How Much Utilities Cost the Average Household in Your State
If you’re feeling the pinch on your utility bills, you’re not alone, and you aren’t imagining it. Electric bills are expected to rise by about 7.5% from 2021, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Consumers can also expect to pay about 17.2% more to heat their homes this winter, for a household average of $1,200, the National Energy Directors Association says. Coupled with inflation — which has seen energy prices rise by more than 23% — bills are stacking up. DoxoInsights' analysis of more than 6 million consumers from 2021 puts the average monthly U.S. household utility bill at $316, but the amount you pay depends in large part on which state you live in.
Related: Energy Assistance Programs in Every State
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $233
Mississippi holds the title for the lowest utility bills in the nation, which comes as a bit of a shock, considering that Mississippi uses three times more energy than it generates. But Mississippi also has the lowest overall cost of living in the United States, and utilities are no exception.
Related: Tips to Avoid Utility Bill Scams
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $239
One-third of homes in South Dakota are heated with electricity. Given the bitter winters, this heat source could be a recipe for a utility nightmare. But South Dakota also generates 83% of its utility-scale electricity from renewables, which keeps prices well below average. In fact, the state has the second-lowest average utility costs nationwide.
Related: 50 Money-Saving Energy Tips for Winter
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $249
On average, Indiana has the third-lowest utility bills in the country, keeping pace with an overall lower cost of living in much of the Midwest. About 53% of Indiana’s electricity generation comes from coal-fired power plants. As of the last few years, renewable energy is in fact much cheaper than coal, so prices may catch up to Indiana in the future.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $252
Arkansans can rejoice in having some of the lowest utility costs around. Only Mississippi, South Dakota, and Indiana have lower costs.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $254
Tennessee has the fifth-lowest average utility bills in the country. Low prices come in large part because the Tennessee Valley Authority provides power to most of the state. It’s the largest government-run, not-for-profit power company by generation capacity, which helps keep more money in consumers’ pockets.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $255
Costs in Texas are low because it is the nation’s leading producer of multiple sources of energy, including natural gas, wind energy, and crude oil. Texas produces more electricity than any other state.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $256
Missouri’s low prices for utilities are surprising. The state uses nearly eight times the energy it produces. Though supply is low, demand is close to average compared with other states. The overall low cost of living in the state is reflected in utility bills, similar to Mississippi.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $266
Utah is in the top 10 for the production of crude oil and coal. Though Utah benefits from low utility costs, Salt Lake City residents pay the price in air quality: The city ranks seventh-worst in the country for particulate air pollution. There are frequently times, especially during the winter, when the pollution is so bad you can’t see the city’s mountainous backdrop.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $274
It comes as a bit of a shock that Nevada’s utility costs are below average. In 2019, about 85% of all energy consumed came from sources outside the state.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $277
If you want to enjoy pleasant temperatures with lower costs, Georgia may be the place to go rather than Florida. With about 40% of homes heated with natural gas, though, recent price increases are likely to drive up this average. Utility company Georgia Power also began hiking rates after the release of the Doxo study to pay for the construction of a nuclear power plant.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $279
Louisiana’s below-average utility costs may seem somewhat surprising; the state has the highest residential electricity consumption per capita in the entire state. But Louisiana is the third-largest producer of natural gas in the country, and many of the electric power plants in the state use natural gas.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $279
North Carolina has below-average utility costs overall, but there are significant energy disparities, with low-income and people of color bearing the brunt of high costs. Energy-inefficient homes are a major factor driving higher prices for them. Still, North Carolina ranks fourth in the nation for solar energy generation, which helps keep prices low for the average household.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $281
Iowa ranks in the top 10 for electricity sales per capita — Yet despite this high demand, the state’s utility prices are below average. Renewable energy gets credit again, with Iowa generating 57% of its electricity from wind turbines. About 25% of Iowa homes use electricity for heating in the chilly Midwestern winters.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $282
“Wyoming produces 14 times more energy than it consumes, and it is the biggest net energy supplier among the states,” according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Plenty of supply and little demand because of a small population keeps costs below average.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $284
Virginia is in the top half of all states for production of natural gas, coal, and electricity. It’s also also a major exporter of coal. All the supply keeps costs relatively low for Virginians.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $286
Despite frigid winters, Minnesotans don’t see astronomical utility prices. In fact, the average bill is lower than the national average. Minnesota has some of the lowest natural gas prices in the country and has generated 22% of its electricity from wind power as of 2020. It ranks ninth in the nation for total wind energy generation, which is a more cost-effective source of energy generation.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $290
The hit song “Oklahoma!” says it all: The state is “where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain.” Wind energy supplied 35% of Oklahoma’s electricity, making it third in the country for net energy generation from wind. Oklahoma also produces nearly three times as much energy as it uses, so supply and demand factors help keep costs down.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $290
The state that is home to the Mile High City is also home to not-so-high utility costs, compared with the national average. That’s because Colorado is home to many sources of energy, including crude oil, natural gas, wind, and solar. Colorado ranked seventh out of all the states for most wind power installation. Together, wind and solar accounted for 30% of Colorado’s energy generation in 2020, showing it pays to go renewable.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $290
Despite having many rural areas, Nebraska has kept utility costs, and especially electricity costs, low. That’s because it is the only state where utilities are 100% publicly owned and not-for-profit.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $298
Illinois is the fifth-highest energy-consuming state. Still, costs are low because the state generates more power across a range of sources than most other states. Fortunately for Illinois residents, this ample supply helps keep costs low.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $301
South Carolina’s mild winters are a big contributor to keeping costs low despite the hot summers. Natural gas use is among the bottom 10 in the country.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $303
Large production of coal and natural gas means the supply outstrips demand in the state to keep prices low. Kentucky also has the nation’s 14th-largest oil refinery.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $305
North Dakotans consume the third-highest amount of energy per capita compared with the rest of the nation. Long, frigid winters are likely to blame for much of this consumption. Despite extreme demand, prices are below average. North Dakota generates a large amount of coal for coal-fired power plants and is fifth in the nation for most wind energy generation.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $305
Energy production is a major factor for West Virginia’s economy, which helps keep prices slightly below average. It had the fifth-highest total energy production in the nation in 2019, and the next year a whopping 88% of net electricity was generated from burning coal.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $306
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 76% of the electricity generated in Idaho “at utility-scale power plants was produced from renewable energy sources.” A whopping 56% of power generation in 2019 came from hydropower — and given its relatively low cost, savings are passed on to consumers, leading to lower-than-average utility bills. Natural gas consumption per capita also ranks in the bottom third of all states.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $314
Kansas consumes more natural gas than it produces. It has generated 43% of its electricity from wind power starting in 2020. This balance means Kansans pay just about average prices for utilities overall.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $314
Ohio produced 30 times more natural gas in 2020 than in 2010 thanks to production from the Utica Shale. Ohioans consume the fourth-highest amount of electricity in the country, but also rank in the top 10 for net electricity generation, which keeps prices right about average.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $315
Pennsylvania is the second-leading producer of nuclear electricity and natural gas. It is also the third-leading producer of coal. All the supply keeps Pennsylvania prices right around average.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $322
Prices are pretty average for New Mexico: Per capita energy consumption is in the top half of all states, thanks in large part to blazing hot summers in some parts of the state, but New Mexico produces a fair amount of energy from wind power and natural gas. New Mexicans could also drastically reduce their utility bills over the long run by installing residential solar, since there is plenty of sun year-round.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $322
Utility prices in Michigan are slightly above average. Michigan has the largest national gas storage fields in the nation. It also ranks 15th for wind-powered electricity generation. Electricity costs are much higher in the rural Upper Peninsula.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $324
Florida is the second-largest producer of electricity in the country, behind only Texas. It also has the fourth-highest solar-generating capacity. Together, these factors help keep costs just above average despite high demand. Orlando also boasts the spot as the third-most-affordable metro area in the country for utilities.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $329
Despite producing a small amount of its own energy, costs in Delaware are close to average due to low consumption. Delaware also has measures in place to increase renewable energy generation.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $331
Oregon’s cost of living makes it the fifth-most-expensive state to live in, according to Insure.com, but the state has only slightly above-average utility costs. It’s a leader in renewable energy generation too, and even in 2020, 68% of its utility-scale energy generation came from renewable sources.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $334
Though Arizonans have higher-than-average costs, there are several factors that limit skyrocketing prices. The second-largest power plant in the nation is in Arizona, meaning no shortage of supply. Mild winters and increased use in small-scale solar installation are also factors contributing to Arizona being one of the lowest energy consumers per capita.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $341
Vermont produces limited energy, so it has to draw on supply from out of state. Despite its low supply, demand is also low, which helps keep prices in Vermont from being sky-high.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $345
New Hampshire has the second-highest natural gas and seventh-highest electricity prices in the country. With already high natural gas prices, the anticipated rise in the coming months is expected to hit many residents hard. One of the primary electricity providers for the state announced a 60% rate hike beginning last winter.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $345
New Yorkers face some of the highest prices for electricity and natural gas. The major factor in keeping costs lower than some other places is consumption: New York has the nation’s second-lowest energy consumption per capita.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $346
Despite California’s high overall cost of living, it didn’t make the top five for most expensive states in terms of utilities. The slight break in costs is likely related to the fact that Californians ranked 50th out of all the states and the District of Columbia for energy use per capita. The San Francisco Metro area, however, faces an average price of $364 monthly, making for the fifth-most expensive utilities compared with other metro areas.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $350
Alabama’s utility costs are the 12th-highest in the country. High demand for utilities, especially electricity, is a driving factor. With hot temperatures year-round, air conditioning is a must in Alabama.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $353
Hydroelectric power is a major source of energy for residents of Washington state. It distributes power from the Grand Coulee Dam to eight other states in the west.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $356
Wisconsin has one of the highest utility costs in the Midwest, a typically lower-cost-of-living area. It may also come as a shock that utilities in Milwaukee are the most expensive of any other metro area in the country, with an average bill of $440. High demand for utilities in the industrial sector may drive up costs for everyone else as well. Wisconsin produces a much smaller amount of energy than it uses, which adds to high costs.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $359
Maryland’s overall cost of living is higher than average, with utilities following suit. The state has one of the lowest rankings for energy use per capita, though.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $393
Prices in Maine were already above average when Doxo completed its study. Since then, there has been a significant increase in utility costs for many residents as the price of natural gas has risen. Some three-fifths of homes in Maine also use fuel oil for heating in the winter. On top of that, winters in Maine are cold and snowy, driving up consumption.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $398
High prices in Montana are driven in large part by extreme temperatures and a small population. Despite having the largest recoverable coal reserves in the country, Montana generates about 45% of its electricity from renewable sources. Most of Montana’s renewable energy comes from hydroelectric sources.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $398
Rhode Island has some of the highest prices in the country for utilities. The saving grace on the wallet is that Rhode Island has the lowest per capita energy consumption of any other state. If this weren’t the case, the average bill likely would be even higher.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $408
Coming in as the fifth-most-expensive state for utility bills is Connecticut. High electric costs are a major driving factor. According to an analysis
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, industry structure, wholesale market rules, high demand growth versus supply, and high reliance on natural gas are some reasons behind the costs.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $424
Massachusetts has the fourth-highest utility bills in the country. One of the major drivers is high electric costs. Though the state has a low consumption per capita, it still consumes three times more than it produces. Natural gas prices are also much higher than average in Massachusetts.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $428
If you live in Alaska, you have to pay a premium for groceries, health care, and housing. Still, utilities top the list at third-most expensive in the country. With so many extremely remote areas, bringing utilities to where consumers need them drives up overall costs. Alaskans also have to heat their homes in often brutal winter conditions and cool them when temperatures can soar over 100 degrees.
https://blog.cheapism.com/least-populated-states/
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $436
Coming in second isn’t always worth celebrating — especially for having the highest utility bills in the country. And Vineland, New Jersey, has the most expensive utility bills of any city in the country at a whopping $643 a month. As for most consumers, prices have risen for electricity and heat as natural gas prices increased last winter. Much of New Jersey’s electricity comes from natural gas-powered power plants.
Average Monthly Utility Cost: $540
Hawaii’s tropical paradise doesn’t come without costs. With utilities, residents pay a staggering $224 a month more than the national average. It is the most expensive state in the country for utilities. Imported oil needed to power Hawaii’s generators is the primary driver behind the enormous expense.
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