Who sets electricity rates in the US?

The states, not the federal government: retail electricity sales are regulated by each state's utility commission, so there is no national retail rate. Where a state lets households buy electricity from a retail supplier, the supplier is paid for the electricity and the utility for delivering it.

Electricity rates by state

What a kilowatt-hour costs in each state, who sets the rate, whether there's a price cap, and where you can choose who sells you electricity.

Last updated October 19, 2026

The US has no national electricity rate and no national price cap: retail rates are regulated state by state.

State rates are being loaded from the EIA. Check back shortly.

Is there an energy price cap in the US?

No. If you're looking for Britain's energy price cap: the US has no equivalent, and no national cap on what households pay for electricity. The federal regulator, FERC, oversees wholesale power sales and interstate transmission, but not retail sales to consumers; the states regulate those, through their utility commissions. As the EIA explains, in some states the commission fully regulates electricity prices, while in others the prices generators charge are unregulated and only the prices for transmission and distribution are regulated.

Can I choose my energy supplier?

In some states. Where retail choice exists, a supplier sells you the electricity and your utility still delivers it. State-by-state figures load with the EIA data.

Energy rates and energy plans

Your rate is what your utility or supplier charges for each kilowatt-hour; the average prices above divide everything homes paid by the kWh they used, so they include any fixed monthly charges. Where you can choose a supplier, the supplier's plan sets what you pay for the electricity itself and your utility still charges for delivering it. MassOutage doesn't track individual suppliers' plans. Many utilities also have time-based rates, where the price depends on when you use power; how those work, and which utilities have customers on them, is on off-peak electricity times.

Electricity rates: FAQ

Is there an energy price cap in the US?: No. The US has no national cap on what households pay for electricity, and no equivalent of Britain's energy price cap. The federal regulator, FERC, oversees wholesale power sales and interstate transmission but not retail sales to homes; those are regulated by the states, through their utility commissions. In some states the commission fully regulates electricity prices; in others the prices generators charge are unregulated and only transmission and distribution prices are regulated.
Who sets electricity rates in the US?: The states, not the federal government: retail electricity sales are regulated by each state's utility commission, so there is no national retail rate. Where a state lets households buy electricity from a retail supplier, the supplier is paid for the electricity and the utility for delivering it.

Data from EIA Form 861 (sales, customers, meters and time-based rates), every source we read.