Independent resource. Not affiliated with any utility or energy provider. Data sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.Verified May 2026
About ElectricityCostComparison.com
ElectricityCostComparison.com is an independent reference for US residential electricity rates. We publish the average rate per kWh in all 50 states, a working bill calculator, and a small set of explainer pages so a homeowner can answer one question without being routed to a marketplace funnel.
Why this site exists
Most pages that surface for queries like "cost per kWh by state" or "average electric bill 2026" are either utility marketplaces (Choose Energy, EnergyBot, ElectricRates) that earn a commission when you sign up with a partner supplier, or government data pages (eia.gov) that publish the raw numbers without consumer context. Both have their place. Neither is a neutral comparison page that puts the per-state rate, the calculator, the deregulation status, and the savings angle in one view.
We sit deliberately in the middle: state rate data anchored to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (eia.gov/electricity/data.php), a tool that computes your monthly bill from your actual kWh, and explainer pages that surface the levers homeowners can pull (shop in deregulated states, shift to off-peak in time-of-use markets, lock in a fixed rate before peak season). No affiliate links. No marketplace partnerships. No commission on switching.
Who builds this
Oliver Wakefield-Smith, founder of Digital Signet, an independent publisher of cost-data reference sites covering household and small-business decisions: home utilities, vehicle ownership, healthcare, and tax. The portfolio focuses on the same shape: take a public dataset, render it as a clear number on a single page, expose the inputs so the reader can adapt the answer to their situation.
Sister cost-data references in the same household-utilities cluster: PropaneCostPerGallon.com, BoilerReplacementCost.com, WaterHeaterInstallationCost.com, ACCompressorReplacementCost.com.
Editorial position
- ✓Independent. Not owned by, partnered with, or sponsored by any utility, retail electricity provider, or marketplace. No commission, no referral fees, no white-label arrangements.
- ✓No affiliate links. The provider names and official state portals we cite (PowerToChoose.org, PAPowerSwitch.com, Plug In Illinois, MA Energy Switch, EnergizeCT, etc.) are direct links to government-run or government-approved tools. Zero tracking parameters, zero commission flow.
- ✓No marketplace funnel. We do not collect your ZIP code, route you to a provider, or sell your contact data. The calculator runs entirely client-side; usage and rate inputs never leave your browser.
- ✓EIA-anchored. Every state rate on this site traces to EIA Form 826 (state retail rates by sector) and the EIA Electric Power Monthly aggregate. We do not publish provider-specific live tariff data because that data moves weekly and is unreliable outside the supplier's own portal.
- ✓Conservative savings ranges. The 15-30% supply-rate savings figure on /compare-providers is anchored to typical retail-vs-default-supplier spreads documented by state PUC reports. The 20-40% TOU savings figure assumes a household shifts 40-50% of usage to off-peak; we do not promise it across all utilities.
- ✓No projections beyond 12 months. We surface multi-year historical trend data on /rate-trends and quote EIA forward-looking views where they exist, but we do not publish original rate forecasts.
What this site covers
The full route index, every published page on the site:
Primary data sources
All cited sources are public US government or industry reference pages. See /methodology for the full source-by-source breakdown including refresh cadence and what we take from each.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Electricity Data - Form 826 state retail rates, Form 861 sales/customers/revenue, Electric Power Monthly aggregate
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) - wholesale electricity market data, interstate transmission
- National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) - regulatory framework reference, state PUC contact directory
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) - efficiency savings benchmarks (TOU, HVAC, insulation, LED retrofit)
- ENERGY STAR - appliance efficiency standards, certified product savings claims
- Official state public utility commission portals (PowerToChoose.org Texas, PAPowerSwitch.com Pennsylvania, Plug In Illinois, MA Energy Switch, EnergizeCT, NJ Board of Public Utilities, etc.) for deregulated supplier choice and consumer protection
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey energy expenditures (household consumption context)
Update cadence
The state rate dataset and any cited statutory or regulatory figures are reviewed on the first business week of every month against the EIA Electric Power Monthly release. The site-wide "Updated" stamp visible in the disclaimer and footer reflects the most recent verification pass. Out-of-cycle updates roll when (a) the EIA publishes a substantive Form 826 revision, (b) a state PUC announces a default-supply rate change, or (c) a major regulatory action materially changes the retail-choice framework in a deregulated state.
Corrections
If a state rate, deregulation status, or savings figure on the site contradicts the linked source, please write to the address on digitalsignet.com. Corrections to factual claims are processed within 5 business days; the dated "Updated" stamp rolls forward when a correction lands.