California Electricity Prices

California sits in the most expensive quarter of the country — 33.25¢ per kilowatt-hour in May 2026, 2nd-highest of 51 and 71.3% above the national benchmark. The index reports the published average, not its causes.

At California's May 2026 average of 33.25¢/kWh, 10,500 kWh of annual use works out to $3,491 a year — around $291 a month. Running the same 10,500 kWh calculation at the May 2026 national benchmark rate gives $2,038 — a $1,453 gap between the two published averages, more for California, not a bill either way.

Over the full EIA series the California jurisdiction average has risen 205% since January 2001, from 10.89¢ to 33.25¢ in May 2026 — a compound 4.5% per year. California is among the most month-to-month variable third of jurisdictions.

April 2026, at 35.25¢ per kilowatt-hour. The May 2026 reading of 33.25¢ sits 5.7% below that peak. The lowest monthly average on record was 10.08¢ in September 2003.

August. Measured over the 25 complete calendar years the EIA series covers for California, 2001 through 2025, August runs highest relative to its own year and April runs lowest — a swing of roughly 11.8 percentage points.

Among California and its land-border neighbours in May 2026, Nevada posts the lowest average at 13.60¢ and Hawaii the highest at 52.00¢. California ranks 4th of 5 in the group, at 33.25¢.

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 California for May 2026 — a benchmark, never a billed amount. Even the jurisdiction figure is not one number — across the trailing year it moved between 30.29¢ in January 2026 and 35.25¢ 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.