Solar · Published 2026-07-01
The 10 States With the Most Expensive Electricity (2026)
Residential electricity rates ranked — the ten priciest states as of July 2026, and what that means for solar, heat pumps and EVs.
Your electricity rate is the master variable of home electrification: it sets what solar saves, what a heat pump costs to run, and how much an EV undercuts gas. Here are the ten most expensive states by average residential rate.
| # | State | Avg. residential rate | 8 kW solar payback context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 28.0¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 24.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 3 | Connecticut | 23.5¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 22.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 5 | Alaska | 22.4¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 6 | California | 22.0¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 7 | New York | 21.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 21.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 9 | Vermont | 19.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
| 10 | Maine | 19.8¢/kWh | high rates = faster solar payback |
Expensive power changes the math
In high-rate states, every kilowatt-hour a solar panel produces or a heat pump avoids is worth more — which is why payback periods in New England and California beat sunnier-but-cheaper states. If you live on this list, electrification is less about ideology and more about arithmetic.
See what solar saves at your rate →
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