Electricity Monthly Update
End Use: May 2026
Retail rates/prices and consumption
In this section, we look at what electricity costs and how much is purchased. Charges for retail electric service are based primarily on rates approved by state regulators. However, a number of states have allowed retail marketers to compete to serve customers and these competitive retail suppliers offer electricity at a market-based price.
EIA does not directly collect retail electricity rates or prices. However, using data collected on retail sales revenues and volumes, we calculate average retail revenues per kWh as a proxy for retail rates and prices. Retail sales volumes are presented as a proxy for end-use electricity consumption.
Average revenue per kWh by state
Forty-four states and the District of Columbia saw increased revenue per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to last May, while average revenue per kWh increased by 5.3% on a national basis. One state, Texas, had the same average revenue per kWh as last May. The largest percent increase was in Hawaii, up 31%, followed by Ohio, up 22%, and Illinois, up 22%. Average revenue per kWh figures decreased in five states compared to last year. The largest percent decrease was in New Mexico, down 12%, followed by Connecticut, down 10%, and Arizona, down 4%. In the contiguous US, Rhode Island, California, and Massachusetts had the highest average revenues at 26.71, 26.27, and 25.12 cents per kWh, respectively. New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oklahoma had the lowest average revenues at 8.07, 8.67, and 9.03 cents per kWh, respectively.
| Average Revenues/Sales (¢/kWh) | Retail Sales (thousand MWh) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End-use sector | May 2026 | Change fromMay 2025 | May 2026 | Change fromMay 2025 | Year to Date | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residential | 18.44 | 6.2% | 106,659 | 1.7% | 587,019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | 13.54 | 4.7% | 124,044 | 3.4% | 603,713 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industrial | 8.71 | 5.1% | 88,821 | 1.9% | 421,749 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transportation | 14.34 | 5.3% | 572 | 3.0% | 3,025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 13.83 | 5.3% | 320,096 | 2.4% | 1,615,506 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total average revenues per kilowatt-hour (kWh) increased by 5.3% from last May, to 13.83 cents/kWh in May 2026. All four sectors saw increases in average revenues per kWh compared to last May. The Residential sector saw the highest increase, up 6.2%, then the Transportation sector, up 5.3%, the Industrial sector, up 5.1%, and finally the Commercial sector, up 4.7%. On a nationwide basis, retail sales increased by 2.4% in May 2026 compared to last May, with all four sectors seeing increases. The Commercial sector saw the largest increase in retail sales from last May, up 3.4%, followed by the Transportation sector, up 3.0%, then the Industrial sector, up 1.9%, and finally the Residential sector, up 1.7%.
Retail sales
Forty-two states saw an increase in retail sales volume in May 2026 compared to last May. West Virginia had the highest percent year over year increase in retail sales, up 17.0%, followed by Rhode Island, up 11.0%, and Nebraska, up 11.0%. Eight states and the District of Columbia saw a decrease in retail sales volume compared to last year. Pennsylvania had the highest percent year over year decrease, down 2.9%, followed by New York, down 2.7%, and Massachusetts, down 2.3%.
Thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in CDDs compared to last May. Rhode Island had the highest percent year over year increase, up 1200%, followed by Connecticut, up 675%, and New York, up 633%. Ten states saw a decrease in CDDs from last May. California had the highest percent year over year decrease, down 55%, followed by Idaho, down 37%, and Utah, down 34%.