Northeast Electricity Rates by Utility, Updated July 2026

Last updated July 12, 2026. We re-date this tracker as utilities reset their rates on their public-utility-commission cycles.

Electricity in the Northeast is expensive, and the reason your bill is hard to pin down is that it has two moving parts: a supply (generation) rate you can often shop, and a delivery rate the utility sets, each resetting on its own schedule. This page pulls both together: the all-in state averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, plus the current default supply rate for the major utilities across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island, every figure dated and sourced to a primary tariff or a government dataset. Because these rates reset on public-utility-commission cycles (many on January 1, June 1, or July 1), treat this as a living tracker and check the “as of” date on each number.

The numbers that matter most (July 2026)

• Regional range: Northeast residential electricity runs about 20.9 cents per kWh in Pennsylvania to 30.5 cents in Connecticut, all-in (EIA, as of March 2026).
• Nine-state average: about 27 cents per kWh, a simple average of the nine states below, by MySolarFY analysis of EIA data (July 2026).
• Cheapest default supply we could verify: Eversource Connecticut Standard Service at 11.58 cents per kWh (CT Office of Consumer Counsel, effective July 1 to December 31, 2026).
• Typical annual cost: a home using 11,000 kWh a year spends roughly $2,300 (Pennsylvania) to $3,350 (Connecticut) on electricity, by MySolarFY’s calculation from the EIA state rates (July 2026).
• The catch: a low “price to compare” supply rate is only part of the bill. Delivery charges roughly double it to the all-in average, which is why the shoppable rate and your actual rate look so different.

How to read this page (updated for July 2026)

Every rate here is tied to a primary source and a date. We separate two things most rate roundups blur together. The all-in average is what a typical household actually pays per kWh once supply and delivery are combined, and the cleanest neutral source for it is EIA’s state-level residential data. The default supply rate (called the “price to compare,” “standard offer,” “standard service,” “basic service,” or “last resort service,” depending on the state) is only the generation portion, the piece you can shop with a competitive supplier. We verified each supply rate against the utility’s own rate sheet or its state public utility commission, and where a current number could not be pinned to a primary source, we say so and point you to the utility’s live rate page instead of guessing. For the method behind our numbers, see our data and methodology.

What a typical Northeast home actually pays per kWh, by state

The all-in average is the honest headline number: it already includes supply, delivery, and the fixed charges, so it reflects what a normal household pays across a year. The table below is EIA’s residential average for each of the nine states, newest data available, sorted from lowest to highest. Pennsylvania sits well below the rest because its wholesale market and generation mix keep supply cheaper; the New England states and downstate New York sit at the top.

“Above U.S. average” is measured against a recent U.S. residential average of about 17 cents per kWh (EIA). State averages are EIA’s total residential price (supply plus delivery). Your utility’s rate can sit above or below the state figure.

The default supply rate and reset cycle, by major utility

This is the number people search for and the one most sites get wrong, because it changes on a fixed public-utility-commission schedule and is only the generation half of your bill. We compiled the current default supply rate for the region’s biggest utilities and verified each against the utility’s own rate sheet or its state commission. Where a live figure could not be confirmed to a primary source (some utilities publish it only on a JavaScript rate page or in a monthly filing), we show the reset schedule and link you to the source rather than print a number we cannot stand behind.

Note: the shoppable rate is not your rate. Look at Connecticut. Eversource’s standard-service supply is 11.58 cents per kWh, yet Connecticut’s all-in average is 30.47 cents. The difference is delivery, plus fixed charges and riders that the supply rate leaves out. A “price to compare” is genuinely useful for deciding whether to switch suppliers, but it is not what you pay per kWh overall. Any site quoting you a single low Northeast rate is almost certainly quoting supply alone.

What a high rate costs you over a year

Here is our own calculation, so you can see the math rather than take a number on faith. We multiply each state’s EIA all-in average by two usage levels: 8,000 kWh a year (a smaller or efficient home) and 11,000 kWh a year (a larger all-electric-leaning home, close to the U.S. household average). These are estimates to show scale, not a quote; your bill depends on your actual usage, rate, and fixed charges.

MySolarFY calculation (July 2026) from EIA state residential averages. Cost equals rate multiplied by annual kWh; figures are rounded estimates, not a bill or a quote.

Why Northeast electricity rates run so high

The short reason is natural gas. New England and New York lean heavily on natural gas to generate electricity, and the region’s pipeline capacity is limited, so in cold months gas is pulled toward home heating and power plants compete for what is left, pushing wholesale power prices up (EIA; ISO New England). Because gas often sets the marginal price of power here, retail rates move with the gas market more than they do in regions with abundant coal, nuclear, or hydro.

Delivery and policy costs stack on top. The Northeast has dense, older grid infrastructure that is expensive to maintain and harden against storms, and those transmission and distribution costs are recovered through the delivery charge on your bill (EIA). Several states also fund efficiency programs, low-income assistance, and clean-energy procurement through per-kWh charges. None of this is wasted spending, but it is why a Northeast bill lands well above the U.S. average even when wholesale gas is calm. Vermont is the regional outlier on the generation side because Green Mountain Power’s supply is largely hydro, nuclear, and renewables rather than gas, which is part of why Vermont’s average sits below its New England neighbors.

How rooftop solar offsets a high Northeast rate

A high electricity rate is exactly what makes rooftop solar pay here. Every kilowatt-hour your roof produces offsets one you would otherwise buy at 25 to 30 cents, so the same solar system saves a Connecticut or Massachusetts homeowner far more per year than an identical system in a cheap-power state. What that offset is worth depends on your utility’s net-metering or successor credit, which is set at the state and utility level, not on this page. Start with your state guide for the local rules and incentives:

• Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania solar guide
• New Jersey: New Jersey solar guide and, for rates specifically, New Jersey electricity rates in 2026
• New York: New York solar guide
• Massachusetts: Massachusetts solar guide
• Connecticut: Connecticut solar guide
• Maine: Maine solar guide
• New Hampshire: New Hampshire solar guide
• Vermont: Vermont solar guide
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island solar guide

One thing that changed for 2026: the federal homeowner tax credit is gone. The 30 percent federal Residential Clean Energy Credit (Section 25D) ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so a homeowner who buys solar with cash or a loan in 2026 cannot claim it (IRS, as of 2026). A separate commercial credit (Section 48E) can apply to leased or power-purchase-agreement systems, but the company that owns the panels claims it, not the homeowner. State net metering, state incentives, and the bill savings from a high local rate were not affected. MySolarFY does not provide tax advice; confirm your situation with a tax professional, and see what the federal solar tax credit change means in 2026. To compare the cost of staying on the grid with going solar, see how home solar compares with traditional electricity cost, and for the full cost picture, our solar cost and savings guide.

How much a high rate is worth in solar savings

Here is what that rate gap is actually worth on a roof, computed the same transparent way. An 8 kW rooftop array produces roughly 10,000 kWh a year in southern New England and about 10,900 kWh in eastern Pennsylvania, based on NREL’s PVWatts modeling (Hartford and Philadelphia, standard assumptions). Multiply each state’s own production by its all-in rate and you get the electricity that array offsets in a year. By MySolarFY’s estimate (July 2026), the same-size system offsets about $3,050 a year in Connecticut versus about $2,270 in Pennsylvania, so the Connecticut home avoids nearly $800 more per year even though it produces a little less, purely because Connecticut power costs about 46 percent more. Over 25 years, before any rate escalation, that difference alone is worth roughly $20,000. This is the whole reason a high Northeast rate makes rooftop solar pay: the more expensive your power, the more each kilowatt-hour your roof makes is worth.

MySolarFY estimate (July 2026). Production is NREL PVWatts modeling for a representative 8 kW system; rates are EIA state residential averages. Avoided cost equals production multiplied by rate. This is an illustration of scale, not a quote or a guarantee; your production, rate, and net-metering credit determine your own number. Run your address in PVWatts and check your utility rate for your figures.

Check which solar programs are available at your address →

Frequently asked questions

What are electricity rates per kWh in the Northeast right now? As of July 2026, residential electricity across the nine Northeast states averages about 20.9 cents per kWh in Pennsylvania up to 30.5 cents in Connecticut, all-in, with a simple nine-state average near 27 cents (EIA, state residential data, March 2026). That is roughly 60 percent above the recent U.S. average of about 17 cents. These are total prices that already include supply and delivery, so they reflect what a typical household actually pays, not the lower shoppable supply rate.

Why is my supply rate so much lower than my all-in rate? Because supply is only half the bill. The default supply rate, called the price to compare, standard offer, standard service, basic service, or last resort service depending on the state, covers only the generation of the power. Your bill also carries a delivery charge for the poles, wires, and grid, plus fixed customer charges and riders. In Connecticut, for example, Eversource standard-service supply is 11.58 cents per kWh (CT Office of Consumer Counsel, effective July to December 2026), while the state all-in average is 30.47 cents (EIA). The supply rate is what you shop; the all-in rate is what you pay.

Which Northeast state has the cheapest electricity? Of the nine Northeast states, Pennsylvania has the lowest residential average at about 20.9 cents per kWh, followed by New Jersey at 23.5 cents and Vermont at 24.6 cents (EIA, March and April 2026). Connecticut and Massachusetts are the most expensive, both above 30 cents. Pennsylvania stays cheaper largely because of its competitive generation market and fuel mix, while New England pays a premium for natural-gas-heavy generation and constrained winter pipelines. Within any state, your specific utility can run above or below the state average.

How often do Northeast electricity rates change? Default supply rates reset on fixed public-utility-commission schedules that vary by state. Pennsylvania price-to-compare rates change June 1 and December 1; Connecticut standard service resets January 1 and July 1; Massachusetts and New Hampshire default supply changes reset on a roughly semi-annual basis (Eversource on February 1 and August 1); Maine standard offer is set for the calendar year; New Jersey basic generation service resets around June 1 after an annual auction; and Con Edison’s supply charge in New York changes monthly with the wholesale market (CT Office of Consumer Counsel; Maine PUC). Delivery rates change less often, through periodic rate cases. Always check the effective date on any rate.

Does going solar make more sense where electricity is expensive? Generally yes. Rooftop solar saves you money by offsetting power you would otherwise buy from the grid, so the higher your rate, the more each kilowatt-hour your roof produces is worth. A solar system in Connecticut or Massachusetts, where power runs 30 cents per kWh, offsets far more value than the same system in a 12-cent state. What the offset is ultimately worth also depends on your utility’s net-metering or successor credit, which is set by your state. Note that the 30 percent federal residential tax credit (Section 25D) ended after December 31, 2025, so 2026 buyers cannot claim it (IRS).

How do I find the exact current rate for my utility? Read the supply and delivery lines on your own bill, then confirm the current default supply rate on your utility’s rate page or your state commission site: PECO and PPL in Pennsylvania, PSE&G and JCP&L through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Con Edison in New York, Eversource and National Grid in Massachusetts, Eversource and United Illuminating in Connecticut, Central Maine Power and Versant through the Maine Public Utilities Commission, Eversource in New Hampshire, Green Mountain Power in Vermont, and Rhode Island Energy in Rhode Island. Because supply resets on utility-commission cycles, always check the effective date (EIA). This page links each utility’s primary source in the table above.

Reviewed by the MySolarFY editorial team, July 2026. Rate figures were verified against primary sources (EIA state residential data, each utility’s own rate sheet, and state public utility commissions) as of the dates shown. Default supply rates reset on public-utility-commission cycles (commonly January 1, June 1, or July 1), so confirm the current figure with your utility before you act. MySolarFY does not provide tax or financial advice; consult a licensed professional about your own situation. Learn more about how MySolarFY works and our data and methodology.

MySolarFY is a free service that matches homeowners with licensed solar installers. We are not a utility, installer, financing company, or government program. “No up-front cost” refers to qualifying lease or PPA financing, where eligible homeowners may have no out-of-pocket cost at installation; lease and PPA terms typically run 20 to 25 years, may include an annual price escalator, and total payments may exceed the cost of a cash purchase. On a lease or PPA the tax benefits go to the company that owns the system, not the homeowner. Homeowners do not get the federal residential credit (Section 25D) that ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Solar panels are not free and monthly payments apply. Electricity rates, savings, incentives, and eligibility vary by utility and location and are not guaranteed. See our full disclaimer.