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TypicalCost

Typical Cost of Electricity in the District of Columbia

On this page

About 25.21¢ per kWh in July 2026, the latest month published. That is 37.7% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢. This is the average for homes across the District of Columbia.

Latest rate

25.21¢

per kWh, July 2026

Against the U.S. average

+6.90¢

+37.7%U.S. 18.31¢

From a year earlier

+2.17¢

+9.4%23.04¢ in Jul 2025

Rank among states

43rd lowest

of 51, counting the District of Columbia

Where the District of Columbia 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¢. District of Columbia is at 25.21¢.

What an appliance costs to run in the District of Columbia

The calculator starts from the District of Columbia'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
$0.38
Per day8 h
$3.03
Per month
$92.02
Per year
$1,104
1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 8 h × 25.21¢ = $3.03 a dayA month is one twelfth of a year.25.21¢ is the District of Columbia 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 16.88¢ in January 2024 and the highest 25.41¢ in April 2026.

Monthly average residential electricity rate in District of Columbia from January 2024 to July 2026, ranging from 16.88¢ to 25.41¢ per kWh. The latest is 25.21¢.

Month by month

MonthRate per kWhFrom the month before
July 202625.21¢+3.4%
June 202624.39¢−4.0%
May 202625.40¢0.0%
April 202625.41¢+1.6%
March 202625.00¢+4.3%
February 202623.97¢+1.1%
January 202623.72¢−0.8%
December 202523.90¢+5.2%
November 202522.72¢−5.0%
October 202523.92¢+1.1%
September 202523.67¢+2.1%
August 202523.19¢+0.7%

What this figure is

This is what residential customers in the District of Columbia 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 the District of Columbia?

Homes in the District of Columbia paid about 25.21¢ 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 the District of Columbia?

At the average residential rate of 25.21¢ per kWh, 1,000 kWh works out to about $252. An actual bill depends on your utility, your plan and how much you use.

Is electricity cheap or expensive in the District of Columbia?

The District of Columbia has the 43rd lowest residential electricity rate out of 51, counting the District of Columbia. That is +37.7% against the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

Are electricity rates going up in the District of Columbia?

Up over the past year. The average residential rate was 23.04¢ in July 2025 and 25.21¢ in July 2026, a change of +9.4%.

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.