Electricity Costs in California
California residents pay an average of 33.3¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026 — the 50th cheapest of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions we track, 81% above the national average. For a typical home using 885 kWh a month, that's a bill of about $295.
Average rate
33.3¢
per kWh, residential
U.S. rank
50th
cheapest of 51
vs. U.S. average
+81%
national: 18.4¢/kWh
Change vs. last year
+10.3%
was 30.2¢/kWh
The most expensive things to run in California
Monthly cost at typical usage and California's current rate.
Running costs for every appliance
| Appliance | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Furnace | $19.98 | $607 | $7,293 |
| Central Air Conditioner | $9.32 | $283 | $3,403 |
| Heat Pump | $7.99 | $243 | $2,917 |
| Pool Heater (Heat Pump) | $6.66 | $202 | $2,431 |
| Garage Heater | $4.99 | $152 | $1,823 |
| Electric Water Heater | $4.35 | $132 | $1,586 |
| Tankless Electric Water Heater | $4.20 | $128 | $1,531 |
| Space Heater | $4.00 | $121 | $1,459 |
| Baseboard Heater | $4.00 | $121 | $1,459 |
| Oil-Filled Radiator Heater | $4.00 | $121 | $1,459 |
| Pool Pump | $4.00 | $121 | $1,459 |
| EV Charging (Level 2, Home) | $3.33 | $101 | $1,215 |
| Infrared Heater | $3.20 | $97.18 | $1,167 |
| Portable Air Conditioner | $2.66 | $80.99 | $972 |
| Window Air Conditioner | $2.40 | $72.89 | $875 |
| Oxygen Concentrator | $2.40 | $72.89 | $875 |
| Electric Fireplace | $2.33 | $70.86 | $851 |
| Ductless Mini-Split | $2.13 | $64.79 | $778 |
| Electric Wall Heater | $2.00 | $60.74 | $729 |
| Dehumidifier | $1.66 | $50.62 | $608 |
| Hot Tub | $1.65 | $50.11 | $602 |
| Grow Light | $1.40 | $42.52 | $510 |
| Furnace Blower Fan (Gas Furnace) | $1.33 | $40.49 | $486 |
| Food Dehydrator | $1.33 | $40.49 | $486 |
| Refrigerator | $1.20 | $36.44 | $438 |
| Evaporative (Swamp) Cooler | $1.07 | $32.39 | $389 |
| Pellet Stove | $1.00 | $30.37 | $365 |
| Heat Pump Water Heater | $1.00 | $30.37 | $365 |
| Upright Freezer | $0.96 | $29.15 | $350 |
| Electric Oven | $0.80 | $24.30 | $292 |
| Aquarium | $0.80 | $24.30 | $292 |
| Home Server / Homelab | $0.80 | $24.30 | $292 |
| Chest Freezer | $0.72 | $21.87 | $263 |
| Electric Dryer | $0.71 | $21.69 | $260 |
| Well Pump | $0.67 | $20.25 | $243 |
| Gaming PC | $0.62 | $18.83 | $226 |
| Home Sauna | $0.57 | $17.35 | $208 |
| Electric Stove Burner | $0.50 | $15.18 | $182 |
| Mini Fridge | $0.48 | $14.58 | $175 |
| Starlink Dish | $0.48 | $14.58 | $175 |
| Induction Cooktop | $0.47 | $14.17 | $170 |
| Desktop Computer | $0.41 | $12.51 | $150 |
| Electric Blanket | $0.40 | $12.15 | $146 |
| Reptile Heat Lamp / Terrarium | $0.40 | $12.15 | $146 |
| Air Purifier | $0.32 | $9.72 | $117 |
| Heat Pump Dryer | $0.31 | $9.40 | $113 |
| Dishwasher | $0.29 | $8.68 | $104 |
| 75-Inch TV | $0.25 | $7.69 | $92.31 |
| Air Fryer | $0.25 | $7.59 | $91.16 |
| OLED TV | $0.20 | $6.17 | $74.08 |
| Box Fan | $0.20 | $6.07 | $72.93 |
| Toaster Oven | $0.20 | $6.07 | $72.93 |
| Game Console (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | $0.19 | $5.79 | $69.46 |
| 65-Inch TV | $0.19 | $5.66 | $68.00 |
| Ceiling Fan | $0.16 | $4.86 | $58.34 |
| Tower Fan | $0.16 | $4.86 | $58.34 |
| Cable / Satellite Box | $0.16 | $4.86 | $58.34 |
| Slow Cooker | $0.14 | $4.34 | $52.09 |
| 55-Inch TV | $0.14 | $4.15 | $49.77 |
| Humidifier | $0.13 | $4.05 | $48.62 |
| Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) | $0.13 | $4.05 | $48.62 |
| Laptop | $0.12 | $3.64 | $43.76 |
| CPAP Machine | $0.11 | $3.24 | $38.89 |
| Incandescent Bulb | $0.10 | $3.04 | $36.46 |
| Christmas Lights | $0.10 | $3.04 | $36.46 |
| Wi-Fi Router | $0.10 | $2.92 | $35.00 |
| Washing Machine | $0.10 | $2.89 | $34.73 |
| E-Bike Charging | $0.10 | $2.89 | $34.73 |
| Treadmill | $0.10 | $2.89 | $34.73 |
| Microwave | 9.2¢ | $2.78 | $33.42 |
| 3D Printer | 8.6¢ | $2.60 | $31.25 |
| Computer Monitor | 8.3¢ | $2.51 | $30.14 |
| Electric Lawn Mower | 7.1¢ | $2.17 | $26.05 |
| Hair Dryer | 6.7¢ | $2.02 | $24.31 |
| Electric Kettle | 5.2¢ | $1.59 | $19.10 |
| Coffee Maker | 4.0¢ | $1.21 | $14.59 |
| Security Camera (Wired) | 4.0¢ | $1.21 | $14.59 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | 3.8¢ | $1.16 | $13.89 |
| Robot Vacuum | 2.0¢ | $0.61 | $7.29 |
| LED Light Bulb | 1.5¢ | $0.46 | $5.47 |
| Phone Charger | 0.6¢ | $0.18 | $2.19 |
Rates across the West
Frequently asked questions
How much does electricity cost in California?
The average residential electricity rate in California is 33.3¢ per kWh as of May 2026. For a typical home using 885 kWh per month, that's an electric bill of about $295.
Is electricity expensive in California?
Yes, relatively — California ranks 2nd most expensive of 51 U.S. jurisdictions, about 81% above the national average of 18.4¢/kWh.
Are electricity rates in California going up?
Yes — the average rate is up about 10% versus a year ago (30.2¢ → 33.3¢ per kWh). Rising rates make high-consumption appliances like electric heat, dryers, and pool pumps more expensive to ignore.
What uses the most electricity in a home?
Heating and cooling typically lead, followed by water heating, then the clothes dryer, refrigeration, and always-on electronics. Our bill analyzer breaks this down for your own set of appliances at your state’s rate.
Wondering why your bill jumped? Read Why Is My Electric Bill So High? or estimate your whole home with the bill analyzer.