States › California › July 2026
California electricity prices, July 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In July 2026, residential customers in California paid an average of 33.61¢ per kilowatthour, up 2.9% on the same month a year earlier (32.66¢). The US average for the month was 18.31¢; California was 84% above that. It ranked 2nd highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 8,479,788 MWh, up 2.7% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $191.76 on 571 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 | Jul 2026 | Jul 2025 | Change | US, Jul 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 33.61¢ | 32.66¢ | +2.9% | 18.31¢ |
| Commercial | 30.56¢ | 30.08¢ | +1.6% | 14.53¢ |
| Industrial | 25.11¢ | 25.27¢ | -0.6% | 9.77¢ |
| All sectors | 30.71¢ | 30.12¢ | +2.0% | 14.99¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | Jul 2026 | Jul 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 8.5 TWh | 8.3 TWh | +2.7% |
| Sales, all sectors | 23.3 TWh | 22.6 TWh | +3.2% |
| Residential customers | 14,863,374 | 14,436,163 | +3.0% |
| Average residential bill | $191.76 | $186.70 | +2.7% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 571 | 572 | -0.2% |
| US residential price | 18.31¢ | 17.45¢ | +4.9% |
The two years to July 2026
California residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in California in July 2026?
33.61¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 30.56¢ for commercial and 25.11¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 32.66¢ in July 2025, a change of +2.9%. Residential sales changed by +2.7% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$191.76, on average use of 571 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.