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California Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential

29.75¢ /kWh

▼ 6.0%vs. last year

Commercial

30.02¢ /kWh

▲ 1.9%vs. last year

Industrial

24.12¢ /kWh

▼ 2.2%vs. last year

Data current through August 2026 — the latest available from the U.S. EIA, which publishes monthly figures on a roughly two-month delay.

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →

$164per month▲ 4.5% vs. the year before

32.71¢/kWh × 502 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 16th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
California		$164
U.S. average		$158
Arizona		$163
Oregon		$131
Nevada		$122

California is $6 a month above (+3.7%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How California makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →

Renewable

56.8%

Carbon-free

66.1%

Largest source

Natural gas 34%

34%

28%

13%

California electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
Source	Share	Generation
Natural gas	34.3%	68,713 GWh
Coal	0.0%	86 GWh
Nuclear	9.3%	18,595 GWh
Wind	7.9%	15,814 GWh
Solar	28.4%	57,004 GWh
Hydro	13.0%	25,964 GWh
Other	7.1%	14,273 GWh

200.4 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to August 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.

California electricity prices in context

California's residential electricity rate stands at 29.75¢/kWh in August 2026, the fourth-most expensive among the 50 states and DC. It runs 11.59¢/kWh above the national average of 18.16¢/kWh, representing a premium of 63.8%. Bordering states charge substantially less: Oregon at 15.92¢/kWh, Arizona at 15.05¢/kWh, and Nevada at 12.72¢/kWh. The commercial rate is 30.02¢/kWh and industrial power costs 24.12¢/kWh.

Over five years, the residential rate has risen 27.2%, from 23.39¢/kWh in August 2021. Over the longer span since August 2006, it has more than doubled, climbing 99.8% from 14.89¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001, the increase reaches 173.2%, from 10.89¢/kWh. The rate peaked at 35.29¢/kWh in April 2026 and bottomed at 10.08¢/kWh in September 2003. Year over year, it has fallen 6%.

Californians pay a monthly bill of $164 on average usage of 502 kWh, slightly higher than the national average bill of $158 despite consuming far less power than the national average of 876 kWh per month. The combination of a high rate with below-average consumption yields a bill above the national figure.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Price history since 2001

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Average retail price in all three sectors, every month since January 2001.

Residential

Jan '01: 10.89¢
Now: 29.75¢
Change: ▲ 173.2%
Range: 10.08–35.29¢

Recent months

Month	Residential	Commercial	Industrial
August 2026	29.75	30.02	24.12
July 2026	33.61	30.57	25.11
June 2026	34.74	27.33	20.73
May 2026	33.25	24.10	20.19
April 2026	35.29	25.76	19.10
March 2026	33.35	28.18	20.06
February 2026	33.22	24.73	18.91
January 2026	30.29	23.13	19.11
December 2025	34.71	26.92	19.86
November 2025	31.89	24.39	19.29
October 2025	33.60	26.94	23.05
September 2025	32.04	30.36	25.47

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in California?

Residential electricity in California costs 29.75¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 4th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 30.02¢ and industrial customers 24.12¢ per kilowatt-hour.

›Why is electricity expensive in California?

California's residential rate of 29.75¢/kWh is +64.6% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical California home consumes 502 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $164.

›Have electricity prices in California gone up?

Residential electricity in California has risen 173.2% since 2001, reaching 29.75¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was -6.0%.

›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring California?

Of the states bordering California, Nevada has the lowest average monthly bill at $122 and Arizona the highest at $163. California averages $164 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.