Washington's average residential electricity price was 14.1¢/kWh in February 2026 —
the 15th-lowest price of the 51 states+DC (EIA). Across its major utilities in 2024, average all-in rates ranged from
8.8¢/kWh at PUD No 1 of Benton County to
14.6¢/kWh at Puget Sound Energy Inc — a spread worth about
$629/yr at typical usage (10,800 kWh/yr).
Washington is a fully regulated market: households cannot choose their electricity or gas supplier.
For home heating, utility natural gas was the cheapest fuel at
$16.70 per million BTU vs $41.35 for electric resistance heat.
Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUD No 1 of Douglas County | 3.08 | 3.15 | 16,667 | Public district | -$946 |
| PUD No 1 of Chelan County | 3.53 | 3.67 | 42,120 | Public district | -$890 |
| PUD No 2 of Grant County | 5.74 | 6.01 | 42,485 | Public district | -$637 |
| Modern Electric Water Company | 6.82 | 7.43 | 9,181 | Co-op | -$484 |
| Elmhurst Mutual Power & Light Co | 7.54 | 8.32 | 15,410 | Co-op | -$388 |
| PUD No 1 of Pend Oreille County | 8.45 | 8.59 | 9,120 | Public district | -$359 |
| PUD No 1 of Cowlitz County | 8.63 | 8.80 | 48,267 | Public district | -$336 |
| PUD No 1 of Benton County | 8.75 | 8.81 | 50,072 | Public district | -$335 |
| Inland Power & Light Company | 8.63 | 8.98 | 41,684 | Co-op | -$317 |
| Big Bend Electric Coop, Inc | 8.75 | 9.10 | 5,841 | Co-op | -$303 |
| City of Port Angeles | 9.01 | 9.13 | 9,321 | Municipal | -$300 |
| PUD No 2 of Pacific County | 9.08 | 9.17 | 16,513 | Public district | -$295 |
| Vera Irrigation District #15 | 8.58 | 9.18 | 12,171 | Public district | -$295 |
| Benton Rural Electric Assn | 8.66 | 9.27 | 13,422 | Co-op | -$285 |
| PUD No 1 of Lewis County | 9.45 | 9.48 | 29,417 | Public district | -$262 |
| PUD No 1 of Franklin County | 9.43 | 9.68 | 27,388 | Public district | -$240 |
| City of Richland | 9.70 | 9.82 | 25,687 | Municipal | -$225 |
| City of Centralia | 9.83 | 9.88 | 9,068 | Municipal | -$219 |
| Lakeview Light & Power | 9.87 | 9.91 | 8,238 | Co-op | -$216 |
| PUD No 1 of Okanogan County | 9.23 | 10.23 | 18,133 | Public district | -$181 |
| City of Ellensburg | 10.15 | 10.40 | 8,799 | Municipal | -$163 |
| PUD No 1 of Clark County | 9.25 | 10.41 | 219,477 | Public district | -$162 |
| Peninsula Light Company | 10.12 | 10.51 | 35,478 | Co-op | -$152 |
| City of Tacoma | 10.37 | 10.81 | 180,357 | Municipal | -$118 |
| PacifiCorp | 10.73 | 11.08 | 114,453 | Investor-owned | -$89 |
| PUD No 1 of Snohomish County | 10.70 | 11.51 | 346,532 | Public district | -$43 |
| PUD No 1 of Clallam County | 11.51 | 11.85 | 30,585 | Public district | -$6 |
| Avista Corp | 10.78 | 11.87 | 246,055 | Investor-owned | -$5 |
| PUD No 1 of Klickitat County | 11.58 | 12.05 | 11,917 | Public district | +$15 |
| PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County | 12.32 | 12.52 | 39,881 | Public district | +$66 |
| PUD No 1 of Jefferson County | 12.46 | 13.01 | 18,661 | Public district | +$119 |
| PUD No 3 of Mason County | 12.70 | 13.79 | 33,975 | Public district | +$203 |
| City of Seattle | 12.78 | 14.09 | 459,964 | Municipal | +$235 |
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | 13.30 | 14.63 | 1,091,599 | Investor-owned | +$294 |
| Orcas Power & Light Coop | 17.35 | 18.38 | 13,948 | Co-op | +$698 |
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 = 11.91¢/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 1 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in Washington; 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 Washington?
Electric supply choice: no · Gas supply choice: no
Fully regulated.
Official rate information: utc.wa.gov.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Washington?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.670 /therm | Feb 2026 | 16.70 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 14.11 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 41.35 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest residential energy per BTU in Washington at $16.70/MMBTU. 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%. (No EIA weekly heating-oil survey price for Washington.)
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Washington's average residential price went from 12.47¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 14.11¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 13% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 14.11¢ 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 | 12.47 | 12.62 | 13.02 | 13.65 | 12.96 | 13.45 | 13.64 | 13.79 | 14.06 | 13.85 | 13.33 | 13.81 | 14.11 |
Head-to-head utility comparisons in Washington
- Puget Sound Energy Inc vs City of Seattle — who's cheaper?
- Puget Sound Energy Inc vs PUD No 1 of Snohomish County — who's cheaper?
- Puget Sound Energy Inc vs City of Tacoma — who's cheaper?
- City of Seattle vs City of Tacoma — who's cheaper?
- PacifiCorp vs PUD No 1 of Benton County — who's cheaper?
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Washington?
- PUD No 1 of Benton County, at an average 8.8 cents per kWh for 2024 among Washington utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Puget Sound Energy Inc, averaged 14.6 cents — a difference of about $629 per year at 10,800 kWh.
- Can I choose my electric company in Washington?
- No. Washington is a regulated retail market: your utility is set by address and there is no residential supplier shopping. Rates are set in state utility-commission proceedings (utc.wa.gov).
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Washington?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $16.70 (Feb 2026) versus $41.35 for electric resistance heat. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $14-17 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Washington?
- At Washington's February 2026 average price of 14.11 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $127 per month ($1524 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.
About these numbers. Rates shown are averages computed from federal regulatory filings (EIA Form 861)
and public tariff databases — confirm with your utility before making decisions; your actual rate depends on your tariff,
usage, and riders. Distribution utility is determined by address and generally cannot be chosen; in retail-choice states
you may choose your supplier for the supply portion of the bill. Savings figures use 10,800 kWh/yr
(US average residential usage) and are estimates, not quotes. EnergySavings is an independent data project by CertiHomes
and is not affiliated with any utility, supplier, or government agency.