What a block of kWh costs
| Monthly use | U.S. 17.99¢ | Hawaii 43.51¢ | North Dakota 12.32¢ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $89.95 | $217.55 | $61.60 |
| 1,000 kWh | $179.90 | $435.10 | $123.20 |
| 1,500 kWh | $269.85 | $652.65 | $184.80 |
| 2,000 kWh | $359.80 | $870.20 | $246.40 |
12-month average residential prices, August 2025 – July 2026 [1].
Find your real rate on your bill
Most bills split the charge into a fixed customer charge (the same every month), an energy or supply charge per kWh, a delivery or distribution charge per kWh, and riders, surcharges and taxes. The number to use in any calculator is your all-in rate: total of the electric charges ÷ kWh used. A bill of $142.00 for 900 kWh is 15.78¢ per kWh all-in, even if the printed energy rate says 9¢.
That all-in rate falls as usage rises, because the fixed charge is spread over more kWh. It is also why EIA’s state average — total revenue ÷ total kWh — sits close to what an average-usage home pays, and above what a heavy user pays per kWh.
Tiers and time of use
Some utilities charge more per kWh above a monthly threshold (tiered or “inclining block” rates), and many offer or require time-of-use plans where afternoon and evening kWh cost more. For those plans a single average rate can be off in either direction. If your bill lists kWh by tier or period, multiply each block by its own rate and add them — or simply use the all-in rate from a recent bill.
Turning a monthly figure into a yearly one
Multiply by 12 only if the month is typical. Summer cooling and winter electric heating swing bills widely; each state page charts the average bill for every month of the last year so you can see how far a single month sits from the annual pattern.