Data · April 2026 · 304-month history

California Electricity Prices

Residential electricity in California averaged 35.25¢ per kilowatt-hour in April 2026. Rates there are 82.5% higher than the 19.32¢ U.S. average. The rate is up 4.2% year over year. For a household near the U.S. average of 10,500 kWh a year, that works out to about $3,701 annually — which is what a solar array would aim to cut.

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

Key facts — April 2026

Avg residential rate
35.25¢
Change (year over year)
+4.2%
vs national average
+82.5%
Est. annual bill
$3,701
National average
19.32¢
Months tracked
304

Your rate is the biggest input to any solar estimate. See what 35.25¢/kWh means for system size, cost, and payback in California.

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California trend, last 36 months

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

MonthAvg rate (¢/kWh)
May 202329.82
June 202331.24
July 202329.46
August 202329.97
September 202330.01
October 202331.78
November 202329.54
December 202329.12
January 202429.62
February 202431.41
March 202432.46
April 202434.49
May 202434.55
June 202433.24
July 202432.73
August 202431.22
September 202431.83
October 202432.45
November 202430.18
December 202430.62
January 202530.28
February 202531.72
March 202532.48
April 202533.82
May 202533.29
June 202533.59
July 202532.66
August 202531.65
September 202532.04
October 202533.60
November 202531.89
December 202534.71
January 202630.29
February 202633.22
March 202633.35
April 202635.25

Use this data

Download California CSV — free to reuse with attribution. Read the full methodology for the metric definition, refresh cadence, and limitations. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Electricity retail sales — average price by state.

Suggested citation

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

Nearby states

← All states: Residential Electricity Price Index