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Washington Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential
14.63¢ /kWh
▲ 7.3%vs. last year
Commercial
11.81¢ /kWh
▲ 5.4%vs. last year
Industrial
7.43¢ /kWh
▲ 10.6%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 →
$132per month▲ 8.7% vs. the year before

14.19¢/kWh × 930 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 39th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
Washington
$132
U.S. average
$158
Oregon
$131
Idaho
$116

Washington is $26 a month below (-16.7%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How Washington makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →
Renewable
78.4%
Carbon-free
87.3%
Largest source
Hydro 69%
Washington electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas11.3%12,509 GWh
Coal1.1%1,233 GWh
Nuclear8.9%9,792 GWh
Wind7.7%8,483 GWh
Solar0.6%697 GWh
Hydro69.1%76,272 GWh
Other1.2%1,357 GWh

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

Washington electricity prices in context

Washington's residential electricity rate stands at 14.63¢/kWh in August 2026, ranking 40th among the 50 states and DC, where 1 is the most expensive. This is 19.5% below the national average of 18.16¢/kWh, a difference of 3.53¢/kWh. Neighboring Oregon pays 15.92¢/kWh, while Idaho pays 13.37¢/kWh, making Washington more expensive than Idaho but cheaper than Oregon. Commercial and industrial rates are lower, at 11.81¢/kWh and 7.43¢/kWh respectively.

Over five years since August 2021, the residential rate has climbed 42.2%, from 10.29¢/kWh. Over twenty years since August 2006, it has more than doubled, rising 106.9% from 7.07¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001, the increase is even starker: 195.6% from 4.95¢/kWh. The state's current rate sits just below its record high of 14.95¢/kWh set in May 2026, and far above its record low of 4.95¢/kWh in January 2001.

Washington residents pay an average monthly bill of $132 for 930 kWh, compared with the national average of $158 for 876 kWh. Despite the below-average rate, the higher consumption means the state's bill remains moderately lower than the national figure. Year over year, the residential rate increased 7.3%.

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

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
5¢10¢15¢Sep '25Dec '25Mar '26May '26Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Price history since 2001

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
0¢5¢10¢15¢Jan '01Jun '07Nov '13Mar '20Aug '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

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

Residential

Jan '01
4.95¢
Now
14.63¢
Change
▲ 195.6%
Range
4.95–14.95¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
August 202614.6311.817.43
July 202614.7111.787.51
June 202614.9111.777.20
May 202614.9511.727.24
April 202614.3611.747.01
March 202614.4012.186.85
February 202614.1112.237.18
January 202613.8111.647.05
December 202513.3311.056.92
November 202513.8511.306.85
October 202514.0611.497.04
September 202513.7910.997.22

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in Washington?
Residential electricity in Washington costs 14.63¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 40th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 11.81¢ and industrial customers 7.43¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity relatively cheap in Washington?
Washington's residential rate of 14.63¢/kWh is -19.0% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical Washington home consumes 930 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $132.
›Have electricity prices in Washington gone up?
Residential electricity in Washington has risen 195.6% since 2001, reaching 14.63¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +7.3%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring Washington?
Of the states bordering Washington, Idaho has the lowest average monthly bill at $116 and Oregon the highest at $131. Washington averages $132 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.