Connecticut electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Connecticut is 27.37 cents per kilowatt-hour, 48.4% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 8th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▼ -13.4% from 31.59¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +48.4% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #8 of 51 · #44 cheapest
- Supply market
- ISO New England Retail choice statewide
Why Connecticut pays what it pays
Connecticut's recent history is a useful lesson in how much of an American electricity rate is policy rather than fuel. In 2024 the state's public benefits charge rose steeply, driven largely by the cost of a long-term contract with the Millstone nuclear station and by the recovery of pandemic-era arrears that utilities had been ordered not to collect. Bills jumped, the political reaction was severe, and the charge became the centre of a legislative fight.
As those specific recovery items rolled off, the charge fell back. That is why Connecticut shows a year-over-year decline while nearly every neighbouring state rose. The comparison is against an inflated base, not evidence that Connecticut has become a cheap place to buy electricity. It has not. The state remains well above the national average.
The structural drivers are the New England ones. Constrained gas pipelines set the winter marginal price, and a dense, ageing distribution network in the southwest of the state carries high maintenance costs.
Where Connecticut power comes from
Connecticut generated 44 TWh in 2025, the 34th largest output of any state. Natural gas supplied 56.2% of it, enough that the price of that fuel largely sets the price of electricity here. Renewables accounted for 3.1%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks Connecticut #51 of 51.
- Natural gas 56.2% 24 TWh
- Nuclear 38.4% 17 TWh
- Solar 1.7% 758 GWh
- Hydroelectric 0.8% 342 GWh
- Petroleum 0.6% 244 GWh
- Wood and biomass 0.5% 228 GWh
- Other 1.8% 798 GWh
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Operational Data, net generation, all sectors. Net generation across all sectors. Nuclear counts as carbon-free but not renewable, so the two shares differ.
How Connecticut compares
Connecticut ranks #8 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 44th cheapest. Within the New England division, 2 of 5 neighbouring states are cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 24.89 | +4.8% | #11 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33 | +13.8% | #9 |
| Connecticut | 27.37 | -13.4% | #8 |
| Maine | 28.63 | +2.6% | #6 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82 | -3.6% | #5 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46 | +1.6% | #4 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What Connecticut households actually pay
Connecticut looks cheaper on paper than it is in practice. It has the 44th cheapest rate in the country but only the 3rd highest bill from the bottom, because households there use 709 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your Connecticut bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Heating in Connecticut: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in Connecticut averaged $16.83 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $1.62 per therm, against a national average of $14.50. Put on the same scale as the state's electricity rate, the cost of delivering one million BTU of heat works out as follows.
In Connecticut, gas remains cheaper to run than a heat pump by about $8.71 per million BTU at these assumptions, roughly $523 over a 60 million BTU season. A heat pump can still be the better purchase once cooling, equipment age and incentives are counted, but not on heating cost alone.
Gas price: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices, price delivered to residential consumers, 2024. Assumptions are adjustable in the heating cost guide, and every state is compared on the gas price page.
What each Connecticut utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 11 Connecticut utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 15.65¢ at Town of Wallingford to 34.04¢ at United Illuminating Co . Together they serve 1.3 million residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Light & Power Co | 28.51 | $187 | 656 | 924,132 |
| United Illuminating Co | 34.04 | $185 | 543 | 256,302 |
| Town of Wallingford | 15.65 | $130 | 828 | 21,405 |
| Sunnova | 21.24 | $149 | 703 | 20,437 |
| City of Norwich | 22.78 | $140 | 616 | 18,870 |
| Sunrun Inc. | 24.36 | $155 | 638 | 17,293 |
| Groton Dept of Utilities | 18.70 | $134 | 715 | 12,284 |
| Tesla Inc. | 17.11 | $81 | 475 | 8,450 |
| SunPower Capital, LLC | 18.03 | $161 | 892 | 3,506 |
| Bozrah Light & Power Company | 19.33 | $161 | 832 | 2,434 |
| Spruce Finance | 16.33 | $103 | 632 | 1,848 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in Connecticut
Eversource serves most of the state and United Illuminating, an Avangrid company, covers the Bridgeport to New Haven corridor. Connecticut has full retail choice with a state-run rate board that publishes comparable supplier offers.
Connecticut regulators have been unusually willing to intervene in the retail supplier market. They banned variable-rate residential contracts after finding that customers on them systematically paid more than standard service.
Connecticut sits in New England. Six states sharing one constrained gas pipeline network, which sets the winter price for all of them. Read the regional analysis.
What you can actually do about it
Compare any competitive offer against standard service using the state's own rate board rather than a broker site, and confirm the contract is genuinely fixed. Variable teaser rates that reset after a few months are the mechanism behind most complaints.
The public benefits charge is worth understanding rather than resenting. Part of it funds the low-income discount and efficiency programmes that your own household may qualify for.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Connecticut, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Connecticut electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Connecticut?
The average residential electricity rate in Connecticut is 27.37 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +48.4% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in Connecticut?
The average Connecticut household paid $203 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 709 kWh. That is +30.5% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 3rd highest of the 51 jurisdictions. Your own bill depends on the size of your home, your heating and cooling equipment and your rate schedule.
Why is the Connecticut bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. Connecticut ranks #8 of 51 on price but 3rd on the actual bill, because households there use about 709 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in Connecticut gone up?
Connecticut rates fell 13.4% over the year to May 2026, from 31.59¢ in May 2025 to 27.37¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Connecticut?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Connecticut can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.