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TypicalCost

Typical Cost of Electricity in California

On this page

About 33.61¢ per kWh in July 2026, the latest month published. That is 83.6% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢. This is the average for homes across California.

Latest rate

33.61¢

per kWh, July 2026

Against the U.S. average

+15.30¢

+83.6%U.S. 18.31¢

From a year earlier

+0.95¢

+2.9%32.66¢ in Jul 2025

Rank among states

50th lowest

of 51, counting the District of Columbia

Where California sits among the states

Each tick is one state's rate for July 2026. The highlighted band holds the middle half of them, and the dark line is the median.

Across 51 states the rate ranged from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ per kWh in July 2026. The typical band runs from 14.85¢ to 22.38¢, with a median of 16.09¢. California is at 33.61¢.

What an appliance costs to run in California

The calculator starts from California's average rate. Change the power and hours to match your appliance, or enter the rate from your own bill.

Work it out with your numbers

Per hour
$0.50
Per day8 h
$4.03
Per month
$123
Per year
$1,472
1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 8 h × 33.61¢ = $4.03 a dayA month is one twelfth of a year.33.61¢ is the California average for July 2026. The 1,500 W and 8 hours are only a starting example.

How the rate has moved

Monthly averages from January 2024 to July 2026. The lowest was 29.62¢ in January 2024 and the highest 35.25¢ in April 2026.

Monthly average residential electricity rate in California from January 2024 to July 2026, ranging from 29.62¢ to 35.25¢ per kWh. The latest is 33.61¢.

Month by month

MonthRate per kWhFrom the month before
July 202633.61¢−3.3%
June 202634.74¢+4.5%
May 202633.25¢−5.7%
April 202635.25¢+5.7%
March 202633.35¢+0.4%
February 202633.22¢+9.7%
January 202630.29¢−12.7%
December 202534.71¢+8.8%
November 202531.89¢−5.1%
October 202533.60¢+4.9%
September 202532.04¢+1.2%
August 202531.65¢−3.1%

What this figure is

This is what residential customers in California paid on average for each kilowatt-hour: the total billed to homes divided by the electricity they used. It blends every utility and rate plan in the state, so the rate on your own bill can be higher or lower.

Rates often change with the season, which is why the comparison above uses the same month a year earlier. The figure is published about two months after the month it describes.

Common questions

How much does electricity cost per kWh in California?

Homes in California paid about 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour on average in July 2026, the latest month published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

How much does 1,000 kWh of electricity cost in California?

At the average residential rate of 33.61¢ per kWh, 1,000 kWh works out to about $336. An actual bill depends on your utility, your plan and how much you use.

Is electricity cheap or expensive in California?

California has the 50th lowest residential electricity rate out of 51, counting the District of Columbia. That is +83.6% against the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

Are electricity rates going up in California?

Up over the past year. The average residential rate was 32.66¢ in July 2025 and 33.61¢ in July 2026, a change of +2.9%.

Source

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Average retail price of electricity, residential. Covers January 2024 to July 2026. Retrieved on October 6, 2026.

EIA electricity data

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (July 2026 data).

Electricity rates in other states

The percentage compares each state with the U.S. average.