Maine electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Maine is 28.63 cents per kilowatt-hour, 55.3% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 6th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +2.6% from 27.91¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +55.3% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #6 of 51 · #46 cheapest
- Supply market
- ISO New England Retail choice statewide
Why Maine pays what it pays
Maine's problem is not generation. It is geography. The state has more distribution line per customer than almost anywhere else in the Northeast, with long rural feeders running through heavy forest to serve a handful of houses each. Those poles, wires and vegetation crews cost the same whether they serve four customers or four hundred, and the bill lands on a small ratepayer base.
On top of that sits the regional problem every New England state shares. The grid leans on natural gas for marginal generation, and the pipelines into the region run out of headroom in winter. When a cold snap arrives, gas that would otherwise reach power plants is contractually committed to heating customers. Generators switch to oil or imported LNG, and the wholesale price sets a regional clearing price that everyone pays.
Maine has also been rebuilding transmission, including the contested corridor meant to move Québec hydropower south. Those capital costs recover through delivery rates over decades rather than showing up as a single visible line item.
Where Maine power comes from
Maine generated 15 TWh in 2025, the 45th largest output of any state. Natural gas supplied 37.5% of it. Renewables accounted for 58.9%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks Maine #7 of 51.
- Natural gas 37.5% 6 TWh
- Wind 19.4% 3 TWh
- Hydroelectric 17.8% 3 TWh
- Wood and biomass 11.3% 2 TWh
- Solar 10.4% 2 TWh
- Petroleum 1.1% 167 GWh
- Other 2.3% 338 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 Maine compares
Maine ranks #6 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 46th cheapest. Within the New England division, 3 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 Maine households actually pay
Maine looks cheaper on paper than it is in practice. It has the 46th cheapest rate in the country but only the 26th highest bill from the bottom, because households there use 537 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your Maine 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 Maine: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in Maine averaged $18.95 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $1.83 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 Maine, gas remains cheaper to run than a heat pump by about $7.67 per million BTU at these assumptions, roughly $460 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 Maine utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 5 Maine utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 11.95¢ at Houlton Water Company to 28.53¢ at Versant Power . Together they serve 638,115 residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Maine Power Co | 23.43 | $131 | 557 | 519,295 |
| Versant Power | 28.53 | $144 | 505 | 101,697 |
| Eastern Maine Electric Coop | 17.06 | $86 | 503 | 10,803 |
| Houlton Water Company | 11.95 | $88 | 736 | 3,907 |
| Town of Madison | 15.16 | $102 | 672 | 2,413 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in Maine
Central Maine Power, owned by Avangrid, delivers to most of the population. Versant Power covers the north and east. Both are wires-only companies and neither generates the electricity it delivers.
Maine has full retail choice, so households can buy supply from a competitive provider or take the Standard Offer, a supply price set through a state-run bid process. The Standard Offer is procured in blocks and locked for a set term, so Maine's headline rate tends to move in steps rather than drifting month to month. It can look flat while wholesale prices swing, then reset sharply.
Maine 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
The most useful thing a Maine household can do with a rate figure is split it into supply and delivery. Switching a competitive supplier only touches the supply half. The delivery half is set by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and follows you regardless of who bills the electrons.
Maine also has an unusually heating-heavy load profile. A rate comparison made in July describes a very different bill from the same rate applied to a January heat-pump month, which is why the calculator on this site asks for your usage instead of assuming it.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Maine, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Maine electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Maine?
The average residential electricity rate in Maine is 28.63 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +55.3% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in Maine?
The average Maine household paid $155 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 537 kWh. That is -0.2% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 26th 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 Maine bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. Maine ranks #6 of 51 on price but 26th on the actual bill, because households there use about 537 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in Maine gone up?
Maine rates rose 2.6% over the year to May 2026, from 27.91¢ in May 2025 to 28.63¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Maine?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Maine can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.