities averaging 33.91¢ per kWh for bundled residential customers and public power 22.74¢ per kWh5. Homes in both states use little electricity, so only Hawaii also has the highest average bill.
Published November 14, 2026.
The two highest averages, by a wide margin
Over the last 12 months, from September 2025 to August 2026, residential customers paid an average of:
- Hawaii: 44.27¢ per kWh over those 12 months, 145.4% above the US average;
- California: 32.34¢ per kWh, 79.3% above the US average;
- Massachusetts, in third place: 30.39¢ per kWh;
- the US as a whole: 18.04¢ per kWh1.
These are averages of what homes paid, not a tariff: EIA divides residential revenue, including fixed charges, fuel adjustments and riders, by the kWh sold. Over the same 12 months, California's lead over third place was small (32.34¢ against 30.39¢ per kWh), while Hawaii's lead over California (44.27¢ against 32.34¢1) was several times larger. The 2025 annual figures give the same top two, 40.40¢ per kWh for Hawaii and 31.35¢ per kWh2 for California.
A single month can shuffle the order below Hawaii. In August 2026 (preliminary), Hawaii was still first at 47.18¢ per kWh, but California, at 29.75¢ per kWh, ranked 4th highest, behind Maine and Massachusetts. August 2026 was the month California homes used the most electricity, and August 2026 the month their average price per kWh was lowest (29.75¢ per kWh1).
Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold over the 12 months 2025-09 to 2026-08 (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Average revenue per kWh, all charges included; not a tariff. Period: September 2025 to August 2026.
Show the numbers
| State | Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 44.27¢ |
| California | 32.34¢ |
| Massachusetts | 30.39¢ |
| Maine | 29.60¢ |
| Rhode Island | 29.44¢ |
| New York | 28.60¢ |
| Connecticut | 27.42¢ |
| New Hampshire | 26.95¢ |
| United States | 18.04¢ |
Hawaii: islands that burn oil for power
Hawaii's generation is unlike any other state's. In 2025, petroleum produced 74.9% of its electricity, the highest share in the country, against 0.4% for the US. Natural gas, the largest source nationally at 40.9%, produced 0.0% in Hawaii, and nuclear power 0.0%. Coal, 13.2% of Hawaii's generation in 2015, was 0.0%3 by 2025; the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office dates the end of coal-fired generation to September 2022, when the last coal plant's power purchase agreement expired.
The State Energy Office's grid overview says the majority of Hawaii's energy comes from imported oil and that this reliance makes the state susceptible to price shocks in the global oil market. The same page notes that the state operates six independent grids rather than one connected system.
Source: EIA, Net generation by state by type of producer by energy source. Share of net generation by all power plants located in the state (utilities and independent producers), by energy source. Electricity crosses state lines, so this is what the state produces, not exactly what its customers consume. Pumped storage is a net user of power and is left out.
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| Natural gas | Coal | Nuclear | Hydro | Wind | Solar | Petroleum | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 6.2% | 10.2% | 74.9% | 7.9% |
| Hawaii, 2015 | 0.0% | 13.2% | 0.0% | 1.2% | 6.1% | 0.5% | 69.4% | 9.6% |
| United States, 2025 | 40.9% | 16.6% | 17.7% | 5.5% | 10.4% | 6.8% | 0.4% | 1.7% |
Solar has grown fast without displacing oil as the main source: its share rose from 0.5% in 2015 to 10.2%3 in 2025. Hawaii also had 232.3 net-metered rooftop solar installations per 1,000 residential customers in 2025, the highest4 rate among the states.
The high price is not limited to homes. Over the same 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), Hawaii's commercial average, 40.31¢ per kWh, was the highest among the states, and so was its industrial average, 35.63¢ per kWh, 299.9% above the US average1. Every large utility on the islands is expensive too: among the 4 utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers in 2025, the lowest average was 38.43¢ per kWh (Kauai Island Utility Cooperative) and the highest 45.80¢ per kWh (Hawaii Electric Light Co), a spread of 7.37¢ per kWh. Hawaiian Electric, which serves 61.7% of the state's residential customers, averaged 40.54¢ per kWh5.
Hawaii: down in 2025, up sharply in 2026
Hawaii's average has moved sharply in both directions. The annual average fell 5.7% from 2024 to 2025, 2nd lowest2 change in the country. In 2026 it went the other way: in August 2026 Hawaii homes paid 47.18¢ per kWh, 22.5% more than the 38.53¢ per kWh of August 2025, the highest1 increase of any state. At Hawaiian Electric the same comparison showed a change of +27.5%, to 49.73¢ per kWh6. Monthly figures for 2026 are preliminary.
Over the full 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the increase was 8.8% against the 12 before, and within those months Hawaii's average ranged from 39.53¢ per kWh in September 2025 to 52.72¢ per kWh in June 20261.
Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Change in the residential average price between 2026-08 and the same month of 2025. Period: August 2026.
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| State | Residential change, latest month |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | +22.5% |
| Maine | +14.1% |
| New Hampshire | +13.1% |
| District of Columbia | +12.1% |
| Virginia | +11.3% |
| Delaware | +11.0% |
| Michigan | +10.9% |
| Idaho | +10.7% |
| Ohio | +10.4% |
| Iowa | +10.2% |
| United States | +3.4% |
California sat at the opposite end of the same comparison: its August 2026 average was 3.8% lower than a year earlier, 2nd lowest1 change among the states.
California: the difference is the utility
California has no oil story. In 2025 its generation came mainly from natural gas (36.2%), solar (26.8%) and hydropower (13.7%); petroleum produced 0.0%3. What sets California apart is how much its averages vary by provider. Among the 25 utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers in 2025, bundled (full-service) customers paid from 17.40¢ per kWh at Turlock Irrigation District to 45.77¢ per kWh at SDG&E, a spread of 28.37¢ per kWh, against 7.37¢ per kWh5 across Hawaii's islands.
The three large investor-owned utilities sit near the top of the national list. Among the 177 US utilities with 100,000 or more residential customers, SDG&E's 2025 average of 45.77¢ per kWh was the highest of 177, PG&E's 37.52¢ per kWh was 3rd highest of 177 and Southern California Edison's 31.48¢ per kWh was 7th highest of 177. Hawaiian Electric's 40.54¢ per kWh was 2nd highest of 177, so SDG&E's bundled customers paid more on average than Hawaiian Electric's that year. The city of Los Angeles's utility, LADWP, averaged 26.48¢ per kWh, and Sacramento's SMUD 18.93¢ per kWh5.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average residential price (bundled customers) |
|---|---|
| SMUD (CA) | 18.93¢ |
| LADWP (CA) | 26.48¢ |
| Southern California Edison (CA) | 31.48¢ |
| PG&E (CA) | 37.52¢ |
| Hawaiian Electric (HI) | 40.54¢ |
| SDG&E (CA) | 45.77¢ |
California's Legislative Analyst's Office, in a January 2025 report on residential rates, found that investor-owned utility rates are, on average, more than 50 percent higher than those of publicly owned utilities. It named significant and increasing wildfire-related costs, the state's greenhouse gas reduction programs and differences in utility structures and service territories among the reasons for high rates, and said rooftop-solar cost shifts and public purpose programs contribute to substantially higher rates for investor-owned utility customers without solar. The same report says the specific reasons have not been precisely quantified.
Many customers of the three investor-owned utilities buy their supply from a community choice aggregator and pay the utility only for delivery. EIA reports those parts separately: in 2025, PG&E's delivery-only residential customers paid it 24.60¢ per kWh for delivery, and SDG&E's 27.33¢ per kWh5. Those are delivery charges alone, not a full price, and are not comparable with the bundled averages above.
California caught up; Hawaii started high
Hawaii's average was already far above the rest of the country in 2010. Its homes paid 28.10¢ per kWh in 2010, when the US average was 11.54¢ per kWh. Since then its average has risen 43.8%, 19th lowest among the states and less than the US increase of 49.3%2.
California's high average is more recent. Its average was 14.75¢ per kWh in 2010 and 31.35¢ per kWh in 2025: an increase of 112.5%, the highest of any state. Measured from 2015 the rise was 84.5%, also the highest. The annual average went up in 20 of the years since 2002, and fell by 1.9%2 from 2024 to 2025.
Source: EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; EIA, Historical state data, monthly sales and revenue 1990-2009. Average revenue per kWh (all charges, nominal dollars), each calendar year: 2010 onward EIA-861 final annual data, 2001–2009 the sum of the monthly survey.
Show the numbers
| Period | Hawaii (¢/kWh) | California (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 16.34¢ | 12.09¢ |
| 2002 | 15.63¢ | 12.64¢ |
| 2003 | 16.73¢ | 12.23¢ |
| 2004 | 18.06¢ | 12.20¢ |
| 2005 | 20.70¢ | 12.51¢ |
| 2006 | 23.35¢ | 14.33¢ |
| 2007 | 24.12¢ | 14.42¢ |
| 2008 | 32.50¢ | 13.81¢ |
| 2009 | 24.20¢ | 14.74¢ |
| 2010 | 28.10¢ | 14.75¢ |
| 2011 | 34.68¢ | 14.78¢ |
| 2012 | 37.34¢ | 15.34¢ |
| 2013 | 36.98¢ | 16.23¢ |
| 2014 | 37.04¢ | 16.25¢ |
| 2015 | 29.60¢ | 16.99¢ |
| 2016 | 27.47¢ | 17.39¢ |
| 2017 | 29.50¢ | 18.31¢ |
| 2018 | 32.47¢ | 18.84¢ |
| 2019 | 32.06¢ | 19.15¢ |
| 2020 | 30.28¢ | 20.45¢ |
| 2021 | 33.49¢ | 22.82¢ |
| 2022 | 43.03¢ | 25.84¢ |
| 2023 | 42.39¢ | 29.51¢ |
| 2024 | 42.86¢ | 31.97¢ |
| 2025 | 40.40¢ | 31.35¢ |
Highest price, not always the highest bill
A bill is price times use, and both states use little electricity. In 2025 the average California home used 494 kWh a month, the lowest in the country, and the average Hawaii home 515 kWh, 2nd lowest; the US average was 874 kWh8.
That changes the order. Hawaii's 2025 average bill, $207.89, was the highest, but only just ahead of Connecticut at $206.46. California's $154.73 ranked 20th highest, $4.05 more a month than the US average8. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the pattern held: $227.70 in Hawaii, $163.90 in California and $157.841 for the US.
| Hawaii | 44.27¢ | 514 | $227.70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 32.34¢ | 507 | $163.90 |
| Massachusetts | 30.39¢ | 603 | $183.15 |
| Connecticut | 27.42¢ | 703 | $192.61 |
| United States | 18.04¢ | 875 | $157.84 |
Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months: 2025-09 to 2026-08; Average residential use, last 12 months (computed): 2025-09 to 2026-08; Average residential bill, last 12 months (computed): 2025-09 to 2026-08.
The seasons differ as well. Hawaii's use is fairly even: over the 12 months its busiest month used 1.4 times as much as its quietest. In California the ratio was 2.0 times, from 392 kWh in April 2026 to 789 kWh in August 20261, so California bills rise most in summer. At Southern California Edison the average bill reached $349.76 in August 2026, against $101.36 in February 20266 (monthly figures for 2026 are preliminary).
What this means for a household
In Hawaii the utility changes the average less than in California, and the main lever is use: with a 12-month average of 44.27¢ per kWh, the highest1 in the country, every kWh a home does not use saves the per-kWh charges on its bill, which make up most of that average (the rest is fixed monthly charges). In California the provider matters as much as the state: in 2025 bundled customers of SDG&E paid an average of 45.77¢ per kWh and those of SMUD 18.93¢ per kWh5, and the utility's own map decides who serves an address. The state pages for Hawaii and California list every utility, and the bill calculator applies a state's 12-month average to your own kWh.
Method
Prices are EIA's average revenue per kWh for residential customers: what customers paid in total divided by what they used. The 12-month figures (September 2025 to August 2026) and the latest month (August 20261) come from EIA-861M and the Electric Power Monthly; months since January 2026 are preliminary. Annual state figures since 2001 and the 2025 utility figures come from EIA-861; utility averages cover bundled (full-service) customers, and delivery-only figures are shown separately and never added to them. Bills are EIA's average monthly residential bill. Generation shares are EIA net generation by source for 2025 and 2015. Ranks cover the 50 states and DC, counted from the highest unless stated. Explanations of causes come from the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and California's Legislative Analyst's Office, linked above.
Hawaii and California electricity prices: questions
Why is electricity so expensive in Hawaii?
Most of Hawaii's electricity comes from burning petroleum: 74.9% of generation in 2025, against 0.4%3 nationally. The Hawaiʻi State Energy Office says this reliance on imported oil makes the state susceptible to oil price shocks, and the state runs six independent grids. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) Hawaii homes paid an average of 44.27¢ per kWh1.
Why are California electricity rates so high?
California's Legislative Analyst's Office lists wildfire-related costs, the state's greenhouse gas programs, rooftop-solar cost shifts, public purpose programs and differences between utilities among the reasons, and says their exact contributions have not been quantified. In EIA's 2025 data, bundled residential customers of investor-owned utilities paid 33.91¢ per kWh on average, against 22.74¢ per kWh5 at city utilities and public power districts.
Is electricity more expensive in Hawaii or California?
Hawaii. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) Hawaii's residential average was 44.27¢ per kWh and California's 32.34¢ per kWh1. Hawaii also had the highest average monthly bill in 2025, $207.89, while California's $154.73 ranked 20th highest8, because California homes use the least electricity of any state.
More insights
Sources
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Net generation by state by type of producer by energy source; table annual_generation_state.xlsx; 1990-2025; released September 14, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, monthly sales and revenue 1990-2009; table HS861M 1990-2009.xlsx; 1990-2009, final. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.