Avista electric rates and bills in Washington
Avista's 247,159 residential customers in Washington paid an average of 14.16¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $129.76 a month on 916 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 14.68¢, and 14.93¢ 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.
9 of 39 Washington counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Avista's Washington residential customers paid an average of 14.16¢ per kWh in 2025 after a rise of 19.3% on 2024, with the average bill up +21.3%. Across the state line, the same company's Idaho customers paid 11.84¢ per kWh in 2025, +1.9%1 on the year before.
The price per kWh, measured three ways
Avista is an investor-owned utility serving 247,159 residential customers in eastern Washington in 2025, 7.4%1 of the state's total. The prices below are EIA averages, not tariff lines: Avista's residential revenue, basic charge, adjustments and riders included and most taxes excluded, divided by residential kWh sold.
On that measure, Avista's Washington customers paid 14.16¢ per kWh in 2025, 7.5% above the Washington average and the 6th highest of the 28 Washington utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers. Nationally it sits below the middle: 73rd lowest of 177 large utilities and sat 20.4% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1.
EIA also samples Avista every month. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the residential average was 14.68¢ per kWh, and in August 20263 alone 14.93¢ per kWh, +4.8%2 against the same month a year earlier. EIA marks every month since January 2026 as preliminary, and one month carries that month's weather and use, so the 12-month average says more about a year of bills.
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 | Avista (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 13.93¢ | 1,257 | $175.19 |
| February 2025 | 14.03¢ | 1,163 | $163.24 |
| March 2025 | 14.11¢ | 972 | $137.25 |
| April 2025 | 14.08¢ | 760 | $107.01 |
| May 2025 | 14.02¢ | 689 | $96.58 |
| June 2025 | 13.95¢ | 761 | $106.20 |
| July 2025 | 13.78¢ | 949 | $130.72 |
| August 2025 | 14.24¢ | 941 | $134.01 |
| September 2025 | 14.32¢ | 811 | $116.08 |
| October 2025 | 14.28¢ | 707 | $100.99 |
| November 2025 | 14.42¢ | 899 | $129.72 |
| December 2025 | 14.72¢ | 1,088 | $160.23 |
| January 2026 | 14.76¢ | 1,182 | $174.53 |
| February 2026 | 14.76¢ | 983 | $144.99 |
| March 2026 | 15.11¢ | 857 | $129.41 |
| April 2026 | 14.70¢ | 755 | $110.99 |
| May 2026 | 14.67¢ | 660 | $96.76 |
| June 2026 | 14.90¢ | 697 | $103.79 |
| July 2026 | 14.55¢ | 933 | $135.71 |
| August 2026 | 14.93¢ | 908 | $135.52 |
The 2025 increase, in EIA's data and at the UTC
The annual average went from 11.87¢ per kWh in 2024 to 14.16¢ per kWh in 2025, a rise of 19.3%. Use per home barely moved (901 kWh and 916 kWh a month), so the bill followed the price, from $106.954 to $129.761.
Avista was not alone. Washington's other two investor-owned utilities also rose steeply from 2024 to 2025, Puget Sound Energy by +16.3% and Pacific Power by +29.3%, while the large public utilities rose far less: Seattle City Light +4.6%, Tacoma Public Utilities +5.9% and Clark Public Utilities +2.1%1.
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) |
|---|---|
| Clark Public Utilities (WA) | 10.63¢ |
| Tacoma Public Utilities (WA) | 11.45¢ |
| Snohomish County PUD (WA) | 12.08¢ |
| Avista (WA) | 14.16¢ |
| Pacific Power (WA) | 14.33¢ |
| Seattle City Light (WA) | 14.74¢ |
| Puget Sound Energy (WA) | 17.01¢ |
Avista's Washington rates are set by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC). On December 20, 2024, the commission approved a two-year rate plan for Avista that was smaller than the company had requested, with new base rates at the end of 2024 and a second step on December 21, 2025; the filings and orders are in Avista's 2024 general rate case docket. For a typical home, the commission's release put the 2025 base-rate step well below the jump in EIA's annual average. Avista's bill carries more than base rates: adjustment schedules approved in their own filings sit on top, and EIA's average captures all of them at once, so it cannot show which piece moved. The December 2025 step is inside EIA's latest 12 months. How a rate order turns into a bill is covered in the guide to rate cases.
One company, two states
Avista also serves 129,1811 residential customers across the border in Idaho, where its prices are set separately. The two sides started 2024 close together and ended 2025 far apart.
| Avista residential customers | Washington | Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Customers, 2025 | 247,159 | 129,181 |
| Average price, 2024 | 11.87¢ per kWh | 11.62¢ per kWh4 |
| Average price, 2025 | 14.16¢ per kWh | 11.84¢ per kWh |
| Change, 2024 to 2025 | +19.3% | +1.9% |
| Average price, 12 months to August 2026 | 14.68¢ per kWh | 12.79¢ per kWh2 |
| Average monthly bill, 2025 | $129.76 | $106.63 |
| Use per home, 2025 | 916 kWh | 900 kWh1 |
| Advanced (smart) meters, 2025 | 99.2% | 0.0% |
| Rooftop solar per 1,000 customers, 2025 | 20.7 | 6.45 |
| Minutes without power, 2025, all events | 200 minutes | 973 minutes6 |
The 2026 months point the other way. In August 20263, the Idaho average was 13.19¢ per kWh, +13.8% against the same month a year earlier, while Washington's 14.93¢ per kWh was +4.8%2. Those are single preliminary months; the 12-month averages in the table show the Idaho side still lower. The Avista Idaho page covers that territory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Avista (ID) | $106.63 |
| Avista (WA) | $129.76 |
Winter sets the size of the bill
Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), Avista's Washington homes used 873 kWh a month on average, for a computed average bill of $128.23. The monthly sample shows how uneven that is: use per home peaked at 1,182 kWh in January 2026, when the average bill was $174.53, and fell to 660 kWh in May 2026, with a bill of $96.762.
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 | 811 | $116.08 | 14.32¢ |
| October 2025 | 707 | $100.99 | 14.28¢ |
| November 2025 | 899 | $129.72 | 14.42¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,088 | $160.23 | 14.72¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,182 | $174.53 | 14.76¢ |
| February 2026 | 983 | $144.99 | 14.76¢ |
| March 2026 | 857 | $129.41 | 15.11¢ |
| April 2026 | 755 | $110.99 | 14.70¢ |
| May 2026 | 660 | $96.76 | 14.67¢ |
| June 2026 | 697 | $103.79 | 14.90¢ |
| July 2026 | 933 | $135.71 | 14.55¢ |
| August 2026 | 908 | $135.52 | 14.93¢ |
The winter peak matches how the state heats. The Census Bureau found that 60.6% of Washington households heated mainly with electricity in 2025, 8th highest7 among the states, and in EIA's 2020 household survey space heating took 26% of Washington household electricity, tied for highest8 in the country. A higher price per kWh therefore weighs most on the January bill.
Where Avista serves
EIA's service-territory records list Avista in 9 Washington counties: Adams County, Asotin County, Ferry County, Grant County, Lincoln County, Pend Oreille County, Spokane County, Stevens County and Whitman County. In all 99, at least one other utility also reports customers. Because these counties are shared, a county or town name does not identify the supplier; Avista's own service map does, address by address. There is no switching either: in 2025, 0.0%1 of Washington's residential customers bought from a competitive supplier.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 9 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 |
|---|---|
| Adams County | PUD No 2 of Grant County, Inland Power & Light Company, Big Bend Electric Cooperative, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Asotin County | Inland Power & Light Company, Clearwater Power Company, PUD No 1 of Asotin County |
| Ferry County | PUD No 1 of Ferry County, Nespelem Valley Electric Cooperative, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Grant County | PUD No 2 of Grant County, Big Bend Electric Cooperative, City of Coulee Dam, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Lincoln County | PUD No 2 of Grant County, Inland Power & Light Company, Big Bend Electric Cooperative, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Pend Oreille County | PUD No 1 of Pend Oreille County, Northern Lights, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Spokane County | Inland Power & Light Company, Vera Irrigation District #15, Modern Electric Water Company, City of Cheney, Kootenai Electric Cooperative, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Stevens County | Inland Power & Light Company, City of Chewelah, Bonneville Power Administration |
| Whitman County | Inland Power & Light Company, Big Bend Electric Cooperative, Clearwater Power Company |
Ownership matters to the comparison. Across Washington, public power averaged 11.06¢ per kWh for residential customers in 2025, cooperatives 10.68¢ per kWh and the 3 investor-owned utilities 16.24¢ per kWh. Avista's 14.16¢ per kWh1 sat between the investor-owned and public power averages.
Smart meters, time-of-use and solar
Almost every Avista home in Washington has an advanced meter: 99.2% of residential meters in 2025. The meters can record use hour by hour, yet the share of Washington homes on time-varying prices in EIA's count for that year was 0.0%5. For the schedules Avista offers today, its current Washington tariff at the UTC is the record.
Rooftop solar is a little more common than the state average: Avista reported 5,111 net-metered residential installations in Washington in 2025, 20.7 per 1,000 customers, with 32.9 megawatts of capacity, against 19.45 per 1,000 statewide.
Outages
Avista's Washington customers averaged 200 minutes without power in 2025 counting major event days, fewer than the Washington average of 383 minutes, and 119 minutes without them, with 0.97 interruptions per customer (IEEE 1366 definitions). The Idaho side recorded 973 minutes in the same year, 208 minutes6 excluding major event days, so most of its total came on major event days. A single storm can move a year's total, so these figures describe 2025, not how either system is run.
Businesses and help paying
In 2025, Avista's 27,317 commercial customers in Washington paid an average of 14.30¢ per kWh, close to the residential figure, with a bill of $948.84 a month; its 805 industrial accounts paid 8.14¢ per kWh. The all-sector average, over 275,281 accounts, was 13.01¢ per kWh1.
For winter bills that run behind, the federal LIHEAP program pays part of eligible households' heating and electric costs; Washington's fiscal 2026 allocation was $61.5 million11. How to apply, and what to ask a utility about payment plans, is in the guide to help paying an electric bill; the statewide numbers are on electricity in Washington.
Avista in Washington: common questions
How much does Avista charge per kWh in Washington?
Avista's Washington residential customers paid an average of 14.16¢ per kWh1 in 2025 and 14.68¢ per kWh2 over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026, 2026 months preliminary). These are averages of everything billed divided by the kWh used, not the energy rate printed in Avista's tariff, which leaves out the basic charge and riders.
What is the average Avista electric bill in Washington?
$129.76 a month in 2025 for 916 kWh1, against $106.954 in 2024. Winter months cost more: in EIA's monthly data the average bill reached $174.53 in January 20262.
Did Avista raise electric rates in Washington in 2026?
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a two-year rate plan for Avista on December 20, 2024, with a second step in base rates taking effect on December 21, 2025. In EIA's monthly data, Avista's Washington residential average in August 20263 was 14.93¢ per kWh, +4.8%2 against the same month a year earlier.
Why do Avista customers in Idaho pay less than in Washington?
Avista's prices are set separately in each state, so the same company has two residential averages: 14.16¢ per kWh in Washington and 11.84¢ per kWh1 in Idaho in 2025. EIA's data show the gap but not its causes; each state's rate decisions are the record of how the prices were set.
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, 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 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-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 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 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, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, state data; table CE4.1.EL.ST, CE5 state tables, state highlights; released June 28, 2023. 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
- 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.