Electricity retail price in the U.S. 1998-2022, by sector

In 2022, the retail price of electricity for residential customers in the United States averaged 15.12 U.S. dollar cents per kilowatt-hour. Households are charged more than the commercial and industrial sectors, in general due to higher distribution costs. Since 2020, electricity customers have seen electricity prices increase in the U.S. and peak in 2022.

The U.S. electricity market

The U.S. electricity market is led by several types of electricity providers, such as cooperatives, municipal systems, and shareholder-owned electric utilities. In 2021, cooperatives were the most common type of ownership in the U.S., with more than 600 providers. That year, the U.S. electric utility industry revenue amounted to 424 billion U.S. dollars.

Electricity prices around the world

Electricity prices vary widely from country to country, depending on energy sources used as well as government and industry regulations. In 2022, Denmark and Italy, affected by the global energy crisis, had some of the highest household electricity prices worldwide. Meanwhile, U.S. households paid some of the lowest prices. However, leading oil and gas-producing regions such as the Middle East registered the cheapest rates overall.