State profile · CA
California electricity rates
261 residential tariffs from 39 utilities. Across the 81 filed since 2020 that can be fairly compared, the median costs $0.3943 per kWh at 1,000 kWh a month once fixed charges are included — the cheapest $0.1739, the most expensive $0.7153.
- 81 comparable tariffs: $0.1739 to $0.7153
- California median $0.3943
- US median $0.1658
Rate structures in California
Lowest effective rates at 1,000 kWh/month
Ranked across tariffs filed since 2020: 99 here, 38% of those on file. Older filings are excluded because they are systematically below what utilities now charge. Of the recent ones, 18 are left out because they price only part of a bill (delivery without the electricity itself, or a single appliance), are open only to some households (such as low-income or electric-vehicle rates), or carry a suspected data error. See methodology. Effective rate includes fixed charges, and availability restrictions may apply.
| Utility | Tariff | Structure | Filed | $/kWh | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Riverside, California | Domestic TOU Service - Medium Residence | Time-of-use + tiered | 2024 | $0.1739 | $2,086.42 |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Residential Time of Use (R1B) | Time-of-use | 2026 | $0.2400 | $2,880.22 |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Residential Service (R1A): Zone 2 | Seasonal + tiered | 2026 | $0.2442 | $2,930.83 |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Residential Service (R1A): Zone 1 | Seasonal + tiered | 2026 | $0.2450 | $2,939.83 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | E-TOU-C Residential Time of Use Baseline Region R (All Electric Service) | Time-of-use + tiered | 2026 | $0.3421 | $4,104.95 |
| Southern California Edison Co | Time-of-use Tiered Domestic (NEM 2.0): TOU-D-B | Time-of-use | 2024 | $0.3429 | $4,114.41 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | E-TOU-C Residential Time of Use Baseline Region S (All Electric Service) | Time-of-use + tiered | 2026 | $0.3441 | $4,129.72 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | E-TOU-C Residential Time of Use Baseline Region P (All Electric Service) | Time-of-use + tiered | 2026 | $0.3460 | $4,151.63 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | E-TOU-C Residential Time of Use Baseline Region W (All Electric Service) | Time-of-use + tiered | 2026 | $0.3477 | $4,172.28 |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co | E-TOU-C Residential Time of Use Baseline Region Y (All Electric Service) | Time-of-use + tiered | 2026 | $0.3488 | $4,186.03 |
Not a 1,000 kWh household?
Price every California tariff against the usage on your own bill.
Guides to these rates
All guides-
Your utility probably offers more than one rate
At 104 utilities with more than one current residential tariff open to everyone, the cheapest option beat the middle one by a median $71 a year at 1,000 kWh a month — and by more than $250 at 21 of them.
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Heat with electricity? Your utility may have a cheaper rate for it
25 utilities file a rate for electrically heated homes. At 16 of the 22 that also offer a standard one, it costs less in January, typically $27 a month.
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When is electricity most expensive? It depends on your utility
Across 95 utilities with time-of-use rates we found 49 different weekday peak windows. Nearly all include 5 to 6 pm; little else is shared.
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Does each extra kWh cost more? It depends where you live
Of 84 utilities with tiered residential rates, 43 charge more per kWh as usage rises, 23 charge less, and 11 do both: rising in summer, falling in winter.
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Does electricity cost more in summer? At about half of utilities, yes
Of 174 utilities, 82 charge more for the same 1,000 kWh in July than in January, typically about $12 a month. 19 charge more in winter.