Where electricity costs most, so solar saves most
Hawaii pays 48.0 cents per kWh and Louisiana 12.7, so the same kilowatt-hour from a roof is worth 3.8x as much in one as the other. 20 states sit above the national average of 17.4 cents.
The table
| # | State | Residential price | 8 kW saves, year one |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 48.0¢ | $6,167/yr |
| 2 | California | 33.6¢ | $3,015/yr |
| 3 | Maine | 32.4¢ | $3,202/yr |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 30.5¢ | $3,081/yr |
| 5 | New York | 29.9¢ | $3,002/yr |
| 6 | Alaska | 28.8¢ | $2,020/yr |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $2,847/yr |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 26.6¢ | $2,592/yr |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 25.2¢ | $2,588/yr |
| 10 | New Jersey | 25.2¢ | $2,575/yr |
| 11 | Connecticut | 24.2¢ | $2,470/yr |
| 12 | Vermont | 23.8¢ | $2,176/yr |
| 13 | Michigan | 23.1¢ | $2,213/yr |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $2,198/yr |
| 15 | Maryland | 21.4¢ | $2,196/yr |
| 16 | Ohio | 19.4¢ | $1,898/yr |
| 17 | Illinois | 19.2¢ | $1,905/yr |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 19.1¢ | $1,915/yr |
| 19 | Delaware | 18.5¢ | $1,885/yr |
| 20 | Virginia | 17.6¢ | $1,926/yr |
| 21 | Minnesota | 17.4¢ | $1,714/yr |
| 22 | Colorado | 17.0¢ | $2,051/yr |
| 23 | Indiana | 16.7¢ | $1,672/yr |
| 24 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $1,720/yr |
| 25 | Georgia | 16.3¢ | $1,833/yr |
| 26 | Missouri | 16.1¢ | $1,721/yr |
| 27 | New Mexico | 16.1¢ | $2,226/yr |
| 28 | Iowa | 16.0¢ | $1,680/yr |
| 29 | Oregon | 16.0¢ | $1,377/yr |
| 30 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $1,765/yr |
| 31 | West Virginia | 15.8¢ | $1,514/yr |
| 32 | South Carolina | 15.5¢ | $1,785/yr |
| 33 | Arizona | 15.4¢ | $2,077/yr |
| 34 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $1,616/yr |
| 35 | Kansas | 15.3¢ | $1,773/yr |
| 36 | North Carolina | 15.2¢ | $1,662/yr |
| 37 | Florida | 15.0¢ | $1,715/yr |
| 38 | Montana | 15.0¢ | $1,533/yr |
| 39 | Washington | 14.7¢ | $1,278/yr |
| 40 | Mississippi | 14.5¢ | $1,608/yr |
| 41 | Wyoming | 14.4¢ | $1,717/yr |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $1,707/yr |
| 43 | Arkansas | 14.3¢ | $1,560/yr |
| 44 | Kentucky | 13.8¢ | $1,410/yr |
| 45 | Nebraska | 13.8¢ | $1,469/yr |
| 46 | Idaho | 13.7¢ | $1,534/yr |
| 47 | Tennessee | 13.7¢ | $1,406/yr |
| 48 | North Dakota | 13.4¢ | $1,271/yr |
| 49 | Utah | 13.1¢ | $1,498/yr |
| 50 | Nevada | 12.8¢ | $1,725/yr |
| 51 | Louisiana | 12.7¢ | $1,430/yr |
Average residential electricity price for July 2026, cents per kWh, from the EIA's Electric Power Monthly table 5.6.A. Year-one saving is an 8 kW system's modelled output valued at that price, with California's export haircut applied. Full method on the methodology page.
Questions
Which state has the highest electricity prices?
Hawaii, at 48.0 cents per kWh for residential customers in July 2026 according to the EIA, against a national average of 17.4 cents. An 8 kW solar system there avoids about $6,167 of electricity in its first year.
Which state has the cheapest electricity?
Louisiana, at 12.7 cents per kWh in July 2026 (EIA). Cheap power is the main reason solar pays back slowly there: an 8 kW system avoids about $1,430 in year one.
Three competing quotes beat any amount of comparing panel brands
Sales cost and margin are over a third of an installed price, and they are the part that competition removes. A single quote from whoever reached you first is how people end up in the top quarter of what their neighbours paid.
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