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District of Columbia Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector. Latest data: May 2026.

Residential
25.40¢ /kWh
▲ 24.3%vs. last year
Commercial
23.42¢ /kWh
▲ 20.2%vs. last year
Industrial
14.60¢ /kWh
▲ 27.2%vs. last year

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →
$152per month▲ 23.3% vs. the year before

23.82¢/kWh × 637 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to May 2026 — the 28th 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
$152
U.S. average
$155
Maryland
$206
Virginia
$171

District of Columbia is $4 a month below (-2.3%) the U.S. average of $155. Average monthly bill, June 2025 – May 2026.

How District of Columbia makes its electricity

Fuel mix & 10-year trend →Power plants →
Renewable
53.1%
Carbon-free
53.1%
Largest source
Other 42%
District of Columbia electricity generation by source, June 2025 – May 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas30.1%58 GWh
Coal0.0%0 GWh
Nuclear0.0%0 GWh
Wind0.0%0 GWh
Solar27.5%53 GWh
Hydro0.0%0 GWh
Other42.4%82 GWh

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

District of Columbia electricity prices in context

The District of Columbia's residential electricity rate stood at 25.40¢/kWh as of May 2026, making it the tenth most expensive in the nation among the 50 states and DC. This rate exceeded the US average of 18.44¢/kWh by 6.96¢/kWh, or 37.7%. Neighboring Maryland charged 21.77¢/kWh while Virginia offered 17.61¢/kWh, placing DC notably higher than both. Commercial customers paid 23.42¢/kWh and industrial users 14.60¢/kWh.

Over five years since May 2021, the residential rate surged 90.1%, jumping from 13.36¢/kWh. The twenty-year climb since May 2006 proved even steeper at 164.9%, starting from 9.59¢/kWh. The record high came just one month earlier in April 2026 at 25.41¢/kWh; the record low dated to October 2002 at 6.20¢/kWh.

The combination of high rates and modest consumption shaped DC's monthly bill. Residents used 637 kWh per month on average, well below the national average of 871 kWh, resulting in a $152 monthly bill compared with the nation's $155. Despite paying a far higher rate, DC households spent nearly as much as the average American home because they consumed substantially less electricity.

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

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
6.4¢12¢17¢22¢28¢Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Feb '26May '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Residential history since 2001

4.7¢10¢16¢21¢27¢Jan '01May '07Sep '13Jan '20May '26
Jan '01
7.16¢
Now
25.40¢
Change
▲ 254.7%
Range
6.20–25.41¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
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
August 202523.1920.767.86
July 202523.0420.7020.21
June 202522.7020.3715.18

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in District of Columbia?
Residential electricity in District of Columbia costs 25.40¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, the 10th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 23.42¢ and industrial customers 14.60¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia's residential rate of 25.40¢/kWh is +42.4% versus the U.S. average of 17.84¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical District of Columbia home consumes 637 kWh a month against a national average of 871 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $152.
›Have electricity prices in District of Columbia gone up?
Residential electricity in District of Columbia has moved +254.7% since 2001, reaching 25.40¢/kWh in May 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +24.3%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring District of Columbia?
Of the states bordering District of Columbia, Virginia has the lowest average monthly bill at $171 and Maryland the highest at $206. District of Columbia averages $152 a month, against a U.S. average of $155.