Washington · City
Commercial electricity in Seattle, Washington
Which electric utilities serve businesses in Seattle, what each charged commercial customers in EIA’s 2025 data, and where Washington’s prices stand.
EIA lists 7 electric utilities in King County, which contains Seattle. Seattle City Light, the city’s own utility, averaged 12.48¢ per kWh for its commercial customers in 2025. Washington’s average commercial price was 11.65¢ per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026.
Source: EIA Form EIA-861 (2025) and Form EIA-861M; U.S. Census Bureau
Electric utilities serving Seattle
These are the utilities EIA records in King County. EIA lists a utility in a county when it has customers anywhere in it, so this is everyone with a presence, ordered by commercial customers across Washington, not a statement about any one address. Prices are EIA’s averages over all of each utility’s commercial customers: revenue divided by kWh.
Seattle City Light is a city-owned utility named for Seattle, and city-owned utilities usually serve the area inside the city’s limits, so it is the likely utility for many addresses there. It billed its 52,680 commercial customers an average 12.48¢ per kWh in 2025.
| Utility | Type | Commercial customers in WA | Average commercial price, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle City Light | Municipal | 52,680 | 12.48¢ |
| Puget Sound Energy | Investor-owned | 143,949 | 15.66¢ |
| Tacoma Power | Municipal | 20,005 | 10.65¢ |
| PUD No 1 of Chelan County | Public power | 6,598 | 4.46¢ |
| Bonneville Power Administration | fewer than 500 commercial customers | ||
| City of Milton | fewer than 500 commercial customers | ||
| Tanner Electric Coop | fewer than 500 commercial customers |
Find the list for a single ZIP Code with the utility lookup, or set utilities side by side with the comparison tool.
What businesses in Seattle pay
Across Washington, businesses paid an average 11.65¢ per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026, 16.0% below the U.S. average of 13.87¢, and up 10.6% on the 12 months before. That ranks Washington 33 of 51, where 1 is the highest price. In 2025 the average commercial account in the state used 6,841 kWh a month, about $750 a month at the state price; that is a mean pulled up by a few very large users, so most small businesses use less.
A city has no price of its own: two businesses on the same street can pay very different amounts per kWh, because the rate schedule, the size of the peak and, where it is allowed, the supply contract matter more than the location. The Washington page has the state’s price history since 2010 and every utility with at least 500 commercial customers.
Choosing a supplier in Seattle
Washington commercial accounts buy supply from their regulated utility or public utility district. Tariff fit and demand management are the levers.
Where prices are heading
EIA does not forecast single states. For the Pacific census division, which includes Washington, its November 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook puts the average commercial price at 21.53¢ per kWh for 2026 and 22.11¢ for 2027, up 7.5% from 20.56¢ in 2025. The forecast for every region.
About Seattle
The Census Bureau estimates Seattle had 784,777 residents on July 1, 2025, up 6.0% from 740,675 in 2020. It lies in King County.
Other cities in Washington
Common questions
- Who provides electricity to businesses in Seattle?
- EIA lists Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power and PUD No 1 of Chelan County and 3 more as electric utilities in King County. Which one serves a given address depends on the street; the utility on an existing bill is the definitive answer, and a utility can confirm service for a new site.
- What is the average commercial electricity rate in Seattle?
- There is no official figure for a city. EIA publishes prices by state and by utility: Seattle City Light averaged 12.48¢ per kWh for its commercial customers in 2025, and Washington averaged 11.65¢ over the 12 months to August 2026. A business’s own price depends on its rate schedule, its demand and, where it can choose, its supply contract.
- Can a business in Seattle choose its electricity supplier?
- Washington commercial accounts buy supply from their regulated utility or public utility district. Tariff fit and demand management are the levers. The state page for Washington explains how it works and who regulates it.
Averages describe Seattle; a bill describes your business. A person can read yours: rate schedule, demand, riders, contract window. Nobody calls unless you ask.