Electric bill calculator

Two numbers make the bill

The calculator multiplies the kWh you used by the average residential price in your state, then by twelve for the year. It opens on Texas, where the average home used 1,096 kWh a month in 2024 and the price in January to July 2026 was 16.06¢: $176 a month. The EIA price is total residential revenue divided by kWh sold, so customer charges, delivery and taxes collected through the bill are spread inside it. That makes it a fair average, and a poor guide to a tiered rate or a time-of-use plan, where the next kWh can cost much more or much less than the average. If your bill lists a price per kWh, type it in place of the state figure.

Use is the half you control. The 2024 state averages come from EIA form 861, which collects sales, customers and revenue from every utility. Homes in the South use the most, because air conditioning runs for months and many houses heat with electricity; homes in the Northeast and the West Coast use less but often pay more per kWh. At the national price, 1,000 kWh a month costs $182 and 2,000 kWh costs $364.

Reading the gap with the state average

Below the result, the calculator shows how far your estimate sits from the typical 2024 bill in your state. A large positive gap usually points to one of a few loads: electric heat or a heat pump in winter, central air in summer, an electric water heater, a pool pump, a well pump, or an electric car charged at home. A bill far under the average often means gas heat and gas cooking, a small apartment, or rooftop solar netting out part of the use.

Seasons make single months misleading

One month says little. In hot states summer bills can run far above spring ones, and electrically heated homes in cold states see the same jump in January. Add the twelve monthly kWh figures from your account and divide by twelve before you enter them, or enter your highest month to see the worst case. Many utilities offer budget billing that spreads the year evenly; it changes when you pay, not what you pay.

Bringing the number down

Find the big loads first. The appliance cost calculator prices any device from its watts and hours, which shows quickly whether the old freezer in the garage or the space heater under the desk deserves attention. Heating is usually the largest single item in a home that heats with electricity; the heating comparison sets a heat pump against baseboard heat and fuel. If you are thinking about panels, the solar calculator turns this same kWh figure into a system size.

Rate plans matter as well. Some utilities offer time-of-use or seasonal plans, and in states with retail choice a supplier can sell the energy part of the bill. Terms and fees differ, so compare the total price per kWh on a full year of your own use rather than a teaser rate.