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Maryland Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential
21.40¢ /kWh
▲ 7.9%vs. last year
Commercial
17.00¢ /kWh
▲ 12.7%vs. last year
Industrial
12.19¢ /kWh
▲ 7.6%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 →
$212per month▲ 21.0% vs. the year before

22.20¢/kWh × 956 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 2nd highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
Maryland
$212
U.S. average
$158
Virginia
$177
Pennsylvania
$175
Delaware
$167
West Virginia
$164
District of Columbia
$155

Maryland is $54 a month above (+34.0%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How Maryland makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →
Renewable
11.0%
Carbon-free
48.7%
Largest source
Natural gas 41%
Maryland electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas41.1%16,321 GWh
Coal7.6%3,005 GWh
Nuclear37.6%14,935 GWh
Wind1.9%763 GWh
Solar4.9%1,946 GWh
Hydro3.4%1,367 GWh
Other3.4%1,334 GWh

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

Maryland electricity prices in context

Maryland's residential electricity rate stood at 21.40¢/kWh in August 2026, ranking 15th most expensive among the 50 states and DC. This is 3.24¢/kWh above the US average of 18.16¢/kWh, representing a premium of 17.8%. The rate sits between those of Pennsylvania at 21.77¢/kWh and Delaware at 18.70¢/kWh, both bordering states, and well below the District of Columbia's 25.98¢/kWh; it exceeds rates in Virginia at 17.64¢/kWh and West Virginia at 16.31¢/kWh.

Over five years since August 2021, the rate has increased 66%, rising from 12.89¢/kWh. The climb has been far steeper over two decades: since August 2006, the rate has more than doubled, climbing 101.9% from 10.60¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001, it has risen 217.5% from 6.74¢/kWh. In August 2026, the rate remained well below its record high of 35.85¢/kWh set in March 2026, but far above its lowest point of 6.74¢/kWh in January 2001.

The average monthly residential bill in Maryland was $212 for 956 kWh, compared with the national average of $158 for 876 kWh. Commercial rates stood at 17.00¢/kWh and industrial rates at 12.19¢/kWh. Residents used more electricity monthly than the national average, and the combination of higher rates and usage produced a bill substantially above the national figure.

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
6.74¢
Now
21.40¢
Change
▲ 217.5%
Range
6.74–35.85¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
August 202621.4017.0012.19
July 202621.4117.5116.21
June 202621.8416.8513.54
May 202621.7816.4011.23
April 202622.0716.4114.35
March 202635.8516.5414.76
February 202620.0818.1116.07
January 202620.6118.1920.52
December 202519.5715.8613.59
November 202521.3415.4512.47
October 202522.3015.3914.47
September 202521.0515.1312.44

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in Maryland?
Residential electricity in Maryland costs 21.40¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 15th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 17.00¢ and industrial customers 12.19¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in Maryland?
Maryland's residential rate of 21.40¢/kWh is +18.4% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical Maryland home consumes 956 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $212.
›Have electricity prices in Maryland gone up?
Residential electricity in Maryland has risen 217.5% since 2001, reaching 21.40¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +7.9%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring Maryland?
Of the states bordering Maryland, District of Columbia has the lowest average monthly bill at $155 and Virginia the highest at $177. Maryland averages $212 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.