EPB electric rates and bills in the Chattanooga area
EPB's 164,914 residential customers in Tennessee paid an average of 12.89¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $144.47 a month on 1,121 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 13.08¢, and 12.80¢ in August 2026.2
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
6 of 95 Tennessee counties served (EIA-861 2025)
EPB's 164,914 residential customers had the smallest average bill of any Tennessee utility with 100,000 or more residential customers in 2025: $144.47 a month. A price 2.5% below the Tennessee average1 and moderate use per home both contributed, and the 12-month average bill to August 2026 was slightly lower than in 2025 even though the average price was higher.
EPB's price per kWh, dated
EPB, the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga, is a municipal utility owned by the City of Chattanooga. It had 164,914 residential customers in 2025, 5.2%1 of the homes on Tennessee utilities' lines, the fifth-largest share in the state.
"EPB rates per kWh" has a different answer for each period EIA covers:
| Period | EIA survey | Average residential price | Use per home, monthly | Average bill, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar 2024 | EIA-861, final | 12.32¢ per kWh | 1,110 kWh | $136.773 |
| Calendar 2025 | EIA-861, final | 12.89¢ per kWh | 1,121 kWh | $144.471 |
| Last 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 | EIA-861M, 2026 months preliminary | 13.08¢ per kWh | 1,094 kWh | $143.012 |
August 20264 on its own came to 12.80¢ per kWh2 (preliminary). Every price in the table is average revenue per kWh: EPB's residential electric revenue divided by the kWh its residential customers used. The fixed monthly charge is spread over those kWh, so a home that uses little electricity pays more per kWh on average than one that uses a lot, and the averages will not match any single line on EPB's rate schedule.
The smallest average bill among Tennessee's large utilities
Seven Tennessee utilities have 100,000 or more residential customers. In 2025 EPB's average bill of $144.47 was the lowest of them, a little under Nashville Electric Service at $146.001 and well under the statewide $156.035.
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 monthly residential bill |
|---|---|
| EPB (TN) | $144.47 |
| Nashville Electric Service (TN) | $146.00 |
| MLGW (TN) | $151.19 |
| Knoxville Utilities Board (TN) | $153.38 |
| Volunteer Energy Cooperative (TN) | $158.32 |
| Middle Tennessee Electric (TN) | $161.57 |
| Cumberland EMC (TN) | $197.71 |
Two things produced it. The price was below most of the group: of the seven, only Middle Tennessee Electric (12.47¢ per kWh) averaged less per kWh than EPB's 12.89¢ per kWh. And EPB homes used 1,121 kWh a month, below the state's 1,180 kWh in a state that ranked 3rd highest5 for use per home. Nashville homes used less still (1,040 kWh) but paid 14.04¢ per kWh; Middle Tennessee Electric's members paid less per kWh but used 1,295 kWh1. EPB was the only one of the seven with both figures below the state average. EIA does not record house size or heating type by utility, so its data show the combination without explaining it.
Across all 55 Tennessee utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers, EPB's price ranked 23rd lowest; the range ran from 11.54¢ per kWh at City of Bristol to 15.05¢ per kWh1 at City of Newport. Many smaller utilities averaged less than EPB, which is why it sits mid-table in the state yet second-lowest among the seven large ones.
EPB and Volunteer Energy share the same counties
EIA's 2025 territory records list EPB in 6 counties: Bledsoe County, Bradley County, Hamilton County, Marion County, Rhea County and Sequatchie County6. None is EPB's alone: another distribution utility reports customers in each. Volunteer Energy Cooperative, a cooperative with a much wider territory, reports service in Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton and Rhea counties, among others, so neighboring homes in the same county can be on different systems. Only the utilities' own service-area maps settle it for an address, and Tennessee has no retail choice: 0.0%1 of residential customers bought from a competitive supplier in 2025.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 6 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Bledsoe County | Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, City of Dayton |
| Bradley County | Volunteer Energy Cooperative, City of Cleveland |
| Hamilton County | Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative |
| Marion County | Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative |
| Rhea County | Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, City of Dayton |
| Sequatchie County | Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative |
On EIA's figures the two systems diverged in 2025 and after:
| EPB | Volunteer Energy Cooperative | |
|---|---|---|
| Average price, 2025 | 12.89¢ per kWh | 13.08¢ per kWh |
| Change in average price, 2024 to 2025 | +4.6% | +7.3% |
| Use per home, 2025 | 1,121 kWh | 1,210 kWh |
| Average bill, 2025 | $144.47 | $158.321 |
| Average price, last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) | 13.08¢ per kWh | 13.71¢ per kWh |
| August 20264 price against August 2025 | +2.2% | +6.2%2 |
Further east, Knoxville Utilities Board averaged 13.83¢ per kWh in 2025 after a rise of 10.3%1, so EPB's increase was also the smaller of the two East Tennessee city utilities.
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) |
|---|---|
| EPB (TN) | 12.89¢ |
| Volunteer Energy Cooperative (TN) | 13.08¢ |
| Knoxville Utilities Board (TN) | 13.83¢ |
A higher price, a slightly lower bill
From 2024 to 2025 EPB's residential average rose 4.6%, from 12.32¢ per kWh to 12.89¢ per kWh, less than Tennessee's statewide rise of 6.4%8. The average bill rose +5.6%, faster than the price, because use per home also went up, from 1,110 kWh3 to 1,121 kWh1 a month.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary).
Show the numbers
| Month | EPB (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 12.66¢ | 1,401 | $177.34 |
| February 2025 | 12.55¢ | 1,506 | $189.04 |
| March 2025 | 13.40¢ | 1,146 | $153.48 |
| April 2025 | 13.79¢ | 790 | $108.94 |
| May 2025 | 13.33¢ | 824 | $109.89 |
| June 2025 | 13.31¢ | 980 | $130.40 |
| July 2025 | 12.95¢ | 1,347 | $174.40 |
| August 2025 | 12.53¢ | 1,480 | $185.46 |
| September 2025 | 12.70¢ | 1,143 | $145.11 |
| October 2025 | 12.59¢ | 963 | $121.15 |
| November 2025 | 12.79¢ | 859 | $109.87 |
| December 2025 | 12.62¢ | 1,044 | $131.67 |
| January 2026 | 12.71¢ | 1,206 | $153.27 |
| February 2026 | 12.60¢ | 1,595 | $201.06 |
| March 2026 | 14.59¢ | 953 | $139.07 |
| April 2026 | 14.39¢ | 851 | $122.47 |
| May 2026 | 13.77¢ | 774 | $106.65 |
| June 2026 | 13.25¢ | 992 | $131.54 |
| July 2026 | 13.03¢ | 1,335 | $173.87 |
| August 2026 | 12.80¢ | 1,407 | $180.03 |
The monthly survey points the other way for the bill. Over the 12 months to August 2026 the average price was higher again, 13.08¢ per kWh, but use per home was lower, at 1,094 kWh a month, and the average bill came to $143.01, just under the 2025 figure. The single latest month, August 2026, averaged 12.80¢ per kWh, a change of +2.2%2 from August 2025, a little below the statewide +2.5%4. All 2026 readings are preliminary until the annual survey replaces them. EIA's November 24, 2026 release adds the following month.
February doubles May's use
The 12-month average hides a wide swing. Use per EPB home peaked in February 2026 at 1,595 kWh, with an average bill of $201.06, and bottomed out in May 2026 at 774 kWh and $106.652. Electric heating is widespread in the state: 63.2% of Tennessee households heated mainly with electricity in the Census Bureau's 2025 American Community Survey, 6th highest9 among the states (a survey estimate with a margin of error; EIA does not report heating fuel by utility).
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 1,143 | $145.11 | 12.70¢ |
| October 2025 | 963 | $121.15 | 12.59¢ |
| November 2025 | 859 | $109.87 | 12.79¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,044 | $131.67 | 12.62¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,206 | $153.27 | 12.71¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,595 | $201.06 | 12.60¢ |
| March 2026 | 953 | $139.07 | 14.59¢ |
| April 2026 | 851 | $122.47 | 14.39¢ |
| May 2026 | 774 | $106.65 | 13.77¢ |
| June 2026 | 992 | $131.54 | 13.25¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,335 | $173.87 | 13.03¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,407 | $180.03 | 12.80¢ |
For budgeting, a winter month at EPB can cost close to twice a spring month; the 12-month average of $143.012 sits between the two.
Nearly every home has a smart meter, almost none use time-of-use
EPB counted 99.9% of its residential meters as advanced (AMI) in 2025: the hardware for hour-by-hour billing is in place almost everywhere. Use of it for pricing is minimal. Of the homes on EPB's lines, 92 were enrolled in its time-of-use offering, 0.1%10, so nearly every EPB household pays the same price per kWh at any hour. Hours and prices of the option are on EPB's rate schedule; how time-of-use rates work covers the general mechanics.
Businesses pay less per kWh than homes
Shops, offices and other commercial accounts on EPB's system (24,611) averaged 12.46¢ per kWh in 2025, under the residential 12.89¢ per kWh; their typical monthly bill was $904.80. The 64 industrial accounts, buying large volumes, averaged 7.01¢ per kWh. Weighted over every class and 189,589 accounts, EPB's average came to 11.44¢ per kWh1.
Where the power comes from, and help with bills
EPB distributes power within the Tennessee Valley Authority's region; EIA describes the federally owned TVA as the supplier of most of Tennessee's electricity across most of the state (EIA, Today in Energy). Nationally, EPB's residential average ranked 32nd lowest of 177 large US utilities in 2025, below their median of 15.07¢ per kWh, and was 11.0% below the national average for public power (14.49¢ per kWh1).
Households behind on winter bills can apply for LIHEAP, the federal energy assistance program, which gave Tennessee $69.8 million11 for fiscal 2026 (applying for bill help). Electricity in Tennessee puts EPB beside every other utility in the state.
EPB electric rates: common questions
What is EPB's electric rate per kWh?
Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026, with 2026 months preliminary) EPB homes paid 13.08¢ per kWh2 on average; in calendar 2025, 12.89¢ per kWh1. These are EIA averages that fold the customer charge into every kWh, not a price printed on EPB's rate schedule, which itemizes the charges.
How much is the average EPB electric bill?
$144.47 a month in 2025 for 1,121 kWh1, electricity only. Over the 12 months to August 2026 the average was $143.01, from $106.65 in May 2026 to $201.06 in February 20262.
Did EPB raise its electric rates?
The average residential price rose 4.6% from 2024 to 2025, from 12.32¢ per kWh3 to 12.89¢ per kWh1. In August 20264 it was 12.80¢ per kWh, +2.2%2 against August 2025 (preliminary). EIA's figures measure what customers paid, not the decisions that changed it.
Is EPB cheaper than Volunteer Energy Cooperative?
On EIA's 2025 averages, yes: 12.89¢ per kWh and $144.47 a month at EPB, against 13.08¢ per kWh and $158.321 at Volunteer Energy Cooperative. A home cannot pick between them; the address decides which one serves it.
Related pages
Sources
- 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-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- 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-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates, house heating fuel, table B25040; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.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
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.