Washington electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Washington is 14.95 cents per kilowatt-hour, 18.9% below the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 37th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +9.5% from 13.65¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- -18.9% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #37 of 51 · #15 cheapest
- Supply market
- Western Interconnection / BPA Regulated monopoly
Why Washington pays what it pays
Washington generates more hydroelectricity than any other state. The federal Columbia River system, including Grand Coulee, Chief Joseph and the lower Snake and Columbia projects, is marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration at cost rather than at market price, and public utility districts and municipal utilities with BPA contracts pass that advantage to their customers.
Rates have been rising because of what is being added rather than what is already there. Washington's Clean Energy Transformation Act requires a carbon-free supply on a fixed schedule, the state has a cap-and-invest programme whose allowance costs reach electricity, and utilities are investing heavily in transmission, wildfire mitigation and storage.
Drought is a recurring risk. In low-water years hydro output falls and utilities buy replacement power at market prices, which flows through to rates with a lag.
Where Washington power comes from
Washington generated 103 TWh in 2025, the 16th largest output of any state. Hydroelectric supplied 63.2% of it, enough that the price of that fuel largely sets the price of electricity here. Renewables accounted for 73.1%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks Washington #3 of 51.
- Hydroelectric 63.2% 65 TWh
- Natural gas 15.8% 16 TWh
- Wind 8.3% 9 TWh
- Nuclear 7.5% 8 TWh
- Coal 3.1% 3 TWh
- Wood and biomass 1% 1 TWh
- Solar 0.6% 629 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 Washington compares
Washington ranks #37 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 15th cheapest. Within the Pacific division, no state is cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 14.95 | +9.5% | #37 |
| Oregon | 16.27 | +2.3% | #26 |
| Alaska | 28.23 | +8.2% | #7 |
| California | 33.25 | -0.1% | #2 |
| Hawaii | 52.00 | +26.7% | #1 |
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 Washington households actually pay
Washington looks more expensive on paper than it is in practice. Its rate ranks #37 of 51, but the average bill ranks only 40th, because households there use 936 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your Washington 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 Washington: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in Washington averaged $12.72 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $1.23 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 Washington, gas remains cheaper to run than a heat pump by about $0.97 per million BTU at these assumptions, roughly $58 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 Washington utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 34 Washington utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 6.01¢ at PUD No 2 of Grant County to 18.38¢ at Orcas Power & Light Coop . Together they serve 3.2 million residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | 14.63 | $128 | 875 | 1.1 million |
| City of Seattle | 14.09 | $85 | 601 | 459,964 |
| PUD No 1 of Snohomish County | 11.51 | $109 | 946 | 346,532 |
| Avista Corp | 11.87 | $107 | 901 | 246,055 |
| PUD No 1 of Clark County | 10.41 | $105 | 1,008 | 219,477 |
| City of Tacoma | 10.81 | $98 | 907 | 180,357 |
| PacifiCorp | 11.08 | $131 | 1,181 | 114,453 |
| PUD No 1 of Benton County | 8.81 | $108 | 1,220 | 50,072 |
| PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County | 8.80 | $117 | 1,327 | 48,267 |
| PUD No 2 of Grant County | 6.01 | $100 | 1,659 | 42,485 |
| Inland Power & Light Company | 8.98 | $128 | 1,430 | 41,684 |
| PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County | 12.52 | $132 | 1,055 | 39,881 |
| Peninsula Light Company | 10.50 | $133 | 1,264 | 35,478 |
| PUD No 3 of Mason County | 13.79 | $156 | 1,133 | 33,975 |
| PUD No 1 of Clallam County | 11.85 | $148 | 1,252 | 30,585 |
| PUD No 1 of Lewis County | 9.48 | $132 | 1,395 | 29,417 |
| PUD No 1 of Franklin County | 9.68 | $117 | 1,207 | 27,388 |
| City of Richland | 9.82 | $122 | 1,244 | 25,687 |
| PUD No 1 of Jefferson County | 13.01 | $130 | 996 | 18,661 |
| PUD No 1 of Okanogan County | 10.23 | $140 | 1,367 | 18,133 |
| PUD No 2 of Pacific County | 9.17 | $91 | 993 | 16,513 |
| Elmhurst Mutual Power & Light Co | 8.32 | $102 | 1,230 | 15,410 |
| Orcas Power & Light Coop | 18.38 | $178 | 970 | 13,948 |
| Benton Rural Electric Assn | 9.27 | $132 | 1,425 | 13,422 |
| Vera Irrigation District #15 | 9.18 | $101 | 1,095 | 12,171 |
Showing the 25 largest of 34. Utilities with fewer than 1,000 residential customers are not published.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in Washington
Puget Sound Energy is the largest investor-owned utility, with Avista in the east and Pacific Power in the southwest. Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power, Snohomish PUD, Chelan PUD and many other public utilities serve a large share of the population, generally at lower rates because of their BPA allocations.
There is no residential retail choice. The Utilities and Transportation Commission regulates the investor-owned utilities. Public utilities are governed by elected commissions and set their own rates.
Washington sits in The Pacific Northwest. Federal hydropower built decades ago, sold at cost, and now paying for the grid a decarbonising economy needs on top of it. Read the regional analysis.
What you can actually do about it
The spread between a Washington public utility and an investor-owned utility is one of the widest in the country for identical service. Seattle City Light and Snohomish PUD customers pay materially less than Puget Sound Energy customers a few miles away.
Washington's low rate makes heat pumps compelling, and the state has layered its own incentives on top of federal ones. That matters in a region where air conditioning is becoming necessary in summer.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Washington, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Washington electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Washington?
The average residential electricity rate in Washington is 14.95 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is -18.9% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in Washington?
The average Washington household paid $130 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 936 kWh. That is -16.4% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 40th 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 Washington bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. Washington ranks #37 of 51 on price but 40th on the actual bill, because households there use about 936 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in Washington gone up?
Washington rates rose 9.5% over the year to May 2026, from 13.65¢ in May 2025 to 14.95¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Washington?
Regulated monopoly. Washington households buy both supply and delivery from their local regulated utility or co-operative; there is no competitive residential supplier market.