Every electric bill is priced in kilowatt-hours, yet most of us couldn’t say what one is. It’s simpler than it sounds, and once you know it you can work out what anything in your home costs to run.
The short version
- A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1,000 watts used for one hour.
- U.S. homes paid an average of 18.31¢ per kWh in July 2026 (EIA).
- Prices ranged from 12.72¢ in Louisiana to 48¢ in Hawaii.
- 1,000 kWh, a typical month in a warm state, cost about $183 at the national average.
What a kilowatt-hour actually is
Watts measure how fast a device uses power. A kilowatt is 1,000 watts. A kilowatt-hour is the energy used when something draws 1,000 watts for one full hour. So:
- a 1,000-watt microwave running for 1 hour uses 1 kWh;
- a 100-watt device running for 10 hours uses 1 kWh;
- a 10-watt LED bulb running for 100 hours uses 1 kWh.
The formula is: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours = kWh. Multiply the kWh by your price and you have the cost.
What a kWh costs right now
The EIA publishes the average price homes pay in every state each month. In July 2026, the national average was 18.31¢ per kWh, or about 18 cents. A year earlier it was 17.45¢, so prices rose 4.9%. Prices went up in 45 of the 50 states and D.C. over that year.
| State | Price per kWh (July 2026) | 1 kWh | 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $0.13 | $127.20 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $0.15 | $150.30 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $0.16 | $158.80 |
| U.S. average | 18.31¢ | $0.18 | $183.10 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $0.30 | $299.00 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $0.34 | $336.10 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $0.48 | $480.00 |
Find your state on our electricity cost by state page, which updates each time the EIA releases new data.
Why your price may not match the average
The EIA figure is an average: total residential revenue divided by total electricity sold. Your own price depends on your utility and plan.
- Fixed charges. Many utilities add a monthly customer charge no matter how much you use, which raises the effective price in low-use months.
- Tiered rates. Some charge more per kWh after you pass a set amount in a month.
- Time-of-use plans. Power can cost more in late afternoon and evening than overnight.
- Taxes and riders. Fuel adjustments and local taxes appear as separate lines.
To find what you really pay, divide the electricity charges on your bill by the kWh used. Our guide to reading your electric bill shows where each number is.
What common things cost per hour
Using the July 2026 national average of 18.31¢ per kWh, and the wattage printed on a device’s label:
| Wattage on the label | kWh per hour | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 10 W (LED bulb) | 0.01 | about 0.2¢ |
| 100 W | 0.1 | about 1.8¢ |
| 500 W | 0.5 | about 9.2¢ |
| 1,000 W | 1 | about 18.3¢ |
| 1,500 W (space heater on high) | 1.5 | about 27.5¢ |
Example
Devon in Dallas runs a 1,500-watt space heater for 4 hours each evening. That’s 6 kWh a day. At Texas’s July 2026 average of 15.88¢, it costs about 95¢ a day, or roughly $28.58 over 30 days.
Our utility cost calculator does this for any device and any rate.
How many kWh does a home use?
In 2024, the average U.S. home used 863 kWh a month, according to the EIA. Homes in hot states use much more: Alabama averaged 1,143 kWh and Louisiana 1,202. See average electric bills by state for every state.
The short answer
One kWh cost about 18 cents in an average U.S. home in mid-2026, but anywhere from 13 cents to 48 cents depending on the state. Multiply your price by the kWh on your bill and you can check any appliance, plan or bill yourself.
kW vs. kWh: the difference
A kilowatt (kW) is a rate, like miles per hour. A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is an amount, like miles driven. A 1.5 kW space heater uses 1.5 kWh if it runs for one hour, and 3 kWh if it runs for two. Your bill charges for kWh, the amount, not kW. Some commercial customers also pay “demand charges” based on their highest kW, but most homes don’t.
How many kWh do common habits use in a month?
| Example | kWh per month | Cost at 18.31¢ |
|---|---|---|
| Five 10-watt LED bulbs, 5 hours a day | 7.5 kWh | about $1.37 |
| A 100-watt device left on 24 hours a day | 72 kWh | about $13.18 |
| A 400-watt computer, 4 hours a day | 48 kWh | about $8.79 |
| A 1,500-watt heater, 6 hours a day | 270 kWh | about $49.44 |
The pattern is clear: anything that heats or cools uses far more than lighting or electronics. A device left on around the clock can add up even when its wattage looks small.
Is my price per kWh good?
Compare it with your own state, not the national average. A price of 20¢ would be expensive in Louisiana (average 12.72¢ in July 2026) but cheap in California (33.61¢). If you live in a state with retail electricity choice and your price is well above the state average, it may be worth comparing plans when your contract ends. Our state pages, such as Texas and Pennsylvania, show the current average.
Why prices change
The EIA names the main drivers: the cost of fuels used to make electricity, building and maintaining power plants, the transmission and distribution system, weather, and state regulations. When natural gas prices rise or a utility rebuilds its lines, the price per kWh follows, usually through rate changes approved by state regulators.
