Electricity Monthly Update
End Use: September 2021
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
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia saw increased revenue per kilowatthour (kWh) compared to last September. The largest percent increase was in Louisiana, up 20.5%, followed by Missouri and Oklahoma, up 16.0% and 15.0%, respectively. Average revenue per kWh figures decreased in four states in September compared to last year. The largest decline was found in Wyoming, down by 3.1%, followed by Nebraska, Nevada, and North Carolina, down 2.0%, 1.8%, and 0.5%, respectively. In the contiguous US, California had the highest average revenue at 21.57 cents per kWh, while Idaho saw the lowest at 8.13 cents per kWh.
| Average Revenues/Sales (¢/kWh) | Retail Sales (thousand MWh) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End-use sector | September 2021 | Change fromSeptember 2020 | September 2021 | Change fromSeptember 2020 | Year to Date | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residential | 14.19 | 5.2% | 131,848 | 3.1% | 1,152,805 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial | 11.76 | 6.7% | 118,792 | 4.9% | 1,002,947 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Industrial | 7.71 | 10.1% | 84,838 | 4.8% | 739,624 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transportation | 11.23 | 8.3% | 525 | -1.7% | 4,789 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 11.69 | 6.4% | 336,003 | 4.2% | 2,900,166 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total average revenues per kilowatt-hour (kWh) rose by 6.4% from last September, to 11.69 cents/kWh in September 2021. All four sectors saw increases in average revenues per kWh. The Industrial sector rose the most from last September, up 10.1%, followed by the Transportation sector, up 8.3%. The Commercial sector was up 6.7% and lastly, the Residential sector rose by 5.2%. Total retail sales were up 4.2% from September 2020. Three of the four sectors saw increases in retail sales. The Commercial sector rose the most from last September, up 4.9%, followed by the Industrial sector, up 4.8%, and the Residential sector, up 3.1%. The Transportation sector saw a decrease of 1.7% in retail sales.
Retail sales
Forty-four states saw an increase in retail sales volume in September 2021 compared to September 2020. This uptick was driven in part by warmer weather in most of the country, particularly in the Midwest and Great Plains, compared to September 2020. Oklahoma had the highest percent year over year increase at 15.0%, followed by Kansas at 11.6%, and Illinois rounded out the top three at 9.1%. Parts of the Western U.S. and Louisiana were the only areas that saw a decrease in year over year sales. Idaho had the highest percent year over year decrease at 2.9%, followed by Louisiana at 2.8%, and California at 1.9%.
Thirty states and the District of Columbia had an increase in Cooling Degree Days (CDDs) from last September. The Mid Atlantic, Midwest, and Rocky Mountain states saw the largest increase in CDD’s from last year. In the contiguous US, Wisconsin had the highest percent year over year increase at 300%, followed by Illinois at 155%, and North Dakota at 142%. Nineteen states saw a decrease in CDDs in September 2021 compared to September 2020. The West Coast, Northeast, and Southeastern states saw a cooler September with less CDDs compared to last year. Maine had the highest percent year over year decrease at 63%, followed by Washington at 56%, and Oregon at 39%.