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How to read your electric bill in 4 numbers

Updated with August 2026 data · Editor: Otto Pop · Methodology

Most electric bills come down to four figures: how much electricity you used (in kilowatt-hours, kWh), what you paid per kWh, a fixed monthly customer charge, and taxes. The average U.S. home used 1,152 kWh in August 2026 and paid 18.16¢/kWh, for an average bill of $209, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.

Where is my usage on the bill?

Look for a line labeled "kWh used" or a meter reading table with a start and end reading; the difference is your usage for the billing period. Check how many days the billing period covers, because a longer period means more kWh even if your habits did not change. The typical U.S. home used 1,152 kWh in August 2026; in Arizona the typical home used 1,789 kWh and in Alaska only 473 kWh, so "heavy" and "light" depend a lot on where you live.

Which charges are per kWh?

Supply (or generation) and delivery (transmission and distribution) are usually billed per kWh, sometimes on separate lines and sometimes from two different companies if you buy power from a retail supplier. Riders and adjustments, such as a fuel or energy cost adjustment, are often per kWh too. These lines grow with your usage. Together with the fixed charges spread across every kWh, they make up the U.S. average of 18.16¢/kWh in August 2026.

What are fixed charges and taxes?

A customer or service charge is billed every month whatever you use, and taxes are added on top. On your bill they are separate lines. In the EIA state averages they are not left out: EIA's average price is total residential revenue divided by kWh sold, and that revenue includes customer charges and surcharges, so the fixed part is spread across every kWh of the 18.16¢/kWh U.S. average.

How do I compare my price with my state's average?

Divide your whole bill, before any taxes added as separate lines, by the kWh you used. That gives an all-in price per kWh that matches the way EIA's average is calculated. The U.S. average in August 2026 was 18.16¢/kWh; your state's figure is on its page in the electric bill by state ranking.

A worked example with the national averages

At 18.16¢/kWh and 1,152 kWh, the U.S. average bill for August 2026 comes to $209. Averaged over the past year it was $158 a month, so one month's bill is best compared with the same month a year earlier ($188).

How can I check my own numbers?

Put your kWh and your all-in price per kWh into the electric bill calculator, or open your state's page to see its five-year price trend and the highest and lowest months of the past year. The national benchmark is the U.S. average bill of $209 in August 2026.

Sources

Background reading: EIA, Electricity explained: prices and factors affecting prices; EIA, Form EIA-861 instructions (what revenue includes).

General information based on public data, not financial advice. Your own bill depends on your utility, rate plan, fixed charge, use and any taxes added to it. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it publicly.