Electricity Price per kWh in California
This page shows the latest statewide residential electricity price per kWh for California, along with usage-based cost estimates and national comparison context.
Current average rate
31.14 ¢/kWh
Estimated 1000 kWh cost
$311.40
Data period
February 2026
Published monthly
Key metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Current average rate | 31.14 ¢/kWh |
| Estimated 1000 kWh cost | $311.40 |
| Data period | February 2026 |
How California compares nationally
California rate
31.14 ¢/kWh
U.S. average
17.57 ¢/kWh
Difference
+77.2%
Category
much higher than national average
California is above the U.S. average by 13.57¢ per kWh.
Compare electricity options in California
Explore savings options, plan types, and provider offers for California.
State cost and bill pathways for California
- Average power price in California — Residential rate benchmark used in scenario estimates
- California electricity overview — Core authority page with statewide pricing context
- Electricity cost in California — State-level cost, affordability, and value overview
- Electricity cost in Los Angeles, California — Rollout-gated city electricity context page with deterministic methodology disclosure
- California monthly electricity bill estimate — Bill-focused context for household usage
- Electric bill estimator scenarios in California — Deterministic household-profile bill scenarios
Historical and trend pages
- Historical electricity prices in California — Historical context and trend interpretation
- Electricity inflation in California — State electricity inflation analysis
- California electricity price volatility — Volatility and rate movement profile
Fixed-usage and calculator pathways
- Electricity cost for 500 kWh in California — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- Electricity cost for 1,000 kWh in California — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- 1,500 kWh cost in California — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- Custom usage calculator for California — Custom kWh and scenario cost calculation
Appliance and estimator pathways
- Refrigerator cost in California — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Refrigerator calculator in California — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
- Space Heater cost in California — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Space Heater calculator in California — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
- Window Ac cost in California — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Window Ac calculator in California — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
State comparison pathways for California
- Compare California with other states — State-to-state comparison hub
- California vs Alabama electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
- California vs Alaska electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
Discovery and navigation hubs
- California electricity hub — Discovery hub for this state's price, usage, comparison, and tool pages
- Electricity cost scenario hub — Entry point for residential and industry scenario pages
- California electricity cost authority — Canonical state electricity cost cluster page
- California average electricity bill benchmark — Canonical benchmark bill cluster page
- California electricity bill estimator — Canonical estimator cluster page
- Electricity usage hubs — Browse cost pages by common household usage tiers
Consumer electricity drivers
- Price drivers in California — Understand what influences state electricity prices
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. Last dataset period: February 2026. Costs are energy-only estimates and exclude delivery charges, taxes, and fixed utility fees.