States › California › April 2026
California electricity prices, April 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In April 2026, residential customers in California paid an average of 35.25¢ per kilowatthour, up 4.2% on the same month a year earlier (33.82¢). The US average for the month was 18.83¢; California was 87% above that. It ranked 2nd highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 5,553,672 MWh, up 1.2% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $138.20 on 392 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 | Apr 2026 | Apr 2025 | Change | US, Apr 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 35.25¢ | 33.82¢ | +4.2% | 18.83¢ |
| Commercial | 25.75¢ | 23.41¢ | +10.0% | 13.51¢ |
| Industrial | 19.87¢ | 17.70¢ | +12.3% | 8.66¢ |
| All sectors | 27.58¢ | 25.63¢ | +7.6% | 13.88¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | Apr 2026 | Apr 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 5.6 TWh | 5.5 TWh | +1.2% |
| Sales, all sectors | 17.3 TWh | 17.2 TWh | +0.5% |
| Residential customers | 14,166,903 | 14,391,259 | -1.6% |
| Average residential bill | $138.20 | $129.02 | +7.1% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 392 | 382 | +2.6% |
| US residential price | 18.83¢ | 17.55¢ | +7.3% |
The two years to April 2026
California residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in California in April 2026?
35.25¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 25.75¢ for commercial and 19.87¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 33.82¢ in April 2025, a change of +4.2%. Residential sales changed by +1.2% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$138.20, on average use of 392 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.