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November update: Where residential electricity bills are increasing the most

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By Arthur Murray November 20th, 2020
2 min read

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Electricity rates rose slightly in our latest price updates.

Average residential electricity prices in the U.S. rose slightly in the November Choose Energy Rate Report, but prices certainly didn’t increase everywhere. The November average of 13.31 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) represented an increase of 0.4 percent from October. Average electricity bills increased by 43 cents.

The Rate Report is based on the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The November report reflects data from August.

The biggest percentage rate increase came in Rhode Island, where the price/kWh jumped 13.4 percent month over month to 22.13 cents/kWh. That was the highest rate in the continental U.S. Plus, it’s four times the percentage increase of No. 2 California.

Following are the states where rates increased by the largest percentage.

Top 10 states where electricity rates increased

State Rate (cents/kWh) % change
Rhode Island 22.13 13.4
California 20.77 3.3
South Dakota 12.71 3.2
Illinois 12.33 2.8
North Carolina 11.56 2.8
Minnesota 14.16 2.5
Nebraska 11.94 2.3
Delaware 12.15 2.1
Utah 11.32 2.1
Maryland 12.48 2.0

What do those numbers mean for electricity bills?

Low rates don’t always correspond to low electricity bills. That’s because usage makes a difference in bills, too. Want proof? Louisiana residents paid the lowest rate in the October report – 9.41 cents/kWh, but their bills were the 24th highest in the U.S. – $116.92. That’s because their usage is the nation’s highest.

So which state had the highest increase in bills for the rates shown in the November report? Again, it’s Rhode Island, where average bills increased by $15.06 from the previous month.

Following are the states where average bills increased by the largest amount.

Top 10 states where average bills increased the most

State Avg. bill $ change
Rhode Island 127.69 $15.06
South Dakota 124.30 $3.81
California 115.07 $3.66
North Carolina 120.46 $3.23
Nebraska 114.27 $2.58
Minnesota 105.92 $2.54
Illinois 85.32 $2.35
Georgia 136.89 $2.34
Delaware 110.81 $2.28
Maryland 117.31 $2.26

Residential electricity rates fell in 18 states

While the national average increased slightly in the November report, 18 states recorded declines in their rates. Rates in Arizona fell 2.6 percent from the previous month to 12.37 cents/kWh.

Following are the states where rates decreased by the largest percentage:

Top 10 states where electricity rates decreased

State Rate (cents/kWh) % change
Arizona 12.37 -2.6
Arkansas 10.51 -2.1
Tennessee 10.55 -2.0
New York 18.41 -1.7
Missouri 12.40 -1.4
Wyoming 11.72 -1.4
Montana 11.94 -1.2
Mississippi 10.78 -1.1
Alaska 23.75 -1.0
Florida 11.61 -0.9

Bills also didn’t increase in every state. The largest monthly decrease came in Idaho, where residents on average pocketed an extra $4.20.  More common were the savings in Texas, where residents on average spent 89 cents less.

Following are the states where average bills decreased by the largest amount.

Top 10 states where average bills decreased the most

State Avg. bill $ change
Idaho 103.90 $4.20
Arizona 127.78 $3.41
Tennessee 121.33 $2.53
Arkansas 108.04 $2.36
New York 105.31 $1.83
Missouri 123.26 $1.79
Wyoming 100.09 $1.45
Alaska 142.74 $1.44
Mississippi 122.03 $1.36
Montana 103.28 $1.30

Arthur Murray directs content strategy for ChooseEnergy.com, taking advantage of more than 20 years of newspaper and magazine experience. His articles have appeared on Zillow.com, Business.com, Nasdaq.com, and USNews.com, among others. Reach out to us with any questions or concerns.