30Y Mortgage7.24% Gold$3,919.8 Silver$49.59 Platinum$1,422 Palladium$955 BRK.B$556.11 ▲2.51%JPM$340.58 ▲1.05%LLY$1,410.99 ▼0.46%V$425.51 ▲2.88%WMT$127.69 ▲3.38%ORCL$119.22 ▼8.76%MA$658.10 ▲3.15%XOM$179.67 ▼4.05%JNJ$270.56 ▼0.97%TSM$398.63 ▼1.85%BTC$77,615 ▲1.04%ETH$2,284.33 ▲1.60%BNB$696.69 ▲0.11%XRP$1.27 ▲2.02%SOL$93.2 ▲1.80%TRX$0.32 ▲2.09%ZEC$1,203.82 ▲4.51%HYPE$85.17 ▲1.88%XMR$629 ▲3.69%DOGE$0.08 ▲1.76%30Y Mortgage7.24% Gold$3,919.8 Silver$49.59 Platinum$1,422 Palladium$955 BRK.B$556.11 ▲2.51%JPM$340.58 ▲1.05%LLY$1,410.99 ▼0.46%V$425.51 ▲2.88%WMT$127.69 ▲3.38%ORCL$119.22 ▼8.76%MA$658.10 ▲3.15%XOM$179.67 ▼4.05%JNJ$270.56 ▼0.97%TSM$398.63 ▼1.85%BTC$77,615 ▲1.04%ETH$2,284.33 ▲1.60%BNB$696.69 ▲0.11%XRP$1.27 ▲2.02%SOL$93.2 ▲1.80%TRX$0.32 ▲2.09%ZEC$1,203.82 ▲4.51%HYPE$85.17 ▲1.88%XMR$629 ▲3.69%DOGE$0.08 ▲1.76%

California electricity rates (August 2026)

Average residential and commercial electricity prices in California from EIA's monthly utility survey, with the trend, the largest utilities and what power costs a typical homeowner.

Residential rate
29.75¢
▼ 3.8% vs a year agoper kWh, August 2026; ranks 4 of 51 (1 = highest)
Commercial rate
30.02¢
per kWh, August 2026
Average home bill
$164
per month over the last 12 months, about 507 kWh
U.S. residential average
18.16¢
California is 64% above the U.S. average.

Find your utility's rate by ZIP

California vs U.S. residential rate

Cents per kWh by month, last 36 months.

Last 12 months in California

MonthResidentialCommercialU.S. residentialAvg kWhAvg bill
August 202629.75¢30.02¢18.16¢789$235
July 202633.61¢30.57¢18.31¢571$192
June 202634.74¢27.33¢18.34¢474$165
May 202633.25¢24.10¢18.44¢408$136
April 202635.29¢25.76¢18.86¢392$138
March 202633.28¢28.14¢18.60¢462$154
February 202633.22¢24.73¢17.65¢420$140
January 202630.29¢23.12¢17.45¢604$183
December 202529.95¢26.77¢17.11¢469$140
November 202532.03¢24.22¢17.77¢416$133
October 202533.62¢26.82¢17.95¢448$151
September 202531.89¢30.17¢18.05¢627$200

Largest utilities in California

Residential rates for the biggest utilities in California that report monthly to EIA, ordered by number of homes served, for August 2026.

UtilityTypeRateAvg kWhAvg billHomes
Southern California Edison CoInvestor Owned30.18¢1,159$3503,265,393
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.Investor Owned26.13¢764$2001,587,449
Los Angeles Department of Water & PowerMunicipal30.02¢608$1831,428,184
Sacramento Municipal Util DistPolitical Subdivision23.29¢918$214608,565
San Diego Gas & Electric CoInvestor Owned48.12¢588$283284,716
Imperial Irrigation DistrictPolitical Subdivision16.24¢2,127$345145,726
Modesto Irrigation DistrictPolitical Subdivision23.67¢1,179$279104,888
Turlock Irrigation DistrictPolitical Subdivision18.14¢1,274$23181,679
City of Pasadena - (CA)Municipal27.78¢500$13958,764
City of Santa Clara - (CA)Municipal18.62¢426$7955,022
PacifiCorpInvestor Owned24.44¢717$17536,440
Bear Valley Electric ServiceInvestor Owned44.24¢286$12723,348

What electricity adds to owning a home in California

A typical California home is valued at $761,538 (Zillow). With 10% down at this week's 7.24% 30-year rate, principal and interest come to about $4,671 a month. The average electric bill of $164 adds about 4% on top of that, or $1,966 a year. See California property tax and closing costs or run the monthly payment.

Bills follow the seasons: in California the highest-use month of the last year averaged 789 kWh per home and the lowest 392 kWh. Budget for the expensive months, not the average.

Common questions

What is the average electricity rate in California?

Homes in California paid an average of 29.75 cents per kWh in August 2026, 64% above the U.S. average of 18.16 cents (EIA Form 861M).

How much is the average electric bill in California?

Over the last 12 months the average California home used about 507 kWh a month and paid about $164 a month.

Have California electricity rates gone up?

The residential rate is 3.8% lower than in August 2025, when it was 30.92 cents per kWh.

What do businesses pay for electricity in California?

Commercial customers in California paid 30.02 cents per kWh in August 2026.

Related

Electricity rates in all statesRanked table and ZIP lookupCalifornia buying costsProperty tax, transfer tax and closing costsCalifornia buyer programsDown payment help where you live

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Form EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue (state and utility data, latest month August 2026; EIA marks recent months preliminary and may revise them); ZIP-to-utility map: OpenEI, U.S. Electric Utility Companies and Rates: Look-up by Zip Code (2024), CC BY 4.0. Rates are average revenue per kWh (total bill divided by kWh sold), so they include fixed and delivery charges. EIA posts each month about eight weeks after it ends; this page checks for new data every morning.

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