Where electricity bills rose the most

November update: Where residential electricity bills are increasing the most

2 min read

Electricity rates rose slightly in our latest price updates.

Average residential electricity prices in the U.S. rose slightly in the November Choose Energy Rate Report, but prices certainly didn’t increase everywhere. The November average of 13.31 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) represented an increase of 0.4 percent from October. Average electricity bills increased by 43 cents.

The Rate Report is based on the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The November report reflects data from August.

The biggest percentage rate increase came in Rhode Island, where the price/kWh jumped 13.4 percent month over month to 22.13 cents/kWh. That was the highest rate in the continental U.S. Plus, it’s four times the percentage increase of No. 2 California.

Following are the states where rates increased by the largest percentage.

Top 10 states where electricity rates increased

State	Rate (cents/kWh)	% change
Rhode Island	22.13	13.4
California	20.77	3.3
South Dakota	12.71	3.2
Illinois	12.33	2.8
North Carolina	11.56	2.8
Minnesota	14.16	2.5
Nebraska	11.94	2.3
Delaware	12.15	2.1
Utah	11.32	2.1
Maryland	12.48	2.0

What do those numbers mean for electricity bills?

Low rates don’t always correspond to low electricity bills. That’s because usage makes a difference in bills, too. Want proof? Louisiana residents paid the lowest rate in the October report – 9.41 cents/kWh, but their bills were the 24^th highest in the U.S. – $116.92. That’s because their usage is the nation’s highest.

So which state had the highest increase in bills for the rates shown in the November report? Again, it’s Rhode Island, where average bills increased by $15.06 from the previous month.

Following are the states where average bills increased by the largest amount.

Top 10 states where average bills increased the most

State	Avg. bill	$ change
Rhode Island	127.69	$15.06
South Dakota	124.30	$3.81
California	115.07	$3.66
North Carolina	120.46	$3.23
Nebraska	114.27	$2.58
Minnesota	105.92	$2.54
Illinois	85.32	$2.35
Georgia	136.89	$2.34
Delaware	110.81	$2.28
Maryland	117.31	$2.26

Residential electricity rates fell in 18 states

While the national average increased slightly in the November report, 18 states recorded declines in their rates. Rates in Arizona fell 2.6 percent from the previous month to 12.37 cents/kWh.

Following are the states where rates decreased by the largest percentage:

Top 10 states where electricity rates decreased

State	Rate (cents/kWh)	% change
Arizona	12.37	-2.6
Arkansas	10.51	-2.1
Tennessee	10.55	-2.0
New York	18.41	-1.7
Missouri	12.40	-1.4
Wyoming	11.72	-1.4
Montana	11.94	-1.2
Mississippi	10.78	-1.1
Alaska	23.75	-1.0
Florida	11.61	-0.9

Bills also didn’t increase in every state. The largest monthly decrease came in Idaho, where residents on average pocketed an extra $4.20. More common were the savings in Texas, where residents on average spent 89 cents less.

Following are the states where average bills decreased by the largest amount.

Top 10 states where average bills decreased the most

State	Avg. bill	$ change
Idaho	103.90	$4.20
Arizona	127.78	$3.41
Tennessee	121.33	$2.53
Arkansas	108.04	$2.36
New York	105.31	$1.83
Missouri	123.26	$1.79
Wyoming	100.09	$1.45
Alaska	142.74	$1.44
Mississippi	122.03	$1.36
Montana	103.28	$1.30

Arthur Murray directs content strategy for ChooseEnergy.com, taking advantage of more than 20 years of newspaper and magazine experience. His articles have appeared on Zillow.com, Business.com, Nasdaq.com, and USNews.com, among others. Reach out to us with any questions or concerns.