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District of Columbia Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential
25.98¢ /kWh
▲ 12.0%vs. last year
Commercial
23.31¢ /kWh
▲ 12.3%vs. last year
Industrial
18.53¢ /kWh
▲ 135.8%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 →
$155per month▲ 18.4% vs. the year before

24.48¢/kWh × 635 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 27th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
District of Columbia
$155
U.S. average
$158
Maryland
$212
Virginia
$177

District of Columbia is $3 a month below (-1.8%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How District of Columbia makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →
Renewable
50.1%
Carbon-free
50.1%
Largest source
Other 46%
District of Columbia electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas27.6%56 GWh
Coal0.0%0 GWh
Nuclear0.0%0 GWh
Wind0.0%0 GWh
Solar26.5%54 GWh
Hydro0.0%0 GWh
Other45.9%93 GWh

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

District of Columbia electricity prices in context

The District of Columbia's residential electricity rate stands at 25.98¢/kWh as of August 2026, the 9th most expensive among the 50 states and DC. This is 7.82¢/kWh above the national average of 18.16¢/kWh, representing a premium of 43%. Neighboring Maryland at 21.40¢/kWh and Virginia at 17.64¢/kWh both charge less, though Maryland's rate also exceeds the national figure. Commercial and industrial rates in the District are 23.31¢/kWh and 18.53¢/kWh respectively.

Over the past five years since August 2021, the District's residential rate has climbed 98.6%, from 13.08¢/kWh. The two-decade trajectory since August 2006 shows growth of 139.2%, beginning from 10.86¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001 at 7.16¢/kWh, the rate has increased 262.8%. The current rate marks the District's all-time high; the lowest on record was 6.20¢/kWh in October 2002.

The average monthly residential bill is $155 for 635 kWh of usage. Against the national average bill of $158 on 876 kWh, the District's bill is slightly lower despite its much higher rate, reflecting notably below-average consumption per household.

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

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
10¢20¢30¢40¢Sep '25Dec '25Mar '26May '26Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Price history since 2001

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
0¢10¢20¢30¢40¢Jan '01Jun '07Nov '13Mar '20Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

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

Residential

Jan '01
7.16¢
Now
25.98¢
Change
▲ 262.8%
Range
6.20–25.98¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
August 202625.9823.3118.53
July 202625.2123.8832.15
June 202624.3923.3816.21
May 202625.4023.4214.60
April 202625.4123.2622.39
March 202625.0023.2614.38
February 202623.9722.3822.72
January 202623.7225.1126.16
December 202523.9022.2117.31
November 202522.7221.9718.75
October 202523.9221.4616.24
September 202523.6719.4211.65

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in District of Columbia?
Residential electricity in District of Columbia costs 25.98¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 9th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 23.31¢ and industrial customers 18.53¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's residential rate of 25.98¢/kWh is +43.8% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical District of Columbia home consumes 635 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $155.
›Have electricity prices in District of Columbia gone up?
Residential electricity in District of Columbia has risen 262.8% since 2001, reaching 25.98¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +12.0%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring District of Columbia?
Of the states bordering District of Columbia, Virginia has the lowest average monthly bill at $177 and Maryland the highest at $212. District of Columbia averages $155 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.