End Use: March 2024

Retail rates/prices and consumption

In this section, we look at what electricity costs and how much is purchased. Charges for retail electric service are based primarily on rates approved by state regulators. However, a number of states have allowed retail marketers to compete to serve customers and these competitive retail suppliers offer electricity at a market-based price.

EIA does not directly collect retail electricity rates or prices. However, using data collected on retail sales revenues and volumes, we calculate average retail revenues per kWh as a proxy for retail rates and prices. Retail sales volumes are presented as a proxy for end-use electricity consumption.

Average revenue per kWh by state

• Percent change
• ¢ per KWh

Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia saw increased revenue per kilowatt-hour (kWh) compared to last March, while average revenue per kWh increased by 2.4% on a national basis. The largest percent increase was in North Carolina, up 16.7%, followed by California, up 12.9%, and Oregon, up 11.6%. Compared to last year, average revenue per kWh figures decreased in eighteen states. The largest percent decrease was in New Hampshire, down 19.0%, followed by Maine, down 13.0%, and Indiana, down 10.3%. In the contiguous US, California, Connecticut, and Massachusetts had the highest average revenues at 25.81, 24.03, and 24.00 cents per kWh, respectively. Oregon had the median average revenue at 11.38 cents per kWh. North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Iowa had the lowest average revenues at 7.85, 7.94, and 8.60 cents per kWh, respectively.

Total average revenues per kilowatt-hour (kWh) increased by 2.4% from last March, to 12.73 cents/kWh in March 2024. Two of the four sectors saw increases in average revenues per kWh. The Residential sector saw the largest increase in average revenues per kWh from last March, up 4.8%, followed by the Commercial sector, up 2.2%. The Transportation sector dropped the most from last March, down 2.2%, followed by the Industrial sector, down 0.8%. On a national basis, retail sales decreased by 3.5% in March 2024. Three of the four sectors saw decreases in retail sales from last March. The Residential sector decreased the most from last March, down 6.2%, followed by the Industrial sector, down 2.4%, and the Commercial sector, down 1.6%. Retail sales in the Transportation sector were up 7.7% from last March.

Retail sales

• Percent change
• Per capita
• MWh

Eleven states and the District of Columbia saw an increase in retail sales volume in March 2024 compared to March 2023. Pennsylvania had the highest percent year over year increase in retail sales, up 13.7%, followed the District of Columbia, up 8.1%, and New Mexico, up 3.6%. Thirty-nine states saw a decrease in retail sales volume compared to last year. Texas had the highest percent year over year decrease, down 10.5%, followed by California, down 9.0%, and Washington, down 7.7%.

• Change from 2023
• Change from normal

Forty-seven states saw a decrease in HDDs compared to last March. In the contiguous US, California had the highest percent year over year decrease, down 27%, followed by Missouri, down 26%, and Missouri, down 24%. Two states, Louisiana and Florida, and the District of Columbia, saw an increase in Heating Degree Days (HDDs) from last March. All of the country east of the Rocky Mountains, 38 states, saw a warmer-than-normal March and thus a lower-than-normal amount of HDDs. Parts of the Rocky Mountain West, and the Pacific Coast saw a colder than normal March and thus an increase in HDDs compared to normal.