Texas Residential Electricity Rate
Official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) monthly retail-sales statistical average for reporting period 2026-08.
National & Snapshot Rank Context
In the 2026-08 EIA snapshot, Texas recorded an average residential price of 15.91 cents per kWh, ranking #22 out of 51 jurisdictions (competition rank, ordered from lowest to highest).
- Vs. U.S. National Aggregate (18.16¢): Texas is 2.25¢/kWh (12.4%) below the official EIA nationwide weighted residential average.
- Vs. 51-Jurisdiction Snapshot Median (16.33¢): Texas is 0.42¢/kWh (2.6%) below the median jurisdiction (Alabama at 16.33¢).
- Vs. 51-Jurisdiction Unweighted Mean (19.22¢): Texas is 3.31¢/kWh (17.2%) below the unweighted 51-jurisdiction snapshot mean.
Nearest Rate Tiers: Next lower rate tier: Georgia (15.90¢) | Next higher rate tier: Oregon (15.92¢)
Why does Texas stay below the U.S. average?
Texas runs its power sector at unusual scale and under its own rules. ERCOT, the independent system operator for most of the state, manages power for about 27 million people — roughly 90% of Texas's electric load — on a grid that is largely separate from the two big national interconnections, and it administers retail switching in the state's competitive-choice areas. Texas both produces and consumes more electricity than any other state, and it is a leading producer of two very different fuels at once: natural gas and wind power. That combination — large in-state supply, a competitive wholesale market, and retail choice across much of the state — is the structural backdrop to a statewide average that sits below the national benchmark.
A below-average price is not the same as a below-average bill. Texas summers are long and hot, air conditioning drives household consumption far above the standardized scenarios used on this page, and delivery charges, plan fees, and contract terms differ by provider and territory. Weather is also a real cost risk in the ERCOT market: when supply gets scarce, wholesale prices can spike sharply, even though a monthly statewide average smooths those episodes out. Read the figure on this page as a statistical benchmark for comparing states — not as a quote for any individual Texas plan.
Monthly Consumption Benchmarks
Estimated monthly cost benchmarks for illustrative residential usage scenarios, calculated from Texas's 15.91¢/kWh average retail price and compared against the 18.16¢/kWh U.S. national benchmark:
| Usage Scenario | Monthly Cost (Texas) | U.S. Benchmark Cost | Difference vs U.S. | Detailed Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh — Lower-Consumption Scenario | $79.55 | $90.80 | $-11.25 (-12.4%) | Calculator estimate |
| 1,000 kWh — Standardized Comparison Baseline | $159.10 | $181.60 | $-22.50 (-12.4%) | Calculator estimate |
| 1,500 kWh — Intermediate Consumption Scenario | $238.65 | $272.40 | $-33.75 (-12.4%) | Calculator estimate |
| 2,000 kWh — Elevated Consumption Scenario | $318.20 | $363.20 | $-45.00 (-12.4%) | Calculator estimate |
| 5,000 kWh — Heavy-Load Scenario | $795.50 | $908.00 | $-112.50 (-12.4%) | Calculator estimate |
Note: Under kWhBill's model, costs scale linearly with consumption. The statewide aggregate includes delivery costs as reflected in reported retail revenue, but this calculation does not separately calculate a customer's tariff structure or bill line items.
Texas residential price, last 12 months
| Month | ¢/kWh | Year-over-year | U.S. ¢/kWh | Vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 15.77¢ | +4.7% | 18.05¢ | -12.6% |
| October 2025 | 16.03¢ | +2.3% | 17.95¢ | -10.7% |
| November 2025 | 15.96¢ | +1.8% | 17.77¢ | -10.2% |
| December 2025 | 15.79¢ | +2.8% | 17.11¢ | -7.7% |
| January 2026 | 15.67¢ | +7.1% | 17.45¢ | -10.2% |
| February 2026 | 15.42¢ | +4.3% | 17.65¢ | -12.6% |
| March 2026 | 16.39¢ | +7.8% | 18.60¢ | -11.9% |
| April 2026 | 17.00¢ | +9.8% | 18.86¢ | -9.9% |
| May 2026 | 16.44¢ | +6.4% | 18.44¢ | -10.8% |
| June 2026 | 15.94¢ | +4.9% | 18.35¢ | -13.1% |
| July 2026 | 15.88¢ | +3.9% | 18.31¢ | -13.3% |
| August 2026 | 15.91¢ | +3.3% | 18.16¢ | -12.4% |
Each year-over-year cell compares that month with the same month one year earlier. The price is the EIA residential average, not a customer bill.
Custom Monthly Cost Benchmark Calculator
Calculate the estimated cost benchmark for any kilowatt-hour amount using Texas's 15.91¢/kWh aggregate retail price:
The aggregate retail price includes delivery costs as reflected in reported retail revenue, but this calculator does not separately calculate a customer's tariff structure or bill line items. Not an actual utility bill or billing guarantee.
Wondering how your bill breaks down across generation, delivery, and transmission? Try our Interactive Bill Composition Explainer.
Land-border neighbors of Texas
Compare Texas's residential electricity price with geographically adjacent or division peer jurisdictions:
Guides, Comparisons & Method
Put Texas's average in context, break down what a bill contains, or check exactly how every figure on this page is calculated:
- California vs Texas Electricity Costs — the two seed markets compared head-to-head: rates, monthly bill estimates, 12-month trend, and why the gap exists.
- State Electricity Rate Rankings — all 51 jurisdictions ranked from the same EIA snapshot, lowest to highest.
- Interactive Bill Composition Explainer — how a residential bill breaks down across generation, delivery, and transmission.
- Methodology — data definitions, snapshot provenance, and the limits of statewide-average estimates.
- Texas Utility Delivery Charges — transmission and distribution utility (TDU) delivery charges by territory.
- Texas Tariff Watch — tracked Texas tariff filings and delivery-charge changes.
- Texas Power Availability — grid interconnection and capacity context for Texas.
- Compare with California — the other upgraded seed market on this site: one of the highest average prices in the snapshot.
Texas Electricity Rate FAQ
What is the average residential electricity price in Texas?
For the 2026-08 EIA reporting period, Texas's average residential price is 15.91¢/kWh. It ranks #22 of 51 jurisdictions (lowest to highest) and is 12.4% below the U.S. benchmark of 18.16¢/kWh.
How did Texas's average price change from a year earlier?
It rose 3.3% year over year, from 15.40¢/kWh in August 2025 to 15.91¢/kWh in August 2026.
Can Texas households choose their own electricity provider?
Many can, but not all. In ERCOT's competitive-choice areas, households buy power from retail electric providers while a regulated transmission and distribution utility still delivers it; ERCOT administers the switching process for those areas. Parts of Texas outside ERCOT — and customers served by municipal utilities or cooperatives — can face different arrangements, so the statewide average on this page blends several market structures.
Source, Methodology & Evidence Boundary
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) — Electricity retail-sales API v2 ↗. Dataset: EIA electricity/retail-sales API v2; source version: EIA API v2.1.14 retail-sales; reporting period: 2026-08.
Checksum-locked EIA response captured on 2026-10-24 for reporting period 2026-08. It is a point-in-time snapshot, not a live tariff, customer bill, or current-rate guarantee.
Disclaimer: Statewide statistical cost benchmarks sourced from a checksum-locked U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) retail-sales API snapshot. EIA's residential average retail price is total residential retail revenue divided by total residential retail sales (kWh). This aggregate includes delivery costs as reflected in reported retail revenue, but the simple usage calculation does not separately calculate a customer's tariff structure or bill line items. Not an actual utility bill or billing guarantee. For informational use only. Detailed calculations, statistical definitions, and customer-specific billing factors are documented on our Methodology page.