Residential electricity costs ranked highest in South Carolina, Alabama in 2016

Residential customers in South Carolina, Alabama, Connecticut, and Maryland spent the most on electricity per household in 2016, with South Carolina’s average of $1,753 surpassing the national average by about $400, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) announced on Tuesday.

Averaging 27.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh), Hawaii recorded the highest residential electricity rates. Alaska had the second highest rate, averaging 20.3 cents per kwh. Rounding out the top five were Connecticut at 20 cents per kwh, Massachusetts at 19 cents per kwh and Rhode Island at 18.6 cents per kwh.

The lowest average residential electricity rates were recorded in North Dakota at 10.2 cents per kwh, Idaho at 10 cents per kwh, Arkansas at 9.9 cents per kwh, Washington at 9.5 cents per kwh, and Louisiana at 9.3 cents per kwh.

EIA found that states in the southeast used the most electricity per household. Overall residential electricity usage per customer averaged 10,800 kwh in 2016. Louisiana’s average household usage totaled 14,881 kwh, Tennessee’s average totaled 14,854 kwh and Alabama’s totaled 14,567.

“Residential customers in the southeastern part of the country use the most electricity on average,” EIA reported. “Almost all homes in the southeastern states have air-conditioning equipment and use it more intensely than other areas of the country. Homes in the southeast are also more likely to have electric space heating, water heating, and cooking than the national average.”