Why is electricity so expensive in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia pays 25.21¢/kWh for residential electricity, 37.7% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh and the #9 highest of 51 jurisdictions. At 900 kWh a month that is about $226.89, against $164.79 at the U.S. average.
Rates are EIA residential averages through July 2026, refreshed Sep 28, 2026. The U.S. average is the EIA U.S.-total residential price; rank and region figures compare the 51 jurisdiction averages.
How District of Columbia compares
| Measure | District of Columbia |
|---|---|
| Residential rate (EIA, July 2026) | 25.21¢/kWh |
| U.S. average (EIA) | 18.31¢/kWh |
| Difference | +37.7% (+6.90¢) |
| Rank among 51 jurisdictions | #9 highest (#43 lowest) |
| South average (17 states) | 16.24¢/kWh |
| Affordability tier | Affordable (index 65/100) |
| 12-month change | rose 9.4% (23.04¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh) |
| 5-year change | rose 95.9% (12.87¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh) |
See every state in one ranked table on electricity cost per kWh by state or the South region.
What the EIA series shows for District of Columbia
- Past 12 months (July 2025 → July 2026)
- The District of Columbia residential rate rose 9.4% (+2.17¢/kWh), from 23.04¢ in July 2025 to 25.21¢ in July 2026.
- Past 5 years (July 2021 → July 2026)
- The rate rose 95.9% (+12.34¢/kWh), from 12.87¢ in July 2021 to 25.21¢ in July 2026.
- Past 10 years (July 2016 → July 2026)
- The rate rose 114.7% (+13.47¢/kWh), from 11.74¢ in July 2016 to 25.21¢ in July 2026.
- Highest and lowest month on record
- In this series the District of Columbia rate peaked at 25.41¢/kWh in April 2026 and bottomed at 6.20¢/kWh in October 2002. The series covers January 2001 to July 2026.
- Steepest 12-month increase
- The largest single-year move in the series ended in October 2005: the rate rose 36.9% (+2.67¢/kWh), from 7.24¢ in October 2004 to 9.91¢ in October 2005. 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 33.7%, so District of Columbia's +95.9% outpaced the nationwide move by 62.1 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 (July 2021 → July 2026)
- Measured over that identical five-year window, District of Columbia's change is the 2nd 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.
Between January 2001 and July 2026 the rate peaked at 25.41¢/kWh in April 2026 and bottomed at 6.20¢/kWh in October 2002.
Every month is charted on the District of Columbia electricity price history page, with the year-over-year table and the same measured facts.
What sits on top of the rate in District of Columbia
Pepco's standard residential tariff adds $18.09 a month before the first kilowatt-hour, 5.30¢/kWh in riders, for an all-in 24.94¢/kWh at 900 kWh.
The line items are on hidden electricity fees and taxes for District of Columbia, and plan choice matters in a competitive market: read regulated vs deregulated markets.
What generally moves electricity rates
A rate series shows what changed, not why. This dataset records District of Columbia's residential rate and nothing about what moved it, and no reviewed District of Columbia driver analysis is published yet — so this page makes no causal claim. The factors that generally move retail rates are documented separately.
- Fuel and purchased power. Natural gas, coal, and wholesale power prices pass through to retail rates, often with a lag of months.
- Generation mix. Hydro and legacy nuclear tend to hold rates down; imported fuel, oil, and constrained supply tend to push them up.
- Wires investment. Transmission and distribution upgrades, storm hardening, and wildfire mitigation are recovered through rates over years.
- Market structure. Regulated utilities set rates in rate cases; deregulated markets price supply competitively and bill delivery separately.
- Demand and weather. Load growth, peak-heavy demand, and extreme weather raise the cost of serving each kilowatt-hour.
the factors themselves are documented on electricity generation cost drivers.
What the rate means for a District of Columbia bill
| Monthly usage | District of Columbia (25.21¢/kWh) | U.S. average (18.31¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 650 kWh | $163.86 | $119.01 |
| 900 kWh | $226.89 | $164.79 |
| 1,200 kWh | $302.52 | $219.72 |
| 1,600 kWh | $403.36 | $292.96 |
- Average electric bill in District of Columbia, by home size and city.
- Estimate a District of Columbia bill from your own usage.
- Why is my electric bill so high? The eight usual causes and what to check first.
- Compare electricity plans if your contract rolled to a variable rate.
Frequently asked questions
Why is electricity so expensive in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia pays 25.21¢/kWh for residential electricity, 37.7% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh and the #9 highest of 51 jurisdictions. Over the past 12 months the rate rose 9.4% (23.04¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh), and over five years it rose 95.9% (12.87¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh). The EIA series records the rate and nothing about what moved it, and no reviewed District of Columbia driver analysis is published yet, so no cause is claimed here.
How does District of Columbia's electricity rate compare with the U.S. average?
25.21¢/kWh in District of Columbia against 18.31¢/kWh for the U.S. average (EIA, July 2026): 37.7% above, the #9 highest of 51 jurisdictions. The South average across 17 states is 16.24¢/kWh. At 900 kWh a month that is about $226.89, against $164.79 at the U.S. average.
Is electricity in District of Columbia getting more expensive?
Over the past 12 months the rate rose 9.4% (23.04¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh), and over five years it rose 95.9% (12.87¢/kWh → 25.21¢/kWh). In EIA data from January 2001 to July 2026, the rate peaked at 25.41¢/kWh in April 2026 and bottomed at 6.20¢/kWh in October 2002. The full monthly series is on the District of Columbia electricity price history page.
What can I do about a high electric bill in District of Columbia?
Start with the kWh line: compare this bill with the same month last year, then the price per kWh, the billing days, and the fixed charges. Pepco's standard residential tariff adds $18.09 a month before the first kilowatt-hour, 5.30¢/kWh in riders, for an all-in 24.94¢/kWh at 900 kWh. In District of Columbia's competitive market a plan that rolled to a variable rate is a common cause of a jump, so compare plans. The high-bill guide walks through the eight usual causes.