Investor-owned utilities charge 23% more for electricity than public providers

In 2025, homes paid 17.8¢ a kilowatt-hour at investor-owned utilities, 14.5¢ at public utilities and 14.1¢ at co-ops. Since 2020, investor-owned prices rose 34% and public ones 19%, against 24% inflation.Average home price by utility ownerChange since 2020 against inflation, or cents per kilowatt-hour since 2015.ViewHome prices in 2025Share of homes by their utility's average price per kilowatt-hour, in 2-cent bands.ViewInvestor-owned 67% of homes paid 12 to 20 cents, and 11% paid 30 cents or more.0%10%20%30%40%50%Public 61% paid under 14 cents. The bump at the high end is LADWP and Long Island Power Authority, 13% of public homes.0%10%20%30%40%50%Co-op 52% paid under 14 cents.0%10%20%30%40%50%Price change by state, 2020 to 2025States sorted by how far investor-owned prices pulled ahead of nonprofit (public and co-op) prices. The gap is widest at the top.ViewMaineWashingtonCaliforniaNew JerseyNew YorkOhioDelawareOregonOklahomaIllinoisPennsylvaniaWyomingHawaiiMarylandFloridaColoradoNorth CarolinaIndianaGeorgiaMississippiWisconsinRhode IslandVirginiaMontanaConnecticutAlabamaMinnesotaTexasArizonaUtahNorth DakotaNew MexicoAlaskaNew HampshireTennesseeNevadaSouth CarolinaMassachusettsNonprofit prices rose as fast or faster in these 10South DakotaMichiganLouisianaMissouriIdahoKansasVermontArkansasIowaKentuckyPrice gap after accounting for locationAverage home price per kilowatt-hour in 2025. Hydro states get the most power from dams: WA, VT, ID, OR, MT, AK and SD.ViewPublic, all states14.5¢17.8¢+23%Public, no hydro states14.9¢17.9¢+20%Public and co-ops, same state15.7¢18.5¢+17%Co-ops, most rural14.1¢17.8¢+26%Largest utilities, 2020 to 2025Change in the average home price at utilities with 250,000 or more homes: investor-owned, public and co-op.ViewNew York State Electric & Gas, NY+97%San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), CA+79%Potomac Electric Power, DC+76%Rochester Gas & Electric, NY+75%Southern California Edison (SCE), CA+73%Tampa Electric, FL+72%Ameren Illinois, IL+72%Central Maine Power, ME+69%Baltimore Gas & Electric, MD+67%Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), CA+59%Appalachian Power (AEP), VA+59%Puget Sound Energy, WA+57%National Grid (Niagara Mohawk), NY+57%Duke Energy Ohio, OH+52%Portland General Electric, OR+50%AEP Ohio, OH+50%PSO (AEP), OK+50%Potomac Electric Power, MD+49%Delmarva Power, DE+48%Duquesne Light, PA+46%Showing 20 of 99Outage minutes a year by utility ownerMinutes without power for the average home, not counting major storms.ViewAbout the …