Data · May 2026 · 24th of 51 jurisdictions

Alabama Electricity Prices

Residential electricity in Alabama averaged 16.77¢ per kilowatt-hour in May 2026, and its distance from the national benchmark has been widening. That is 3.7% below the jurisdiction's all-time high of 17.41¢, recorded in April 2026. Since January 2001 the jurisdiction average has risen 165%, from 6.33¢ — a compound 3.9% a year — and month-to-month it has been about as month-to-month steady as the typical jurisdiction. It is the most expensive jurisdiction in its border group, against Tennessee at 14.47¢.

What we measure: Average residential retail price of electricity published by the EIA for each reporting jurisdiction, in cents per kilowatt-hour — a state- or DC-wide monthly average, not a personalized utility tariff or the rate any single household pays. EIA publishes jurisdiction-level retail-price data on a lag of roughly two to three months; the latest period shown reflects that lag.

Key facts — May 2026

Avg residential rate
16.77¢
National rank
24th of 51 jurisdictions reporting May 2026
Change (year over year)
+3.8%
vs national average
-13.6%
Est. annual bill
$1,761
All-time high
17.41¢ April 2026
National average
19.41¢
Months tracked
305

How Alabama compares: below the national benchmark

Over the trailing twelve months the jurisdiction average ranged from 15.93¢ in July 2025 to 17.41¢ in April 2026 — a wide 9.3% spread within a single year.

Alabama is the most expensive of the 5 jurisdictions in its immediate border group; the cheapest, Tennessee, averages 14.47¢.

Alabama and its land-border neighbours, all at May 2026. A neighbour not reporting that month is omitted rather than compared at a different date.
JurisdictionAvg rate (¢/kWh)vs Alabama
Tennessee14.47-13.7%
Florida15.17-9.5%
Georgia15.84-5.5%
Mississippi16.16-3.6%

Alabama is 4% off its record high

Record high
17.41¢ April 2026
Record low
6.33¢ January 2001
Change since January 2001
+164.9%
Compound annual rate
+3.9%/yr

Across the complete calendar years in the series (2001–2025), September is Alabama's most expensive month relative to its own year and January its cheapest, a seasonal swing of about 9.9 percentage points. Each month is divided by its own calendar-year mean first, so the long-run price rise is not counted as seasonality. Partial years are excluded, so they are not part of the span named here.

Use Alabama's 16.77¢/kWh jurisdiction average as comparison context. It is a public-data benchmark, not a household bill or solar result: a household figure requires documented annual use, address-specific production, same-scope price, utility cash flows, and source-event dates, and this page does not prefill them.

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Alabama trend, last 36 reported months

Average residential price per kWh each month. Bars scale to the highest month shown.

Average residential electricity price by month in Alabama
MonthAvg rate (¢/kWh)Rate relative to highest month
June 202314.67
July 202314.48
August 202314.19
September 202314.89
October 202315.08
November 202314.98
December 202314.16
January 202414.48
February 202415.09
March 202415.96
April 202415.95
May 202414.82
June 202415.12
July 202415.03
August 202414.95
September 202415.45
October 202415.63
November 202415.57
December 202414.97
January 202515.09
February 202515.83
March 202516.56
April 202516.81
May 202516.15
June 202516.06
July 202515.93
August 202516.24
September 202516.43
October 202516.72
November 202516.08
December 202516.01
January 202616.06
February 202616.18
March 202617.15
April 202617.41
May 202616.77

Alabama electricity rates — common questions

Is electricity expensive in Alabama?

Alabama sits mid-pack — 16.77¢ per kilowatt-hour in May 2026, 24th-highest of 51 and 13.6% below the national benchmark.

What is the average electricity bill in Alabama?

At Alabama's May 2026 average of 16.77¢/kWh, 10,500 kWh of annual use works out to $1,761 a year — around $147 a month. Running the same 10,500 kWh calculation at the May 2026 national benchmark rate gives $2,038 — a $277 gap between the two published averages, less for Alabama, not a bill either way.

Are electricity rates going up in Alabama?

Over the full EIA series the Alabama jurisdiction average has risen 165% since January 2001, from 6.33¢ to 16.77¢ in May 2026 — a compound 3.9% per year. Month-to-month movement has been about typical for a reporting jurisdiction.

When were electricity rates highest in Alabama?

April 2026, at 17.41¢ per kilowatt-hour. The May 2026 reading of 16.77¢ sits 3.7% below that peak. The lowest monthly average on record was 6.33¢ in January 2001.

What time of year is electricity most expensive in Alabama?

September. Measured over the 25 complete calendar years the EIA series covers for Alabama, 2001 through 2025, September runs highest relative to its own year and January runs lowest — a swing of roughly 9.9 percentage points.

Is electricity cheaper in states bordering Alabama?

Among Alabama and its land-border neighbours in May 2026, Tennessee posts the lowest average at 14.47¢ and Alabama the highest at 16.77¢. That makes Alabama the most expensive in the group, at 16.77¢.

Is 16.77¢/kWh the rate I actually pay in Alabama?

Almost certainly not exactly, and this is the one caveat that governs every figure on this page. The published value is the EIA residential average across every utility and residential rate class in Alabama for May 2026 — a benchmark, never a billed amount. Even the jurisdiction figure is not one number — across the trailing year it moved between 15.93¢ in July 2025 and 17.41¢ in April 2026. Your own rate depends on your utility, tariff, usage tier, time-of-use schedule, and fixed monthly charges, none of which this index models. Read your bill for the rate that applies to you.

Use this data

Download Alabama CSV — free to reuse with attribution. See how the Alabama figure is calculated for the metric definition, refresh cadence, and limitations. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electricity retail sales — average price by state.

Suggested citation

"Alabama Electricity Prices." Geostellar Residential Electricity Price Index, May 2026, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity retail-sales data. https://geostellar.com/energy/electricity-rates/alabama

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