Home → Compare → California

California

Avg residential rate (manual MVP): 31.14¢/kWh

Updated monthly • Last reviewed 2026-02-22 • Methodology

Last updated: February 2026

Previous month: 2025-11 (31.89¢/kWh) • MoM: +2.82¢ (+8.84%)

Updated 36 days ago

Methodology: Average residential electricity price in cents per kWh from the published state-level dataset. Values are used as a reference benchmark for comparison and estimation.

Data policy

Estimates are energy-only and exclude delivery fees, taxes, fixed charges, and other utility fees.

More for California

Learn more: Why electricity prices vary by state.

Common questions about electricity in California.

Explore plan types in California.

Common usage scenarios: 1000 kWh bill | 1500 kWh bill

Major utilities in California

Average electricity price in California

California's average residential electricity rate is 31.14¢/kWh (updated February 2026) based on PowerOutage.us.

The estimator is energy-only and excludes delivery fees, taxes, fixed charges, and other utility fees.

Electricity Affordability Index

Score: 34 / 100

Category: Expensive

Higher score means lower electricity price relative to other states.

Electricity Value Score™

Score: 38 / 100

Tier: Weak

Composite score based on price, affordability, and data freshness.

View full value ranking

Electricity Price Index™

Index: 177 (Base = 100 national average)

Position: Above National Average

An index above 100 indicates higher-than-average electricity prices.

View full Electricity Price Index™ ranking

State snapshot

Rate tier: High
Example monthly energy cost at 500 kWh: $155.70
Example monthly energy cost at 1000 kWh: $311.40
Example monthly energy cost at 1500 kWh: $467.10

What this means: California's average residential electricity price is 31.14¢/kWh as of February 2026. This places California in the high rate tier based on the same threshold model used across all states. At 1000 kWh of monthly usage, the estimated energy-only charge is about $311.40.