What is the average electric bill in California?

$161 a month over the 12 months to July 2026. The average home used about 490 kWh a month at an average 32.99¢ per kWh. That's our calculation from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data on residential sales, revenue and customers.

How much is electricity per kWh in California?

33.61¢ per kWh for homes in July 2026, the latest month EIA has published, and 32.99¢ on average over the 12 months to July 2026. The U.S. average over the same 12 months was 18.01¢.

Are electric bills in California higher than average?

Yes. The typical California bill of $161 a month is above the U.S. average of $157, and ranks 20th highest of the 50 states and D.C..

What's a normal electric bill for a 1-bedroom apartment in California?

About $74 a month. That's our estimate: a studio or 1-bedroom apartment in the West uses about 46% as much electricity as the average home there (EIA's 2020 home energy survey), priced at California's average of 32.99¢ per kWh.

Average electric bill in California

What a typical California household pays for electricity, how that compares with the rest of the country, and what to expect for your size of home.

Updated September 29, 2026 · EIA data

Typical household in California12 months to July 2026

Average monthly electric bill$161490 kWh a month at 32.99¢ per kWh

Lowest stateNew Mexico $98Highest stateHawaii $224

Bill vs. U.S. average: 2.6% higher
Price vs. a year ago (May–Jul): Up 2.2%

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential sales, revenue and customers, August 2025 to July 2026. Bill and use per home are our calculation. How we calculate this

By home size

Studio or 1-bedroom apartment$74/mo
2-bedroom apartment$108/mo
3-bedroom house$177/mo
Large house, 2,500+ sq ft$230/mo

BillAverage estimate based on EIA data: typical use for each home type in the West (EIA's 2020 home energy survey), scaled to California's average use and priced at 32.99¢ per kWh.

Is your bill higher than this?

California bills ran highest in September, about $202, and lowest in November, about $134. Air conditioning does most of the work in summer. If yours is well above $161 in a mild month, your rate, an older air conditioner or the size of your home are the usual reasons.

Homes here use about 490 kWh a month, 44% less than the U.S. average of 870 kWh, and pay 32.99¢ per kWh, 83% higher than the U.S. average of 18.01¢, so the typical bill lands close to the national average.

California electricity price trend

CaliforniaU.S. average

Average residential price per kWh each month. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.

More for California

Nearby states

Questions

What is the average electric bill in California?: $161 a month over the 12 months to July 2026. The average home used about 490 kWh a month at an average 32.99¢ per kWh. That's our calculation from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data on residential sales, revenue and customers.
How much is electricity per kWh in California?: 33.61¢ per kWh for homes in July 2026, the latest month EIA has published, and 32.99¢ on average over the 12 months to July 2026. The U.S. average over the same 12 months was 18.01¢.
Are electric bills in California higher than average?: Yes. The typical California bill of $161 a month is above the U.S. average of $157, and ranks 20th highest of the 50 states and D.C..
What's a normal electric bill for a 1-bedroom apartment in California?: About $74 a month. That's our estimate: a studio or 1-bedroom apartment in the West uses about 46% as much electricity as the average home there (EIA's 2020 home energy survey), priced at California's average of 32.99¢ per kWh.