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Average electric bill in California

Residential electricity: average bill, monthly use and price per kWh, from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Average monthly bill, 2024 $160.86 US: $142.26 officialEIA-861
Average monthly use 503 kWh US: 863 kWh officialEIA, 2024
Price per kWh, July 2026 33.61¢ +2.9% vs a year earlier officialEIA Electric Power Monthly
Same use at the July 2026 rate $169.06 a month estimatedOur calculation

How much is the electric bill in California?

  • The average residential electric bill in California was $160.86 a month in 2024, for 503 kWh of use (EIA). The US average was $142.26 for 863 kWh.
  • In July 2026, homes in California paid 33.61¢ per kWh, 83.6% more than the US average of 18.31¢, and up 2.9% from 32.66¢ a year earlier.
  • California has the 2nd highest electricity rate and the 8th highest average bill of the 50 states and DC.
  • At the July 2026 rate, the same 503 kWh would cost about $169.06 a month (our estimate; actual use changes with the season).

Averages for all residential customers in the state. Your bill depends on your home, climate, heating and cooling, and your utility's plan. How we calculate.

Electricity rates in California and nearby states

California pays 33.61¢ per kWh; in the West region, rates run from 12.77¢ to 48.00¢

Residential price per kWh, July 2026. The line is the US average.

Hawaii
48.0¢
California (this page)
33.6¢
Alaska
28.8¢
Colorado
17.0¢
New Mexico
16.1¢
Oregon
16.0¢
Arizona
15.4¢
Montana
15.0¢
Washington
14.7¢
Wyoming
14.4¢
Idaho
13.7¢
Utah
13.1¢
Nevada
12.8¢

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.

Show the numbers
¢ per kWh
Hawaii48.0¢
California (this page)33.6¢
Alaska28.8¢
Colorado17.0¢
New Mexico16.1¢
Oregon16.0¢
Arizona15.4¢
Montana15.0¢
Washington14.7¢
Wyoming14.4¢
Idaho13.7¢
Utah13.1¢
Nevada12.8¢

How electricity prices have changed

Electricity prices in the West and the US over the last ten years

Average price per kWh in cities, monthly (BLS). State-level monthly history is not published without an EIA API key, so this shows the region.

  • West region
  • US average

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price data, electricity per kWh.

Show the numbers
West regionUS average
Oct 201615.8¢13.4¢
Nov 201615.0¢13.1¢
Dec 201615.0¢13.3¢
Jan 201715.0¢13.4¢
Feb 201715.0¢13.5¢
Mar 201715.1¢13.4¢
Apr 201715.3¢13.5¢
May 201715.8¢13.7¢
Jun 201715.7¢14.2¢
Jul 201715.7¢14.3¢
Aug 201715.7¢14.2¢
Sep 201715.7¢14.2¢
Oct 201715.8¢13.7¢
Nov 201715.2¢13.6¢
Dec 201715.3¢13.6¢
Jan 201815.1¢13.5¢
Feb 201815.2¢13.5¢
Mar 201815.3¢13.5¢
Apr 201815.3¢13.4¢
May 201815.4¢13.6¢
Jun 201815.5¢13.9¢
Jul 201815.6¢13.9¢
Aug 201815.6¢13.9¢
Sep 201815.3¢13.8¢
Oct 201815.5¢13.6¢
Nov 201815.2¢13.4¢
Dec 201815.2¢13.5¢
Jan 201915.1¢13.5¢
Feb 201915.1¢13.6¢
Mar 201915.2¢13.5¢
Apr 201915.2¢13.5¢
May 201915.6¢13.6¢
Jun 201915.7¢13.9¢
Jul 201915.8¢14.0¢
Aug 201915.7¢13.9¢
Sep 201915.5¢13.9¢
Oct 201915.7¢13.6¢
Nov 201915.0¢13.3¢
Dec 201914.8¢13.3¢
Jan 202015.1¢13.4¢
Feb 202015.2¢13.4¢
Mar 202015.2¢13.4¢
Apr 202015.1¢13.3¢
May 202015.6¢13.4¢
Jun 202015.5¢13.7¢
Jul 202015.7¢13.7¢
Aug 202015.7¢13.7¢
Sep 202015.6¢13.7¢
Oct 202015.8¢13.5¢
Nov 202016.0¢13.6¢
Dec 202016.0¢13.6¢
Jan 202116.1¢13.6¢
Feb 202116.5¢13.7¢
Mar 202116.7¢13.8¢
Apr 202116.9¢13.9¢
May 202117.2¢14.0¢
Jun 202116.8¢14.2¢
Jul 202116.9¢14.3¢
Aug 202116.9¢14.4¢
Sep 202116.9¢14.4¢
Oct 202115.7¢14.2¢
Nov 202115.9¢14.2¢
Dec 202116.0¢14.2¢
Jan 202216.5¢14.7¢
Feb 202216.5¢14.8¢
Mar 202217.3¢15.0¢
Apr 202217.1¢15.1¢
May 202217.3¢15.4¢
Jun 202217.2¢16.0¢
Jul 202217.2¢16.4¢
Aug 202217.3¢16.7¢
Sep 202217.3¢16.7¢
Oct 202218.5¢16.6¢
Nov 202218.1¢16.3¢
Dec 202218.2¢16.5¢
Jan 202318.8¢16.8¢
Feb 202318.8¢16.8¢
Mar 202319.3¢16.6¢
Apr 202319.3¢16.5¢
May 202319.5¢16.5¢
Jun 202319.5¢17.0¢
Jul 202319.8¢16.9¢
Aug 202319.8¢17.0¢
Sep 202319.9¢17.1¢
Oct 202320.1¢16.9¢
Nov 202319.9¢16.8¢
Dec 202319.9¢16.9¢
Jan 202420.7¢17.3¢
Feb 202420.8¢17.3¢
Mar 202421.1¢17.4¢
Apr 202421.1¢17.3¢
May 202421.3¢17.5¢
Jun 202421.2¢17.8¢
Jul 202420.7¢17.8¢
Aug 202420.7¢17.7¢
Sep 202420.8¢17.8¢
Oct 202421.1¢17.7¢
Nov 202421.1¢17.6¢
Dec 202421.1¢17.6¢
Jan 202521.0¢17.9¢
Feb 202521.1¢17.9¢
Mar 202521.2¢18.1¢
Apr 202521.3¢18.1¢
May 202521.5¢18.2¢
Jun 202521.6¢19.0¢
Jul 202521.5¢18.9¢
Aug 202521.6¢19.0¢
Sep 202521.6¢18.8¢
Oct 2025––
Nov 202522.0¢18.9¢
Dec 202522.0¢18.9¢
Jan 202622.5¢19.2¢
Feb 202622.6¢18.9¢
Mar 202622.4¢19.0¢
Apr 202622.9¢19.4¢
May 202622.9¢19.6¢
Jun 202623.0¢19.8¢
Jul 202623.2¢19.7¢
Aug 202622.9¢19.6¢
Sep 202622.8¢19.6¢

What it costs to run common appliances in California

Typical yearly use of ENERGY STAR certified models (median), at California's July 2026 rate of 33.61¢ per kWh. derived

ApplianceTypical usePer monthPer year
Refrigerators (bottom freezer) 556 kWh/yr$15.57$186.87
Freezers (upright freezer) 438 kWh/yr$12.27$147.21
Dishwashers (standard) 240 kWh/yr$6.72$80.66
Clothes washers (front load) 103 kWh/yr$2.88$34.62
Clothes dryers (electric standard vented) 608 kWh/yr$17.03$204.35
Dehumidifiers (portable dehumidifier) 315 kWh/yr$8.82$105.87
Window and room air conditioners (window) 500 kWh/yr$14.00$168.05

More for California

Sources and limits

  • Average bill and use: EIA, residential average monthly bill by state (2024, forms EIA-861).
  • Price per kWh: EIA Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A (July 2026 and a year earlier). Downloaded 2026-10-23.
  • Regional trend: BLS average price of electricity per kWh in cities, by Census region.
  • Bills are averages over a whole year; summer and winter bills can be much higher in states with heavy air conditioning or electric heat.

Methodology · Data sources