EIA data · 12 months to Aug 2026
Commercial electricity rates by state
What businesses pay per kWh in every state and DC, ranked, from official U.S. government data — and whether you can choose your supplier where you are.
Businesses in the United States paid an average of 13.87¢ per kWh for electricity in the 12 months to August 2026, up 5.6% on the previous 12 months, according to preliminary EIA data. State averages ranged from 7.58¢ in North Dakota to 40.31¢ in Hawaii. This is an average across all commercial customers, not a quote.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861M, 2026-10-29
Every market, ranked by price
The number on each tile and in the table is the average commercial electricity price in cents per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026. That is preliminary EIA data. The final 2025 figure sits beside it, and the arrow on a column heading sorts the table.
- 14 you can choose — businesses can pick their supplier
- 6 some can choose — by size, cap or program
- 31 utility only — other charges can still be fixed
Number on each tile: average commercial electricity price in cents per kWh, 12 months to August 2026 (EIA, preliminary).
| Market | 12 months to Aug 2026 | vs prior 12 months | Final 2025 | Delivery share | Supply choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 40.31¢ | +10.8% | 36.31¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| California | 27.00¢ | +5.4% | 26.16¢ | 58% | Some can |
| Massachusetts | 24.17¢ | +7.6% | 23.10¢ | 48% | You can choose |
| Rhode Island | 23.60¢ | +0.1% | 23.40¢ | 51% | You can choose |
| District of Columbia | 22.92¢ | +20.3% | 20.43¢ | 44% | You can choose |
| Alaska | 22.79¢ | +3.4% | 22.35¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| New York | 22.28¢ | +9.5% | 20.97¢ | 48% | You can choose |
| Maine | 22.22¢ | +10.8% | 20.86¢ | 48% | You can choose |
| Connecticut | 21.69¢ | −7.3% | 22.92¢ | 54% | You can choose |
| New Hampshire | 21.12¢ | +6.3% | 20.11¢ | 49% | You can choose |
| Vermont | 20.78¢ | +6.7% | 19.78¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| New Jersey | 17.39¢ | +8.6% | 16.53¢ | 34% | You can choose |
| Maryland | 16.61¢ | +18.5% | 14.72¢ | 33% | You can choose |
| Michigan | 15.34¢ | +7.4% | 14.48¢ | 30% | Some can |
| Alabama | 14.77¢ | +3.2% | 14.60¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Illinois | 13.81¢ | +9.1% | 13.10¢ | 41% | You can choose |
| Indiana | 13.81¢ | +3.4% | 13.70¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Mississippi | 13.77¢ | +7.0% | 13.20¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Delaware | 13.61¢ | +7.8% | 12.68¢ | 26% | You can choose |
| Pennsylvania | 13.59¢ | +14.8% | 12.42¢ | 25% | You can choose |
| Wisconsin | 13.49¢ | +5.0% | 13.06¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Tennessee | 13.27¢ | +4.0% | 12.87¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Ohio | 13.22¢ | +20.1% | 11.58¢ | 40% | You can choose |
| Colorado | 13.14¢ | +9.0% | 12.37¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Montana | 12.67¢ | +8.1% | 11.88¢ | n/a | Some can |
| Minnesota | 12.56¢ | +3.0% | 12.35¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Kentucky | 12.37¢ | +5.9% | 11.75¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Arizona | 12.22¢ | −1.8% | 12.45¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Georgia | 11.76¢ | +3.2% | 11.53¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Florida | 11.74¢ | +4.1% | 11.53¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| South Carolina | 11.68¢ | +5.5% | 11.18¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| West Virginia | 11.68¢ | −1.2% | 11.73¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Washington | 11.65¢ | +10.6% | 10.97¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Kansas | 11.60¢ | +3.9% | 11.19¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Louisiana | 11.50¢ | +4.2% | 11.19¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Arkansas | 11.34¢ | +7.7% | 10.76¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| South Dakota | 11.34¢ | +7.0% | 10.61¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Iowa | 11.28¢ | +4.9% | 10.84¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Virginia | 10.98¢ | +17.4% | 9.95¢ | n/a | Some can |
| New Mexico | 10.94¢ | +0.7% | 11.01¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Missouri | 10.91¢ | +5.3% | 10.46¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| North Carolina | 10.57¢ | +2.2% | 10.22¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Utah | 10.32¢ | +3.9% | 10.06¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Oregon | 10.29¢ | +3.9% | 9.80¢ | n/a | Some can |
| Wyoming | 9.73¢ | +2.0% | 9.53¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Idaho | 9.62¢ | +4.7% | 9.29¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Nevada | 9.34¢ | −0.2% | 9.21¢ | n/a | Some can |
| Oklahoma | 9.30¢ | +2.4% | 9.09¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Nebraska | 8.88¢ | +5.5% | 8.50¢ | n/a | Utility only |
| Texas | 8.57¢ | +0.0% | 8.56¢ | n/a | You can choose |
| North Dakota | 7.58¢ | +4.8% | 7.36¢ | n/a | Utility only |
Download this table as CSV · annual history since 2010 as CSV. Free to use; please credit the U.S. Energy Information Administration and this page. Price is one half of a bill: average use and bill per commercial account by state is the other. Utilities within a state differ: the average commercial price each utility billed. The delivery half is set by each utility's filed tariff: the tariffs quoted on this site.
Each figure is the average revenue per kWh from every commercial customer in the state, from a corner shop to a hospital. It is dated context for reading a bill — not a quote, not an available offer, and not what any one business pays. A large account on a good contract can pay well below its state average; a small one can pay well above it.
Where prices moved most in the last 12 months
The 12 months to August 2026 against the 12 months before, preliminary EIA data. Commercial prices rose most in the District of Columbia (+20.3%) and fell most in Connecticut (−7.3%). These are averages across all commercial customers, so a large move says that prices changed for many businesses at once, not why. How wholesale and capacity costs reach a commercial bill is explained in how retail supply pricing works and PJM capacity tags.
Rose the most
- District of Columbia +20.3% 19.06¢ to 22.92¢
- Ohio +20.1% 11.01¢ to 13.22¢
- Maryland +18.5% 14.02¢ to 16.61¢
- Virginia +17.4% 9.35¢ to 10.98¢
- Pennsylvania +14.8% 11.84¢ to 13.59¢
- Hawaii +10.8% 36.37¢ to 40.31¢
Fell
- Connecticut −7.3% 23.41¢ to 21.69¢
- Arizona −1.8% 12.45¢ to 12.22¢
- West Virginia −1.2% 11.82¢ to 11.68¢
- Nevada −0.2% 9.36¢ to 9.34¢
Delivery is 25% to 58% of the price where businesses can choose
Where businesses buy energy from a competitive supplier, EIA reports the supplier's revenue and the utility's delivery revenue separately. Across the 15 markets where that split is reported, delivery makes up between 25% and 58% of the average commercial price, 44% at the median. A supplier competes only on the other part. Delivery is set by the utility's regulated tariff and follows the meter whichever supplier you pick.
- California 12.58¢ energy + 17.07¢ delivery
- Connecticut 10.80¢ energy + 12.53¢ delivery
- Rhode Island 11.02¢ energy + 11.61¢ delivery
- New Hampshire 10.29¢ energy + 9.76¢ delivery
- Massachusetts 12.38¢ energy + 11.40¢ delivery
- New York 10.10¢ energy + 9.25¢ delivery
- Maine 10.29¢ energy + 9.42¢ delivery
- District of Columbia 11.15¢ energy + 8.70¢ delivery
- Illinois 7.38¢ energy + 5.10¢ delivery
- Ohio 6.67¢ energy + 4.39¢ delivery
- New Jersey 10.73¢ energy + 5.46¢ delivery
- Maryland 9.31¢ energy + 4.65¢ delivery
- Michigan 8.11¢ energy + 3.46¢ delivery
- Delaware 8.17¢ energy + 2.90¢ delivery
- Pennsylvania 8.51¢ energy + 2.89¢ delivery
Energy — what suppliers compete onDelivery — set by the utilityEIA, 2025 annual
EIA does not report energy and delivery separately for every market. Texas, for example, is not shown because EIA's tables do not split it.
Market structure and what applies
Prices are one question. The other is what a business can do about them, and that depends on how the state's retail market is structured: 14 markets let most businesses choose a supplier, 6 allow it for some, and 31 do not allow it at all.
Classification is a routing framework, not legal advice. Eligibility depends on the specific account, its utility territory, customer class, current supply arrangement and current law. Every account is verified from the bill before any comparison is offered. No market on this site has completed counsel verification yet — each state page shows its verification status.
| Market | Structure | Regulator | What applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Regulated — advisory only | Alabama PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Alaska | Regulated — advisory only | RCA | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Arizona | Regulated — advisory only | ACC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Arkansas | Regulated — advisory only | Arkansas PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| California | Limited or special pathway | CPUC | Eligibility check first |
| Colorado | Regulated — advisory only | Colorado PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Connecticut | Competitive supply market | PURA | Supplier comparison |
| Delaware | Competitive supply market | Delaware PSC | Supplier comparison |
| District of Columbia | Competitive supply market | DC PSC | Supplier comparison |
| Florida | Regulated — advisory only | Florida PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Georgia | Regulated — advisory only | Georgia PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Hawaii | Regulated — advisory only | Hawaii PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Idaho | Regulated — advisory only | Idaho PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Illinois | Competitive supply market | ICC | Supplier comparison |
| Indiana | Regulated — advisory only | IURC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Iowa | Regulated — advisory only | IUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Kansas | Regulated — advisory only | KCC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Kentucky | Regulated — advisory only | Kentucky PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Louisiana | Regulated — advisory only | Louisiana PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Maine | Competitive supply market | Maine PUC | Supplier comparison |
| Maryland | Competitive supply market | Maryland PSC | Supplier comparison |
| Massachusetts | Competitive supply market | MA DPU | Supplier comparison |
| Michigan | Limited or special pathway | MPSC | Eligibility check first |
| Minnesota | Regulated — advisory only | Minnesota PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Mississippi | Regulated — advisory only | Mississippi PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Missouri | Regulated — advisory only | Missouri PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Montana | Limited or special pathway | Montana PSC | Eligibility check first |
| Nebraska | Regulated — advisory only | NPRB | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Nevada | Limited or special pathway | PUCN | Eligibility check first |
| New Hampshire | Competitive supply market | NHPUC | Supplier comparison |
| New Jersey | Competitive supply market | NJ BPU | Supplier comparison |
| New Mexico | Regulated — advisory only | NMPRC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| New York | Competitive supply market | NY PSC | Supplier comparison |
| North Carolina | Regulated — advisory only | NCUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| North Dakota | Regulated — advisory only | ND PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Ohio | Competitive supply market | PUCO | Supplier comparison |
| Oklahoma | Regulated — advisory only | OCC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Oregon | Limited or special pathway | Oregon PUC | Eligibility check first |
| Pennsylvania | Competitive supply market | PA PUC | Supplier comparison |
| Rhode Island | Competitive supply market | RIPUC | Supplier comparison |
| South Carolina | Regulated — advisory only | SC PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| South Dakota | Regulated — advisory only | SD PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Tennessee | Regulated — advisory only | TPUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Texas | Competitive supply market | PUCT | Supplier comparison |
| Utah | Regulated — advisory only | Utah PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Vermont | Regulated — advisory only | Vermont PUC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Virginia | Limited or special pathway | Virginia SCC | Eligibility check first |
| Washington | Regulated — advisory only | WUTC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| West Virginia | Regulated — advisory only | WV PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Wisconsin | Regulated — advisory only | PSC Wisconsin | Bill, tariff and demand review |
| Wyoming | Regulated — advisory only | Wyoming PSC | Bill, tariff and demand review |
Compare your own bill with these averages. We separate what you can shop from what your utility sets, and tell you whether anything is worth doing.