States › California › March 2026
California electricity prices, March 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In March 2026, residential customers in California paid an average of 33.35¢ per kilowatthour, up 2.7% on the same month a year earlier (32.48¢). The US average for the month was 18.56¢; California was 80% above that. It ranked 2nd highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 6,728,314 MWh, up 15.8% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $153.88 on 461 kWh. Weather moves monthly sales far more than prices do, so bills swing with the season.
EIA marks this month as preliminary. Preliminary months come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when the annual census is complete.
Average price is revenue divided by sales for the sector and year; it is not a tariff rate. Reliability figures are as reported by utilities to EIA on Form 861 and may use different calculation methods. Monthly figures come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when EIA finalises the year.
Price by sector
| Sector | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 | Change | US, Mar 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 33.35¢ | 32.48¢ | +2.7% | 18.56¢ |
| Commercial | 28.18¢ | 23.84¢ | +18.2% | 13.92¢ |
| Industrial | 20.06¢ | 19.79¢ | +1.4% | 8.58¢ |
| All sectors | 28.59¢ | 25.92¢ | +10.3% | 14.08¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | Mar 2026 | Mar 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 6.7 TWh | 5.8 TWh | +15.8% |
| Sales, all sectors | 17.9 TWh | 17.9 TWh | -0.1% |
| Residential customers | 14,581,986 | 14,165,126 | +2.9% |
| Average residential bill | $153.88 | $133.25 | +15.5% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 461 | 410 | +12.4% |
| US residential price | 18.56¢ | 17.09¢ | +8.6% |
The two years to March 2026
California residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in California in March 2026?
33.35¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 28.18¢ for commercial and 20.06¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 32.48¢ in March 2025, a change of +2.7%. Residential sales changed by +15.8% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$153.88, on average use of 461 kWh. This is residential revenue divided by residential customers for the month.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861M sales and revenue workbook (state by sector and month), status "Preliminary" for this month, series published through July 2026. Public domain. Price = revenue ÷ sales; bill = residential revenue ÷ residential customers. Utility-level annual figures are on the California page.