Electricity price history and inflation, 1979–2026
$0.20 per kWh (Sep 2026)
BLS average price of electricity per kilowatt-hour for residential use in U.S. city averages. The latest average price is $0.20 for Sep 2026. That is +4.3% from a year earlier.
Adjusted for overall inflation (CPI-U), the 1979 average price of $0.05 would be $0.23 in Sep 2026 dollars, so electricity has become less expensive in real terms.
Annual averages
| Year | Average price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 * | $0.19 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $0.18 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $0.17 | +6.1% |
| 2022 | $0.16 | +12.6% |
| 2021 | $0.14 | +4.0% |
| 2020 | $0.14 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | $0.14 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | $0.14 | -1.1% |
| 2017 | $0.14 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | $0.14 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | $0.14 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | $0.14 | +3.7% |
| 2013 | $0.13 | +2.0% |
| 2012 | $0.13 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | $0.13 | +1.6% |
| 2010 | $0.13 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | $0.13 | +3.1% |
| 2008 | $0.12 | +5.7% |
| 2007 | $0.12 | +3.9% |
| 2006 | $0.11 | +12.3% |
| 2005 | $0.10 | +6.0% |
| 2004 | $0.09 | +1.6% |
| 2003 | $0.09 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | $0.09 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | $0.09 | +5.8% |
| 2000 | $0.09 | +1.1% |
| 1999 | $0.09 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | $0.09 | -8.0% |
| 1997 | $0.09 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | $0.09 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | $0.09 | +1.7% |
| 1994 | $0.09 | +0.5% |
| 1993 | $0.09 | +4.0% |
| 1992 | $0.09 | +1.6% |
| 1991 | $0.09 | +3.6% |
| 1990 | $0.08 | +2.2% |
| 1989 | $0.08 | +2.3% |
| 1988 | $0.08 | +1.3% |
| 1987 | $0.08 | +3.2% |
| 1986 | $0.08 | -5.8% |
| 1985 * | $0.08 | -0.6% |
| 1984 | $0.08 | +4.5% |
| 1983 | $0.08 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | $0.08 | +9.7% |
| 1981 | $0.07 | +15.6% |
| 1980 | $0.06 | +19.2% |
| 1979 | $0.05 | +0.0% |
* Partial year, averaged over published months only. 1985: 11 of 12 months; 2025: 11 of 12 months (BLS published no October 2025 data because of the federal government shutdown; the average uses the 11 published months).