Maryland electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Maryland is 21.77 cents per kilowatt-hour, 18.1% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 15th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +14.6% from 19.00¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +18.1% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #15 of 51 · #37 cheapest
- Supply market
- PJM Retail choice statewide
Why Maryland pays what it pays
Maryland restructured in the late 1990s and its utilities sold their power plants. Two decades later the state consumes far more electricity than it generates and imports the balance across a transmission network that is itself congested. When regional prices rise, Maryland has no generation position to offset them.
The 2025 and 2026 PJM capacity auctions cleared at record levels, and Maryland's Standard Offer Service auctions repriced accordingly. Because Maryland is a constrained import zone, it also pays locational charges that inland PJM states do not.
Delivery costs have risen too. Maryland regulators approved multi-year rate plans allowing utilities to recover grid-modernisation spending on a forward-looking basis, which accelerates recovery relative to traditional rate cases.
Where Maryland power comes from
Maryland generated 38 TWh in 2025, the 38th largest output of any state. Natural gas supplied 42.5% of it. Renewables accounted for 9.5%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks Maryland #40 of 51.
- Natural gas 42.5% 16 TWh
- Nuclear 39.3% 15 TWh
- Coal 6.1% 2 TWh
- Hydroelectric 4.2% 2 TWh
- Solar 3.5% 1 TWh
- Wind 1.8% 685 GWh
- Petroleum 1% 381 GWh
- Other 1.6% 598 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 Maryland compares
Maryland ranks #15 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 37th cheapest. Within the South Atlantic division, 7 of 8 neighbouring states are cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 15.09 | +5.4% | #35 |
| Florida | 15.17 | +1.3% | #33 |
| Georgia | 15.84 | +5.7% | #30 |
| South Carolina | 16.18 | +5.0% | #27 |
| West Virginia | 16.80 | +3.8% | #23 |
| Virginia | 17.61 | +15.4% | #21 |
| Delaware | 19.38 | +6.9% | #19 |
| Maryland | 21.77 | +14.6% | #15 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40 | +24.3% | #10 |
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 Maryland households actually pay
Maryland looks cheaper on paper than it is in practice. It has the 37th cheapest rate in the country but only the 2nd highest bill from the bottom, because households there use 953 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your Maryland 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 Maryland: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in Maryland averaged $16.14 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $1.56 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 Maryland, gas remains cheaper to run than a heat pump by about $3.98 per million BTU at these assumptions, roughly $239 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 Maryland utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 11 Maryland utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 7.77¢ at Hagerstown Light Department to 20.22¢ at Delmarva Power . Together they serve 2.2 million residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | 17.91 | $156 | 869 | 1.0 million |
| Potomac Electric Power Co | 20.08 | $167 | 830 | 485,483 |
| The Potomac Edison Company | 13.83 | $150 | 1,086 | 240,570 |
| Delmarva Power | 20.22 | $191 | 943 | 172,008 |
| Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc | 14.84 | $170 | 1,146 | 158,375 |
| Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc | 16.46 | $183 | 1,113 | 50,697 |
| Tesla Inc. | 15.84 | $91 | 576 | 26,988 |
| Sunrun Inc. | 14.18 | $106 | 746 | 25,231 |
| Hagerstown Light Department | 7.77 | $71 | 913 | 15,099 |
| Easton Utilities Comm | 13.06 | $136 | 1,041 | 8,590 |
| Sunnova | 18.67 | $150 | 806 | 4,578 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in Maryland
Baltimore Gas and Electric serves the Baltimore region, Pepco the Washington suburbs, Delmarva Power the Eastern Shore, and Potomac Edison western Maryland. All are delivery-only for residential service.
Maryland has full retail choice, and the Public Service Commission has taken repeated enforcement action against residential suppliers after finding that customers who switched paid more in aggregate than Standard Offer Service customers.
Maryland sits in The PJM region. The wholesale market whose capacity auction repriced and pushed residential rates up across nine jurisdictions in a single year. Read the regional analysis.
What you can actually do about it
Treat competitive supplier offers in Maryland with particular scepticism. The state's own analyses have found consistent net losses for residential switchers. If you do switch, use a fixed term only, and note the expiry date.
Maryland's EmPOWER programme funds efficiency work through a bill surcharge you are already paying. The free home energy audit is the highest-return first step.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Maryland, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Maryland electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Maryland?
The average residential electricity rate in Maryland is 21.77 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +18.1% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in Maryland?
The average Maryland household paid $206 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 953 kWh. That is +32.4% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 2nd 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 Maryland bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. Maryland ranks #15 of 51 on price but 2nd on the actual bill, because households there use about 953 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in Maryland gone up?
Maryland rates rose 14.6% over the year to May 2026, from 19.00¢ in May 2025 to 21.77¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Maryland?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Maryland can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.