Why is electricity so expensive in Maine?
Maine pays 32.41¢/kWh for residential electricity, 77.0% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh and the #3 highest of 51 jurisdictions. At 900 kWh a month that is about $291.69, 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 Maine compares
| Measure | Maine |
|---|---|
| Residential rate (EIA, July 2026) | 32.41¢/kWh |
| U.S. average (EIA) | 18.31¢/kWh |
| Difference | +77.0% (+14.10¢) |
| Rank among 51 jurisdictions | #3 highest (#49 lowest) |
| Northeast average (9 states) | 26.95¢/kWh |
| Affordability tier | Average (index 44/100) |
| 12-month change | rose 15.8% (27.98¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh) |
| 5-year change | rose 98.0% (16.37¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh) |
See every state in one ranked table on electricity cost per kWh by state or the Northeast region.
What the EIA series shows for Maine
- Past 12 months (July 2025 → July 2026)
- The Maine residential rate rose 15.8% (+4.43¢/kWh), from 27.98¢ in July 2025 to 32.41¢ in July 2026.
- Past 5 years (July 2021 → July 2026)
- The rate rose 98.0% (+16.04¢/kWh), from 16.37¢ in July 2021 to 32.41¢ in July 2026.
- Past 10 years (July 2016 → July 2026)
- The rate rose 104.7% (+16.58¢/kWh), from 15.83¢ in July 2016 to 32.41¢ in July 2026.
- Highest and lowest month on record
- In this series the Maine rate peaked at 32.41¢/kWh in July 2026 and bottomed at 10.66¢/kWh in January 2002. The series covers January 2001 to July 2026.
- Steepest 12-month increase
- The largest single-year move in the series ended in May 2022: the rate rose 54.5% (+9.06¢/kWh), from 16.61¢ in May 2021 to 25.67¢ in May 2022. 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 Maine's +98.0% outpaced the nationwide move by 64.2 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, Maine's change is the 1st 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 32.41¢/kWh in July 2026 and bottomed at 10.66¢/kWh in January 2002.
Every month is charted on the Maine electricity price history page, with the year-over-year table and the same measured facts.
What sits on top of the rate in Maine
Central Maine Power (CMP)'s standard residential tariff adds $27.37 a month before the first kilowatt-hour, 11.52¢/kWh in riders, for an all-in 27.28¢/kWh at 900 kWh.
The line items are on hidden electricity fees and taxes for Maine, 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 Maine's residential rate and nothing about what moved it, and no reviewed Maine 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 Maine bill
| Monthly usage | Maine (32.41¢/kWh) | U.S. average (18.31¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 650 kWh | $210.66 | $119.01 |
| 900 kWh | $291.69 | $164.79 |
| 1,200 kWh | $388.92 | $219.72 |
| 1,600 kWh | $518.56 | $292.96 |
- Average electric bill in Maine, by home size and city.
- Estimate a Maine 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 Maine?
Maine pays 32.41¢/kWh for residential electricity, 77.0% above the U.S. average of 18.31¢/kWh and the #3 highest of 51 jurisdictions. Over the past 12 months the rate rose 15.8% (27.98¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh), and over five years it rose 98.0% (16.37¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh). The EIA series records the rate and nothing about what moved it, and no reviewed Maine driver analysis is published yet, so no cause is claimed here.
How does Maine's electricity rate compare with the U.S. average?
32.41¢/kWh in Maine against 18.31¢/kWh for the U.S. average (EIA, July 2026): 77.0% above, the #3 highest of 51 jurisdictions. The Northeast average across 9 states is 26.95¢/kWh. At 900 kWh a month that is about $291.69, against $164.79 at the U.S. average.
Is electricity in Maine getting more expensive?
Over the past 12 months the rate rose 15.8% (27.98¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh), and over five years it rose 98.0% (16.37¢/kWh → 32.41¢/kWh). In EIA data from January 2001 to July 2026, the rate peaked at 32.41¢/kWh in July 2026 and bottomed at 10.66¢/kWh in January 2002. The full monthly series is on the Maine electricity price history page.
What can I do about a high electric bill in Maine?
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. Central Maine Power (CMP)'s standard residential tariff adds $27.37 a month before the first kilowatt-hour, 11.52¢/kWh in riders, for an all-in 27.28¢/kWh at 900 kWh. In Maine'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.