U.S. residential retail price of electricity by state 2020

As of August 2020, Hawaii had the most expensive average retail price of electricity in the residential sector within the United States. The average price in Hawaii amounted to 29.99 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour that month. Louisiana had the cheapest residential electricity prices.

Residential sector is greatest electricity consumer

Electricity is a vital facet of everyday life and has significantly eased and improved the quality of life of people worldwide. Human rights groups in the U.S. such as the NAACP have argued for electricity to be included in a list of basic human rights next to access to drinking water and sanitation. Electricity has many uses, which include being used for lighting, heating and cooling systems, computers, television, and laundry machines. The residential sector is responsible for the greatest electricity consumption by sector in the country.

Electricity prices worldwide

The retail price for electricity has continued to increase in almost every year since 1990. In 2019, it stood at 10.6 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour, which was close to double the charge put on electricity back in 1990. Nevertheless, the U.S. still has some of the lowest electricity prices worldwide, particularly when compared to European countries such as Germany, where one kilowatt hour cost an average of 38 U.S. cents.