Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) | 14.98 | 16.57 | 285,878 | Investor-owned | +$1 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 16.57¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid. A further 33 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in District of Columbia; their prices cover only part of the bill and are not comparable to the all-in figures above.
Can you choose your electric company in District of Columbia?
Electric supply choice: yes · Gas supply choice: yes
Electric (Pepco) and gas (Washington Gas) residential choice.
How to switch suppliers in District of Columbia (3 steps)
- Find the price to compare (default supply rate) on your utility bill — you only save when an offer beats it for the same period.
- Compare licensed supplier offers on the state's official shopping site: dcpsc.org. Check term, early-exit fees, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
- Sign up with the supplier — they handle the switch. Your utility still delivers the power, owns the wires, and responds to outages; only the supply line of the bill changes.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in District of Columbia?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.583 /therm | Feb 2026 | 15.83 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) | $4.040 /gal | Oct 7, 2019 | 29.17 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 23.97 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 70.25 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel in District of Columbia at $15.83/MMBTU — heating oil costs 1.8× as much per BTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
District of Columbia's average residential price went from 19.71¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 23.97¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 22% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 23.97¢ in Feb '26.
| Month | Feb '25 | Mar '25 | Apr '25 | May '25 | Jun '25 | Jul '25 | Aug '25 | Sep '25 | Oct '25 | Nov '25 | Dec '25 | Jan '26 | Feb '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¢/kWh | 19.71 | 20.40 | 21.32 | 20.43 | 22.70 | 23.04 | 23.19 | 23.67 | 23.92 | 22.72 | 23.90 | 23.72 | 23.97 |
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in District of Columbia?
- Pepco (Potomac Electric Power) is District of Columbia's dominant utility, at an average 16.6 cents per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861). Smaller municipal and cooperative utilities serve the rest of the state.
- Can I choose my electric company in District of Columbia?
- You cannot choose the utility that delivers power — that is set by your address. District of Columbia does allow residential supply choice: you may buy the supply portion from a licensed competitive supplier if it beats your utility's price to compare. The official shopping site is dcpsc.org.
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in District of Columbia?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $15.83 (Feb 2026) versus $70.25 for electric resistance heat, $29.17 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $23-28 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in District of Columbia?
- At District of Columbia's February 2026 average price of 23.97 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $216 per month ($2589 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.