Electricity Price History in Texas
Texas residential electricity averaged 16.44¢/kWh in May 2026. Below is the year-by-year record — the average rate for each year and how much it changed from the year before — followed by what the series does and does not show about Texas prices. Data comes from EIA residential retail sales.
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Price Trend
Texas electricity rates by year
| Year | Average rate | Change (¢/kWh) | Change (%) | Compared with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | 16.18 ¢/kWh | +1.01 | +6.6% | Jan–May 2025 (15.18¢) |
| 2025 | 15.48 ¢/kWh | +0.51 | +3.4% | 2024 (14.98¢) |
| 2024 | 14.98 ¢/kWh | +0.46 | +3.2% | 2023 (14.51¢) |
| 2023 | 14.51 ¢/kWh | +0.76 | +5.5% | 2022 (13.76¢) |
| 2022 | 13.76 ¢/kWh | +1.61 | +13.3% | 2021 (12.15¢) |
| 2021 | 12.15 ¢/kWh | +0.41 | +3.5% | 2020 (11.73¢) |
| 2020 | 11.73 ¢/kWh | −0.04 | −0.3% | 2019 (11.77¢) |
| 2019 | 11.77 ¢/kWh | +0.55 | +4.9% | 2018 (11.22¢) |
| 2018 | 11.22 ¢/kWh | +0.19 | +1.7% | 2017 (11.03¢) |
| 2017 | 11.03 ¢/kWh | +0.01 | +0.1% | 2016 (11.02¢) |
| 2016 | 11.02 ¢/kWh | −0.56 | −4.9% | 2015 (11.58¢) |
Yearly figures are the average of the monthly EIA residential rates for that year. A year that is incomplete is labelled with the months it covers, and its change is measured against the same months of the previous year — residential rates are seasonal, so comparing a part-year against a full year would measure the season rather than the trend. Every row carries its own change, including the oldest one shown: its comparison year is the year immediately before the table starts. Where a comparison period is missing entirely, the change columns are left blank rather than filled with a zero.
Why did electricity prices rise in Texas?
What the EIA series shows
- Past 12 months (May 2025 → May 2026)
- The Texas residential rate rose 5.9% (+0.91¢/kWh), from 15.53¢ in May 2025 to 16.44¢ in May 2026.
- Past 5 years (May 2021 → May 2026)
- The rate rose 36.0% (+4.35¢/kWh), from 12.09¢ in May 2021 to 16.44¢ in May 2026.
- Past 10 years (May 2016 → May 2026)
- The rate rose 48.1% (+5.34¢/kWh), from 11.10¢ in May 2016 to 16.44¢ in May 2026.
- Highest and lowest month on record
- In this series the Texas rate peaked at 16.99¢/kWh in April 2026 and bottomed at 7.44¢/kWh in November 2002. The series covers January 2001 to May 2026.
- Steepest 12-month increase
- The largest single-year move in the series ended in January 2006: the rate rose 30.2% (+2.76¢/kWh), from 9.15¢ in January 2005 to 11.91¢ in January 2006. That is when the change happened; the series does not say what caused it.
- Against the rest of the country
- Over the same window the unweighted average across the 51 jurisdictions with data for this period rose 34.4%, so Texas's +36.0% outpaced the nationwide move by 1.5 percentage points. That gap is the part of the movement this dataset cannot attribute to a nationwide trend — it does not identify what else was involved.
- Rank among jurisdictions (May 2021 → May 2026)
- Measured over that identical five-year window, Texas's change is the 17th largest of the 51 jurisdictions whose series covers it — rank 1 is the biggest increase, rank 51 the biggest decrease. The rank places the movement; it does not explain it.
What can move rates in Texas — context, not proof
A rate series shows what changed, not why. The factors below are reviewed context for Texas maintained separately from the price data — they are not causes measured from the movement above, and no share of the change is attributed to any of them.
- Natural gas dominance in generation (Generation Mix) — Texas generates a large share of its electricity from natural gas. This means retail rates can be sensitive to movements in natural gas prices, particularly during periods of high demand. Confidence: high; reviewed 2026-02-22.
- Summer cooling demand and winter storm risk (Weather & Peak Demand) — Extreme summer heat drives high air conditioning demand, while rare but severe winter events can stress the grid. Both patterns can affect wholesale prices and long-term planning costs. Confidence: high; reviewed 2026-02-22.
- Energy-only market structure (ERCOT) (Capacity Markets) — Texas operates an energy-only wholesale market through ERCOT, without a traditional capacity market. This design can lead to higher price volatility during scarcity events. Confidence: high; reviewed 2026-02-22.
Texas electricity price drivers · How generation and fuel costs feed into retail rates · How these figures are calculated
More Data & Comparisons
- Electricity inflation in Texas — Price growth, trends, rankings
- Electricity cost in Texas — Rates, value score, affordability
- Average electricity bill in Texas — Monthly and annual bill estimates
- Texas electricity rates — Statewide overview and how Texas ranks
- Electricity cost calculator for Texas — Usage-based estimates
- Full Texas knowledge page — Rates, value score, affordability, trends
- All states price history
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much have electricity prices changed in Texas?
- Electricity prices in Texas have increased 36.0% over the past 5 years. The 1-year increase is 5.9%. The annualized 5-year increase is approximately 6.3% per year.
- What drove the change in Texas electricity prices?
- Measured from EIA residential data, the Texas rate rose 36.0% (+4.35¢/kWh), from 12.09¢ in May 2021 to 16.44¢ in May 2026. The series itself does not identify a cause. Reviewed context for Texas points to natural gas dominance in generation, summer cooling demand and winter storm risk, energy-only market structure (ercot) — documented factors, not measured contributions to the change above.
- When were Texas electricity rates highest and lowest?
- In EIA residential data covering January 2001 to May 2026, the Texas rate was highest at 16.99¢/kWh in April 2026 and lowest at 7.44¢/kWh in November 2002. The most recent reading is 16.44¢/kWh in May 2026.